WARNING:  This sign may be the death of you.

Criminals, of course, readily ignore these kinds of signs.

The law-abiding, just as obviously, do not.  

Think like a criminal:  if you were intent on committing a robbery or a killing, would you be likely to do so where somebody with a legal concealed-carry permit (CCP) might be present, and is likely to draw his pistol and shoot at you?  Or would you rather take advantage of locations which display this sign?

People at locations displaying this sign are helpless.  To a criminal, they would be sitting ducks.  

Safety is totally, utterly absent at locations displaying this sign.  

This sign tells a would-be criminal, “Come on in!  Have a great time!  Do your worst!  There is nobody here to stop you!”

These signs are criminal magnets.

As someone who is law-abiding, you might want to think twice about entering a building where this sign is displayed.

Do you really want to take a chance that you might lose a loved one?  Do you really want to take a chance that a member of your family – or a close friend – might be gunned down while you watch helplessly – and realize that you are next?  

Even though you yourself might not have a CCP, you would certainly be safer in any location where a sign like this is absent.

The statistics make that clear.

What happens in a mass-shooting? The statistics are simple:  

In attempted mass-shootings when a CCP holder is present, the average number of deaths is less than 3.  

In mass-shootings where no CCP holder was present, the average number of deaths is over 14.

Twelve more people will die if a CCP holder is not present to stop the killer.  

Twelve people will survive a mass-shooting who would have been dead, on average, thanks to a CCP holder.

Look around you:  in a mass shooting, which twelve people will be dead on the floor if there is no CCP holder present?

Think about it:  like everyone else in the vicinity, a CCP holder hears the first shot.  Like anyone, he looks around to see where that shot came from.  Seeing the killer shoot again, the CCP holder pulls out his concealed pistol.  The killer may or may not have time for a third shot, but then, if conditions permit, the CCP holder fires his gun at the killer.

Whether the CCP holder hits the killer with his shot or not, the mass-shooting is likely to be halted.  Mass-killers are not being “brave”; they do not want to “fight it out”.  They are people with psychological problems, which they are taking out on people they think they can hurt – a revenge for the gunman’s own pain.  Like anyone, a gunman fears gunfire; at the sound of a shot, a killer is most likely to flee in panic, if he is able.  Either way, the shooting stops.

Who carries a concealed weapon?

To carry a concealed weapon, you must have a Concealed-Carry Permit (CCP).  To get a CCP requires a number of steps.  

You want my fingerprints?

An applicant for a CCP is required to have his fingerprints taken.  His fingerprints will then be placed on file not only with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) but also with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).  

Watching your fingerprints being taken while knowing their ultimate destinations is a very sobering experience.  

If you have a criminal past – or future – this step will obviously stop you from getting a CCP.

The CCP Classroom

The Instructor for the CCP class will step to the front of the room for the first time, and start the first class with a question:  “Why do you want a Concealed-Carry Permit?”

What do you say?

The class is made up of otherwise-typical people.  They have a range of answers which you might be able to imagine.

One says something like, “I met my wife later than most.  So it is especially important to me to do everything I can to keep her safe.”

Another in the class says, “I want to protect my family.  I want to know I have done everything I can to keep them safe.”

After each person in the class has given his or her answer, the instructor says these two replies “are the right answer.”

Having a CCP and the Law

When the instructor starts telling the class about the laws concerning shooting a gun as a CCP holder, students begin to realize that a CCP holder is very limited in what actions are legally permitted.  

First and most important, a CCP holder does not want to shoot an innocent bystander.  Having a CCP implies a determination to protect the lives of innocent people.  So shooting at a would-be criminal who is surrounded by other people is, to put it mildly, a bad choice.  

Secondly, the legal ramifications of shooting anyone – even a killer – are likely to result in a significant impact on your life and financial well-being.  As the CCP class instructor will put it, “Every bullet has a lawyer’s name on it.”

A CCP holder can shoot someone to protect himself and others, and to protect property from destruction.  However, a CCP holder cannot shoot someone after the fact, as the perpetrator is running away.  

There will be no blazing of guns and wild spray of bullets from a CCP holder.  

Gun safety and personal safety

Included in a CCP instructional class, of course, is gun usage and safety.  

Students bring their pistols to class, along with enough ammunition for the required target practice.  They must demonstrate a knowledge of safe gun usage and necessary shooting accuracy.

The class’s second session in gun safety and usage involves the student’s own safety while taking action against a gunman.  That training includes shooting at a moving target, and being a minimal target yourself.

Being a CCP holder is not without its own risks. Who do you trust?

Wherever you go, what do you think of the people you see?  

A CCP holder divides people into three groups.

First, are other CCP holders.  He knows that they have been trained to have the same understanding as he.  He can trust and anticipate their actions.  Statistically, CCP holders are the least likely to be law-breakers.

Second, the CCP holder knows he can trust and depend on Law Enforcement Officers – the police.  Statistically, police are also unlikely to be law-breakers.

Third, is everyone else.  A CCP holder looks at those around him, and wonders:  are you one of the many typical unarmed people, or are you a would-be gunman?  

A CCP holder – more than anyone else – genuinely hopes that his effort to obtain his CCP is the most useless thing he will do in his entire life; that he will never have to use his gun.  Like anybody, the danger, the trauma, and the fear of being on the scene at a violent event is something he never wants to experience.  Due to his CCP training, he is likely to be more aware than most of how such an event can affect him – and his family – personally.

For your own safety

If you see a “No Concealed Weapons” sign, ask the proprietor to remove it; ask him to take it down.  Let him know that you do not feel safe in his store or place of business; let him know that that sign attracts criminals.  Take your business elsewhere, and let the business owner or manager know that you are doing so, and why:  for the safety of you and your family.

Those who do not like guns do not want to hear it, but about 2.8 million times  each year, someone with a gun protects innocent people from a criminal’s intended actions.  Having a CCP and carrying a concealed gun is a great safety precaution.♣