imported post
MousePrife II,
Quite actually, it is safety for my students, (and anybody else that chooses to carry), for a myriad of reasons.
The driverhas no idea what the LEO has been dealing with just prior to the traffic stop. Possibly the LEO has the recent murders of fellow LEOs on his mind. Now, all of a sudden, he iscaught by surprise with the presence of a firearm in the possession of somebody he knows nothing about.
Take that surprise out of the equation. Politely informing the LEO of your CCW certification and the presence of a weaponhelps to demonstrate you are not a threat to his safety. This in turn can put his mind more at ease, possibly preventing an unwarranted response that could escalate into a tragedy.
You will find the majority of LEOs are on our side in the CCW debate. Those that are not make for interesting conversation as I attempt to straighten out their line of thought. The biggest obstacle is the 'them against us' mindset that is held by LEOs and civilians alike. Onceeither party understands we arebasically alike, (with families, homes, bills, etc.), we find LEOs and CCW practitioners have another, stronger link. Responsibility.
An LEO has accepted the responsibility of providing safety for countless others, as part of his / her job. A CCW practitioner has accepted the responsibility of safety for them-self and their loved-ones as part of their everyday life. This is a huge responsibility for either party, not to be taken lightly.
As for bowing down..., well let's just leave that to a certain embarrassing PBO that has no concept of protocol, safety, personal freedom, the meanings of the Constitution,...should I go on? How about we just work on respect for one another, knowing we share the common goal of going home to our families after work.
David E. Stark
deputy_dave_stark@yahoo.com