You apparently didn't even read my original post, sarge, let alone the comments. I don't have to ask her. I want her to be more comfortable when I do.
What part of the following is not being understood?: "The punk confronting you about your OC weapon" would not be confronting you at all if that weapon were concealed.
Other punks would not be confronting my if they didn't see that I had a weapon. Both sides can say "these types of punks will focus on people who (have/have no) gun displayed." So in the end, it's down to which you personally think is more likely, and that will most likely be situational depending on your demeanor and the part of town you live in.
The OC advocates here seem so obsessed with demonstrating their right to OC (even when it contradicts common sense) that they are willing to, in effect, set the wheels in motion to invite and provoke a felony assault where none would otherwise occur.
It's tantamount to walking down the street with wads of cash displayed openly (which you have every right to do); Yes, the guy who robs you is committing a felony, but your lack of common sense invites the crime.
There's a big difference here. The difference is that you cannot use a wad of cash to defend yourself.
At least one of you also fails to understand the difference between OC by a uniformed and commissioned LEO and OC by a private citizen. By your "logic", everybody should OC. Maybe then we'll be able to spot the plainclothesmen and detectives because they'll be the only ones not OC'ing; would that make sense in the strange world you seem to inhabit? (A world where one "simply asks" the aggressor, "Pardon me, My Good Fellow; might you be aware that you are about to commit a felony assault? Are you quite sure you wish to proceed?").
If everyone OC'd, then the detectives would OC, too.
Also, if you are CCing, what would your strategy be when someone walks up, pulls out a switchblade, and says "I want the wallet and the watch."
Take that response, and you can just as easily apply it to OC when someone walks up to you and says "gimme your gun."
My response, in either situation, would be to take a step back, put my hand on my gun (which involves displaying it when I'm CCing, already displayed if I'm OCing), and stating clearly something along the lines of "back off."
The point is, in either case, you're going to respond the same. So you can't use "how would you respond" as a CC vs. OC argument.
In the real world that I inhabit, I (too often) find myself unable to avoid walking a gauntlet of loudmouth, posturing thugs. If I were OC'ing, I would not make it to the end of the block.
Then in your situation, if you think these thugs would be baited by your OCing, you shouldn't OC. That doesn't mean everyone else is in the situation you are in. I live in a pretty nice neighborhood where I only run into "thugs" maybe once or twice a year. So I'm not at all worried about making it to the end of the block.