No, that's not what I said and shame on you for taking it in that direction. Like I said, there's definitely a chip on your shoulder.
Actually that was poorly worded. It was supposed to be more of a "hey watch that a mod might take it wrong." Sorry about that one.
You are reading WAAAAY too much into this. It wasn't a guide for pigeon-holing every single person you meet. It is a general guide to discerning friend from foe at a glance.
When he starts saying there is a "uniform" for the good guys and that they visit the same "tailor" as cops she ets up dividing lines. It puts a very small portion of the CCWers in the crowd and leaves every one else as a suspect. It is even more infuriating when it comes from a cop that is speaking from a limited experience window in a certain area.
I've run in to a lot more guys in Oakley's, a Winchester hat, and hiking boats that I wouldn't want in dark alley with my daughter than not. My experience seems to be the opposite of the author's. Yet hundreds of rookie cops are reading the advice of this "authority" and taking it to heart.
However, it is blind, stupid political correctness to think that certain people don't act and dress a certain way. You can discern a lot about a person by their dress and by their mannerisms.
It isn't about being politically correct. If you see a guy with a tattoo tear drop on the web of his hand and a red hat turned sideways those are direct symbols. Those are symbols accepted by a certain gang and verbally codified as their uniform. Yes you need to know those.
There is no codified uniform for CCH holders. To assume that there is based on limited experience in a place that has a higher than average concentration of hunters isn't smart for a cop in a place like Charlotte, North Carolina or Miami, Florida.
Statistics are on your side if you assume, which you must if you are to get along in this world without carding every person you meet, that the man in the suit, wearing a silk tie and $400 shoes with the bulge on his hip is a law abiding citizen carrying legally
Actually depending on the size and shape of the bulge my first question will probably be, "do you have an insulin pump or cell phone?" In my experience the guys in suits with $400 shoes usually aren't the ones carrying. They expect the police to bend and grovel to make sure they are pampered. If they do carry it is usually a Kel Tec or other .32 in an inside pocket.
See, different experiences from different places lead to different realities.
The assumption about the guy in the hoodie is FAR less likely to get you in trouble than the assumption about the guy in the suit.
I'm not worried about trouble. I'm worried about getting home to my family. So, anybody with a bulge or other evidence of a possible gun is getting questioned. If they have a CCH then cool. If they don't then the issue will be dealt with appropriately. Nobody is getting proned or spread eagle unless they are behaving in a manner that seems questionable or threatening. Every encounter should start with questions unless there seems to be an immeadiate threat.
Grow up, it's not about judging people, it's about judging threats.
It is about judging people. If it was about judging threats it would be a lot more frank. All people pose equal risk untill they prove other wise. You never know who has a CCH untill you ask. You never know when the guy in the suit is a drug dealer or a wife beater that is afraid he just got caught.
My CCH teacher gave us a scenario. It was based on an actual police incident.
Two men were wrestling in the street. One was a guy wearing baggy clothes with long hair, a beard, a bandana on his head and cheap shoes. The other guy was wearing a suit with Stacy Adams shoes, he had manicured hands and he looked every bit the young socialite. He was even driving a late model German sports car. What do you do?
In real life a person nearly killed an undercover cop trying to make an arrest because he made a decision based on the clothing he saw. The guy he tried to save was a drug dealer later convicted for smuggling several kilos of cocaine and owning or operating a business for the purpose of distributing narcotics.
You do realize that the generalizations made by guys in "expensive wardrobes and a Thunder Ranch class" are no better than those you make towards them, right? I'm sorry about the guy with expensive clothes who went to Thunder Ranch and however he hurt your feelings but it's not really relevant here.
Actually you are pretty right. I just get tired of guys like that talking about being a "sheep dog." I get tired of those guys standing around saying things like "Don't you think your life is worth more than that?" (Yeah I do, but unfortunately I don't make a lot of money keeping your rear end safe.) Then I really get pissed when I hear them second guessing how a police officer handled a situation and saying they could handle the situation better because of their "training." (If you can handle it better then sign up and show us how dedicated you are to being the ultimate "sheep dog.")
I hate it even more when they start treating people with disrespect because they aren't dressed in the "uniform." The cutting looks, nose raising, snorting, and eye rolling is childish and hurts the RKBA community.
Then there are the store clerks that fall in to the same category. I love having them speak to me like I'm an idiot when I ask to see a Bersa Thunder CC. Then I ask if they have a discount for police department staff and they start breaking their neck to be polite and take my money. Twenty minutes earlier they were rolling their eyes when they saw me walk in. Suddenly they want to act like we are brothers in arms.
You're right my generalizations aren't much better. I'm just grumpy, sick, and easy to get mad right now.
I should have said, in my experience people like the ones he described are a small minority of the CCH population. They are also usually the ones that will second guess and scorn police officers and security specialist while failing to volunteer to put their own rear on the line. They will do it all while treating every one that doesn't look like them with derision and scorn for being different and not agreeing with their outlook on all things gun related.
Also I shouldn't have singled out Thunder Ranch. That was bad form on my part. I should have stated "tactical training" or some other more general term. Thunder Ranch deserves no negative knocks. From my understanding they have a professional and polite staff.
