David Codrea: Peaceable Armed Citizens

David wrote a nice article discussing Peaceable Armed Citizens:

It sounds like an oxymoron, doesn't it, a peaceable armed citizen? If they like peace so much, what are they doing armed? After all, aren't we told the only purpose of a gun is to kill people? . . .

He brings out many good points, check out the entire post. I myself am a Peaceable Armed Citizen. I interact with both armed & unarmed citizens on a daily basis, and as far as I know none of them have been aware that I'm armed (other than the occasions when I open carry). The only way any of them would ever figure out that I'm armed would be if they were to threaten the lives of my family or myself. In that situation to their dismay they'd very quickly learn that I'm armed.

Otherwise I'm just like every other guy you see walking by you on the street or in a crowded mall or movie theater, other than the fact that I'm more aware of my surroundings than many of the unarmed choose to be. Criminals cause crime, not guns. Like Eric says when he opens his Handgun Podcasts: "If handguns cause crime, mine's defective."