U.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)-– On January 16, Monday, after coming back from the Industry Day at the Range, before the opening of the SHOT Show on Tuesday, this correspondent was outside in Las Vegas, on Tropicana Avenue, in front of Liquor World, taking a few pictures. The weather was cool, but not cold. It was overcast, without rain. A young black man drove up in a late model sporty car, parked, got out, and entered the store with an openly carried pistol stuck in his waistband.
As a writer for AmmoLand, this correspondent knew he had to take action. This correspondent formulated a hasty plan.
As the young black man exited the store, this correspondent approached him and said:
“I am a writer covering the SHOT Show. May I take a picture of your open carry pistol?”
The young man looked me up and down. Approaching a complete stranger in front of a liquor store is a mildly risky proposition. He answered:
“Who do you write for?”
“AmmoLand” was the reply.
I elaborated: I do not need to include your face or any identification. I simply want to document the open carry here in Las Vegas. He obviously had places to go and people to meet. After he agreed, I quickly took a couple of shots. We briefly chatted.
He stated he was glad they made open carry legal and wished they would do it everywhere. I told him I frequently open carry in Arizona. It was common there.
It was not the time or place to critique his holster or offer expert advice. A holster clipped to the inside of the waistband of sweatpants is not a practice I would normally recommend. Offering intimate advice about carrying weapons is not something I am willing to do with chance encounters in front of liquor stores.
The young man may have had good and sufficient reason to pop the holstered pistol inside the waistband of sweatpants, with only a small cord for a belt. The trip to the liquor store might have been to meet the urgent request of a wife or girlfriend or another reason which required quick action. This is of course my own speculation.
Factually, a young black man in a very nice car (late model Mustang) felt no inhibitions to openly carry what appears to be a Smith & Wesson SD series into a liquor store on Tropicana Avenue. No one complained or even seemed to notice, except for this correspondent.
My new friend in the world of gun culture turned onto Tropicana and expertly merged into the far left lane to turn north on Koval.
Opinion:
The normalization of armed Americans continues. Some might claim a young black man in a lovely, late-model car entering a liquor store with a pistol tucked into his waistband would be reason for alarm. It was not for this correspondent, nor did it appear to be for anyone in the vicinity. Criminals almost never openly carry arms for obvious reasons. They have a “mens rea,” to use the legal term, or “guilty mind.” The Bible has much sound advice.
From Proverbs: The wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.
About Dean Weingarten:
Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.
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