From Eugene Kane, of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
You can’t be flipping anybody off in the age of concealed carry, that’s for sure.
In regards to pedestrian traffic, I’m going to have to start watching for the hunched-over posture that could signal a concealed gun carrier.
Maybe a telltale bump or protrusion under their clothing. Of course, as it gets colder, that’s going to be a lot more difficult to decipher.
Who knows who’s packing heat under those puffy down jackets in the middle of January?
Thankfully, the “No Weapons Allowed in the Building” sign has been posted at my job, which was a great relief for some of us who write the kind of stories that occasionally get the public agitated.
I hate to tell you Mr. Kane, but someone intent on assaulting you has already been carrying without a permit, and that same kind of person is just going to walk right past that sign your employer posted without giving it a second thought.
I also wonder why Eugene Kane is so fearful of his fellow citizens and co-workers. Do you think as soon as you put a gun in someone’s hands they magically turn into murderers? Are people in Minnesota, which has a lower violent crime rate than Wisconsin, less safe because they have allowed shall-issue carry permits for years? What about Iowa, who’s violent crime rate is roughly the same as Wisconsin and also has shall-issue carry?
No, Eugene Kane would prefer to emulate Illinois, which has a dramatically higher violent crime rate. News flash… the criminals don’t follow the law, and don’t get permits. The only people Wisconsin’s law has been disarming are the law abiding.
Why is Mr. Kane flipping off so many people off. If concealed carry keeps uncivilized people like Mr. Kane from throwing the bird all over town, maybe that is a good thing.
“An armed society is a polite society.” -Heinlein
tweaker
I can’t tell if he’s being serious or sarcastic. I’ve been reading Tam too much.
Re-reading the article, I think he was being sarcastic. I tend to skim when looking for material, and I skipped over some important parts of the article.
Wow, I thought that those international “no” signs with the red circle and slash mark would generate a level-ten force field to surround the building to keep out all firearms. You make it sound like they’re USELESS, (just like all of the gun control laws) for the prevention of “gun violence”.
Oh wait, that is the truth. Sorry, reality hit me upside the head.
“I’m going to have to start watching for the hunched-over posture that could signal a concealed gun carrier.”
What?
I’m carrying a Beretta, not a mortar.
LOL! Oh god…that’s a good one. : )
Kane apparently hasn’t watched Flying Wild Alaska. They seem to flip each other off all the time in that constitutional carry state, and nobody breaks leather.
As for the hunched over posture- When I started carrying, I noticed my posture actually improved. Its very uncomfortable to slouch in a chair with a hard object poking you in the kidney. He seems to think we are ashamed of ourselves, slinking around in public with our dirty, smelly guns. If he managed this long in condition white, I don’t think he’s going to change. He SHOULD have had an eye open for printing and suspicious behavior the whole time. Real impact of the new law on this guy? Nearly zero. He’s not going to change his mind, his threat index has not changed at all (seeing as how the people that would hurt him haven’t changed policy, just the ones that are least likely to) and his work is a Magical Gun Free Zone.
I do pretty good with my 1911 under a tshirt, no slouching, Just need a really good belt and a proper holster. Its been 10 years now and I’ve still not shot anyone who’s flipped me off in traffic…
The guilty flee where none pursue.
“… but the righteous are bold as a lion.” (Proverbs 28:1).
And they don’t walk hunched over. Like Wolfman, carrying noticeably improves my posture, because of comfort and because I start to print if I bend too much at the waist.
An armed society is a polite society.—Robert Heinlein
The only effect that “No guns allowed” sign has on your potential assailant is to speed up his timetable. He no longer has to save up for body armor since you can’t shoot back.
Heck, my typical attire includes a vest that would have me up for a Terry search at any stop, and all they’d find is enough electronics to stock half a booth in Akihbara. There’s a line from the Ghost Rider movie this guy needs to take to heart…
You know, I work for a company that specifies and sometimes makes signs. If people can’t seem to follow almost any sign, like “No solicitation” what makes people think they will follow a no concealed weapon sign?
Do you mean to tell me that I went out bought guns, a big scary dog and dead bolts, and all I had to do was put up a sign that says “No Break ins allowed”? This changes everything!!! Screw the bike locks, I just get the label maker out and put “do not steal” on the kids bikes, AWESOME!!!! Morons!!
This quote is almost cute in its naivete:
“Thankfully, the “No Weapons Allowed in the Building†sign has been posted at my job, which was a great relief for some of us who write the kind of stories that occasionally get the public agitated.”
Kind of reminds me of the story of the battered wife who fended off her gun-toting husband when he came to kill her at work by smacking him down with a rolled up copy of her restraining order. Oh wait, that never happened.
I think you are all confused. This article from Kane is clearly a passionate cri de coeur for better posture.
A couple of people already brought it up, but as Heinlein said, “An armed society is a polite society.” I don’t know about Eugene, but the way I was brought up, flipping someone off was considered impolite.
The funny thing is, Eugene probably won’t complain about not being able to flip off that 250-lb all-muscle biker with a broken bottle. No, Eugene is disappointed that he can no longer flip off those 98-lb weaklings, some of whom might now be carrying (and would *still* be too polite to pull a gun on him for flipping him off, because, you know, *they* take the heavy responsibility of carrying guns very seriously).
I was trying to remember what the “No Weapons Allowed in The Building” sign reminded me of. I figured it out, the “He hates these cans” guy in the jerk movie would was trying to shoot Steve Martin. Nathan Johnson, aka Steve Martin, got in the car to flea, and drove in the fenced in lot marked “Carnival Personnel Only”. The shooter would not go in the lot to pursue Nathan Johnson, well, because the sign prohibited entrance by non-carnival people. That cracks me up! The difference is the people in the movie knew it was funny when they did it.