ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK — Another sheriff has stepped forward to encourage those who are trained and legally registered to carry everyday. In a statement to Syracuse News, Sheriff Rob Marciol of Oneida County outlined his support of having more legal carriers out and amongst the community.
via Syracuse
“I strongly believe that the only thing that is going to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun,” Marciol said.
This comes at a time where Oneida residents recalled a 2010 incident where an off-duty police officer shot and killed a gunman. In that event, it was the off-duty officer who stopped a murderous rampage before it could really begin. One store employee was seriously wounded by the gunman before the officer could stop him. This is the reason why we carry everyday. We don’t know when and how a self-defense situation starts but we have to be ready nonetheless.
And it’s also the reason why we train. High-stress self-defense environments are not normal.
- Training is a life-long commitment
Any basic pistol safety or certification course will likely reinforce the concept that training continues after the class. The only reason most states have mandated training in the first place is to at least likely guarantee the applicant has the most basic of foundations to operate safely in normal situations. A live-fire self-defense situation is anything but normal (despite what you may read on the news).
“Many people wouldn’t be comfortable using a gun in a high-stress situation,” Sheriff Rob Marciol said. “Carrying a weapon and actually using it in a high-stress situation are two totally different things.”
That’s why we continue to train even after we get our permits. Making a commitment to going to the range even once a month and maybe pursuing additional instructor-led training are all great ways to continually explore and enjoy our responsibility as concealed carriers.
- Carry concealed every day
What use is a gun if it’s not in your control? The only way a concealed carrier can stop a bad guy is if he’s armed and ready to go.
“Stop or I’ll wave my permit at you!”
As funny as that may sound, that’s inevitably where we’re stuck if we leave our gun at home. A little check in the morning to make sure our guns are safely holstered and kept in condition 0-2 is enough to get us on the right path to carrying everyday.
- Constantly familiarize and re-familiarize yourself with the basics
Gun safety is something that we can all become too complacent in. Complacency is bad because it dulls our senses and makes us more prone to costly mistakes. Part of being in that “trained and equipped” section of the community is never losing sight of firearm safety and situational awareness — two core components in any concealed carrier’s bag of tricks.