‘Concealed Carry No Help In Orlando’ — We Disagree

In just the little time that has passed since a deadly mass shooting claimed the lives of several dozen men and women in a nightclub in Orlando, plenty of fodder has been added to the fire to stoke the flames of the gun control debate.

There have been ample debates online and even some political action towards pushing an agenda in the wake of an incident.

One thing we can definitely see from the preliminary FBI investigation results is that the man who conducted this attack had a history of suspicious activity and he targeted a place where the majority of people were likely to not have been armed. These are two ingredients which, alone, spell disaster.

Unfortunately, now we’re also starting to get into the debate of whether or not a concealed carrier would have been in a position to stop this attack.

The Register-Guard of Eugene, Oregon, had an op-ed submitted by someone who reportedly has direct knowledge of dealing with firearms and suggests that a concealed carrier would have been ineffective against an attack of this magnitude.

We respectfully disagree.

Concealed carriers have and will continue to stop mass shootings.

We specifically made an article covering several specific instances where a concealed carrier stopped a shooter before he could inflict more casualties.

But we’ve also covered stories where a concealed carrier tries and fails to stop a mass shooter.

Even in that tragic case, which we covered in this article, he still managed to slow the attacker down and give time for people in the area to escape and seek shelter.

That’s where a concealed carrier comes into play.

If he cannot neutralize an attacker outright, he can at least buy time for others to get to safety.

Anything that slows down an attack or forces to the attacker to lose his initiative can directly translate into lives saved.

Would one or more concealed carriers in the Pulse nightclub in Orlando stopped the mass shooting from taking place? That’s impossible to know because there was no reported return fire. We can’t armchair general prior events and pretend one change here or there would have changed the outcome. If anyone was armed, they were more concerned with leaving than staying and fighting.

And, to be honest, that is completely the decision of the concealed carrier. The concealed carrier has the right to not come to the aid of others. If a man or woman inside the nightclub had been armed and chosen not to wait around to exchange fire with the attacker, that’s his prerogative. Concealed carriers are not sworn officers of the law and are under no obligation to rush to the assistance of anyone but themselves, their own family, and their property.

We’d like to think a concealed carrier would — but it’s impossible to know.

There’s also the chance that a concealed carrier is shot and neutralized before he or she has a chance to pull his gun and return fire. That is also a possibility. There’s numerous potential for missed opportunities to save lives.

However, to say that a concealed carrier would not have been effective is a direct underestimation of who we have historically been in our own community.

Train how you plan to fight. The basics of firearm safety and marksmanship will always apply. Now, apply them to advanced drills and techniques intended to give you the best defensive advantage while placing your attackers in the worst possible spot.

Train for realistic scenarios. No one is going to pick a gunfight with you at a shooting range. Your defensive gun use scenario, if it is going to occur, is going to occur in a place that’s likely inconvenient for you — like at the check-out line at a gas station or while you’re asleep on the couch in the living room. Train for the scenarios where you intend to fight.

Train for realistic expectations. If you think you’re going to pinpoint one dude right between the eyes in a crowded train station or restaurant, you may need to do some really advanced training schools to get those results. Don’t expect miracles if you’re not trained to perform them.

Firearm safety always exist. It doesn’t matter if it’s the range or a crowded bar, the basics of firearm safety always apply and the law always applies.

Bring a designated concealed carrier if you plan on drinking. If you’re going to be impaired, have a sober set of eyes as your backup.