[MLeake]

Hello, all.

First, I'm glad that most posters noted that my concern was about causing potential alarm amongst victims, bystanders, EMS and LEO, and not about whether I'd get my rig wet.

Additionally, had nobody at all yet stopped, I would not have taken the time to think about whether to remove and stow the holster.

Equipment is equipment. It gets damaged sometimes. Oh, well. And yes, I've had that attitude when people have nailed my car and my truck. Find out if everybody is ok first. No point getting upset. Car and truck repairs cost more than pistol and holster, so I'm pretty sure I could remain philosophical if my Sig or andrews holster took some water damage.

But back to civic responsibility. My parents were raised in different cities, and different cultures, to an extent. However, one thing they shared in common was that they each grew up in one house until they left for college. Their extended families all lived within a few miles of each other. They knew their neighbors. Perhaps this was sort of idyllic and Ozzie and Harriet, but that's how they were raised.

As a result, they were raised to look after their neighbors. When I was a kid, we lived on a street where most of the neighbors were elderly. My parents were the first people most of the older ones would look to for help with getting groceries, replacing windows, etc. They instilled those values in my sister and me.

I remember stopping along an interstate, with my dad, and changing an old lady's tire back when I was 15. That's just how my parents were, and still are to the extent that their older bodies now allow them to be, and that's how my sister and I were raised. My little sister shovels the driveway of her elderly neighbor in winter time. She's also an associate VP of a major university. Tough as nails, efficient as hell, but she'll give somebody in need the shirt off her back.

In addition to my family upbringing, I have been a naval officer since college, though I am now of the reserve variety. I am used to being both implicitly and explicitly responsible for the well-being of those around me. Any officer worth the title shares that outlook. All the armed services strive to instill this ethos.

Sorry for the soapbox, but I am really tired of posters who imply that possession of a CCW makes the holder think he is superhuman. (My naval aviator training is mostly responsible for that character defect, thanks...) There is NOTHING superhuman about wanting to look out for others. And CCW has nothing to do with whether I can look in the mirror and respect the man I see looking back.

Not stopping to render assistance at an obvious accident, on the other hand, would badly damage my sense of self. Without that, I'm not so worried about whether I get robbed, mugged, etc.

For the poster who thought I'd be in the way, well, he should study Kitty Genovese. As most forum members know, she was stabbed to death in NYC many years ago. Over 40 witnesses heard her screams, but none called the police. They all assumed that somebody else would take care of it.

This is, unfortunately, a fairly normal characteristic of group mindset. Individuals will respond to crises, while groups will often stand around waiting for a leader to give direction. Check the social psychology and anthro 101 texts, they'll provide plenty of examples and studies.

I've watched groups stand by while I swam out, by myself, to bring back a woman who had swum too far into an alligator infested lake and had started yelling for help. I've seen groups stand by while an elderly neighbor and I tried to determine where in a burning house another elderly neighbor was. Please note that when firefighters showed up (very promptly, excellent service), we got out of the way so as not to exacerbate the problem.

I wasn't raised to stand by and see if others would take care of it. I wasn't trained by the Navy to stand by and see if others would take care of it. It saddens me to see the number of people out there who apparently would.