[Tennessee Gentleman]

First, let me say that I agree with Iwestabus' position. I do not think that it is elitist. I do believe that some of it has to do with his training and experience

I guess I take a different tack. I do not view CCW holders as auxillary LEOs. If that is what you want then call it that and train them appropriately and pay them.

I view CCW as limited to protecting myself and my immediate family. Even though I have trained a bit with my firearm because I like to shoot, I have neither the training nor the duty nor the inclination to consider myself a volunteer LEO. I will report crime if I see it and render aid to injured folks if I can but I will use my CCW for my own self-defense only, and not to enforce the law.

I'm kind of old, and, knowing I would go to jail if I pull a firearm, I'm STILL not going to sit there and let someone kill people.

I am old too but I will stop somebody from killing me and mine and probably let the police do the other saving. That is a personal decision and for those that subscribe to the sheep dog model, have at it but realize you might suffer a lot for trying to be the hero.

What really needs to be done is the knee jerk, stupid laws against carry on campus need to be revoked, and, we make up for in quantity what we lack in quality.

Socrates, that stuff kind of scares me. Kind of like some of these militia debates I have had on here before.

Lots of people with guns I think serve more as a deterrent to crime individually rather than collectively. What I mean is that I believe that in an armed society (and I agree with you fully on the stupidity of gun free zones!)BGs fear the person they choose to attack might have a gun more than they believe that the whole community is armed and will rally and come to the aid of the victim. That is just my opinon, maybe you have evidence to the contrary.

However, as per the OP, untrained people with guns trying to function as LEOs is not something I would support, but then I don't think that is the purpose of CCW.

My bottomline is that there should be no gun free zones unless the zone itself has armed security and physical barriers (e.g. metal detectors) to keep all others from bringing in weapons, but the reason for CCW is not to protect either the airplane or the classroom but rather the individual who CCWs. If at the moment the CCW's self defense fortuitously helps others as well then great but acting as a LEO is where I get off that train.