How would you react if.... you saw men with guns.....? [View all]

[CompanyFirstSergeant]

I'm formulating ideas for an article on Long Gun Open Carry, but I wanted to start a discussion on another topic.

Here's the scenario...

You are in a small city of about 10 to 20 thousand people.

The type of city with a small, funky downtown area of bars and pizza places, the 'real stores' being out on the 'strip' near the highway.

Colleges, college students, transients, artists and other assorted characters out whenever the weather is warm.

So you notice a group of mostly middle age men, walking around a certain block or two of the city.

They are not usually there, they do not enter stores, they do not seem to have a typical 'Main Street' purpose.

So you stop in to the deli you often go to, and overhear a conversation.

"Oh those guys, yeah, they are volunteering in front of the recruiting station since last week's attacks on the military base."

"Cops? No they are not cops. Ex-cops, maybe. Ex-military.... civilians.... just helping out..."

You go back out, and head for your car. Now you notice the hip-level bulges of concealed handguns (not rifles), that they occasionally speak on radios, and are, in fact, mostly in front of the recruiting station.

As you get in your car (or onto the bus) you see a soldier shaking hands with one of the men and wave at the others.

What, at that moment, and in the coming days, do you do?

(Please do not ask me to identify the location in the story.)