The self defense community spends a fair bit of time talking about permissiveness. More often than not, at least from what I’ve seen, the discussion hovers around non-permissive environments. The second most common theme deals with less-permissive environments. While it’s uncommon for me to see it, on occasion some discussions focus on permissive environments. Depending on who is speaking, the definition for each of these may differ slightly and I’ll briefly review each of these terms, but that’s not the point of this post. What I want to talk about is an angle on permissiveness that I rarely see discussed and that’s environments where permissiveness is unknown.
Let’s level set and disambiguate some definitions since the line between non-permissive and less-permissive environments is sometimes blurry. The discovery of a carried defensive weapon, especially a firearm, in both of these types of environments yields a negative outcome. I tend to differentiate these with the permanent loss of liberty versus non-legal impact. In other words, in my head, being caught with a weapon in a non-permissive environment is likely to land one in serious trouble with official authorities whereas being caught in a non-permissive environment may lead to employment loss or being ostracized by a community or industry. The penalties are heavy in both of these environments which is why the discussion often involves equipment and concealment techniques.
On the other hand, discussions involving permissive environments tend to mostly concern themselves with the benefits and drawbacks of concealed carry versus open carry. In recent times, some of those conversations have shifted to permitted or licensed carry versus permit-less or constitutional carry.
All of these discussions are great. They often motivate critical thinking which is essential to sound decision making.
That said, sometimes life ends up sending us to do something at a new location requiring interactions with folks we know next to nothing about. In those moments, picking the right self preservation equipment becomes a tricky proposition.
Why is it tricky? Well, in my opinion, that’s because it forces the self defender to compromise with limited information. I might be projecting a little here, but, ideally, I prefer to maximize my capability to respond to deadly threats. If it were practical, I would don a plate carrier holding several extra magazines for the AR-15 slung around my chest while wearing a battle vest equipped with a gun bucket to hold a sidearm and several reloads for it. That set up would pretty much set up any armed defender to unleash fast and decisive lethal force in any situation that may justify it.
The problem is that gearing up that way and going to a public place is anything but socially acceptable. We know this. Also most of the time, we know ahead of time where we are going and have a pretty good idea how permissive those environments are. This foreknowledge is what we use to determine whether or not it is more prudent to dress around the firearm and select the firearm around the worn attire. That determination informs our selection of the carry method. Those of you who want to dive deeper in attire driven carry should go checkout The Suited Shootist on Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube.
However, there are times when the foreknowledge is limited. Or worse, the foreknowledge is nonexistent. So what should we do when this is the case?
Determining Legal Permissiveness
The first thing I suggest is knowing what the legal permissiveness of the environment is. Even if the location we are going to is in our own home town. Especially now when we live in an age where permit-less or constitutional carry is the norm for most states. Laws change. Remember, ignorance of the law is not a valid defense.
Imagine, if you will, going grocery shopping at your local store. While minding your own business, a random person who is terrified of firearms notices that you are carrying. Fearing for their life, they call 911 to report “a person with a gun at the grocery store”. Cops show up. The person who made the call identifies you and the cops confront you.
What happens next depends entirely on the legal permissiveness of carrying a firearm. If law of the land says it’s allowed and the property you are on allows it, then likely nothing will come of it. In fact, the cops may not even confront you and may educate the person who made the report about the permissiveness of carrying a defensive tool. However, if it’s not permissible, then one is looking at legal trouble. The extent of which depends entirely, once again, on the legal permissiveness.
Knowing the law is important and it’s incumbent on each of us to know for the locale we are in and for the locals we pass through when traveling. A good source for handgun laws across the US is a website called Handgunlaw.us. It also doesn’t hurt to have a legal self defense plan or membership to an organization like Right to Bear (who is a sponsor of this blog).
Air travel and foreign travel with firearms is something I know next to nothing about. So instead of guessing, I’ll point y’all to Greg Ellifritiz’s blog, Active Response Training, because he has experience in these areas. On that blog you will find posts like: Weapons and Carry Methods for Foreign Travel, Preparing for Foreign Travel, and The Definitive Guide to Flying with Guns.
In addition to knowing the laws, it’s also good to know the penalties associated with them. Now I’m not suggesting that anyone not comply with the laws in any way shape or form, but only a fool would believe that no one ever decides to knowingly disregard a law for some reason or another. Knowing the penalty of disregarded laws is important for conducting personal risk assessments. Especially when combined with being aware of the current local political climate.
Determining Environmental Permissiveness
The law is one one thing, but it isn’t everything. Not by a long shot. In fact, this part of the discussion could be broken up into individual topics that deserve their own blog post at a minimum. As such and for the sake of brevity, I’ll pose a few questions that are worth considering.
What would happen if a coworker reported you for carrying a firearm at work? Could that result in the termination of employment? Could that result in being black listed in the industry you work in?
What if you are discovered carrying a handgun at a wedding you are attending? Or at a family reunion? Or at Thanksgiving dinner when your in-laws are present?
What if neighbors notice you are carrying at the community park? Or while walking the dog?
Every single one of those situations carries some potential for a negative outcome and it’s worth thinking about. Dismissing them without a thought is something I would discourage readers to do. Why? Well, because personal risk assessments are valuable. I get it. In most cases, being ill equipped to defend yourself or your loved ones will outweigh many potential outcomes. However, some of the potential outcomes may be worth taking a different approach to gear selection and carry methods. For example, it may be worth opting to pocket carry a J-frame than appendix carrying a Glock 34 outfitted with the tactical accouterments to decrease the chance of detection that could result in unemployment.
Yeah, but What About New Environments with Unknown Permissiveness
My suggestion is to air on the side of caution. What that means is ultimately up to you. Consider the potential negative outcomes along with their likelihood and potential impact.
One thing that is important to remember is that a covered firearm is not necessarily concealed. Phlster, who also happen to produce some fantastic concealed carry holsters and related equipment, have an amazing collection of pages dedicated to helping folks learn the ins and outs of concealment mechanics. Those mechanics can often result in making a larger handgun than one imagines disappear if they are willing to learn them and put them into practice.
