re: South Dakota House passes permitless carry law...

Yes I've seen it both first hand but much more second hand (the results). I work in an ER.

When I carry I carry concealed. I think there are a few cases when you should openly carry a gun. But IMO, every day open carry puts you at a big disadvantage. If you are in a store/restaurant/walking down the street or whatever and a defense senerio we to go down. The bad guy has seen you before you have seen him. The biggest advantage of carrying a gun in self defense is the ability to appear as a normal person (which you are, you're not a cop). A normal looking person that appears defenseless to an attacker, but is not in fact defenseless.

This is just my opinion on the matter. Self defense for civilians while out of the home should almost always be concealed. No one should ever know that you have a firearm on you. Out of sight out of mind for everyone but yourself. Live your life normally, avoid confrontation as best you can. The ONLY ONLY ONLY time your weapon should come out is if you have to use it. Not to brandish to try to scare or intimidate the attacker to leave. If you have to draw, draw to use.
Just my opinion.

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I see someone carry and I honestly ask myself 'why?'. What has made them so overly concerned about such a low percentage occurrence happening?

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Do you own a life insurance policy? It's the exact same analysis. Odds are nothing will happen to you for thirty or forty years, but you still pay to be prepared.

I don't understand why a man wouldnt take the responsibility to defend himself and his family, but a lot of folks like you live in a fantasyland where nothing bad will ever happen to you as long as you are not in the "hood."

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The fear of average citizens is bothersome. Not the gun carrying. I see someone carry and I honestly ask myself 'why?'. What has made them so overly concerned about such a low percentage occurrence happening? I understand to a point if you live in the hood. But I'm talking about typical middle class citizens armingthemselves for a doomsday scenario.

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My dad would be dead if he hadn't been carrying on March 12th, 2003. He was just walking with my mom in a upper middle class suburban neighborhood in broad daylight too.