Another VERY GOOD reason not to let people know you carry *Updated*

[Yoda]

Here's the gist:

A member of the board of our local homeowner's association e-mailed me with a concern. He had told another board member that he usually carried a concealed weapon, and that board member told a third board member.

The third board member is a wack-job. I will not say he's as far out in deep space as some of the folks we've read about lately, but he's on that course. His views of reality are just different. In addition, he's had a lot of very heated exchanges with the first board member.

When this third board member heard that the first board member carries, he responded with, "Now I'm in fear for my life!" The concern is that the third board member, the nut case, will bring soemthing of his own to the next meeting, and if there is another verbal exchange (there always is), and he now knows that the first board member is armed, he might escalate the situation, possibly displaying his own gun.

Whether the third board member has a concealed carry license isn't really the issue. The issue is that he now sees the first board member as a threat, he's used those magic words, "Fear for my life" (whether he really believes it or not), he's known to imagine all sorts of insults and offenses, and he's a nut.

The meeting is tomrrow night, and all three board members are obligated to be there. What would YOU do? This is something along the lines of, "If I knew I was going to a gun fight, I wouldn't go!"

I'm also obligated to be there, as the captain of the neighborhood watch.

My solution:

I just called the county sherriff's office and suggested that they use this meeting as an opportunity to give a presentation on what their neighborhood watch coordinator can do for us.

I also gave them the back story. They'll have an officer there.

None of this would have been necesssary if the first board member had never mentioned to the second board member that he carried.

Think before you speak. Loose lips sink ships.

- - - Yoda

 

[Godsgunman]

Doesn't sound like a very good situation at all with the 3rd (crazy) boardmember and no easy way to resolve. Maybe the best thing would be for the CCW BM (haha, could be a bad acronym to use ) not to carry at the meetings. I know he has every right to but if he doesn't then crazy BM can't claim fearing for his life. Now it still makes it a sticky situation if crazy BM and CC BM see each other throughout the week as I think you alluded to. Removing crazy BM from his position would only escalate his distaste for CC BM. Maybe CC BM resign?? Which again he shouldn't have to. Good call on your part having a LEO there for the meeting, but will there be one there every meeting? Probably not. Hopefully all this is speculation and nothing comes of it, but as you said bad move on CC BM letting people know he CCs.
Personally I believe the only people who need to know are the police if your state requires you to declare and your spouse and/or immediate family if it concerns them.

 

[Yoda]

Heck...

Godsgunman, I carry at the meetings, but no one there used to know. After the exchange of e-mails with the first board member, I suspect that cat has gotten out of the bag.

Heck.

- - - Yoda

 

[Hugo]

I would quietly add pepper spray or maybe a taser to your pockets if the 3rd member is truly unstable. Do this every meeting for the forseeable future.

Good move preemptively calling the sheriff to have them there and to defuse the situation. Also good to have a paper trail proving who is reasonable and who is deranged/paranoid.

This is a good reason to not tell people if you have concealed carry, and remind those who you do tell to shut up about it (they need to know clearly to tell nobody) with this example. Loose lips still sink ships.

Sadly, there are a lot of unreasonable, sociopaths, paranoids, or just simply crazy people out there. If you do the math and say only 1-3% are "dangerous crazy", that's still 3-9 million in the USA alone. They always pop up somewhere.

 

[SharpsDressedMan]

Who the hell elects these kind of people to the board? (Rhetorical question; no need to answer.) :banghead:

 

[oldbear]

I just called the county sherriff's office and suggested that they use this meeting as an opportunity to give a presentation on what their neighborhood watch coordinator can do for us.

I also gave them the back story. They'll have an officer there.

Sir you did the RIGHT THING! It's sad that people can't keep their mouths shut, everyone's gotta be a font of information.

I would avoid all three of these folks at all costs.

 

[josiewales]

Sir you did the RIGHT THING!

+1 that^^

However if this man is truly unstable ,then why exactly is he on the Board??? Cause he owns a big house or something?

 

[Roadking Rider]

You're right loose lips do sink ships.

 

[2ndAmFan]

That's one reason no one outside my immediate family knows I carry. Outside people at sites like this one.

 

[BlkHawk73]

Concealed to me means you keep it hidden and hushed. No reason at all for anyone to know, for it to be an open topic of discussion or showcase. Well, unless it's being spoken about for some sort of macho purposes.

 

[Fremmer]

I would do nothing and not worry about it.
I think you're worrying way too much.

 

[mljdeckard]

I don't live my life to let third party nutsos think that they have a right to not have the willies. Perhaps if I didn't live where I do, I would feel differently. But I have no problem at all open-carrying through my neighborhood to my local park to the walking track with my wife. On the way there I will likely pass neighbors tinkering with their guns in their open garages.

I am not ASHAMED that I keep and bear arms.

 

[CoRoMo]

I just called the county sherriff's office.... They'll have an officer there.

[strike]Good[/strike] Great move.

I still do not get it; every time I'm in proximity to a few gun enthusiasts and we're all talking guns, one by one they all start talking about when/where/how they carry, etc. I just don't see as much upside to sharing that info as I see downside.

 

[AlexanderA]

Being on the Board of a homeowners' association is a thankless task under the best of circumstances. You end up being the lightning rod for all sorts of complaints. Add guns to the mix, and well.... (I don't envy these people their positions.)

 

[GambJoe]

I have never met this person and don't know why he's having heated discussions with members of the board or why his sense of reality is different than everyone else. But your comments stating that he is on his way out may reflect on your attitude and how you treat him. Odds are he's never going to blow up although you believe him capable of doing so. Knowing there's a gun or guns in this situation may make matters worse.

Don't ask Don't tell. It takes all kinds.

 

[buck460XVR]

Being on the Board of a homeowners' association is a thankless task under the best of circumstances. You end up being the lightning rod for all sorts of complaints. Add guns to the mix, and well.... (I don't envy these people their positions.)

My Homeowners Association consists of one member...........me.

When this third board member heard that the first board member carries, he responded with, "Now I'm in fear for my life!" The concern is that the third board member, the nut case, will bring soemthing of his own to the next meeting, and if there is another verbal exchange (there always is), and he now knows that the first board member is armed, he might escalate the situation, possibly displaying his own gun.

IMHO, it isn't just the third board member that is over-reacting. He's concerned for his life because he thinks the first board member is a reckless nut case and is gonna shoot up the board meeting and now other members of the board are in fear of their life because they think the third board member is a nut case and is gonna shoot up the board meeting? Sounds like the pot callin' the kettle black.

 

[TanklessPro]

If the board is that bad why be on it. If there is 3-9million nut jobs out there, I will just associate with the 291-297million non nut jobs. I tend to hang out with people like me who are not wackos.
Just my opinion.

 

[Ryanxia]

Without putting a whole lot of thought into it, in the position of the first board member, I would privately inform the 3rd that I heard he was uncomfortable of me carrying and I no longer carry to meetings.. I would of course STILL carry. Concealed is so named so for a reason. Sometimes in situations like that (or at work or other type places) it's all about putting people at ease while still exercising your God given right to self defense.

I would also get a petition going to give #3 the boot, even if it doesn't go through, him hearing about it might make him simmer down.

 

[coolluke01]

It might not be a bad idea to start video or audio recording the meetings.

It's always good to have that 3rd party involved.

Obviously it would be best to avoid use of deadly force, we don't want to only be prepared to pick up the pieces and be able to rightly point fingers. Calling the L.E and having them be there is a good idea. Seating position and other things can help bring the heat down for the next few months meetings. It will likely blow over in a few months and 1 and 3 will go back to simply not liking each other.

 

[guyfromohio]

"I feared for my life, but I went regardless" will probably be a tough sell to a jury.

 

[Warp]

I really like your call to the Sheriff. That is the kind of thing I was thinking of as I read your post. It does so many things at once.

Depending on how the next meeting goes you should have a better idea what to do or not do going forward.

These "verbal exchanges"...what's up with them? I think that perhaps Guy #1, who is licensed to carry and does carry, ought to NOT be a part of a "verbal exchange".

 

[guyfromohio]

Warp- agreed. I'm far less likely to argue or escalate when carrying.

 

[Yoda]

Board member #1 generally keeps his cool. It's #3 that seems to have troubles with everyone else. How'd he get on the board? Try to find ANYONE who wants to serve.

- - - Yoda

 

[abq87120]

Elected positions, govenment included, are for those who cannot get a real job. Many of the people I have met who are new to this kind of responsibility let it go to their heads. I avoid having anything to do with any of it as long as they leave me alone.

 

[Lex Luthier]

People are awesome.

I have a friend who thinks that because he inherited his dad's old revolvers that we are now brothers in arms, and wanted to talk about it, loudly, whenever and wherever we met.. It took six months of me deflecting the conversation or outright telling him to shut up for him to get the message that those conversations are not for everybody in the room. It will take a dynamic learning experience like getting mugged for #3 to maturely respond to reality.