With all the senseless random shootings in public places that have occurred recently, all of us who have CCW Permits should exercise some common sense.

This morning, My family and I were having breakfast in a local restaurant here in Tennessee when I noticed a very slovenly dressed individual standing at the buffet bar with a 9mm pistol in a holster on his hip. His sleeveless t-shirt was pulled up over the holster so that it was openly displayed, and he walked around the restaurant with a sense of bravado that was intimidating to some of the diners. Having spent the better part of my adult life in law enforcement, it was obvious to me that this guy was not an undercover cop and was just showing off. I quietly brought the situation to the attention of the restaurant manager and his attitude was that he didn't want to offend his customer. I guess he didn't care about the many other customers who were offended and intimidated (after all there are a lot of people who are just plain afraid of guns).

I called the local police who responded and quietly walked the individual out of the restaurant. They verified that he was legal, had a valid Tennessee concealed carry permit, and instructed him with regard to Tennessee Law. After placing his pistol in his vehicle he returned to the restaurant.

It is situations like this that make life more of a hassle for those of us who have CCW and or LEOSA permits, and make points for those people who would restrict our rights to properly carry weapons.