CPL. In Michigan it’s called a Concealed Pistol License. When the concealed carry law was changed in 2001 to make Michigan a “shall issue” state, a lot of people applied and received the license. The law was revised just a few years later to CPL because people were carrying other things not intended…like sawed off shotguns, rifles, even a few swords. So now it’s a Pistol license. Why get one, especially when Michigan has been an open carry state almost since statehood?
First off because you can. If you are a US citizen, a resident of Michigan and are 21 years of age with no criminal record, you are eligible to get a CPL. If you take an educational course proving your willingness to learn and commitment to protecting yourself and loved ones, and show no signs of mental illness, the State of Michigan shall issue you a license.
Second, the word is Concealed. If you carry concealed, the only person who should know you are carrying is you. This gives you an advantage over everyone else. You know at least one person in the room is carrying and that is you. The element of surprise is in your corner. Use it to your advantage. I was working on a jobsite where we were given permission to carry if we had a CPL. I was talking with an apprentice who said he didn’t think anyone on the jobsite was carrying. I’m standing less than 5 feet away from him with a Walther P99 under my left shoulder, a 15 round mag in a Snagmag pouch in my front pocket and another magazine under the other shoulder. I just smiled.
Third, if you decide to carry but open, everybody knows. The good and the bad. The mother walking with her little child suddenly becomes afraid of you and calls the police. The store owner or their employees who don’t understand your rights suddenly ask you to leave. If you don’t, you are trespassing and can be arrested. Not only arrested trespassing, but trespassing with a firearm. Someone with the intent to rob the store you are in will see your firearm, and know who to take out first. If you are walking down the street and you are open carrying and someone decides they need the gun more than you, guess who gets blindsided in the next alley.
The most important reason to carry a concealed weapon today, in my opinion, is that you will be prepared to face any threat that comes your way. It gives me great peace of mind to know that I have the skills and the means to protect myself and my loved ones if the need arises. I’m not at the mercy of anyone with evil intent that happens upon me. It is your right to be able to protect yourself. Be smart, get the training, get the license, practice and expand upon what you learn. Carry Concealed. Carry safe. Carry smart.