Question: Do Gun-related Auto Accessories Spell “Break In Here”?
Jon Stokes 04.12.17
I just got a new truck, a Nissan Titan XD, and while I’m not a bumper sticker guy, I’ve been eyeing this totally ridiculous SIG hitch cover. The main thing keeping me from pulling the trigger, apart from my wife’s likely veto of it, is the “FOR STEAL” sign factor.
After doing a bit of research, I was able to find a few examples of news reports where thieves were supposedly targeting vehicles with gun-related accessories visible on them, but most of what I found is that this is a super popular and long-running debate that has vexed gun forums since the dawn of the internet.
On one side are the Loud and Proud 2A supporters, who want everyone to know just where they stand. And on the other are the Worriers, who seem certain that any hint of tacticool will make your car a target for thieves. Aligned with the Worriers are the Ambassadors, who admonish anyone displaying some 2A pride on their vehicle to keep their cool because they represent the “gun community” (whatever that is).
Me, I think there has to be a certain amount of location-dependent context supplied before one can formulate a sensible and appropriate gun auto accessory policy. When I lived in San Francisco, I was so paranoid about the neighbors finding out I was a gun owner that I carried my AR to the range in a soft guitar case. Then I moved to downtown Austin, an area that despite its liberal reputation is still fairly gun-friendly but has its share of property crime. So while I didn’t care if my neighbors knew about my guns, I didn’t want to advertise guns to anyone driving by.
Now I’m just north of Austin on some acreage, and nobody’s really going to drive by and see a bumper sticker or trailer hitch. (Although I think they could see that SIG hitch cover from the ISS.) But if iI were going into Austin for the day, I might worry. And if i were going on a cross-country trip, you’d better believe I wouldn’t want any gun bling on my vehicle.
So while I’m still up in the air on that hitch cover, I’ve basically decided that the larger answer to this question is, “it depends on where you are.”
What do you guys think? To floss or not to floss?
