Covering your vehicle with gun decals and bumper stickers is harmless enough, right? I mean, it couldn’t possibly harm anything, could it?
Think about that for a minute. Do you really want to advertise that you’re a rolling arsenal? Let’s look a bit deeper into the subject.
Someone Is Always Watching
I spent 29 years working in my state’s prison system in the nastiest joints in my state. In fact, some of the nastiest in the country. One of the main things that I did all day long, every single day, was to observe the people around me. And I got damn good at it.
Just from watching criminals, I could tell you what gang they belonged to, if they were running drugs or weapons, if they were armed (most of the time), and a ton of other things.
The way they dressed told volumes about them. Sure, they wore prison uniforms, but they’d add things to them. Sometimes tiny things. But those tiny items told a story. Maybe a pant leg partially rolled up. A bandana. The way they wore their belt or the color of it. Their shoe laces. Haircuts.
Items around their cell told the most. Certain drawings, sometimes of cartoons, were significant. For instance, the Latin Kings adopted Bart Simpson as an unofficial mascot because his hair resembled their five-pointed crown. Seemingly insignificant things could tell volumes.
I learned that pedophiles often got tattoos of cartoon characters on their arms because little children like cartoons. It was an instrument that the pedos would use to strike up a conversation with the kids, to make them feel at ease and even be attracted to the person with the tats.
Bottom line: everything was there or happening for a reason.
To this day, whenever I’m around people, I’m studying every inch of them because it is ingrained into my soul to do so. Whether I’m in the checkout line at the grocery store, waiting to have the oil changed in my car, or sitting in an office waiting for an appointment.
Sitting in a professional’s office for two minutes, I can tell you where that person probably lives, how many children he or she has, what type of car they drive, and a host of other tidbits. And it’s all from what’s strewn on their desk and hanging from their walls.
People who are out and about often wear their work IDs prominently displayed on their clothing. Whether it’s from carelessness or a sense of inflated importance as to why they wear them, those work IDs tell me their name and where they work. Sometimes it tells even more than that, depending on the ID. Work uniforms tell a similar story.
People are an open book. You just have to know what to look for.
Vehicles
People’s vehicles are often neon billboards for who they are. Some vehicles are high-end, brand-new types. Others are on their last leg.
One thing that people love to do, though, is festoon their vehicles with all manner of bumper stickers and decals. They’re rolling billboards for political statements, vacation destinations, dog breeds, places of employment, profanities meant to intimidate, humorous quotes, which religion they are, and….guns/tactical products.
And I totally get it; we love to advertise for our passionate causes. It’s human nature.
Entertainment
Have you ever been stuck in traffic and been so bored that you begin reading the bumper stickers of the cars around you? I certainly have. Depending on what I see, my faith in humanity slips a little bit lower (and believe me, some days, I’m incredulous that it can actually get any lower), or it can elicit a chuckle.
I’ll admit, I feel a kinship to some of the folks with the rolling tactical advertisements. “What do we have here? Oh, this guy likes Sig Sauer—good taste, right on, buddy! Oh, and ‘Black Rifles Matter.’ Yep, they sure do. And he belongs to the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), good to know. He’s also a combat-wounded veteran from Vietnam (or the Gulf War, etc.). He’s traveled to the Outer Banks too. Ah, I see a ‘Protected By Smith & Wesson’ sticker on the back window of his truck. He’s definitely armed.”
And on and on it goes. You can read that vehicle like a book. Some vehicles have one or two gun decals. Others have about 20.
Just a simple NRA sticker can tip off people that you may have a gun in the vehicle (or your home). Your vehicle doesn’t have to be slathered in gun decals; one is enough.
Can you see any issues with advertising in this fashion?
Potential Problems
Let’s say the guy driving the pickup truck is driving through New Jersey or New York. Those states (among others) are not exactly known for feeling warm and fuzzy toward gun ownership. And here you are, motoring around with a huge decal of an AR-15 plastered on the back of your vehicle. Do you think there might be a high chance that you’re going to be pulled over at some point?
“Wait,” you say, “They can’t pull me over just because of the stickers on my vehicle!” Okay, I’ll grant you that it likely won’t be sufficient for Probable Cause. However, there are a hundred various things that a police officer can pull you over for. You were weaving, following too closely, speeding, failing to signal, failing to yield, brake light out, turn signal light out, driving erratically…Need I say more? If they want to pull you over and they follow you for one or two miles, chances are that any of us will commit some sort of driving infraction. And then the lights come on and you have to pull over.
“Sir, do you have any weapons in this vehicle?” Oh boy. Let’s say you’re driving out of state and you do have weapons on board. Are they legal in the state you’re driving in? If so, are they properly stored for transport? Maybe they are, maybe they aren’t.
Here’s my point: Do you really need that sort of drama? Displaying those kinds of stickers can be like a huge spotlight focused on your vehicle. It brings attention that you do not need.
Another thing those gun stickers do is tell people, “I’m a rolling armory.” Believe me, people do take notice of things, especially guns. Some of them like guns. So much that they want to steal them.
Your vehicle’s gun decals do two things: Invite a break-in of your vehicle as well as your home. Some miscreants will believe that all they have to do to obtain weapons is to smash in the windows of your car and take them. Additionally, that same vehicle parked in front of your home will tells people that there could very well be weapons inside. Again, it invites break-ins.
Just because you have weapons in your house or vehicle doesn’t mean people will take the hint that you don’t want to be messed with and would rather be left alone. No, we’re dealing with some epically stupid folks these days. They will break in when they think you’re not home (or, in some cases, they don’t even care if you are at home, they’ll still try to get in).
Long story short—the decals can make you a neon target.
Other Indicators
Decals may not be the only indicators that you’re a gun enthusiast. Some states offer license plates that indicate the owner is a hunter. Camouflage seat covers are another red flag. They strongly suggest that the owner is a hunter, and hunters have firearms.
Other Considerations
Since your car with the 37 gun decals has announced to the world that you’re a carrier of a firearm, consider how that might affect you during a traffic incident.
People lose their tempers while driving. Let’s say you accidentally cut someone off in traffic (it can happen to the best of us). The driver whom you’ve upset calls the police and tells them you were waving a gun around. The police pull you over and sure enough, they discover your legally carried and licensed handgun. Before you know it, you’re in handcuffs, sitting in the back of a police cruiser. A criminal complaint is filed against you. It turns out the person whom you pissed off was anti-gun and decided to use the knowledge that you provided with your decals against you.
Will you beat it in court? Maybe. But not before you spend some time in jail and hire a lawyer. Never mind that lies were leveled against you—once you find yourself involved in the legal system, you are in for one miserable (and expensive) ride.
The Final Verdict
Ultimately, it is up to each of us whether or not we advertise on our vehicles. I certainly won’t attempt to quash your First Amendment right to Free Speech. It’s completely up to you if you want to advertise, and what you want to advertise.
This article, as with many of mine, is intended to get you thinking about how such things can affect each one of us.
I used to have some gun-related bumper stickers on my car. They are no longer there, and I will fight the temptation to put any there. Yes, for me, it is a temptation, because I like to let others know about things that I enjoy and that are important to me.
For me, though, in the end, it’s not worth it. No one will have any idea that I own firearms based on my vehicle’s appearance. I find anonymity to be more attractive than telegraphing my opinions.
