Imagine that you just graduated from college and you’ve moved to a big city. You got off of work late, and you decide to walk back to your apartment. You see a large man walking toward you. He starts to speak to you. He gets closer and you tell him to leave you alone, but he continues. He starts to grab hold of you, and you struggle to get away, but his grip tightens.
Now, tell me, how would you react next? Starting this October, you’ll be able to reach into your pocket to take out your new Ideal Conceal, a folded handgun that looks just like a smartphone. Your pursuer retreats, and you continue safely home.
I never imagined that I would write an article defending guns. I’ve been a staunch proponent of gun control, expanding background checks and closing the gun show loophole for a while now. I grew up in a suburb east of St. Louis, and my family never hunted or owned guns. But after hearing about Kirk Kjellberg’s new invention, the Ideal Conceal handgun, I’m highly interested in owning one. Before you cross your arms and roll your eyes in disapproval, please let me defend myself against some of the common arguments against this gun.
“It is an airport security threat.”
The Ideal Conceal will not be able to pass through airport security, plain and simple. It has a metal core. A metal detector will detect it. Kjellberg is also currently working with the Department of Homeland Security and is giving them x-rays of his gun so that it definitely won’t be dismissed as an actual smartphone at an airport.
“It poses a threat to children who see it and think it’s a real smartphone.”
Parents have been keeping their guns much too close to children, I’m sure, since guns were created. I’m just not seeing why a smartphone-shaped gun poses an exponentially higher threat than any other shaped gun. It’s just a cosmetic change. Don’t blame the gun for the theoretical misfortune of a child — blame the irresponsible parent who doesn’t know how to keep a deadly weapon away from the child.
“Criminals will be able to easily conceal this gun.”
Guns are dangerous, but they are neither inherently good nor bad. Lots of things we even consider to be beneficial may also harm us. You need food and water to survive, but when you eat too many hamburgers or drink too many sodas, your body will hate you for it. Yes, guns are used out of hatred and ignorance by criminals, but the vast majority of American citizens are responsible people who will not use the Ideal Conceal handgun to commit a crime.
As a proponent of gun control, I want guns out of the hands of unsafe people, not out of the hands of those who need one to ensure their own safety. Owning an Ideal Conceal could be extremely helpful to those who need to defend themselves in a dangerous situation like I described before but only feel comfortable discreetly carrying a nondescript weapon. To the onlooker, it’s a hunk of plastic. To the owner, it’s an entire defense system waiting to be unfolded.
