What looks like an iPhone, feels like an iPhone, and is typically less expensive than an iPhone? The new Ideal Conceal gun.
The Ideal Conceal .380-caliber pistol was created to easily transform from a faux smartphone to a gun.
Ideal Conceal creator Kirk Kjellberg told NBC News the idea came to him after a disturbance in a restaurant, which involved a small child being frightened by his firearm.
What is the reasonable thing to do after that situation?
1. Take a step back and think about carrying a weapon, when it so obviously puts fear into those around you.
2. Own up to the fact that you do carry a weapon for a false sense of security and try to avoid getting your feelings hurt when a small child causes a scene in a restaurant.
3. Create a deadly weapon to look exactly like an object people use every day.
Unfortunately, to Kjellberg, the answer is number three.
When researching the new gun, what stuck out to me the most was how nonchalant everyone seemed to be about it.
To prove my point, the slogan “Carry with confidence, conceal with style” appears on the home page of Ideal Conceal’s website. I’m sorry — what? Conceal with style? Since when is carrying a deadly weapon a fashion statement?
I’ve lived in the South my entire life. People carry concealed weapons, and you grow up learning the basics. It’s not a toy, you can’t point it at someone as a funny joke, its use is for protection, and you can’t carry into certain places.
I’ve never agreed with the concept. I find guns frightening, dangerous and overrated.
However, I’ve never battled with the idea of carrying a gun, even though I disagree with it. I battle mostly with the idea of concealing it.
If you are going to carry a gun, at least have the guts and respect for those around you to do it so everyone can see you’re armed. Be accountable for the weapon you are toting around.
That’s why Ideal Conceal immediately concerned me. It takes a harmless everyday object and makes it into an undetectable weapon. Responsibility, safety and accountability are so far out of focus when it comes to this product.
The idea that anyone around me could be carrying a gun is unnerving enough. I’d rather not worry about my safety every time I see a cellphone.
