First, I am a huge supporter of the right to keep and bear arms- but some of these people were walking around with an unloaded firearm just to prove a point. You are, in essence, walking down a street waving several hundred dollars and daring someone to take it from you. While we still have some semblance of order in the streets, there are probably fewer people willing to take you up on that dare. Note that I said "fewer," and not that there were none at all. If things get worse, that expensive piece of equipment is going to look even more tempting to unscrupulous people.
Second, you have just announced to the world that you own a firearm. I hate to fall back on military/prepper jargon, but exercise some OPSEC, folks. I'll talk to you all day about my preps, but I'm going to leave to your imagination what weapons I have to protect those preps. Never advertise what kind of weapons you have, never brag about how many you have, and never EVER register your guns.
Third, situational awareness is the key to deterring violence. Criminal types have a sense of who is paying attention, and who is wandering around in Lala land. Guess who makes an easier target? Besides, there's always someone bigger and badder than you are. So be alert, and let your concealed firearm be a "situational awareness" fail on the part of the bad guy. If you have to use a weapon to protect yourself, it's always easier to shoot someone with the gun they don't know you have.
On a side note, cops have a saying: "There's always a gun involved in every fight. Yours." If you don't have it in you to shoot somebody you're going to get shot with your own gun. Chew on that for awhile. I'll let you come to your own conclusion.
In closing let me say that it shouldn't be anyone's business what kind of gun you own or how you choose to carry it. I think that open carry and concealed carry should be legal in all 50 states. Anything less is the government sticking their nose where it doesn't belong. However, you won't see mine unless I'm fixing to shoot you with it.
