armed vs polite society

"An armed society is a polite society," Grisham said. "It's a deterrent to agression......"

I've held on to this little news clipping for months. I disagreed with the statement from the first, and I still do. If you're enforcing politeness with a gun you're a thug, no matter who you are.

I live in a town where proponents of "open carry" are allowed to bring loaded weapons into some eating establishments. I don't feel more polite; I feel less safe when I see armed people of either sex, no matter who they are.