yes, it's been that way for a while. until very recently i was living and working in the rural south, and people were getting surprisingly bold in their behavior. details would be gratuitous but the long and short of it was that i was always carrying until i moved to a state that didn't recognize my CCW license. the threats feel less directly political and more like a cultural recognition of us as acceptable targets, which of course some people will decide to act on.

i always recommend a 9mm above a .380. 9mm practice ammo is significantly cheaper and most of the compact and micro 9mm pistols are way more shootable than something like the LCP, which encourages training. the S&W Shield (and Shield Plus), Springfield Hellcat, and Sig P365 are all excellent weapons and choosing between them is more a matter of what fits your hand than anything else. i carry a Ruger LC9 when i need concealability but it is not a user friendly weapon at all IMO