King:
Perhaps it due to your location and the laws there but people with concealed carry permits here are certainly not viewed as vigilantes either by the public in general or the legal system in particular. One of the fundamental differences between us,law abiding citizens who choose to be armed and those who don't is the preception as to whether you have a basic right to defend yourself and members of your family. The right has been abbrogated apparentely in Countries such as great Britian where I'm told that personal assault cases have been skyrocketing.
A vigilante is someone who takes the law into their own hands in this Country. The law here to varying degrees depending on where you live affirms your right to defend yourself which hardly makes you a vigilante.
Jim

The 2nd Amendment IS an unalienable right.