I think we are in the later stages of the American version of just this. Open carry and constitutional carry is where I go to as proof of this. Saw a guy open carrying at a pizza place just this week. 30 years ago, even if legal I would have never taken my eyes off of him. Today I kept up with him, but nothing like it once was.
Personally I am not a fan of open carry, and really for one reason. I refer to the uniform as the "shoot me first" shirts. Much better to not even be a blip on the radar of someone doing bad things. I understand that the likely hood of someone seeing the gun and getting second thoughts of doing bad things is something that happens, but he will just do something bad somewhere he feels more comfortable. I would, at least at one time, wanted to be there to stop it. If the "shoot me first" shirt stopped it then and there, I was cool with that. Now I just don't want to think about it anymore.