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Why I Carry a Gun
Taken from a post by a veteran officer:
Officer "R" mentioned that he never carries a gun off duty. He said
he'd, "rather be a good witness."
I too believed it important to be a good witness.
I believed firmly I must live long enough to be a good witness.
In 18 years behind the badge I never had to resort to the defensive sidearm
while in uniform and on duty. It was only off duty, in civilian attire, that I
ever needed that persuasive friend who can argue loudly and powerfully on my
behalf.
Three times, had I not been carrying a concealed handgun, I would
not have lived. I breathe air today because I was armed.
"Why I Carry a Gun"
By Kathy Jackson
Carrying a gun can be uncomfortable. The gun literally and figuratively gets in
the way of some activities. There is a constant and slightly uncomfortable
awareness that the folks around me would be unhappy with me if they knew I had a
gun under my outer clothing. Nevertheless, I continue to carry almost all day,
almost every day.
Last week, I went to pick up two of my children from summer camp, and drop
another two off at the same camp for the next session. The camp is about 3 hours
from my house, in a rural area. The road we travel to get there is a two-lane
highway, scenic and beautiful. And we were traveling in broad daylight.
Before I left the house, I put my gun on.
Did I expect any trouble? Nope. I just wear it as a matter of course. It's what
I ordinarily do and so that's what I did on this ordinary day.
After dropping one set of kids off and picking up the next set, the kids and I
wandered down to the beach. We walked along a nearly empty boardwalk and enjoyed
the sun and the crisp breeze. Yes, I still had my gun on. I didn't leave it in
the car simply because I expected no trouble. I carried it, because that's what
I always do.
Because we were enjoying ourselves, we stayed at the beach a bit longer than I
had originally intended, and so it was nearly sunset before we got back in the
car for the ride home. We got back in the car and I noticed the car needed fuel,
so we stopped at the gas station. There were other people fueling up, and I did
my standard observant glance around the station before I stepped out of the car
and filled the tank. Got back in the car ... and the car didn't want to start.
Hmph.
My sons and I push-started the cruddy little car and I mumbled a few choice
comments under my breath. The car was going, and sounded all right, but the ride
home was going to take about 3 hours. We'd piddled around at the beach so that
it would be full dark before we arrived home. This particular stretch of road is
notorious for its lack of cell service. Was the car reliable enough to drive
down the deserted stretch of road? Should I risk it? If I didn't risk it, what
would I do instead? There were no service shops open in this almost nonexistent
town on a Saturday night, nor were there likely to be the next day.
I know nothing about engines (hey, that's what God made mechanics for!) and had
no idea what was wrong. Maybe I'd left the headlights on while we were walking
the boardwalk? If so, driving for awhile would take care of the problem. The car
really did sound okay once it started up, and I couldn't think of any really
great alternative plans.
So we started back on that empty deserted stretch of road. And of course, a few
miles down the road, the car died (fiddlesticks and other comments). So there I
was, a woman alone with two young boys, with no cell phone, on a deserted
stretch of two lane highway just before dark.
Was I worried? About the car, yes. But I wasn't worried about our physical
safety. I knew I had both the training and the tools to protect myself and my
children even in the unlikely event that a human predator came along.
Shortly after the car died, another car pulled over and the man driving it asked
if we needed help. Was I worried about his intentions? Nope, I was relieved to
see him. I didn't have to worry about him or what he might do, because I knew I
could protect myself if he turned out not to be the good Samaritan he appeared
to be. Having the means to defend myself allowed me to be friendly and confident
in talking to a stranger in what could have been dangerous circumstances. So I
gave him the phone number for AAA and asked him to call them for me. He said,
"All right, I'll do that -- and I'll come back and let you know what they said
so you'll know if I got ahold of them okay." Nice guy.
Fifteen minutes later, the man returned, handed us three cold Cokes, and told me
AAA was on the way. The kids and I thanked him profusely.
An hour after that, I was still sitting on the side of the road, waiting for my
tow truck. The boys and I had run out of things to talk about. I was bored, a
little worried that AAA had forgotten us, and we were all getting hungry and
sleepy. Finally, the tow truck showed up -- a greasy driver who talked a mile a
minute. Of course he was greasy, that's his job. But a woman alone on a deserted
country road knows in her bones that the tow truck guy could be a rapist of
opportunity. Did I worry about that? Not a bit. I knew I had the means to take
care of myself and my kids if I needed to. Because I had that confidence, I was
able to be friendly and forthright.
Eventually, the whole situation worked itself out, as these things do. Nobody
offered me the slightest violence and because I was calmly confident of my
ability to take care of it if they did, I was able to be outgoing and friendly
rather than frightened or churlishly suspicious in dealing with other people,
even in what I considered to be risky circumstances.
Although the stereotype is that gun owners are after some sort of a "power
rush," I never have felt super-powerful or invincible when carrying a gun, nor
anything remotely like that. Instead, in a low-key sort of way, I simply feel
confident that I am equipped to handle an unpleasant or even deadly situation if
I really need to do so. Because I know I could cope with the worst that could
happen, I am free to go about my regular business without a lot of that
low-level, back-of-the-mind feeling of vulnerability that most women experience
on some level in their daily lives (especially when traveling though big cities,
or in deserted areas after dark). When I first began carrying, I really liked
having that feeling of calm confidence which came from being prepared to cope
with the worst life could possibly throw at me, and I wanted to keep feeling it.
And that is why I carry a gun all the time.
............................
Kathy Jackson is a freelance writer with an avid interest in self-protection,
self-defense, and the outdoors. You can find tons of information about her, and
more awesome articles like this at her site,
www.corneredcat.com
"Why I carry"
Written by Isaiah
Kellogg
I carry a gun.
I suppose it’s probably no surprise to those who have read my other articles,
but even then a lot of people don’t think about it. I get a lot of questions
about concealed carry, from people who do and people who do not know that I
carry. I’ll respond to some of the more common questions and comments that I’ve
gotten in the past three years.
Is that legal? Yes. I wouldn’t do it if it was illegal. Currently, two
states have no restrictions on carrying a concealed handgun, 46 states have some
sort of permit system by which citizens can carry a concealed weapon with a
permit, and two states outlaw it completely. Missouri’s law allowing citizens to
carry a concealed weapon (CCW) went into effect three years ago, and yes, I do
have permits which are recognized by Missouri. I have permits which allow me to
carry in 30 states. In order to remain legal, I have to memorize Missouri’s
law on the subject. I have to know the places where a gun is prohibited –
including campus, bars, government buildings, etc. Also, I have to know when I
would be legally justified to shoot someone – when they have the ability, the
opportunity, and the intent to cause me severe personal injury or death. I also
have to memorize the laws of every state I visit – for instance, New Mexico
forbids carry in any location which sells alcohol (which includes most grocery
stores). The smallest infraction could land me in prison.
Why carry a gun? Because if I ever need it, I will need it RIGHT NOW. I’ve
said before that the police are good hard working professionals, but they can’t
be everywhere at once. I’d much rather have the police shoot someone who is
threatening violence – that’s one of the things they’re paid for, and they get
professional immunity from most lawsuits as well as counseling to deal with the
emotional aftermath.
Carrying a gun is for the last resort, if everything else has failed. My
mind is my only weapon – a gun is just a tool, and the very last tool in the
bottom of my tool box. If I avoid dangerous places, stay aware of my
surroundings, don’t look like an attractive target, and try to run away first…
if all those things fail, I have one tool left to protect my life. Like a seat
belt. I don’t want to get in a car wreck and I make it habit to avoid wrecks,
but if one happens, the seat belt may be the only thing that could save my life.
You just want to shoot somebody, don’t you? No. I understand that there is a
huge emotional trauma that is attached to any lethal incident. Not to mention
the likely criminal charges, and even if I’m acquitted the tens of thousands of
dollars in legal fees. Far better is to run away and call the police. Shooting a
person comes right above dying on my “to do” list.
Is it some sort of macho thing? No. When I’m carrying a gun, I have to work
to defuse any potentially violent situation. If I participate in any way in an
event which escalates to a shooting, I would be hung out to dry. I can’t be
macho, I can’t be proud, and I have to walk away. Carrying a gun forces me to be
as un-macho as possible.
Won’t a bad guy just take away your gun and use it against you? If it’s that
easy to take it away, I’ll just take it right back! Seriously though, that’s
very rare. Most of those cases are police, and that’s only because the officer
and the gun are both highly visible. For the rest of us, the gun is concealed.
By the time the criminal sees my gun, I’ll be pulling the trigger before he can
get his hands on it. There are techniques that keep the gun close to your body
when shooting at someone close enough to grab your gun. But even with
concealment and the best techniques, if I’m not willing to use the gun, it could
be taken away from me. And that leads to the next question:
Would/could you shoot someone? I don’t know. I never have. I hope I never
find out. One time when I was working at a grocery store, two guys said they’d
come kill me when I got off work. The police came when I called, but there would
have been plenty of time for violence before they arrived, and they were gone
well before I got off work. And one time at home, someone broke in at night but
left when I told the 911 operator I had a gun. Again, the police showed up after
the violence would have been over. In both instances, I’m glad that nobody got
shot, but I think that if things had been slightly different (guys at the
grocery store actually did come back, or whoever broke into my house hadn’t run
off) I could have shot that person. Again, not the best option, but better than
my own death.
Are you living out some Rambo fantasy? This one always makes me laugh. I
don’t imagine myself in the middle of a well-planned terrorist attack, acting
out scenes from a video game. While I understand that a multiple-shooter
orchestrated attack is unlikely, I also realize it’s possible. If I am caught in
that type of situation, I’m not a SWAT team. I’m not going to take on a passel
of well-armed terrorists with a snub nosed .38 special, but God help any
terrorist who gets between my family and the nearest exit. A single whacko
shooting up a mall, same story – I’m grabbing my family and heading for the
nearest exit, but if my family is threatened before we can get to safety, I’ll
do what I have to do. That’s how the February 12th shooting at Trolley Mall in
Salt Lake City was stopped – the shooter got between an armed man with his
pregnant wife and the exit.
I follow the law. I avoid dangerous locations. I try to see trouble in time
to avoid it. I’ll run away rather than fight. I believe in nonviolence, and I
expect the same from others. If every nonviolent solution has failed, I will
react to end violence. I carry a gun.
"Why I carry"
by an Anonymous USCCA Member
We've all got our daily carry gear. Mine includes my wallet, work keys, vehicle
keys, cell phone, ink pen, pocket knife, and an aluminum LED flashlight.
I've been trying to think of a great example lately, as to why the most recent
addition- a GLOCK 9mm pistol and extra magazine- has made me more of a civilized
person.
Every day since September 21st, which is when I received my permit, not one day
has passed- not one trip down the driveway has taken place- that has saw me not
carrying my pistol. I have been convinced from day one that this made me a
better person. The best explanation I could come up with was "it finally allows
me to relax", or "it allows me to interact normally with people, instead of
having to be weary of them". Still, my best explanation was kind of unclear, and
most people wouldn't get it. Until yesterday, on my way home from work...
That's when I saw a hitchhiker up ahead. Normally, (assuming they weren't
standing by a broken down car- which even THAT can be a set up) my mind would
jump to 'condition orange' and I'd think, "Yeah, nice try". At the very least,
I'd think, "Man, I WANT to pick them up and help them out, but it's not worth
getting killed over..."
Still, it would always feel like it was my duty as not only a Christian, but as
a human being who lives within a hundred miles of another human being, to pick
up someone less fortunate, and give them a ride.
This time though, I had a little 1.2lb hunk of steel and polymer tucked in
between my pants and underwear, accessible from a sitting position in less than
two seconds (I've practiced), with twenty-one 115gr. slugs at my disposal, the
idea that this person would try to do me hard was not quite as 'loud' as it had
been before. As soon as I saw the guy, my instinct was, "Sweet, I get to do
humanity a favor for once".
I gave him a ride to his house, which was only a mile or so out of my way.
Though he obviously had some problems of his own, he expressed nothing but
gratitude for the ride, and I never felt a bit uncomfortable. I then realized
that there was really nowhere I would feel uncomfortable going, and no person I
would fear interacting with. Especially given that, with my hands placed lazily
at my hips, my GLOCK is never more than a second from deployment. :)
Now I know that not everyone needs a gun to be able to interact with 'shady'
characters, but I do, and I've accepted that.
That's why carrying a gun makes me a more civilized person.
Inmates reported that a handgun was their preferred firearm;
of those carrying a firearm, 83% of State inmates and 87% of
Federal inmates said that they carried a handgun during the
offense for which they were serving their longest sentence.
About 8% of State inmates who had carried a firearm during
the commission of their crime reported having a
military-style semiautomatic (7%) or fully automatic (2%)
firearm, with some carrying both...In 1997, 14% of State
inmates who had used or possessed a firearm during their
current offense bought or traded for it from a retail store,
pawnshop, flea market, or gun show (table 8). Nearly 40% of
State inmates carrying a firearm obtained the weapon from
family or friends. About 3 in 10 received the weapon from
drug dealers, off the street, or through the black market.
Another 1 in 10 obtained their gun during a robbery,
burglary, or other type of theft…
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/fuo.pdf
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