Who owns guns and you carry?

[BrandiR]

Going to preface this post by saying I'm not here to troll, talk bad about your right to carry, or any of that. For whatever record, I do believe people have the right to carry if they decide they want to. I am just here to gain a better personal understanding of your decisions.


What does this mean? Do you feel there are times you need a gun but don't have one? Have you or anyone you have ever known ever had a need for a firearm at your hip? Can you describe the situation if it's not too personal?

I guess I would extend this question to everyone here who carries regularly. Though it is statistically insignificant the amount of times a violent break-in happens to an otherwise law abiding citizen while they are home, I can understand why people keep them for home protection. I can definitely understand why people keep them for sport.

They say you shouldn't pull a gun on someone unless you plan to use it. I'm not formally asking this question because I'm sure you will all say there would be no hesitation, but would you really shoot someone down if they weren't going to take your life? The follow up question is this: do you find yourself in situations where a complete stranger would make a decision to take your life? I've lived in poor neighborhoods before in the US and in more dangerous countries and can say it is going to be a hard sell if you tell me you live in a bad neighborhood and that's why you think someone will kill you on the street. The biggest risk you have is losing your wallet and having to call the bank to cancel your cards.

Again, not coming here to stir things up, etc, and none of you have to reply / I don't want to fully derail your thread. If anyone feels compelled to address this stuff in a calm, logical, and reasonable manor citing real knowledge I would be very interested in the response.

Actually, I used to carry at all times and then one day I asked myself pretty much these same questions. Of course, when I asked them of myself they weren't nearly as articulate

It had been suggested several times by friends/family that I get a cc and learn to shoot because I spend a lot of time alone, I'm not very big, and I'm pretty trusting and friendly. I always said that I would never do it because I know myself well enough to know that I wouldn't shoot someone under any circumstances, I'd rather be a victim as sad as that sounds. Then the jewelry store I work at was robbed in a particularly disgusting way and my opinion changed. I suddenly became sure that I could shoot someone if I "needed" to because the world is better off without certain people anyway. So I got a cc, learned to shoot, and started carrying every day.

I gradually started carrying less and less because my gun was too heavy to cart around all the time and when I practiced at the range it seemed to jam fairly frequently, so I kept it in my car instead of on my person. One day my boyfriend asked me why I hadn't been carrying it with me and suggested that we buy me a new one if that one was a problem. At that point, the thought of carrying a gun all the time again kind of bothered me. I'm not sure why. I just asked myself to try to think of a couple of real life scenarios where there was a real chance that it would save me. I couldn't come up with one. If someone grabs me on the street, what are the odds that I'm going to be able to get it out and fire (especially in the midst of an unexpected struggle)? If I'm at a light and someone tries to steal my car, am I going to shoot them? No way, I'm going to give them my car. I'm not saying you should, just that that's how I am.

Really, the only legitimate scenario I could come up with where I may "need" a firearm and am confident that I could get to it, and am confident that I would use it would be in the case of someone coming into my home with intent of causing me great harm/death. So I don't carry anymore, but I do have two hand guns in separate rooms of my house where I could get to one regardless of which end of the house I'm on.

I'm not opposed to people carrying guns if they want to. Personally, I take the "right" to take another person's life VERY seriously and I'm just not sure I could handle having to make that decision, especially in a split second. So in my case, I'm probably further ahead to just not carry a gun.

If I eventually think of a logical reason that I should carry, then I will.