Why Carry

[charliej47]

I will echo some of the statements made in this OP. I have come face to face with the evil of this world. I was able to confront it and live another day. I firmly believe that if I had not been armed my wife would have been seriously hurt or dead.

Yes I am paranoid and yes they are out to get me.

I have read that if you live to be 50 you stand a 60% chance of being the victim of a crime and if you live to be 70 the odds are closer to 90% of being the victim of a violent crime.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[MadMac]

There are a lot of ways to defend yourself against malfeasance. A gun is one option. Awareness of risk and risk avoidance is another. They complement.

I have gone for 60 years without a gun using awareness as my main tool. I have had no, none, zero incidents where I have been in danger. I recently chose to carry a concealed weapon. This is an experiment for me.

BD,

This is my position exactly, except I just started carrying at 53. I travel frequently, and am often in places I cannot carry - like right now as I type this from California. In fact, I don't carry sometimes even when I can. I have a very active lifestyle, and often find myself in a place when I need to disarm to remain legal. That can be problematic.

I have travelled the world and cannot recall one time whee I felt I need a handgun. As I have stated before, my five times weekly trips to gym will more likely prolong my life than toting a Roscoe to defend myself against violent assault.

However, I respect out Consitutional right to carry, and am enjoying the experiment. It's a learning experience for me. There may come a time it becomes very important. When that time comes, I want to be ready. I have my handguns and a nice AK-47 now. I hope and pray they remain a hobby, and not a necessity.

[tyjax]

I do not carry because I fear a boogie man is hiding behind every corner, nor do I fear a zombie apocalypse. First reason I carry is because it is my duty as a husband to be able to protect my family physically and financially when able. Second reason is I love living and I am not going to willingly let some misguided individual interrupt my habit of breathing air. Lastly, I carry a firearm because it is a symbol of my God given rights as a free man!

Hell Yeah!

[searcher 45]

I carry to protect and defend myself, family, and others.

[CommonMan101]

......... Anyway, to answer your question I'll quote an old enemy Mao Tse Tung: " Power comes from the barrel of a gun."

That's an incomplete quote... Mao: "All political power comes (sometimes reads - grows) from the barrel of a gun".

Politics is the most relevent aspect of the power that a gun has.

Simply put: Leave me the EFF alone! Don't tread on me - or I will shoot you.

If you do not have that option you are a subject of the State. What could you possibly do about unjust laws from a tyrannical govt. then? Nothing but die or submit! Then you get to see the political power imposed because THEY have the guns and you don't.

[gottabkiddin]

There are a lot of ways to defend yourself against malfeasance. A gun is one option. Awareness of risk and risk avoidance is another. They complement.

I have gone for 60 years without a gun using awareness as my main tool. I have had no, none, zero incidents where I have been in danger. I recently chose to carry a concealed weapon. This is an experiment for me. The sole benefit will likely be some level of comfort or security of place and possible a reduction in my level of awareness because of that. I don't know yet. I might increase my level of risk because of the gun backup. That would be bad. I hope I don't.

Come to downtown Atlanta around the GaTech campus at night and try your experiment. I'm sure you'll find takers who'll be glad to let ya practice on.

This isn't Mayberry RFD and Andy was a fictional sheriff...

GBK

[zlzgrom86]

I carry because I do not negotiate with robbers and other scum. I will be much to pissed off to comply with demands and encourage them to do it again.
I too watch the news, and in where I live, there is no shortage of crime in the news. And there is also an avalanche of violent robbery crime that does NOT make it to the news, trust me.

[ep1953]

The replies posted here are all very good reasons for carrying a weapon.

A great many more reasons can be found in the newspaper reports from around the country. The best place I have found that collects many of these articles is here:

The Armed Citizen

[G27owner]

I hate when people question me for my choice to carry! People these days act as though there's no such thing as a criminal history in the U.S. They act as if serial killers like Charles Manson, Ed Kemper, Ted Bundy- and so on- never existed. I carry because I acknowledge those scum bags and choose to not make myself or my family a victim!

If they don't agree with carrying, oh well! It's they're ill choice to not be prepared. I know the chances of me ever having to use my weapon are very slim and I pray that I'm never in the situation... but if the situation ever arises, I'm glad I'm prepared.

Guns are like condoms in your wallet! It's better to have and not need than to need and not have!

[exprt9]

I carry because I refuse to be a victim again!

[rmodel65]

i started carrying after witnessing a 13 year old girl killed by a man in my town...

[mikcap]

I've been thinking about this and if I ever have any doubts, I remind myself about what happened here in CT in 2007.
Read this article and tell me I'm crazy to own and carry.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/07/nyregion/07slay.html

[MinistrMalic]

There have also been many threads about how to approach a recalcitrant spouse and help them understand and appreciate firearms. Rather than start a flame war here (again), I would suggest searching the boards for those threads. I know I have posted on several of them (a minority opinion most of the time!), so if you search my profile name for posts you'll find several. The discussions are pretty good in some respects.

[bsnow]

I carry because I have family and self to protect against ever growing evil in this world, it's my duty. Our LEO'S here and everywhere are so stressed how can they possibly be everywhere all the time? And yes as a law abiding citizen I have the right. And I will exercise it.

[wmhawth]

I carry because I have family and self to protect against ever growing evil in this world, it's my duty. .

Even Barrack Obama says so:

“For make no mistake: evil does exist in the world”

Why would we not carry?