Concealed Carry Permits for everyone
I recently have been quized by one of my students about the bill of rights and whether I knew them or not. Being out ot school for a while and a science teacher, I spend more time on the scientific method than the bill of rights so with some hints I was able to recall the general list.
The one that was ironic of course was #2, the right to bear arms. I have recently been promoting a report called the Concealed Carry Report (which you can get free!) which goes into depth about everything you need to know before you leave your house while carrying a gun.
The irony comes of course in that in an article in the September 20, 2011 Syracuse, NY Post Standard, they talk about the changes coming about in the concealed carry laws of all states. The biggest change being the apparent reciprocity that will be allowed through all the states.
I personally do not own a gun, but do believe that you should be able to house them responsibly. As they say, Guns don’t kill people, stupid people do!
Having the proper education is important in regards to the proper use and storage of the gun as well. As the economy is going into shambles and people are worried about what might happen in the event of a financial crash, having a gun, might be a necessity.
If someone thinks they are going to come on my land and do harm to me for their benefit in times of disaster, financial crises etc., they have another thing coming their way. All you have to do is watch the news and see what happens in communities where these have occurred. Looting, theft, burrning places down etc. It is rather rediculous that humans would do this of course, but we all know that human nature can be nasty at times.
What is needed is then to be prepared for these events:
This is a new video by You Are Prepared president Greg Schmidt where he goes into some basic ideas and tips that will get you thinking along the preparedness theme to get yourself ready for what may come.
Currently there are four modules ready for community members dealing with financial crisis/investing, gun safety, disaster preparedness and home security.
In some of their introductory videos, there were as much as 1000 comments! It should be common sense to take care of these issues, but more often than not, people assume “it won’t happen to me” until it is too late. It is time to be proactive instead of the need to be reactive.
In addition to the concealed carry report I mentioned above, I am also helping Greg Schmidt to promote this new community and want to share my bonus for joining:
1) I will send you an ounce of silver to your door! Silver is expected to continue growth and at $40 an ounce currently this will be a nice little bonus that will grow over time (though I do not guarantee any growth at all, but heck, it will be sent to you at no additional cost to joining the community)
2) I will send you a DVD with some killer reports on internet safety, total safety and self defense.
So the question you have to ask yourself now is whether or not you are willing to learn and prepare, or if you want to deal with reacting when you might only have a few moments to spare?
I commented because the subject is near and dear to my heart. I don’t like to see people get hurt needlessly, and I hate that the most easy victim demographics are also the most likely to not get a gun (the great equalizer) for protection. One of my favorite quotes: “I carry a gun because a cop is too heavy!”
You bring up a point I missed: legal consequences. I am not plugging for Front Sight (although I should be!), but having attended several classes there, I was made aware of the harsh realities of having to use your weapon in self-defense.
They were very clear: if it isn’t worth dying over, it isn’t worth killing over. They encourage being alert, as awareness can often help you avoid trouble without a fuss. They also made it clear that you can lose everything in the legal aftermath, so be sure it is worth it. (Yeah, you might lose everything, but “Better to be judged by twelve than carried by six.” Or worse, see your family carried off in bodybags.)
If you have to shoot, Front Sight teaches “Two to the chest.” Lethal shot? Actually, not so much. 86% of the time, two shots to the chest with a pistol is non-lethal. These are “stopping” shots, not killing shots. If he still won’t stop (and it happens, drugs, body armor, etc.), then you go for the head shot. That’s not guaranteed to kill anyone either–foreheads, teeth, jawbones, cheekbones are all very strong. To the average person, they should be more concerned with hitting the assailant at all. If they try to aim for a limb, they’re probably never going to hit anything. People with fear and adrenaline charging through their veins are going to have shaky hands and lousy aim unless they are highly trained.
But in the end, shoot-to-kill vs. shoot-to-wound? Circumstances vary. You’re the one that has to live with the outcome. Only you can make the call. You can end up in jail either way. Non-lethal, the bad guy lives and you get slammed with some civil suit. Lethal, his family slams you with a civil suit. Plus, if you shoot after the guy is no longer a threat, you are clearly on the wrong side of the law, even if you were scared and panicking at the time.
Front Sight also had a fantastic lecture on dealing with after-the-fact. Everything from the emotions you go through, to calling it in and cooperating with the cops, how to get a good lawyer, and so forth. This is the stuff people don’t realize the importance of until it hits them. People need to think about this if they are willing to assume the responsibility of gun ownership and carrying concealed.
Thank you for the link! It sounds like exactly the type of stuff I was just getting into. I hope it helps educate more people on the subject, and hopefully will get people to take their responsibilities seriously.
Chelsey, You bring up some awesome points and no worries about the the length. You have added some great questions that everyone needs to consider with gun ownership.
Sometimes that fake gun could help or hurt and I am always amazed to hear of people being shot down with an apparent fake gun (or similar) If those people were to come into my home or to threaten my loved ones, or as you said before even a complete stranger it would be an instant decision that might stick with me forever, but one I would not need to regret for what could have been if they harmed my family.
Could we try to make a non lethal shot, of course, then they could stand their due trial, which brings us back to some of the other parts of the Bill of Rights that my student asked me about! How they end up going to jail is a whole other can of worms!
Overall the best we can do is help people become educated in this and again I would suggest viewews check out the Concealed Carry Report where they will get information from one of the largest associations around with knowledge on the topic. One can always hope that people will learn to make the right choice. Just as some schools train people in home ec, technology etc., perhaps there should be a manditory class in regards to weapons so that all people are aware of what should be common sense.
So thanks again!
There probably isn’t a soul out there who wouldn’t try to protect themselves. We do it all the time. We watch for cars before crossing the street, buy guard dogs, lock our doors, etc. Unless you’re suicidal, you try to keep yourself safe, and you’d probably fight to defend yourself or someone else in danger.
So the real question is, why not carry concealed?
Actually, there are a couple good reasons.
1. You couldn’t bear to harm or kill someone.
2. You cannot handle a firearm responsibly due to temper, drinking, drugs, etc.
3. You don’t know how to safely operate a firearm.
4. You are more afraid of accidentally shooting someone, or having someone get a hold of your firearm, than you are of crime.
That said, let’s examine these.
1. So, let’s suppose that the thought of taking a life is so troubling to you that you’d rather be killed by your attacker. That’s not common, but it happens. However, having a firearm doesn’t obligate you to EVER fire it. You can protect yourself and others merely by a show of force. If you think about it, you already have the ability to be lethal, but have you ever killed someone? Tried to? Aggression is a choice, not some item you own. And if you really can’t stand guns–get an airsoft replica of a real gun. It may still scare off a home intruder or a mugger.
2. Okay, if you are a danger to others and know it, you already know better than to get a permit.
3. and 4. are actually the same thing, essentially. If you are afraid of guns, you don’t know how to handle them safely. If you can’t handle them safely, you shouldn’t own one, let alone have a permit. Here’s the thing. LEARN. You had to learn to drive before getting a driver’s license, right? You have to learn before you can do anything, actually. Let’s examine this for a moment.
First, just because you can fire a gun, DOESN’T MEAN YOU KNOW HOW TO USE IT. Kind of like how turning a key in the ignition of a car doesn’t mean you know how to pull out of the driveway without crashing.
Get trained. I don’t mean go out back and start practicing your aim. Aim is your last concern. Safety is your first. You need someone who can watch you and keep you safe while you learn. Learn the four basic safety rules:
“1. Treat every weapon as if it were loaded.” (If you do this, you cannot shoot someone accidentally!)
“2. Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.” (Meaning, don’t point it at stuff you aren’t going to shoot. If you do this, you cannot shoot someone accidentally!)
“3. Keep your finger off the trigger and outside of the trigger guard until you’re ready to shoot.” (Most guns are well-designed to not go off without you pulling the trigger. I won’t say all, however.)
“4. Be sure of your target and what’s inline with your target.” (This is a big one. Maybe you have the bad guy, or your paper silhouette, in your sights. Where are you? Are the people about to run in front of you or walk out to check the target? Are there people behind the bad guy or target? What about your dog? You have to be aware!)
(I have to give credit to http://www.frontsight.com/ for the safety rules. I copied them from one of their manuals.)
You also need someone to show you how to draw your weapon safely (concealment presents special difficulties like snagging on clothes, etc.), how to clear a malfunction safely, etc.
I cannot stress training enough! Even though my comments have been aimed at people hesitant to get a permit/gun, there are plenty of people that want them. It is the people that have permits/guns that don’t have training that have accidents. Accidents make gun ownership look bad. Accidents scare people away from guns, so that they don’t have that protection when they need it. Accidents get sherrif’s offices sued over issuing permits. Have a gun? GET TRAINED. Please. There are consequences, and you aren’t the only one to suffer them if you have accident.
Training prevents accidents!
One more note. The training doesn’t just apply to you. If you have kids, a spouse, friends, etc. who might get access to your weapon, make sure they know what it is, how it works, and to not touch it unless they know what they are doing and need to defend themselves. Ignorance is far deadlier than any weapon. Never hide the gun from your kid just hoping they never find it. Keep it out of their reach if you need to, but always make sure they understand that it isn’t a toy, etc., etc.
Sorry for this huge comment, but I felt it was an important topic.
In summary, get trained, get a gun, get a permit to carry concealed (your gun can’t protect you if it is at home locked up while you are getting held up in a grocery store).
It isn’t just about protecting yourself. It is also about protecting your family, a coworker, or even a complete stranger. If you considered getting training, a gun, and a permit–only to change your mind–and then saw your spouse stabbed to death before your eyes, knowing you could have prevented it, or at least tried? Not pleasant.
Remember, whatever decision you make (gun, no gun; permit, no permit; shoot, don’t shoot)–you have to live with that decision. At least put some heavy consideration into it before you have to face that outcome.
Cheers! Thanks for touching on this subject, Mr. Gardner!