should I carry conceal?

[MuddyAlaskanZJ]

I am going to be getting my first 4" Service XD in the 9mm. I am sure some of you have seen my wife and son Koda now who is currenly 8months and I just am up in the air about carry concealing. I really never feel a threat around me wherever I go. Im the type of person that tends to say hi to everyone because of how outgoing I am and because I just don't give a shiat. Anyway the only place I could think of that I may wanna do that is in my car when I'm driving around certain parts of town but I would like some opinions if you need to see a pic of my family you can click here or hopefully someone will post this pic for me

MySpace

Anyway i would like opinions and advice if I should carry or not. Btw I will be taking a home defense/CC class regardless I just am up in the air about CC.

[Kent]

I would rather have a gun and not need it than to need it and not have a gun.

[Elton]

Originally Posted by Kent

I would rather have a gun and not need it than to need it and not have a gun.

ahh soo true

[Terry]

The way things are going in Anchorage. H**L Yeah i would.( i do ) With all the WANNABE gang members and crap going on. Fairbanks is getting just as bad.

I never leave home without it. If you have it and need it fine. Don't have it and need it you are screwed..

[Uraiit]

Bad things still happen to good people...

I don't feel like I need to worry that my house or vehicles are going to catch fire either, but I still keep fire extinguishers in my house and vehicles...

[Houseboat]

When you get in to a car do you put on a seat belt?
If you were to ride a motorcycle would you were a helmet? You just never know..Take care of your family,and since you have young ones lock that firearm.

[FotoPhocus]

Here's one point to consider. Originally I didn't see a need to carry concealed, as I always avoided situations that I thought would make me feel the need to carry concealed. However, you don't have to go to the bad part of town for trouble to find you. I say carry concealed and practice often. It's like insurance, you hope you never need it.. but if you do, it's there.

[mhillsing23]

I am not going to try and talk you into the logic of carrying. I do think that there are valid reasons to justify why carrying is a great idea, especially since you have a family to protect. That said, you could have all the logical answers in your head, but it is still a personal decision that needs to be made by you. Hopefully your carry class is as good as mine was, and if it is I think that will help you make your decision. Some people just aren't cut out to carry, and they shouldn't violate that. Carrying is a huge responsibility that takes dedication. It is not a decision to make flippantly. I think that as you process this more, and take the class your mind will be made up.

I went through the same process and in the end I learned what it meant to carry and became sure of my decision to do so.

[Modificationvt]

If you knew you were going to need a gun in a situation, then you could avoid that situation, the problem is the situations that may require guns are not forseen.

[Pugs]

My take on it is:

Don't have it and don't need it = Good
Have it and don't need it = Good
Have it and need it = Good
Don't have it and need it = Bad

Unfortunately, I live in Wisconsin where our right to bear arms is infringed and concealed carry is not allowed. So I'm always stuck with the possibility of that fourth scenario. If I lived in Alaska where you don't even need a permit for concealed carry, there'd be no decision to make; it'd be a given that I'd carry.