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Lets hear why you carry

6K views 71 replies 55 participants last post by  TeamXD 
#1 ·
So i have a bunch of good friends in my college car club that think I and anyone else who carries a gun for protection is an idiot, trying to show off, and or just insane.

I myself have never had to use my gun, i hope never have to. However I'm kind of stuck on how to get the point across that it isn’t so crazy to carry. Anyone have any stories or reasons for carrying I could share with them to help them understand.

I’m not trying to convert them to being pro gun or anything, But when they are making comments such as …
“Unless your a cop you don't need to be carrying a gun around with you for "protection" aka i feel like a badass cuz i'm packin yo...accident waiting to happen...how often are you in situations where you were like "Damn, if only I had a gun!"”
… what can I say to help them understand?
 
#2 ·
What point is there in feeling like a badass when nobody else knows you are? My gun is concealed, nobody knows I have it.

I carry because I have had a gun pulled on me before. I carry because my friends dad carried and had to use his gun, had I been in the dry cleaners then I would have needed one.

I carry becasue I listen to the police scanner and hear about break ins and shootings within 1 mile of my place, and sometimes in my apartment complex nightly.

I carry because I live in a safe city in TN, the 5th largest in the state (a very small city by northern standards) and have robberies go on around me nightly. Around me is closer than the closest wal-mart, and that is only a few minuites away.

I am tired of being approached and asked for money as a distraction as another person comes around my back.

I carry because I might be next, and I have been next.

In 2001 in my state over 50,000 people felt it was time to protect themselves and get a new permit or renew an existing one. Those numbers are climbing, I know because every range I know of sells their permit classes out everytime they have them.

Most importantly next time someone tries to jump me at the gas station I might not be able to get away like I did last time.
 
#3 ·
asmodous said:
So i have a bunch of good friends in my college car club that think I and anyone else who carries a gun for protection is an idiot, trying to show off, and or just insane.

I myself have never had to use my gun, i hope never have to. However I'm kind of stuck on how to get the point across that it isn’t so crazy to carry. Anyone have any stories or reasons for carrying I could share with them to help them understand.

I’m not trying to convert them to being pro gun or anything, But when they are making comments such as …
“Unless your a cop you don't need to be carrying a gun around with you for "protection" aka i feel like a badass cuz I'm packin yo...accident waiting to happen...how often are you in situations where you were like "Damn, if only I had a gun!"”
… what can I say to help them understand?
Probably nothing. People with closed minds will refuse to listen to common sense. Should they ever get a gun stuck in their face they might figure it out. Maybe.
 
#4 ·
I CCDW because there are over 90,000 persons including
myself here in the Commonwealth who do. Besides,
there are only 6,000(+or-) certified LEOs in place here.

Do those numbers in a 4,000,000 population and I think
we carriers help out just a wee bit.

Ed
 
#7 ·
ajamesp51 said:
Dont bother Arguing with them they wont accept your opinions, infact dont tell them you have a gun remember its concealed.
True. There's no need to tell them at all unless you're bragging.

I live in Houston in the inner city area. I get people approaching me a lot. It's a lot worse at night. I was not carrying the other day and was at one of those "do it yourself" car washes. I had two weirdos approach me and tell me they want to wash my car. when I said no they just kinds stood there and watched for a few minutes. I was just waiting to get robbed. Then I was at the gas station the other night pumping gas and this kid comes walking through the station lot. His face was all bloody and his shirt covered in blood. I don't know what happened to him, but it looked like he got a severe ass whooping.
People are just weird. I have a friend who was in a not so great part of town at a stop light one night. Some black guy came running out of the dark right twords his door. He was for sure he was about to get car jacked. So instead of waiting for it, my buddy fired a round at his ass through the window. The dude ran and ducked under a vehicle, the cops came, etc. Turns out the dude was just going to try to sell him some drugs. My buddy was just questioned and released.

I carry unfriendly products, cause it's an unfriendly world.
 
#8 ·
Those that mentioned don't try to explain are correct; they have a closed mind and you won't be able to open it. I'd suggest dropping the talk about it, continue to carry concealed, hope you never have to use it, but have the peace of mind knowing it's there if you needed it.

Your friends may be unfortunate enough (and I hope they don't) to find out why it's a good thing to carry in the future.

As far as why I carry: I worked in le and always carried off duty. I carry ccw now. There are a lot of nasty people out there and I aim, to the best of my ability, to protect myself and my family. That's my reason, not to play cop.
 
#9 ·
First of all I agree with those who said no one needs to know. If youre going around bragging about carrying than you are carrying for the wrong reasons.

No disrespect to any LEO's, but I don't trust my life to someone I have never even met. If someone is trying to harm you, even if you can call the cops, chances are you'll be robbed or dead by the time you get done explaining the situation to he 911 operator and the cops finally arrive.

Your friends will never understand, just drop the subject and continue to carry your weapon and keep it on the down low. Some people are just brainwashed by the liberal media to believe that people who carry are paraniod gun totin vigilantes, and that as long as we have the police we are all safe. Let them say what they want, one day when you have to save their ass they'll change their tune. You are not a freak for choosing to carry a gun, you have just decided to never be a victim.
 
#10 ·
Thanks guys, all great advice

just so everyone knows though i wasn't trying to brag to them or anything like that. They just know i go to the range often and asked if i had my carry permit, when i told them i did most started up with the comments. But i think most of you are right... I'll just let it slide
 
#11 ·
Since they are in your car club, ask them why they buckle up. I am sure there will be some similar reasons as to why you carry. Saftey, you never know when you might need it, you can't predict what they other people on the roads are going to do, etc. I know that whenever anyone who gets on my case about carrying I bring up the seat belt thing and they don't have too much to say afterwards.
 
#12 ·
what are the top three killers of men between the age of 18-24.

car wrecks
homicide
and sucicide.

it is a matter of risk management for me. I am 24, live in memphis, and I carry a gun.

As to accidents...the are very rare, less than a 1000 a year most are in the ages of 15 and up. here is the link to the CDC.
http://webapp.cdc.gov/sasweb/ncipc/mortrate10_fy.html

click around there is some good info there.

If you can knock down falsehoods properly, you will stop a lot of critism.

Also, carrying a gun is insurance. Why do people have life insurance? Because they want things to be taken care of when they die. Why do some people carry a gun? so they do not have to use the life insurance.
 
#15 ·
my opinion turned about 4 years ago when i lived in Virginia and was out 4 wheeling in my truck in the national forest. it was Fall, getting dark, we were 4 miles from the closest country road. It was me in my truck and a buddy of mine in his. We come upon a pickup truck with no lights on and 3 guys outside with axes and saws. there is barely enough room for us to pass on the left, because on the left of the road was a 600ft drop into a ravine. It dawns on me as I see the shotgun in the back of the pickup truck that these guys could easily knock us over push us down the ravine, steal or trash our trucks and no one would find us for months if ever. It made me feel vulnerable. Why feel that way when I could protect myself? Same arguement can be made for women learning self defense. Why be a victim? The whole situation made me think of a previous trip where a buddy of mine said "I always 4wheel with Mr .45 on the passenger seat. I have rock sliders to protect the truck and .45 to protect me." Thus my interest began in learning to defend myself with a firearm.

Was I actually in danger? Nope, we waved to the guys as we slowly passed and they waved back. But boy did they look sketchy.
 
#17 ·
I don't like anyone to know I am carrying, not even the people I am out with. After an incident back in 1994 I carry all the time.

I was jumped by 5 people 2 miles form the house I grew up in and stabbed twice. I was walking form one friends house to anothera block away, by myself at 9:30 at night. (It was July and just got dark.) When I didn't show up after 15 minutes they came looking for me. By then I was out.

The next day my family was visiting me in the hospital, some guy of the same ethnic background as my attackers walked into the room. Saw people there stammered asked if I wanted to buy a paper he had folded in a funny way and walked out. The police found a gun in a trash can under a news paper, but didn't catch him. So not only did they jump me and stab me, they wanted me to be quiet about it. None of the attackers had been arrested or charged.

I wasn't robbed. I just got the crap kicked out of me for being white, and at the wrong place at the wrong time. I'm not a racist, but I don't walk in that part of town anymore, I carry all the time. If I see people of a different race than me walking in a group in a parking garage or out of the way place I make eye contact with all of them and watch my back.

All CC in Ohio did was make me legal. I also carry enough ammo that all 5 guys would have 6 rounds for each of them if it happened tomorrow.
 
#18 ·
RLLOVER said:
I don't like anyone to know I am carrying, not even the people I am out with. After an incident back in 1994 I carry all the time.

I was jumped by 5 people 2 miles form the house I grew up in and stabbed twice. I was walking form one friends house to anothera block away, by myself at 9:30 at night. (It was July and just got dark.) When I didn't show up after 15 minutes they came looking for me. By then I was out.

The next day my family was visiting me in the hospital, some guy of the same ethnic background as my attackers walked into the room. Saw people there stammered asked if I wanted to buy a paper he had folded in a funny way and walked out. The police found a gun in a trash can under a news paper, but didn't catch him. So not only did they jump me and stab me, they wanted me to be quiet about it. None of the attackers had been arrested or charged.

I wasn't robbed. I just got the crap kicked out of me for being white, and at the wrong place at the wrong time. I'm not a racist, but I don't walk in that part of town anymore, I carry all the time. If I see people of a different race than me walking in a group in a parking garage or out of the way place I make eye contact with all of them and watch my back.

All CC in Ohio did was make me legal. I also carry enough ammo that all 5 guys would have 6 rounds for each of them if it happened tomorrow.
wow....thats a good reason.
 
#19 ·
because of this...(my wife was thinking to go to this mall that day after she got off work, but thankfully, decided not to)

http://www.9news.com/acm_news.aspx?...MPLATEID=0c76dce6-ac1f-02d8-0047-c589c01ca7bf

this happened a stones throw away from my home two days ago:

http://www.9news.com/acm_news.aspx?...MPLATEID=0c76dce6-ac1f-02d8-0047-c589c01ca7bf

And last night there was a shooting just outside my work on Auraria PKWY and 7th street.

Actually...i don't have a CCW yet, just got my first gun last friday..but these recent events may push me to getting my CCW sooner than later.
 
#20 ·
I wasn't robbed. I just got the crap kicked out of me for being white, and at the wrong place at the wrong time. I'm not a racist, but I don't walk in that part of town anymore, I carry all the time. If I see people of a different race than me walking in a group in a parking garage or out of the way place I make eye contact with all of them and watch my back.
Sounds similar to my incedent but I was shot and no one visted me in the hospital. I can't CC in MD, but proabbly moving to PA within a year or so. I always say I not racist but I ain't never been shot by a white person. A gun is a tool for your saftey, you would not go on a long trip without a spare tire for your Car/Truck, or a cell phone in this day and age.
 
#21 ·
I've never been in a situation where I felt my life was in danger. I carry because I don't want to wait until something happens to make me want to start carrying. I just want to be ready to defend my life if necessary.

Most everyone I know doesn't know why I carry everywhere. I'll be with a friend and have to leave it in the car when I have to by law. They'll give that weird laugh and ask, " You got that thing on you?" Usually just say, "Yeah," and thats it, no big deal. But if anyone really wants to argue about it, I'll just say something like, "OK, why don't you just give me a call and let me know when I need my gun so I'll be sure to have it." I've said that to a few people and it shut them up.
 
#22 ·
I decided to carry after our house was burglarized wehn whe evacuated for a hurricane. Fortunately i took my gun with me, on the advice of a local deputy. When we found out and came home, the house had been trashed, kids obviously, and all the electronics were gone, computers, stereos....only thing they didn't take were the tv's and monitors...too heavy i guess. The other thing missing was all my handgun ammo(about 400rds); I was sick thinking that one of the deputies that I know and call friend could be injured or attacked with MY ammo. Most things were recovered, especialy ammo; but lost 3 computers and had several items damaged ebyond repair. I was VERY glad I had my handgun(predecesor to my XD) with me out of town. After this happened was talking with another deputy(Sgt) who related that a fellow deputy barely missed being carjacked at gunpoint at an ATM at a mall in so miami; was caught on surveillance video. I carry and don't make any apology or excuse. When my wife started traveling into miami for work, she got her ccw as well, and has had a few intances where it was a good thing she had a weapon close, even tho she didn't need it. Only bad thing is her/our employers policy against weapons. If push comes to shove I'll deal with being fired and still being alive.
 
#23 ·
#24 ·
reesegr said:
because of this...(my wife was thinking to go to this mall that day after she got off work, but thankfully, decided not to)

http://www.9news.com/acm_news.aspx?...MPLATEID=0c76dce6-ac1f-02d8-0047-c589c01ca7bf

this happened a stones throw away from my home two days ago:

http://www.9news.com/acm_news.aspx?...MPLATEID=0c76dce6-ac1f-02d8-0047-c589c01ca7bf

And last night there was a shooting just outside my work on Auraria PKWY and 7th street.

Actually...i don't have a CCW yet, just got my first gun last friday..but these recent events may push me to getting my CCW sooner than later.
Exactly. I almost went to the mall about the time this happened. I've always disliked this mall but it has the closest Sears.

I carry because it gives me another option in defending my family or myself.
 
#25 ·
jlseagull said:
A: Because I feel I can't morally make a law-enforcement officer risk his life in my defense unless I personally take responsibility for my safety within my rights first.


Usually shuts them up.
my god.. that line above.. the whole personal accountability..
im sure theres a couple liberals bent over the toilet, queezy right now..
you are sooooo EVIL
 
#26 ·
I agree they will probably never listen to you. I've always felt I'd rather let the cops handle it if I can change the situation to allow that. But lets say I am able to call the cops and best case they get their in what... 2 minutes? I'm in a major city so this isn't super likely but we'll go on the good side. So say I'm lucky enough to have someone break in my home who only wants to beat the **** out of my wife and myself. How much damage could you do to someone in two minutes?

Ever see the movie cold creek manor? My wife watched that yesterday. I was damn near yelling at those idiots after a few minutes. Get your family to a safe place and if "mr scary" tries to come around and be scary... well I don't need to be scary I've got 4,320 grains of lead in convenient 180 grain portions that should fix the situation. viva second amendment!
 
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