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09-09-2022, 12:21 PM
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Carrying has helped me grow as a person
I will start off by saying I tend to be polite before I began carrying as well. That being said, carrying has done wonders for my patience and (rare) anger. I know that while I'm carrying I HAVE to be the coolest head in the room, and that has helped me consistently be an even more polite and patient person than I was before. I think it is a shame that gun owners get smeared in the news media as crazy, angry, and aggressive people. From my experiences, gun owners tend to be the most polite people I interact with, and have remarkable control over their emotions. While I am sure there are exceptions and bad apples, I have yet to meet one. I know that things I used to have like road rage have become non-existent when carrying, I just let it go knowing I have to be the mature one with my 686 on my hip.
I just wanted to see if others had this experience of personal growth from carrying. Again it was not like I was a raging jerk before, but it has helped me be even more polite and patient than ever before. I am so thankful to the 2A community for helping me grow as a person, and hope it is doing the same for others here.
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09-09-2022, 12:24 PM
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I don't think about that sort of thing too much.
I just wake up, get out of bed and try to be the best person I can be.
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09-09-2022, 12:27 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Goudy686
I just wanted to see if others had this experience of personal growth from carrying. Again it was not like I was a raging jerk before, but it has helped me be even more polite and patient than ever before. I am so thankful to the 2A community for helping me grow as a person, and hope it is doing the same for others here.
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Yup.
When I put that gun on in the morning, I always pause and reflect on the fact that I need to be my absolute best self for every moment that the gun is on my person.
Mike
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09-09-2022, 12:56 PM
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Studies have been done in a half diesel states that show people with concealed carry permits are 6-7 times less likely than police officers to be convicted of a felony or misdemeanor, and in turn police officers are about 3 times less likely to be convicted of a felony or misdemeanor than the general public.
A concealed carry permit holder is thus roughly 18-20 times less likely to be convicted of a crime than the general public - and a significantly lower threat than even police officers.
Why that is the case probably has something to do with going to some effort to obtain the permit and wanting to keep it.
But I suspect much of it is the awareness they have to be on their best behavior to preserve the ability to actually use a handgun in self defense.
In states that don’t allow consumption of alcohol while carrying, it forces a choice between carrying and drinking and I opt to carry. Given that about 80% of all convicted criminals have substance or alcohol use problems, or were under the influence at the time of the crime, eliminating or reducing alcohol consumption probably plays a role in the reduced crime rates for persons who legally conceal carry.
——
I’m polite, take off my hat indoors, open doors for women, etc. However, I don’t flip off people who cut me off in traffic, or are rude or offensive in public, because I am trying to be polite and deferential and avoid conflict.
Sure…I’d like to say, especially with counseling degrees, that I’m a more evolved human, but I’m not. I’ve worked in occupations using those degrees that show me that some folks are crazy and don’t respond to logic or make good decisions. Some are just plain evil. The truth is that I’m polite, and deferential and avoid conflicts in public when possible because I am ensuring I reserve my right to stop someone if they present an imminent threat of death or great bodily harm to me or my family.
Like Gen. James Mattis said:
“Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet.”
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09-09-2022, 01:31 PM
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I say that exercising your right to carry takes away your right to be an a-hole.
OZ
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09-09-2022, 01:32 PM
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I agree with Goudy686's comments. I think that is as it should be.
Having carried for so long as an active duty and now retired LEO, I have no recollection of my state of mind at the outset. LE tends to mature one quickly, or they don't last.
I taught the state mandated CCW course hereabouts for almost twenty years. I counselled my classes that going armed is a significant responsibility for which they must be prepared. Thus there is a certain level of introspection they must undergo. In my classes I went into more specific detail.
My own practice has always been that if I am going to drive, carry my pager, or go armed, I will not drink. That means nothing, not even a single beer. Many friends think I am overly cautious in this area, but they also respect it. I am now retired from two careers, LE and firefighting/EMS, where I carried a pager, so that is no longer an issue. If we are going out somewhere and I want a drink, and I think it safe (always a relative issue) not to be armed, then my bride is the driver. Given that I so seldom do take a drink, my wife encourages this.
In retrospect this could have been long term growth, but it definitely is an adjustment I have made because I do choose to carry, and thus to assume the consequent responsibilities.
Last edited by RetCapt; 09-09-2022 at 02:12 PM.
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09-09-2022, 02:48 PM
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"An armed society is a polite society".
Robert A. Heinlein
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09-09-2022, 03:11 PM
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Absent Comrade
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When he found out I carry, my high-strung son-in-law in NY said he wished he could carry also. Then he reflected a moment, and jokingly said it's a good thing he can't, as he'd probably be shooting all the jerks he bumps into.
Sent from my motorola one 5G using Tapatalk
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09-09-2022, 03:36 PM
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Carrying sure makes me think when I run into someone I would like to smart off to or “flip off”. I just have to smile and walk away. Actually ignoring a dumb *** ticks them off more than getting into a confrontation.
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09-09-2022, 04:15 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Goudy686
I will start off by saying I tend to be polite before I began carrying as well. That being said, carrying has done wonders for my patience and (rare) anger. I know that while I'm carrying I HAVE to be the coolest head in the room, and that has helped me consistently be an even more polite and patient person than I was before. I think it is a shame that gun owners get smeared in the news media as crazy, angry, and aggressive people. From my experiences, gun owners tend to be the most polite people I interact with, and have remarkable control over their emotions. While I am sure there are exceptions and bad apples, I have yet to meet one. I know that things I used to have like road rage have become non-existent when carrying, I just let it go knowing I have to be the mature one with my 686 on my hip.
I just wanted to see if others had this experience of personal growth from carrying. Again it was not like I was a raging jerk before, but it has helped me be even more polite and patient than ever before. I am so thankful to the 2A community for helping me grow as a person, and hope it is doing the same for others here.
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I think I have become more aware of my behavior and thought ful regarding John Q Public. I have always been respectful/polite to others but as I was aging I became far less tolerant of rude obnoxious people. When I started carrying I made a conscious effort to be more even keeled emotionally and learn to back away.
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09-09-2022, 10:05 PM
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I’ve been carrying since my 1968 rookie year on the PD so aside from getting a lot older & retiring I’m not sure I’ve changed much.
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09-09-2022, 10:56 PM
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In the endless effort to tarnish Thomas Jefferson's image, I see the following quote truncated to only express the idea Jefferson was not a fan of sports, but here is the actual context of the quote which is fitting for this conversation. It was advice he was giving to his nephew Peter Carr.
"A strong body makes the mind strong. As to the species of exercises, I advise the gun. While this gives moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprise and independence to the mind. Games played with the ball and others of that nature are too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind. Let your gun therefore be your constant companion of your walks." — Thomas Jefferson
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09-09-2022, 11:24 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sotexas
I think I have become more aware of my behavior and thought ful regarding John Q Public. I have always been respectful/polite to others but as I was aging I became far less tolerant of rude obnoxious people. When I started carrying I made a conscious effort to be more even keeled emotionally and learn to back away.
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SWEET LORD THIS
aging huh? and all this time I thought it was 25 years as a prison guard (not corrections officer thankyou) dealing day in and day out with the worst people my state had to offer.
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09-10-2022, 08:31 AM
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Concealed carry means no one knows you have a gun. To help conceal the fact you carry, be polite, walk away from a holes. This helps conceal the fact you have a gun because the general public thinks only bad guys and cops have guns.
Carry on...
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09-10-2022, 09:09 AM
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My "fuse" got a lot longer when I started carrying. Owing to that and advanced age, my butt-kicking days, such as they were, ended a long time ago.
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09-10-2022, 12:12 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BB57
Studies have been done in a half diesel states that show people with concealed carry permits are 6-7 times less likely than police officers to be convicted of a felony or misdemeanor, and in turn police officers are about 3 times less likely to be convicted of a felony or misdemeanor than the general public.
A concealed carry permit holder is thus roughly 18-20 times less likely to be convicted of a crime than the general public - and a significantly lower threat than even police officers.
Why that is the case probably has something to do with going to some effort to obtain the permit and wanting to keep it.
But I suspect much of it is the awareness they have to be on their best behavior to preserve the ability to actually use a handgun in self defense.
In states that don’t allow consumption of alcohol while carrying, it forces a choice between carrying and drinking and I opt to carry. Given that about 80% of all convicted criminals have substance or alcohol use problems, or were under the influence at the time of the crime, eliminating or reducing alcohol consumption probably plays a role in the reduced crime rates for persons who legally conceal carry.
——
I’m polite, take off my hat indoors, open doors for women, etc. However, I don’t flip off people who cut me off in traffic, or are rude or offensive in public, because I am trying to be polite and deferential and avoid conflict.
Sure…I’d like to say, especially with counseling degrees, that I’m a more evolved human, but I’m not. I’ve worked in occupations using those degrees that show me that some folks are crazy and don’t respond to logic or make good decisions. Some are just plain evil. The truth is that I’m polite, and deferential and avoid conflicts in public when possible because I am ensuring I reserve my right to stop someone if they present an imminent threat of death or great bodily harm to me or my family.
Like Gen. James Mattis said:
“Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet.”
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What is a “ half-diesel state “?
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09-11-2022, 03:13 PM
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Gunny Schiable had a saying for those who carried a weapon in self-defense.
PASSION RULES REASON
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09-11-2022, 03:28 PM
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when you can end someone's life in a blink of an eye, you tend to have nothing to prove. walking away should feel easy
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09-11-2022, 07:42 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by smoothshooter
What is a “ half-diesel state “?
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It’s an auto corrected “half dozen”. But if you have good decoding skills you already figured that out.
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09-12-2022, 11:09 AM
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I quit drinking when I was 16 years old and that alone had a dramatic impact on my behavior. I spent 14 years in Alcoholics Anonymous and I worked the steps and that had a positive impact on but my character and behavior. My religious beliefs impact my behavior. Everybody in my circle says that I have changed dramatically in the year since I retired. Lack of stress? Not working nights anymore? I don't know but everybody says it changed me.
Carrying a gun happened after I became a Christian but before I retired and I can't honestly say that just carrying a gun had much of an impact on my behavior.
I think if anything really changed my personality and my outward behavior it was working as a security guard.
It's a job where (however politely) you basically spend your entire day confronting people and asking them not to do things they want to do or to do things that they don't want to do.
It's also a job where you almost always have zero actual authority to enforce the rules that you're being asked to enforce.
I learned how to be very careful about what I said to people. I learned to be very careful about communicating clearly with people. And I learned how to enforce the boundaries that I was required to enforce without being a jerk about it.
And since I had to open carry whenever I carried a gun as a security guard I got to learn how to deal with people talking smack about the fact that I was carrying a gun EVERY DA** DAY
I used to say that carrying a gun was almost more of a pain than it was worth but now that I'm not working anymore it's not so much a pain but it's not something I give a whole lot of thought to. I
I put on my shoes when I leave the house and I don't think about the fact that I'm wearing shoes until I come home and take them off. Same with a gun
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Last edited by Smoke; 09-12-2022 at 11:13 AM.
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09-12-2022, 11:39 AM
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Much more relaxed now.
"An armed society is a polite society."
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09-12-2022, 10:06 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Goudy686
I will start off by saying I tend to be polite before I began carrying as well. That being said, carrying has done wonders for my patience and (rare) anger. I know that while I'm carrying I HAVE to be the coolest head in the room, and that has helped me consistently be an even more polite and patient person than I was before. I think it is a shame that gun owners get smeared in the news media as crazy, angry, and aggressive people. From my experiences, gun owners tend to be the most polite people I interact with, and have remarkable control over their emotions. While I am sure there are exceptions and bad apples, I have yet to meet one. I know that things I used to have like road rage have become non-existent when carrying, I just let it go knowing I have to be the mature one with my 686 on my hip.
I just wanted to see if others had this experience of personal growth from carrying. Again it was not like I was a raging jerk before, but it has helped me be even more polite and patient than ever before. I am so thankful to the 2A community for helping me grow as a person, and hope it is doing the same for others here.
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"I will start off by saying I tend to be polite before I began carrying as well. That being said, carrying has done wonders for my patience and (rare) anger. I know that while I'm carrying I HAVE to be the coolest head in the room, and that has helped me consistently be an even more polite and patient person than I was before." That is exactly the point I have tried to get across to every person how I feel about "carrying"!!! If that is not your mentality then do not carry a gun! I was not always that way. When, I was young I was far too quick with my fists but thanks to my Father (a WWII First Sgt.)and Jesus; they changed my LIFE! I eventually became an officer in the US Army.
Yes! Carrying a gun teaches you that you hold peoples lives in your hands. Not only any bad guys but innocent people that could get into the line of fire when other means than gunfire could be used to end the situation. Tactics can end things without the use of deadly force.
Last edited by YkcorCal; 09-12-2022 at 10:14 PM.
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09-20-2022, 01:31 PM
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Great post with a lot of valid points as well. Like you I too have always been a calm and collected person. While I have my moments like all people do,I've always been a pretty laid back guy who never really sweated the small stuff.
I do however agree with your points about keeping a cool head and not engaging someone who wants to be argumentative while I'm carrying,heck like I said even before I began carrying everyday I was this way. But yes knowing I'm carrying a loaded gun does make me even less likely to get into even a verbal argument or escalate one.
As I get older I do truly realize that most things people fight and bicker over simply aren't worth it.
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09-20-2022, 04:21 PM
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I love how threads like this always get downvoted.
Remember folks, there definitely aren't any users here who are in fact anti-gunners. The fact that pro-gun threads posted here and 2A victory threads are consistently downvoted and certain users do nothing but posts demoralizing, discouraging messages in regards to Concealed Carry/Self-Defense is purely coincidental.
Honestly though, who else would rate a thread like this poorly, much less a thread reporting a victory for the Second Amendment?
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09-20-2022, 06:23 PM
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I've often told people who are new to carrying that just pointing a gun at another human being is a life changing experience.
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09-21-2022, 05:28 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sodacan
I've often told people who are new to carrying that just pointing a gun at another human being is a life changing experience.
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It is?
It's been a year or two but I hadn't noticed any life changes.
I go right through the place where it happened every day or so and I don't even think about it
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Retired Career Security Guard
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