Maze 686
US Veteran
I 'ge carried everyday for thirty years for the simple reason of self protection.
I don 't depend on anybody else for my protection.
I don 't depend on anybody else for my protection.
When You Decided To Carry
- Thread starter Kanewpadle
- Start date
In late 2007 some nut job took exception to a bumper sticker on my wife's car and chased her halfway across town screaming at here about her political views.
When she got home my wife told me that she had an epiphany in the car and realized that due to her health issues she would not have been able to physically defend herself had the nut job decided to attack her.
She insisted on getting her CHP and I wasn't going to let her get one without me getting one
When she got home my wife told me that she had an epiphany in the car and realized that due to her health issues she would not have been able to physically defend herself had the nut job decided to attack her.
She insisted on getting her CHP and I wasn't going to let her get one without me getting one
When we first moved out to small town West Virginia, things seemed pretty groovy. We left the terrorists, crackheads and bureaucrats of the Washington DC area behind. Only to encounter a different kind of terrorist.
Apparently some of the locals don't approve of a White Italian woman being married to an American Indian male. Our house was vandalized, trash thown in our backyard, obscenities written on the windows of our vehicles and fires lit on our front porch. We called the local police, who of course did nothing. So, my wife and I got our permits and carry concealed.
I was in our backyard grillin' meat and telling our neighbor about what's been going on. He of course had no idea about it. I told him that because of the hate crimes, we've gotten our carry permits and I don't go anywhere in town without my Smith and Wesson snubby.
After that, all of the problems stopped and people in town are so friendly to us now. Did my Smith and Wesson save my life? Would the hate crimes have escalated to the point of my life being in danger? I hope I never find out.
A couple of years ago an Asian family about a block away was having a moving sale. I was checking out their stuff and talking with the owners. They told me that people were commiting the same hate crimes against them and that they were leaving because they feared for their safety. I told them what I did but they didn't like guns and chose to run away instead. They kept their house and yard neat and tidy. I told them it's too bad they're leaving and I hope the new owners kept the place neat.
Now the place is a dump with trash and junk mounded in the yard and on the porch.
Apparently some of the locals don't approve of a White Italian woman being married to an American Indian male. Our house was vandalized, trash thown in our backyard, obscenities written on the windows of our vehicles and fires lit on our front porch. We called the local police, who of course did nothing. So, my wife and I got our permits and carry concealed.
I was in our backyard grillin' meat and telling our neighbor about what's been going on. He of course had no idea about it. I told him that because of the hate crimes, we've gotten our carry permits and I don't go anywhere in town without my Smith and Wesson snubby.
After that, all of the problems stopped and people in town are so friendly to us now. Did my Smith and Wesson save my life? Would the hate crimes have escalated to the point of my life being in danger? I hope I never find out.
A couple of years ago an Asian family about a block away was having a moving sale. I was checking out their stuff and talking with the owners. They told me that people were commiting the same hate crimes against them and that they were leaving because they feared for their safety. I told them what I did but they didn't like guns and chose to run away instead. They kept their house and yard neat and tidy. I told them it's too bad they're leaving and I hope the new owners kept the place neat.
Now the place is a dump with trash and junk mounded in the yard and on the porch.
hotrod150
Member
I've had a carry license since moving from Los Angeles to Washington over 20 years ago, and have always kept a gun handy in the car, but I only started every-day carry 4 or 5 years ago after a well-respected & well-liked local couple were murdered in their home about 3 miles from where I live. A former employee did it, I don't know if it was a home invasion or just a visit that turned bad, but it made me realize that senseless violence doesn't just happen in the big city. I bought my first real-life carry gun shortly thereafter & have carried just about every day since.
snowman
Member
I owned guns years ago until I sold them to help pay for grad school. Fast forward twenty years and I found myself partly disabled and having a lady friend whom I planned to marry, and knew I was physically unable to defend either of us without a gun. This was a year or so before Ohio passed its first carry law, so at first I just bought home defense guns. With this background it was natural to get my permit and a carry gun when Ohio passed its law. I was among the very first applicants in the sheriff's office, maybe a day or two following passage & implementation of the law.
Regards,
Andy
Regards,
Andy
CatSnipah
Member
Certainly not done on a whim - lots of thought into why, the consequences (good and bad), talked it over with my wife (both encouraging her to also go for her permit, which she isn't ready to do, but also to make sure she would be ok with me doing so, and making sure she understood why and what to do in case something happens).
Fortunately (knock on wood), nothing happened to drive my decision to do it. I had been thinking about it for quite a while, and was finally in a position in life for which I could make it so.
Then, even more thought went into which firearm I would end up carrying. Lots of reading, asking folks I know, comments on forums, and some handling and firing for myself before I made my final decision.
Fortunately (knock on wood), nothing happened to drive my decision to do it. I had been thinking about it for quite a while, and was finally in a position in life for which I could make it so.
Then, even more thought went into which firearm I would end up carrying. Lots of reading, asking folks I know, comments on forums, and some handling and firing for myself before I made my final decision.
I always carry a boot dagger knife on the inside of the driver's side door of my pick-up truck. In 2006 I loaned my BIL (a LEO) the truck for a day and when he returned it to me he politely informed me that the dagger could be considered a concealed weapon by a police officer.
That set in motion my application for a Florida Concealed Weapon or Firearm License.
I have been stopped by police and had my vehicle searched for weapons (I had a revolver, shotgun and rifle) while on a hunting trip one time. My CWP helped to put the officers at ease as I explained the location of each firearm in the vehicle.
That set in motion my application for a Florida Concealed Weapon or Firearm License.
I have been stopped by police and had my vehicle searched for weapons (I had a revolver, shotgun and rifle) while on a hunting trip one time. My CWP helped to put the officers at ease as I explained the location of each firearm in the vehicle.
kozmic
Member
I've had my pistol permit for over 30 year and carried on and off since.
I was taking and instructing self defense classes about the same time. Many of those folks were LE, vets, pro athletes, business people and most carried. I began to shoot with them and really enjoyed it. It seemed like everyone had or got their permit, so I did too. Besides my mother was the signing County Judge's clerk and I got my permit in a couple of days.
Over the past 7-8 years as the climate of civility has changed (read "eroded") I carried more and more. Now I always carry, unless I know I'll be going to my son's school. I can still defend myself(as can my wife and both kids), but I'm not as quick and not as strong as I once was. I worry about defending them and frankly, myself too.
20 years ago if someone wanted to fight it was with fists in the parking lot or better yet, you settled over a beer and a game of pool in the bar without a punch being thrown. Now if you look at someone wrong you're likely to get a gun or knife pointed at you. We now have; violent home break-ins. car jackings, street muggings, you name it. I now firmly believe if you aren't proactive you're very likely to be a statistic.
Being able to defend yourself today means having a couple black belts, a gun, a knife, a bug, a big dog, good sneakers, a good lawyer and a helava lot of good luck!
I was taking and instructing self defense classes about the same time. Many of those folks were LE, vets, pro athletes, business people and most carried. I began to shoot with them and really enjoyed it. It seemed like everyone had or got their permit, so I did too. Besides my mother was the signing County Judge's clerk and I got my permit in a couple of days.
Over the past 7-8 years as the climate of civility has changed (read "eroded") I carried more and more. Now I always carry, unless I know I'll be going to my son's school. I can still defend myself(as can my wife and both kids), but I'm not as quick and not as strong as I once was. I worry about defending them and frankly, myself too.
20 years ago if someone wanted to fight it was with fists in the parking lot or better yet, you settled over a beer and a game of pool in the bar without a punch being thrown. Now if you look at someone wrong you're likely to get a gun or knife pointed at you. We now have; violent home break-ins. car jackings, street muggings, you name it. I now firmly believe if you aren't proactive you're very likely to be a statistic.
Being able to defend yourself today means having a couple black belts, a gun, a knife, a bug, a big dog, good sneakers, a good lawyer and a helava lot of good luck!
November 17th, 1980
KKECK5
Member
Prior to retirement i carried everyday. But, anyone who does for 8-16 hours a day for 20 or more years will tell you, it get's old....it's a lot of weight with all your gear on, to go along with bad feet, bad hip and back...so when i retired i kinda hung them up for sometime and moved out to the country away from Metro Boston to escape...The only problem is , there is no escape, drugs and drug related crimes are everywhere. They follow you wherever you go....Sometimes their waiting for your arrival. So i started wearing my j-frame again. and bought it some new friends as time went on. It was mostly my wife idea to carry again...AND she hated every minute i worked as a LEO back when i still had some hair. Well at least it was black around the edges back then.
Bmlove
US Veteran
Was a sheriffs son my whole childhood. Dad of course always carried a smith and Wesson 38 snub nose back in the day. I always thought it was cool. But never thought to much about it until he passed away and I inherited that 38. As I age I find that I am physically not able to protect myself like I used too so decided to get my CHL. Dad's 38 is my home defense gun now and I rotate between a Ruger LC9, Smith 38 bodyguard and .380 smith bodyguard. Just depends on what I wear. My prayer is I never have to use them.
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Lobster Picnic
Member
- Joined
- Aug 23, 2010
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Because in Florida you can walk in, buy a gun, and walk out - but only if you have the carry permit.
My wife and I had just left a Bennigan's restaurant and were hoofing it back to our hotel. Two twenty year olds wanted my wife's purse. What they got was a semi auto that magically appeared in my hand. They left very quickly. After that incident my wife never questioned me when I put a pistol in my pocket.
1999, upon my return to the U.S.
Knochen
Member
I got through life as a teacher for 32 years without a moment's thought about guns. When I retired I got on as an officer at a federal detention facility - trained and qualified on a 38 and 12 gauge. Once when doing a count in segregation, a crazed inmate, Murray, greeted me at his cell door and asked me straight up what I would do if ever he showed up on my doorstep. I bought my first pistol within the next week and took a CCW class shortly after that.
Seneca
US Veteran
I live next to and spend some time every week working in Detroit. I sometimes have that same feeling in my gut when I'm in Detroit as I had when humping the paddies in VietNam but I have no artillery to call or gunships overhead now. That is why in 2001 when CC became legal in Michigan, I applied for a permit. Still miss those Cobras, though.
G.T. Smith
US Veteran
I am 63 and have owned a gun since I was 9. I was always one to believe that a gun is a very good thing for many reasons like hunting, plinking, and cleaning when your snowed in. Since my first gun, I have had one nearby, in the vehicle or on my person 99% of the time. I used to, and still do, believe that carry permit or not I would CC if I really thought I needed to. The day of 9/11/01 changed all that for me. I remember driving home unarmed and feeling naked and vulnerable. As soon as I got home the pistol became a constant companion of mine and just to make it legal, (before I got caught), I went and obtained a CCW a couple of years ago. So I will say 9/11 was my most motivating factor. I don't leave home without it anymore.
Peace,
Gordon
Peace,
Gordon
Faulkner
Member
You could just as easily ask me why I started wearing shoes or what was the determining factor to get a driver's license. There was no epiphany, I was carrying a firearm with me most of the time anyway well before I was LEO, so when the CCP became available in my state I went and got one.
Alk8944
US Veteran
I can't remember, it was so long ago.
I can, and I will bet it was a lot longer ago than you.
Kansas City, MO, late Fall 1962 got offered a ride back to the train station by an individual who it turned out would have been called LGBTQ now. Aggressive, didn't want to take NO for an answer. Fortunately I got away at a stop sign. I was 18 Y.O. I have never traveled un-armed since that date, legally or not! Regardless of the situation.
