10 THINGS PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT CONCEALED CARRY

[mesinge2]

Not my words, but worth the read!

There's a lot of misinformation out there these days about people who have chosen to exercise their right to carry a concealed weapon according to the provisions made by state governments. Here are a few things that Concealed Weapon Permit (CWP) holders want people to know about them. Now of course there are exceptions to these general rules but I think you'll find these things to be true about the vast majority of your legally carrying neighbors.:

1) We don't carry firearms so that we can ignore other basics of personal safety. Every permit holder that I know realizes that almost all dangerous situations can be avoided by vigilance, alertness and by simply making wise choices about where one goes and what one does. We don't walk down dark alleys. We lock our cars. We don't get intoxicated in public or hang out around people who do. We park our cars in well lighted spots and don't hang out in bad parts of town where we have no business. A gun is our last resort, not our first.

2) We don't think we are cops, spies, or superheros. We aren't hoping that somebody tries to rob the convenience store while we are there so we can shoot a criminal. We don't take it upon ourselves to get involved in situations that are better handled by a 911 call or by simply standing by and being a good witness. We don't believe our guns give us any authority over our fellow citizens. We also aren't here to be your unpaid volunteer bodyguard. We'll be glad to tell you where we trained and point you to some good gun shops if you feel you want to take this kind of responsibility for your personal safety. Except for extraordinary circumstances your business is your business, don't expect us to help you out of situations you could have avoided.

3) We are less likely, not more likely, to be involved in fights or "rage" incidents than the general public. We recognize, better than many unarmed citizens, that we are responsible for our actions. We take the responsibility of carrying a firearm very seriously. We know that loss of temper, getting into fights or angrily confronting someone after a traffic incident could easily escalate into a dangerous situation. We are more likely to go out of our way to avoid these situations. We don't pull our guns to settle arguments or to attempt to threaten people into doing what we want.

4) We are responsible gun owners. We secure our firearms so that children and other unauthorized people cannot access them. Most of us have invested in safes, cases and lock boxes as well as other security measures to keep our firearms secure. Many of us belong to various organizations that promote firearms safety and ownership.

5) Guns are not unsafe or unpredictable. Modern firearms are well-made precision instruments. Pieces do not simply break off causing them to fire. A hot day will not set them off. Most modern firearms will not discharge even if dropped. There is no reason to be afraid of a gun simply laying on a table or in a holster. It is not going to discharge on its own.

6) We do not believe in the concept of "accidental discharges". There are no accidental discharges only negligent discharges or intentional discharges. We take responsibility for our actions and have learned how to safely handle firearms. Any case you have ever heard of about a gun "going off" was the result of negligence on somebody's part. Our recognition of our responsibility and familiarity with firearms makes us among the safest firearms owners in America.

7) Permit holders do their best to keep our concealed weapons exactly that, concealed. However, there are times when an observant fellow citizen may spot our firearm or the outline of our firearm under our clothes. We are very cognizant that concerns about terrorism and crime are in the forefront of the minds of most citizens. We also realize that our society does much to condition our fellow citizens to have sometimes irrational fears about firearms. We would encourage citizens who do happen to spot someone carrying a firearm to use good judgment and clear thinking if they feel the need to take action. Please recognize that it's very uncommon for a criminal to use a holster. However, if you feel the need to report having spotted a firearm we would ask that you please be specific and detailed in your call to the police or in your report to a store manager or private security. Please don't generalize or sensationalize what you observed. Comments like "there's a guy running around in the store with a gun" or even simply "I saw a man with a gun in the store" could possibly cause a misunderstanding as to the true nature of the incident.

8) The fact that we carry a firearm to any given place does not mean that we believe that place to be inherently unsafe. If we believe a place to be unsafe, most of us would avoid that place all together if possible. However, we recognize that trouble could occur at any place and at any time. Criminals do not observe or obey "gun-free zone" laws. If trouble does come, we do not want the only armed persons to be perpetrators. Therefore, we don't usually make a determination about whether or not to carry at any given time based on "how safe" we think a location is.

9) Concealed weapon permit holders are an asset to the public in times of trouble. The fact that most permit holders have the good judgment to stay out of situations better handled by a 911 call or by simply being a careful and vigilant witness does not mean that we would fail to act in situations where the use of deadly force is appropriate to save lives. Review of high profile public shooting incidents shows that when killers are confronted by armed resistance they tend to either break off the attack and flee or choose to end their own life. Lives are saved when resistance engages a violent criminal. Lives are lost when the criminal can do as he pleases.

10) The fact that criminals know that some of the population may be armed at any given time helps to deter violence against all citizens. Permit holders don't believe that every person should necessarily be armed. We recognize that some people may not be temperamentally suited to carry a firearm or simply may wish not to for personal reasons. However we do encourage you to respect our right to arm ourselves. Even if you choose not to carry a firearm yourself please oppose measures to limit the ability of law abiding citizens to be armed. As mentioned before: criminals do not observe "gun free zones". Help by not supporting laws that require citizens to be unarmed victims.

 

[sipowicz]

11. We also are open minded individuals and won't laugh at you just because you choose to carry a Taurus.

 

[seagill]

11. We also are open minded individuals and won't laugh at you just because you choose to carry a Taurus.

Well, maybe just a snicker or an eye roll.

 

[230therapy]

12. We enjoy diversity and celebrate all guns from all manufacturers. However, we do get tired of being told Hi-Point handguns are a "reliable" and "quality" gun suitable for self-defense. We don't believe you and never will. We will happily shoot the gun with any free ammo you choose to provide.

 

[ContinentalOp]

13. A concealed gun is not a magical talisman that will protect you from harm.

14. Just because you carry a gun does not automatically mean you are armed.

 

[Kanewpadle]

15. Quality training and constant practice will carry the day.

Even if all you have is a Taurus!

 

[papajohn428]

16. There is No Peace In Condition White. Ever.

 

[P&R Fan]

17. If you ask me if I am carrying, and I am not, I will say "NO".
18. If you ask me if I am carrying, and I am, I will say "NO".*

* Unless you are an LEO operating in the performance of your duties.
Jim

 

[had3nuf]

Very good and truthfull quote, for those of us that choose to carry to protect ourselves and family, it takes on a much larger role than just stopping a bad guy.

 

[hittman77]

Excellent points ~ it's be great to get these in the hands of folks who don't believe.

 

[oldman45]

11. We also are open minded individuals and won't laugh at you just because you choose to carry a Taurus.

Who is we? Maybe you are a cultured southern gentleman but many of us will laugh and we will fall over laughing if it is one of thos 9mm mouse guns. Only we will be polite and do so behind your back.

 

[blujax01]

17. If you ask me if I am carrying, and I am not, I will say "NO".
18. If you ask me if I am carrying, and I am, I will say "NO".*

* Unless you are an LEO operating in the performance of your duties.
Jim

My response is similar (A straight-forward response to a LEO but to anyone else): "Well I usually am except when I'm not. But then again sometimes I lie about it."

 

[Frizzman]

That was a good posting with some very good points. Thanks for sharing that...

 

[Steve in Vermont]

19. Not one laugher has ever volunteered to stand in front of one those Taurus 9mm mouse guns and play bullet sponge.

Think so. I'll bet I can find a few people who have laughed at Taurus' and would stand their ex-wives in front of one.

 

[TienLungTaoist]

mesinge2,
I know these are not your words but would the writer be ok with this to be distributed to other people as a printout? Or could you perhaps tell us how to get in contact with the original writer to ask for permission.

 

[mesinge2]

mesinge2,
I know these are not your words but would the writer be ok with this to be distributed to other people as a printout? Or could you perhaps tell us how to get in contact with the original writer to ask for permission.

I actually don't know the author. I wish I did. I re-posted it because I thought it should be read by as many as possible.

With the message, I doubt the author would mind as long as you didn't claim that they were your words.

 

[oldman45]

19. Not one laugher has ever volunteered to stand in front of one those Taurus 9mm mouse guns and play bullet sponge.

Nobody ever volunteered to stick their finger in a mouse trap either. It is not fatal, it will only hurt for a while but the one that really does not like it is the mouse.

 

[jlynch34]

CCW it's the law in NYS you cannot carry any other way.

 

[Rule 303]

The most important to me is that "You must be able to Pull the Trigger" if you carry. Most folks have never had to, so for whether they will or not, they don't know yet.

Myself, being a chicken to personal injury, I've never had that problem.

Rule 303