Changing attitudes about concealed carry

[vito]

I don't really wish to be in a dangerous situation, especially with my wife with me, but sometimes I wish we had an occasion where she might see the reality of the value of me being armed. She hates guns, and dislikes that I carry, but chooses to just ignore it most of the time. Just once to have her admit that my being armed made her feel a bit safer would be a great first step for her in her attitude about guns and self defense.

 

[dlcra]

Chances of getting my wife to get her license are about the same as Obama wanting to cut federal taxes. She won't shoot, touch a gun, or think about it. I am working on my grown daughters, but no luck yet.

My wife will shoot my 40c and even enjoyed attending a gun show where she almost got one of her own. But, she is so concerned that getting her LTCF will put her on the list government will use if they try to confiscate. Her fear, not mine! (Molon Labe) Any suggestions as to what can I say to convince her to register?

 

[66 shooter]

Hopefully, everyone's attitude about carrying firearms is changing. The world we live in has become a violent and dangerous place and it is our responsibility to protect ourselves and our family by whatever means is necessary. Law enforcement, unfortunately, a long time ago went from a proactive to reactive part of our lives. And believe me when I tell you that nobody hates that worse than the Officers who are trying to do the job every day. It's a real shame, but that's just the way it is, and sadly I think the situation is only going to get worse before it begins to get better. So.....as a famous movie icon once said.."when you think that you are not going to make it, you have to get mean..plain mad dog mean", or something like that.

 

[Larry from Bend]

I don't really wish to be in a dangerous situation, especially with my wife with me, but sometimes I wish we had an occasion where she might see the reality of the value of me being armed. She hates guns, and dislikes that I carry, but chooses to just ignore it most of the time. Just once to have her admit that my being armed made her feel a bit safer would be a great first step for her in her attitude about guns and self defense.

My wife and I camp in lonely locations quite often. Here's an old thread I started that's an example of my wife being glad that I carry: I was glad, too!!!

http://smith-wessonforum.com/concealed-carry-self-defense/154852-example-why-i-carry.html

 

[Brian41]

My wife is also a surgical nurse and worked in a big city hospital where she was not allowed to carry. I'd urged her to get her permit and carry anyhow but she refused to. I had real concerns about her being there at night and having to drive home through the hood as cars do sometimes break down. Thankfully she recently retired from there and now works days in a country hospital where she has a greater risk of hitting a deer on the road home than getting robbed or worse.
She wasn't pro-gun when we met but I did send her to an NRA handgun course where she did get over her fear of guns. She's got more comfortable with my guns over the years and knows I carry all the time. She even has expressed her thankfulness that I was carrying when we've been in not so good neighborhoods. Her father lives in such a neighborhood where she grew up and she's said she doesn't feel safe there anymore either but still can't get her to carry. She feels she's a hothead and would use a gun when she shouldn't. I've tried telling her once you do start to carry your attitude and behavior changes but haven't convinced her either. I'm still working on it though.

 

[LostintheOzone]

The OP's story sounds familiar. My wife never had ANY exposure to handguns or concealed carry before she met me. Her dad was a hunter but I don't think he had any hand guns. We used to get in some heated debates about guns in general. Over the past 9 years that we have been married she has finally realized that protecting yourself is your responsibility and no else's. She still won't carry but she no longer has any objections with my recreational shooting or my concealed carry. The response that I wore out was if you want to be a willing victim of some violent crime that's your business. The law says I can carry a firearm and vote and I'm going to do both. Over time I have changed her mind about several things but it isn't easy. She comes from a long line of Scandahovians so she comes by it honestly.

 

[mikeyland]

I have been retired for 2 years after 34 years of service an thought that I would never carry a gun again now I have just started to carry again after what has been happening with this isis . My advantage is that I was also the oldest K9 officer and my partner retired with me . Every time he hears me throw a clip in he wants to go to work. When we travel I buy him a seat on the plane so my wife feels very safe the only problem is KATO wants a window seat. The last trip to SC at the baggage claim he alerted to someone with drugs on them. So he's still working.

 

[EugeneNine]

If yer gun's so old it uses a clip you should put that away and get something more modern

 

[buckyjames1]

One of my neighbors is sort of liberal, not in a big way. He knows I have guns, he knows I carry sometimes. Actually, I should say he suspects because I've never confirmed or denied that.

What he has said, on more than one occasion is that he thinks the neighborhood is safer because I have guns.

It's kind of odd what people think sometimes.

No bust on post but I hate this type of mentality, suffered it myself:

incident 1: neighbors daughter came to my house because her front door appeared pryed and broken into,got my nearest trusty, told her to call the cops and asked who else was with her, Damn answer was my friend who went inside to check things out. Opened front door and told friend to make her way back downstairs! Everything worked out but in the end they were grateful that "someone" had a gun. The dad of the house, who wasn't home, didn't like guns.

2. Incident 2: Actually like 2-infinity: I carry a knife always! Why is it that the people who are first to make fun/comment on the size of my ZT 301 are always the people to ask if they can barrow a knife! I reached the point of denying them usage. So sick of people who don't carry, relying on people who do...

 

[American1776]

Yes, every now and then, people see the light. My mom is about as anti gun as they come. More scared of them then anything else. One time while over my house, in front of the whole family, we were talking about going into the city. When someone mentioned how crime was a concern, my mom blurted out, 'I'm not afraid when I'm with him (pointing to me), he carries a gun!'. At then time I had my S&W model 58 .41 magnum openly carried.

I smiled the test of that day.

 

[TX-Dennis]

I've never really been anti gun. I shot and hunted a bit as a kid, but I didn't own any guns for about twenty years. I went through a business failure and had to sell everything of value I had just to eat. For whatever reason I had never replaced the guns.

Fast forward to my son's Christmas at age seven. My wife bought him a Davy Cricket .22. He had already been shooting BB guns and airsoft guns. At first I thought she was nuts, but then I realized that I had guns at that age, too. The boy loved it so much that he wanted a gun club membership for his birthday the next year.

Well . . . if he's going to shoot I guess I might as well join him. He's twelve now and still loves it. He shoots quite well - sometimes better than I do. We go to the club nearly every week to shoot a few dozen rounds through several different handguns and rifles. And, of course, I'm hooked again, too.

 

[Rastoff]

Interesting thread even though it's a year old.

 

[sarg1c]

My wife died around the time it became legal to carry concealed in Kentucky, so it was never an issue with her. My much-younger sister is terrified of guns, but takes some comfort in the fact that I carry one.

Being from KY also I've alway s had a few guns around. Wife wouldn't talk guns or fool with them. I kept a Walther ppk up stairs in the bed room when one night while watching the news a story hit home. In Huntington WV a report of three men entering a home and beating up and robbing an elderly couple, she looked at me and said, well looks like it's time to bring the automatic down stairs. Since then I've bought her a couple nice guns of her own.I also carry now and wife is going to get her permitt.

 

[nipperdog]

My Wife was 21 when we married in 1977. She knew that I was into Target Shooting and Reloading, but she had no desire to fire a Weapon of any type. Since we lived in Long Island NY, a Concealed Carry Permit was not possible. My Pistol Permit only allowed to and from the Range Carry. In 2004 we moved to the Tampa Fl area, and I Cheerfully mailed my NY Pistol License back, stating that I was no longer a Resident of that State. I applied and quickly recieved my FL Carry License. My Wife would always accompany me to our local Range, and hang Targets for me ECT. One day out of the blue, she asked if she could shoot too. I started her out on an old S&W 17 .22. A short time later she asked to shoot a bigger Gun. Next she was given an S&W 15 .38, and applied for a CWL. She now carries a Ruger LCP, but her favorite Range Gun is her 4" S&W 686.

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

Women and men and guns....

If my club and all the ranges I've been to is any indicator, I'd say that men are are about 10-20x more likely to be gun enthusiasts. But, close to a third of the carry permits in Tennessee are issued to women.

My guess here is that a lot of men carry a gun as an extension of their hobby/sport. Women tend to carry more for specific self defense reasons.

If I didn't care for guns as a hobby/sport, would I have still gone out and bought a gun to carry and acquired a permit? I'm not sure. Most all men don't. You?

 

[KSDeputy]

KS has had constitutional carry since July 1, 2015. I tried to get my wife interested in carrying years ago. I had a Sgt. who would teach her how to shoot. I asked her to consider if she could ever kill anyone if he life was threatened. After two weeks she said no. I bought her some pepper foam. I recently bought her a can of horseradish spray. I hope she would use it, if needed, but I have doubts. I always carry and she thinks I am paranoid. When you arrested bad guys for 30 years, carrying isn't paranoid, it's smart. I wish I could get her to see it.

 

[cmort666]

I always carry and she thinks I am paranoid. When you arrested bad guys for 30 years, carrying isn't paranoid, it's smart. I wish I could get her to see it.

Growing up on the south side of Chicago is all I needed to not trust in the basic decency of armed robbers, carjackers and the like.

If somebody puts me in immediate and credible fear of life and limb, their well being isn't even a consideration. If doing that causes you to get shot, as the old punchline says, "Then don't do that."

 

[elm_creek_smith]

My neighbors know I carry guns because off duty I open carry about half the time. (On duty is a uniformed, duty belt, gretbigo gun in a retention holster kind of thing.) My wife used to complain about my carrying at home until "home invasions" became a thing. She has since appropriated my Crimson Trace-equipped 4 inch S&W Model 681 for her very own. My older daughter "borrowed" my Taurus 85SSUL, and my younger daughter has her own KelTec P11.

My wife expects me to carry everywhere (which I do) but has difficulty with the idea of carrying multiple guns. I patiently explain that I carry a backup at work, so why wouldn't I do the same thing everywhere else? I may start carrying three since she usually won't carry hers.

 

[elm_creek_smith]

...her favorite Range Gun is her 4" S&W 686.

Good for her, but I'd recommend that she pull that left index finger a bit further back. Just sayin'.

 

[JWH321]

I had a NY trooper tell me that the difference between a liberal and a conservative is that the liberal runs out of ammo quicker. They all carry something.