How about a post on why you carry?
There are many reasons why I carry, but the two first and foremost are TheBoy and BabyGirl G. I'm the dad. It's my sworn duty to protect them to the best of my abilities. I believe in using the best tools for the job at hand, and there is currently no better tool for protecting myself and my family than a firearm. The day they perfect the Star Trek phaser capable of instantly stunning an assailant unconscious is the day I stop carrying a firearm for self defense; until then, I'll stick with my .45 ACP.
Of all the reasons I carry, I'd like to start with things that have nothing to do with my decision to carry a firearm. First off, I have absolutely zero desire to drop the hammer on another human being. ZERO. I'll go to my grave a very happy man if I never have to draw my firearm, let alone discharge it. I don't want to be a cop - they've got a tough, thankless job and have to deal with humanity at its absolute nadir on a regular basis. I'm not compensating for faulty or underdeveloped "equipment" (would I admit to carrying a snubbie if I were?).
I carry a firearm because it's the best tool for the job at hand.
As for why I'd want to provide for my own protection, well, tune into the news on any given day. We've got school shootings, mall shootings, church shootings, Holocaust memorial shootings. There's ample evidence of violence in our everyday lives; with such a possibility - no matter how remote - it makes sense to have a plan and a means to implement said plan. I'm no Caleb when it comes to action shooting, but I've got confidence in my skills and ability to follow through when the time comes.
My carry guns range from 12 ounces to 26 ounces in weight. The most extra weight I'm carrying, with gun, holster, and spare magazine, is three pounds, tops. That's not very much extra weight to lug around to have the best tool for self-defense at my disposal. I'll live with the inconvenience of having to carefully choose my wardrobe around my carry gun for the ability to safely and securely have that tool with me at all times possible.
On a related note, I've been armed with less-than-optimal tools all week, and I've got to tell you - I feel naked. Normally, if I'm outside of the house and not at work, I'm carrying a firearm. For the past six days, however, I haven't carried more than my Gerber Paraframe, and while that's a decent tool until itself, I feel better with my G30 or the Snubbie from Hell™... What follows may very well be the most surreal statement you will read today WRT 2A issues:
I can't wait to leave Florida and get back to Massachusetts so I can carry my gun again.
That is all.
9 comments:
Well said. Everyone's got a reason to carry (or not) and you pretty much summed it up.
I carry because it is hard to fit the machete in the pants. Besides, carrying a katana to the mall tends to draw stares...
Well said and thanks Jay,
You delivered exactly what I expected when I asked that question; a well thought out post.
I have a post going about the reason I carry. I think I'll add the letter K to the list. Paraphrasing you slightly if you don't mind.
K - my Kids - I'm the dad. It's my sworn duty to protect MY KIDS to the best of my abilities. I believe in using the best tools for the job at hand, and there is currently no better tool for protecting myself and my family than a firearm.
You don't have an out-of-state Florida CCW licence?
What Anonymous said.
Guys, it's DISNEY. No firearms allowed.
Thanks for a very well-written, informative post, Jay.
I agree it was a great post, Jay. But FYI, my water spilled when that penultimate sentence turned the world upside down. Thanks a lot!
Disney does a poor job of searching for on-body firearms. They can't legally bar you from carrying, but can legally eject you if you are discovered to be carrying. Ain't the law neat?
Jay, while you were with us at the Crab place, we had your back if there was shooting.
Thanks for the post. I feel the same way these days; I feel naked when I leave my G30 at home.
Good post. I've got one along the same lines developing in my head for an entry soon.
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