“Why do you carry a gun?”

[pangloss]

I don't recall ever having this conversation, but I don't bring up guns around people who don't own guns. If someone genuinely asked, I suppose I'd explain that my safety and my family's safety is primarily my responsibility and that I have a moral duty to protect my family. If the question isn't genuine, I'd likely say that the one time I was a victim of street violence, the police didn't get there until well after the other three guys left and I'd prefer not to experience that outcome again. (I'd conveniently omit that I wasn't seriously injured.)

[olstyn]

Like others, it's not a conversation I have with any regularity, and I'm unlikely to advertise my status. (Most of my friends do not know that I own guns, let alone have a carry permit.) My response would depend on the perceived level of genuineness of the question. If I felt that a flippant response was appropriate, I'd be tempted to quote something I saw in a sig line on a gun forum: "because cops are too heavy and awkward to carry." If I felt that the question was genuine, I'd lead with the presence of a direct, real threat in my life and then extend to generalized danger in the world/threat of street crime, acknowledging responsibility for my own safety, etc. "My rights" and the 2nd amendment would get mentioned, but would be last on my list, as I don't think those arguments are terribly persuasive to those not already on our side.

[willie]

Curious. I don’t give a rat’s ass about the opinion of ‘the state’ other than there is a minority subset that should NOT be allowed to carry.

Seriously, why should I? Inalienable right to protect one’s self, 2A RKBA and so on.

Having lived in Alabama, when I moved there to go to doctoral school at Auburn University, I went to see the sheriff, asked for and received a permit to carry a handgun. Without the permit I could not legally carry a handgun in my vehicle as I drove back and forth to my home in Mississippi. I cared what the state thought because I wished to avoid jail time for carrying a handgun illegally. In Mississippi I carried a handgun because I could get away with it because of three factors: white, family connections, and money paid to local sheriff for a chickenshit deputy's badge. In Texas before chl's I worked in corrections from time to time, knew the right people, and paid money to the sheriff for a chickenshit deputy's badge. The deputy thing was iffy and carried little weight away from the home county. My main concern was not getting arrested for having a handgun in my vehicle. Theoretically I was a deputy. Occasionally I directed traffic at football games.

Under our system of laws the states can legally regulate firearms. I am a gun owner. I wish to avoid being arrested and having a criminal history. Most certainly I wish to avoid gun violations. I wish not to lose the right under Texas law to carry a handgun.

If you lived in Massachusetts or New York City or New Jersey would you carry a handgun anyway if you could not get permission? If so, you might become a felon and lose the right to own firearms in any state. Regardless, you would do jail time.

Most assuredly I can what the state thinks. I intend to comply with its directives in order to continue to enjoy owning, shooting, and carrying firearms. Otherwise, the state could take away these rights and would under certain circumstances. That's the reality of the matter as I see it. And I write this as conservative, NRA type, life long Republican who is a son of the Deep South. So please don't hit me with a liberal label.

[11B10]

Another great thread here at PF. My response was pretty much covered in the thread I started called "telling the family we are armed," about 2-1/2 years ago. That was my very personal reaction to my family situation. It continues to be extremely sensitive and is ongoing. As for every one else, IF someone asks if I'm carrying, I borrow an answer from a former boss of my wife, which is kinda/sorta a thread drift: "If I was carrying, would I tell you?"

[TGS]

Another great thread here at PF. My response was pretty much covered in the thread I started called "telling the family we are armed," about 2-1/2 years ago. That was my very personal reaction to my family situation. It continues to be extremely sensitive and is ongoing. As for every one else, IF someone asks if I'm carrying, I borrow an answer from a former boss of my wife, which is kinda/sorta a thread drift: "If I was carrying, would I tell you?"

Your situation made me very thankful that I have the fortunate circumstance of being a LEO. My in-laws despise guns, but at least they "get it" with me carrying as a LEO. It's an easier pill for them to swallow.

[GuanoLoco]

Having lived in Alabama, when I moved there to go to doctoral school at Auburn University, I went to see the sheriff, asked for and received a permit to carry a handgun. Without the permit I could not legally carry a handgun in my vehicle as I drove back and forth to my home in Mississippi. I cared what the state thought because I wished to avoid jail time for carrying a handgun illegally. In Mississippi I carried a handgun because I could get away with it because of three factors: white, family connections, and money paid to local sheriff for a chickenshit deputy's badge. In Texas before chl's I worked in corrections from time to time, knew the right people, and paid money to the sheriff for a chickenshit deputy's badge. The deputy thing was iffy and carried little weight away from the home county. My main concern was not getting arrested for having a handgun in my vehicle. Theoretically I was a deputy. Occasionally I directed traffic at football games.

Under our system of laws the states can legally regulate firearms. I am a gun owner. I wish to avoid being arrested and having a criminal history. Most certainly I wish to avoid gun violations. I wish not to lose the right under Texas law to carry a handgun.

If you lived in Massachusetts or New York City or New Jersey would you carry a handgun anyway if you could not get permission? If so, you might become a felon and lose the right to own firearms in any state. Regardless, you would do jail time.

Most assuredly I can what the state thinks. I intend to comply with its directives in order to continue to enjoy owning, shooting, and carrying firearms. Otherwise, the state could take away these rights and would under certain circumstances. That's the reality of the matter as I see it. And I write this as conservative, NRA type, life long Republican who is a son of the Deep South. So please don't hit me with a liberal label.

I understand your response and agree from a ‘legal to carry’ perspective, but you are wholly missing my point.

The post that I struggled with said “I’m proud the state trusted me to carry...”. Why?

Well, was requirement to get the CCP so stringent that one should be proud to pass it? I’m not aware of any such requirement in any state. Mostly they make you waste a bunch of time and money, what they teach is near useless, and any skill requriement is a joke.

Is there some qualified, respected representative of the state making an informed decision about ‘trusting’ me to carry, a decision that I should be proud of? Again, I’m not aware of any such state or individual or process.

This is really a 2A/RKBA Point of View. I should have the inalienable right to effectively defend myself. Their ‘permission’ to carry for a non-prohibited person is IMHO a constitutional infringement. Should I be proud of the fact that I have the state’s ‘permission to carry’ when the permission is no more than a acknowledgement that the state chooses not to infringe on my right? Umm, hell no.

The only thing I really care about with respect to ‘the state’ is that they make an effort to prevent those who have proven themselves to be untrustworthy from being eligible to carry. That doesn’t mean that the prohibited won’t carry, but random after-the-fact enforcement is a fact of life.

So yes, I go to the effort to be licensed to carry in my state, and no, I don’t want to deal with the consequences so I don’t carry in states where I am not legally able to do so. That doesn’t mean that I respect the opinion of that state (or any state, really), I just fear the consequences - and rightly so. My normal response is to actively avoid travel to those states, and to make sure I leave as little of my money there as possible.

[11B10]

Your situation made me very thankful that I have the fortunate circumstance of being a LEO. My in-laws despise guns, but at least they "get it" with me carrying as a LEO. It's an easier pill for them to swallow.

Count your blessings, TGS,. cause my "situation" is my oldest son and daughter-in-law, plus our only grandchild. There is no easy way out of this.

[willie]

I understand your response and agree from a ‘legal to carry’ perspective, but you are wholly missing my point.

The post that I struggled with said “I’m proud the state trusted me to carry...”. Why?

Well, was requirement to get the CCP so stringent that one should be proud to pass it? I’m not aware of any such requirement in any state. Mostly they make you waste a bunch of time and money, what they teach is near useless, and any skill requriement is a joke.

Is there some qualified, respected representative of the state making an informed decision about ‘trusting’ me to carry, a decision that I should be proud of? Again, I’m not aware of any such state or individual or process.

This is really a 2A/RKBA Point of View. I should have the inalienable right to effectively defend myself. Their ‘permission’ to carry for a non-prohibited person is IMHO a constitutional infringement. Should I be proud of the fact that I have the state’s ‘permission to carry’ when the permission is no more than a acknowledgement that the state chooses not to infringe on my right? Umm, hell no.

The only thing I really care about with respect to ‘the state’ is that they make an effort to prevent those who have proven themselves to be untrustworthy from being eligible to carry. That doesn’t mean that the prohibited won’t carry, but random after-the-fact enforcement is a fact of life.

So yes, I go to the effort to be licensed to carry in my state, and no, I don’t want to deal with the consequences so I don’t carry in states where I am not legally able to do so. That doesn’t mean that I respect the opinion of that state (or any state, really), I just fear the consequences - and rightly so. My normal response is to actively avoid travel to those states, and to make sure I leave as little of my money there as possible.

Thank you for clarifying. Your points are valid.

[ragnar_d]

I quit having those conversations.

That's pretty much where I'm at. When I lived in Alabama, my neighbors knew of my ballistic proclivities and when they asked a question it was mostly genuine. I would talk guns, offer advice, and gladly take anyone to the range to get their feet wet. Since I down to south Florida . . . I don't have many gun conversations outside of certain circles. If someone wants to have a legitimate, honest conversation with me then I will (my landlord is a really good example). Otherwise, then they're (1) not likely going to know that I own or even carry a gun and (2) should they find out I own/carry a gun then they'll likely get an answer along the lines of, "Because I won't rely on cowards like Scot Peterson to come to the aid of me or my family should the time ever come." I just don't have the time nor the patience to suffer fools anymore.

[JustOneGun]

It's a crazy world. I am a firm believer in people, even family, not knowing I am armed. I cannot remember the last time I've had that conversation.

I do have a default conversation for most media driven conversations about crime/LEO's/guns. It follows the old LEO concept of, ask them/tell them/make them (not necessarily in that order). I relate it to public/criminal interaction also. Meaning a variation could work for the non-LEO I'm talking to. I go on to ask the person how, "make them" should look on video? Their answer drives how the rest of the conversation goes.

No matter the person's answer the conversation usually ends with a short discussion of action/reaction and how officers/good guys in this country often use too little force necessary out of ignorance of the law, fear of their command staff or of the public's reaction. Often that too little force actually leads to an escalation that goes beyond what level of force would have been effective had it been used at the outset. It often ends with the officer/public or bad guy hurt more than what would have been necessary had the appropriate level of force been used first.

The conversation is brief, said on my part without any judgement to the officer, command staff, public or bad guy. It's sort of a, "just the way it is" type conversation. It covers everything a person might feel about police/guns, media/public interaction. It gives them something to think about next time they see the latest use of force internet video or someone who carries a gun.

If the initial question was, "Why do I carry a gun?" then it would end with, "Sometimes making them ends with them having multiple bullets in their body or me having multiple bullets in my body. Having a gun usually helps with the first scenario and helps avoid the second."


ETA: Obviously the people in my immediate family know I am armed. I have a large and sometimes liberal extended family. They do not know I am armed.