To carry or not

Yep carry.I would if I could.I carry with my non res permit in states where legal for me to do so.

Crime is soaring in the catch and release jurisdictions, which I can only think has the purpose of destabilization. It's a sad state of affairs. I would certainly be carrying.

If I leave the house I'm carrying. I have been doing it quite a while now and it has become so ingrained in me to carry that I never forget my pistol but frequently forget my cell phone. As far as getting involved in stopping a robbery, I don't know. Look at what happened to the bodega owner in New York. Defending himself from an assault and robbery, ending up getting jailed without bail and charged with murder. If I thought that the thug was going to kill someone then I probably would get involved hoping and praying that I didn't get charged with shooting someone.

24-7.

George Dickel said:

If I leave the house I'm carrying

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Same.
I've been fortunate (knock on wood) that I've niether been a victim of serious crime or needed to prevent becoming a victim of serious crime. People waiting until it "hits too close to home" before taking defense measures seriously could easily enough find it in their home without warning.

So sorry this trend is coming to a store near you. I faced the same dilemma about carrying about two years ago. I am a lifelong long range rifle shooter who dabbles in hunting, but other than when I was in the Army and carried a pistol three decades ago, I've never found much interest or enjoyment in shooting pistols.
But road rage incidents and thefts like the one you described convinced me I needed to do something to increase my odds of surviving an encounter with thugs that the Houston courts turnstile out the door as soon as they come in. One incident in particular where a guy targeted me and forced me off the road while driving through downtown Houston convinced me that I needed to better protect myself.

I began by carrying a sheathed 12 gauge Shockwave behind the passenger seat where I could easily reach it in just a few seconds, always loaded and chambered and ready to fire with the push of the safety. At the same time I added a silenced side folding AR pistol in subsonic .300 blk that fits in a generic looking back pack along with a medical trauma kit and three extra loaded 20 rd mags. Eventually I also added a Glock 36 (.45 acp) in my glove box within easy reach along with 3 extra loaded mags.

I try to be very vigilant about not putting myself in any situation where I am a potential victim, especially when it comes to pumping gas, using the ATM or even choosing which roads I drive and whether I choose to go out after dark. I avoid places that don't allow concealed carry and try to practice situational awareness whenever I go out. Some guy said the best defense is a good offense, and that is my philosophy towards dealing with Houston's criminal element. I've acquired a couple more pistols, 1911s, and practice with all of them frequently. I am beginning to see why people enjoy shooting handguns, especially the 1911s, which may blossom into an ongoing addiction.

It is not pleasant that I have to live my life by constantly hardening my defenses, but until criminals find another profession or the Houston courts and police start getting tougher on them, what choice is there?

Stay strapped if you're physically and mentally prepared to defend yourself and others.

IF anyone can THEY SHOULD . It only takes one time and there might not be a second chance to rectify the wrong .

Once had someone argue ; No it's not worth the consequences the trial the cost and they'll take everything anyway .

Unfortunately that person is now diseased ,as a result of a Mall shoot out !.
I will ALWAYS go armed whenever it's possible ,if not for My self , then My Wife and family ,even to protect an innocent bystander !.

IF GOOD Men will do nothing against evil , then WHO WILL !. The World has become even more dangerous ,because of the idiots in charge have opened all the asylums . LEO won't , CAN'T help you ,they have been neutered by corruption ; NOT BY CHOICE .

HighRoadRover said:

Well, my gas station got robbed yesterday. The perp walked in, demanded money, punched the gentleman who was in the office (these are nice people, among other things they inspect our cars annually), and tried to get the cash box. Apparently it was locked up and he didn't succeed and ran out. The police were able to find him nearby and arrested him. He was charged with robbery, attempted robbery, wearing a mask to conceal identity, and one count of malicious wounding.

I googled the perp's name and he is 24, of no fixed address, and has robbed several stores in the area, including a 7-11 he successfully robbed the day before he tried to rob the gas station.

We have a progressive Commonwealth Attorney who was funded by the Soros PAC during his election campaign and who is very soft on crime, so the charges will be pleaded down to misdemeanors and the perp will be back soon and probably keep it up until in his rage and greed he succeeds in killing some hapless shopkeeper.

Or me, if I am at the gas station or the fast food joint when his robbery goes off the rails.

So, I am resolving to carry when I go out. I have always kept a J frame in the garage to take with me when I feel like it, but I think the world is getting to the point where I need to carry the P365 with an extra mag essentially all of the time.

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I carry a gun whenever I leave the house.

Carry!

Im with the others carry. Better safe than sorry.

I agree with everyone else, carry.

HighRoadRover said:

We have a progressive Commonwealth Attorney who was funded by the Soros PAC during his election campaign and who is very soft on crime, so the charges will be pleaded down to misdemeanors and the perp will be back soon and probably keep it up until in his rage and greed he succeeds in killing some hapless shopkeeper.

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Social justice at work.

I feel the same about my handgun as I do about my wallet and keys. Carry.

If you carry, but realize that an actual thug might grab you from a blind spot, requiring you to, with no warning, use Both hands and both legs…

study Krav Maga if you are physically able, at least for a few months.

If you can Not begin to reach for a weapon,

a very strong —elbow strike to the belly, throat or face, or using a foot strike if you are pushed to the ground— can give you a chance.
Thugs know that many men “Carry”, but don’t want you to know they are about to attack- do they?

My sense is this kind of decision should focus entirely on one's personal protection and willingness.
It should not be because crime sadly impacted the "nice gas station people" in the neighborhood.
There are countless examples of where innocent armed bystanders need not engage if not threatened.

Lucky me. I live in a small midwest town that anyone can go out for a walk in the middle of the night and safely return home to an unlocked house and car. If a stranger knocks on your door or sits in front of your house too long, three or four neighbors call you up to see if you knew about it and give you his license #. Crime has happened here but violent crime is usually a family disturbance involving booze in some way.

Unfortunately the crime comes to you you don't have to go to the crime ridden areas. When there's nothing left to rob in the battle zone they go to the burbs. I cannot as a New Jersey resident carry as of yet. Enjoy your right to carry use it as a tool. Because when you don't have it you will definitely miss it. Better to have and not need it than not have it with you and get caught with your pants down.

10 years on gun forum and not already carrying consistently (proactive); oh well, reactive it is and 365 definitely preferred over snub.

It sounds like carrying and training regularly would be prudent in the area you live. Developing and sustaining some hand to hand fighting skills might not be the worst idea either.