Concealed Carry-why do you do it?

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I'm kind of in the same boat you are. I'm 46 and I've never been in a situation where I've ever needed a gun for protection, but I just recently applied for my CCW.

Here are my reasons:

1. Just in case. All it takes is for ONE encounter with a bad guy to make me kick myself for the rest of my life if one of my loved ones or co-workers were hurt or killed because I was helpless to defend them against a gun-toting thug. And I don't want to die senselessly because I was defenseless in an altercation with a thug bent on ending my life. All it takes is once. Heck, I never saw a tornado for the first 40 years of my life. Now I've seen three and almost been blown off the highway by a large one in downtown Pensacola. Just because it hasn't happened yet is a silly reason to go unarmed, because all it takes is once.

2. I believe it's my civic responsibility to arm myself and help protect my neighbors, co-workers, and all other honest citizens that may need help.

3. Because I can. The right to carry arms is in the Constitution and is almost a uniquely American right. This is a gift my Country has given me that I've gone too long without accepting.
 
I wear a seat belt when I drive. I don't expect to be in an accident, but if I am, I sure want to be able to protect myself from as much harm as possible.

I have a Fire Extinguisher in my kitchen. I don't expect to have a fire, but if I do, I sure want to be able to protect myself from as much harm as possible.

I carry a revolver. I don't expect to ever be in a situation where I need to defend my life, but If I am, I sure want to be able to protect myself from as much harm as possible.
 
Even though I live in one of the safest areas of the country (IMHO), I carry for that 'just in case' scenario. It is better to be prepared for anything, than for nothing.
 
I have not needed to pull a gun to protect myself in a long time. However, I'd rather have and not need it than need and know that it is safely locked away at home.

I've successfully used firearms for defense, both in the military and as a civilian. I hope and pray that I will never have to do so again, but if someone puts me in a kill or be killed situation I intend to be the one alive when it's over.

Also, 2A rights are kind of like muscles, if you don't exercise them, they just might atrophy to the point of uselessness.
 
Because when I was 16, I needed a gun and didn't have one on me. I was fortunate to escape that incident. I bought a .25ACP when I came of age and carried that for a long time before there was legal carry here. I used that .25ACP against an attacker with a knife once. I didn't have to fire, just yanked it out of my pocket and racked the slide and he hauled butt. Lesson learned and corrected. I was in the very first CCW class in my local area when the bill passed and went into effect. I am armed 24/7, now. The one time I leave it at home, I'll need it.
 
Why do I carry?

Because I refuse to entrust my life to the whim of another.

.
 
Hey Jake, welcome aboard.

The question in and of itself is legitimate, and you are asking in all sincerity, so I don't want anyone to respond in a flippant way.

We have been conditioned (or at least MOST of us had,) that we are supposed to let the government provide many things for us, including our safety from bad people. If you want to carry a gun, it means that you don't trust your police, and you know something bad is going to happen, or that you live a lifestyle that INVITES violence.

When I actually bothered to learn the fundamentals of human rights and government, I realized that the fundamental responsibilities of providing lies with the individual. It STARTS with the individual, and as needs arise that an individual obviously cannot provide for himself, such as say, industrial-scale defense of a nation, THEN the government gets involved. Somewhere along the line, we as a society decided to stop protecting ourselves and trust the government to do it for us.

When you do carry for a while, your eyes are opened. You realize all of the things you knew were dangerous, but you just ignored them because you were resigned that there was nothing you could do about it. You start to seriously evaluate your lifestyle and habits, things you do and places you go that probably aren't very safe. It becomes a mentality of taking charge of the safety of you and your family.

If you are then NOT allowed to carry, you feel violated. It's like being used to wearing your seatbelt, and then being told you can't wear it anymore. It's like you had a regular habit of corresponding with your representatives online, and then the government comes and tells you, "I'm sorry, you have moved to a place where we don't trust people to talk to the government by themselves. From now on we'll do your talking for you. Trust us." And then they take your computer.

My dad said for many years he never felt the need to carry, but then he said he had a change of heart when he took a serious look at the process of crime and protection, and that it became apparent that there is a big empty hole in the system of who is supposed to protect him from violence, especially as he gets older and he can shoot better than he can move.
 
because i can.
because it is better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

more and more reasons, that could go on and i am sure will go on all night. there are many great reasons why and i am sure that you will get alot of them.

Btw welcome to thr.
 
+1 to OregonJohnny.

I have been the victim of armed robbery, with my girlfriend there, and know several others who have been. So it's more than a hypothetical reality for me. I feel a responsibility to protect my loved ones.
 
I use to travel a LOT for work, and often not to the "best parts of town", all over the country. My wife expressed her concern about this to a good friend of mine once, and he replied not to worry because I "wasn't the victim type."

I learned of this later and asked what he meant by that. He said I was too young, too big, too fast, and too aware of what was going on around me. Because of that, I'd be way way down the "victim" list.

Well, some 20 years later I'm still too big (maybe not in a good way!), I hope too aware ... but young and fast are fading quickly. That, and I think it's a much meaner world than it use to be. Any number of people out there now that will, without hesitation or remorse, kill you in a heartbeat for the change in your pocket or the shoes on your feet.

That is why I carry. If I -never- draw I'll be a happy man.
 
Because i'm an American!

I love my freedoms, family, and country! I'm a firm believer that a man has to look out for himself in this world. As a society we have been conditioned to believe that everything will be ok, the police will always save us. I'm hear to tell you that people will stand around and watch someone get mugged instead of jumping in and stopping the attack. Fear is the one advantage that criminals hold over victims. The majority of Americans are trained to act like sheep. The wolf may be eating one of my friends, but if i stand still and do as he says maybe he will leave me alone. A perfect example of this happened on 9/11 with the planes that hit the Twin Towers. An airplane FULL of people that chose to be victims instead of pulling together and taking out a few hijackers. The result may have been the same, but at least the victims may have had a chance to change the outcome. Some people are born with a survival mentality, but unfortunately many are born to be victims.
Just because you have morals and would never think to rob or kill someone for a wallet full of maxed out credit cards and $20 in cash, doesn't mean that the next guy has the same feelings as you.
As many have stated before Mr. Murphy is always on the look out to get me. I would rather have my CCW and not need it, than need it and not have it. The world is full of really bad people that want to do really bad things to you for no apparent reason at all. I prefer not to have those bad things happen to me or my family, and i'll die trying to stop them if possible.
The "fun" of carrying a gun for protection wears off really quick for a lot of people. It seems like a fun idea until your back hurts after lugging that pistol around all day, and you have to re-think your mode of dress in all situations. If you are going to choose to carry a weapon for your protection you have to have a heart to heart with yourself and ask some very tough questions. Can I, and will I take someones life that is trying to take mine? Can I live with the consequences of my actions? Can I live with myself after the trigger has been pulled?

Chicken-Farmer
 
+1 for everyone here!

I'm in an area where the Latin Kings are getting big and MS13 is making an appearance. Several times last year, people in neighboring cities and further downtown were at stoplights, or filling gas, or getting off at a bus stop, and a thug walks up, thumps the poor guy twice in the chest and takes his wallet and car, without a word. I want to avoid that if I can.

What made me get my license when I did--not twenty yards from my door, I was caught and cornered against my own car, unable to unlock it, by a group of boys, younger, larger, and darker than I was--because I'm white. No reason other than machismo and mistargeted blame, and they were clear about that.

I'm 135 pounds fully clothed, have a bum knee, and was outnumbered by six or seven, but used the "be calm--then EXPLODE" method that kept me uninjured through high school.

But what if they weren't just out for kicks? What if they had the testicular fortitude to actually fight back, after a guy half their weight clocked a pair of them? After the initial pounce, I'm not much of a fighter, and I'd be lucky to leave with more than half my blood in me.

These guys live in my and the neighboring subdivisions, and I can't even go to my home in the cleaner middle-class areas of town safely. The world's going to crap, no man's an island against it, and it doesn't hurt to keep a small navy on your coast.
 
The Bible tells us in Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Knowing the nature of man, and this culture in which most things that are evil are called good, and those things that are good are called evil, ...
Click to expand...

So in other words, the state of Virginia can't trust anybody?? I don't think I would give this as a reason for a permit application.
 
I like your answer, MLJDeckard. It got me thinking about all of the civilizations and humanity that have gone before us. If you open to any page of a history book, somebody is getting killed, some city getting sacked, some war going on, some civilization falling apart or taking over another one. Most of us just so happen to live in a relatively safe time and place and that has become an expectation; "nothing has ever happened to me or to this country in my lifetime, so why should anything ever change?" Well, things do change on both small and large scales and when they do, I'd like to be ready.

I think people with military & law enforcement experience seem to understand this better because they have seen under the thin veneer of civilized life. But you don't have to go to war to see this - if you've been through a bad neighborhood in a big city, visited a third-world country, or read the news any day of the week, you'll see that bad things happen to other people... the only thing is, to somebody else, YOU are "other people".

Concealed carry to me is not an isolated action... it's a small part of a larger mindset that says, "I am responsible and in control of my own safety and fate. I can influence my success or failure in life by my actions." It is the opposite of the worldview that says, "I am an entitled victim".

I happen to be in the military and have taken the oath to serve and protect my country - I do so because I love my country and believe it is the land of opportunity... not because it is the land of guarantees. I have the opportunity in this land to carry a weapon to protect myself from other people who would like to take the opportunity to deprive me of my possessions, life, or loved ones.
 
I agree with the excellent reasons given for concealed carry. (Because I can, because I realize the government can't protect me at all times, because I want to help preserve a right, etc.)

I also want to suggest that "I'm 58 years old and haven't needed a weapon yet" isn't a valid argument against CCW. I haven't had storm and wind damage to my house that took the roof off, either.

I believe it is exactly like insurance. You hope you'll never need it, yet you keep the policy in good force and know how to file a claim if you ever have a catastrophe.

I like the "Because I like being prepared" response the best, I think. And being prepared should not make others think you are paranoid. There is a line there... :)
 
I carry because I can, and because I should. I carry to protect myself and my family. I carry to protect my rights, and because it is a comforting feeling knowing I don't have to depend on someone else to protect me.

Caryn
 
Well darn I'm way down here at the bottom and all the good answers have already been used. Let's see
45 years ago we went to bed at night without locking our doors. Just think about that .....would you go to bed at night and not lock your doors today????? For what ever reason we live in a different world today. A world where some people believe it's ok to steal and kill one another. So image your wife is being raped in front of you and all you have in your hand is your high school track trophy while the rapest has a 45 ACP to her head. Do I really need to go on here.............
 
As the old saying goes i would rather have it and need it .but need it and not have it .carrying out of habit is a good thing ;)
 
If the Lord wanted me to fight like a dog to protect me and mine, He would have given me fangs and claws.
 
Even though I'm a LEO and you didn't want my comments on why I carry, I will give you my opinion. EVERY law abiding American should carry because its their right to protect themselves & their loved ones. Good for you in looking to exercise your rights.
 
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