How to respond to "Why do you have a gun" while OC

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I enjoyed many of the response, but I have had no opportunity to use them.

I teach adults in Detroit, make no secret of the fact that I carry when and where legal, and offer them information about qualifying for their CCW/CPL.

There are always other CPL holders in the class, and no one questions why.
 
James, that is a pretty good response. It is almost always women who get upset.

I was eating in a restaurant on Friday evening and a guy and his wife were seated at the table next to us. He was OC-ing. He had a S&W steel framed snub nose revolver in a snug belt holster. Honestly, I wanted to ask him about it because we had already exchanged some chit chat. But, I decided that I really didn't care and I didn't know what kind of reaction I'd get from him.
 
A few miles from home is a little restaurant just off the interstate that is just down the road from a shooting range in one direction and in the middle of some of the best deer hunting sites in the state. During hunting season it's so common to see people with a sidearm on their belt it's not worth notice...

Then came the Sunday Dad took me there after Mass and these Chicago people strolled in and sat behind us. I watched them stare at people's knives and sidearms then whisper to each other. Finally when the waitress came to take their order the man said in a loud clear voice- Aren't you worried about being assaulted and robbed around here?

The waitress- known for her rather quirky sense of humor- just laughed at him and said...
Hell no! An armed robber comes in here, takes one look around and goes back to Chicago where he knows nobody is going to shoot back!

Would you believe the couple left immediately and didn't even leave a tip?
 
I thought about this and thought about it and to be perfectly honest if some random stranger asked me why I was carrying a gun I'd very likely tell them it's not their concern.

So I just avoid the issue entirely and conceal
 
I carry everyday and have for many, many years. But I never open carry. I just never saw the sense in it.
To me it would be like walking around with your karate gi and obi. Why advertise your capabilities?
Just my two cents....
 
You need not justify you actions as long as you are within the law, ignore it.
 
How to respond to "Why do you have a gun" while OC
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My answer usually is: Because I don't want to be the victim of a criminal attack by criminals who have guns, knives baseball bats, machetes, tire irons, hammers and all other sorts of weapons and they mostly travel in gangs.

An example of the responses I get are:

Question: How do I know that you're not a criminal with a gun?
Answer: Because you would be dead, hurt or robbed by now. How do I know that YOU'RE not a criminal? Because you're not committing criminal acts at this time.

Question: That gun makes it easier for you to kill someone in a heated argument, doesn't it?
Answer: Why would I want to kill someone over a heated argument? If YOU'RE that type of immature, violent person then no, YOU shouldn't be carrying a gun.

Most of the responses after that are either 'silence' (likely because they still have trouble getting past their feeling of guns being evil) or "yeah...... I didn't think about it that way".
 
When such a personal question is asked there are (in my mind) one of two reasons. Idle curiosity or an attempt at behavior modification. Idle curiosity deserves a polite but firm answer. The latter... needs to be reminded that the price of freedom is the duty to allow others to do things you do not particularly approve of.
 
Question: How do I know that you're not a criminal with a gun?
Answer: Because you would be dead, hurt or robbed by now. How do I know that YOU'RE not a criminal? Because you're not committing criminal acts at this time. [/QOUTE]

"I respectfully submit that if you actually thought I was a criminal with a gun, you would not have confronted me. Listen to your subconscious, it's telling you the truth."
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Why?

Firstly I enjoy mechanical things. How they function and keeping them working as they should.
I find shooting to be very relaxing. The control and concentration it takes to shoot well, the focus and improving my skills as limited as they are makes me proud, it gives me self esteem.
Secondly, as I am not completely able bodied owning and carrying gives me more security to be out and about. Also living on the Gulf Coast protecting my property in the aftermath of a storm is a plus.
 
This is a old thread but I will jump in anyway. I agree with not overlooking teachable moment opportunity.

We have own horses for many years and until recently participated in Cowboy Mounted Shooting. Over the years we have comments made or questions asked about how dangerous horses are. We have found that most of the time their remarks are based on ignorance (Urbanites) or a bad experience when they were younger. By taking time to talk to them we have presented horseback riding as a safe activity and even had people who were afraid of horses come out to our ranch to see and pet them. With encouragement some have rode a gentle mare we had.

Of course not all gun owners are teachers. But especially when open carrying we are serving as a ambassador for responsible gun owners. It is sometimes difficult to tell if a person making a comment or asking you a question is merely ignorant or someone afraid of guns. Taking a moment to politely answer a question of someone who is truly just ignorant may open the door for a pro-gun attitude. Whereas with someone that is scared/hates/anti guns my first response would be simply "I'm sorry you feel that way."
 
BSA1 said:
We have own horses for many years and until recently participated in Cowboy Mounted Shooting. Over the years we have comments made or questions asked about how dangerous horses are. We have found that most of the time their remarks are based on ignorance (Urbanites) or a bad experience when they were younger. By taking time to talk to them we have presented horseback riding as a safe activity and even had people who were afraid of horses come out to our ranch to see and pet them. With encouragement some have rode a gentle mare we had.

Of course not all gun owners are teachers. But especially when open carrying we are serving as a ambassador for responsible gun owners. It is sometimes difficult to tell if a person making a comment or asking you a question is merely ignorant or someone afraid of guns. Taking a moment to politely answer a question of someone who is truly just ignorant may open the door for a pro-gun attitude. Whereas with someone that is scared/hates/anti guns my first response would be simply "I'm sorry you feel that way."
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I have the same problem when people find out I have a General Aviation airplane that I fly regularly. I have to remember that it is foreign to most people, so I try to answer the most banal, and ridiculous questions politely and accurately.

Whether it be guns, horses, airplanes, motorcycles etc, one must learn the risks, and learn how to manage, and mitigate those risks to the best of their abilities, or pay the price.
 
I usually just tell anyone who is curious that I feel more comfortable packing. "If you wear it long enough, it gets to be like underwear... The only time you notice it is when you don't have any on."

That may lead to a short discussion of the 2A or just about guns in general. Mostly good vibes.
 
abq87120 said:
I usually just tell anyone who is curious that I feel more comfortable packing. "If you wear it long enough, it gets to be like underwear... The only time you notice it is when you don't have any on."

That may lead to a short discussion of the 2A or just about guns in general. Mostly good vibes.
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Ha!

I've never heard it put quite like that before. I may steal that.
 
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