What five questions do you hear most often from non-concealed carriers.
Editor’s Note: The following is a post by Mark Kakkuri, a nationally published freelance writer who covers guns and gear, 2nd Amendment issues and the outdoors. His writing and photography have appeared in many firearms-related publications, including the USCCA’s Concealed Carry Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter @markkakkuri.
Read Mark’s previous articles in this “Top Five” series:
- Top Five Fixed-Blade Knives
- Top Five Modern Ways to Protect Hearing
- Top Five Reasons to Carry a 1911
- Top Five Concealed Carry Handguns
- Top Five Folding Knives
Most of us have probably experienced, engaged or endured the many questions of others who find out what we think about guns in general or the details behind our carrying them concealed in particular. These conversations, of course, can be described as anything from truly helpful to truly antagonistic.
I don’t usually volunteer the fact that I am carrying concealed, but if the conversation goes there and I’m comfortable with the person I’m talking to, I might reveal that I am indeed a responsibly armed American: licensed, trained, practiced and an all-around nice guy who’s doing what he can to help ensure the safety and well-being of those around me. Here then, are the top five questions people ask me and how I answer them.
1. Why?
Interestingly enough, people ask this question less than they did 10 years ago. Credit the USCCA and other like-minded organizations for helping the general populace better understand and appreciate the 2nd Amendment, pro-gun/pro-carry legislation and the firearms industry.
Nonetheless, when people ask, “Why?” depending on other nuances of the conversation, they’ll get answers from me along the following lines: “Because I can.” “I enjoy exercising my 2nd Amendment right.” “My local police encourage me to do so.” “Because the best way to deal with a bad guy with a gun is usually a good guy with a gun.” As some of the rationality of this thinking hopefully sinks in, I might turn the question around on them: “Why don’t you carry?” Almost always, there’s a collision of worldviews that are worth exploring, such as the nature of man, the reality of evil and so forth. Just keep in mind that people can genuinely ask “Why?” and you might be the one who carefully guides their thinking and helps them see the matter with more clarity.
2. How often?
After the initial philosophical wrangling, the next question explores some practical implications. The questioner might now be seeing the issue in a new light but won’t be sure how it works out in daily life. How often do I carry? “Whenever and wherever I can,” is usually my response. To the bank, yes. To the grocery store, yes. To the gas station, yes. To the office, yes. And so on. And then, in my own house? Yep.
While some places might indeed be more “safe” than others and might demand some changes in how I carry, the idea is to get the questioner to consider some key points: Taking responsibility for one’s safety (and for the care of a handgun) is a full-time, full-orbed consideration. Carrying a handgun for self-defense requires a different mindset, one that not only leaves naive assumptions about life in the past but also one that elevates awareness about events that could transpire (but probably won’t) while still maintaining a friendly, caring demeanor and some semblance of being “comfortable” while carrying a gun. Carrying a concealed handgun is not an all-or-nothing proposition — as in, you either carry it everywhere or you carry it nowhere — but rather actively choosing not to carry at certain times or in certain places.
3. Are you carrying now?
This question is usually followed by a quick scan of my body and sometimes a step back as the matter sinks into the right here and right now. At this point, the question, scan and step back are not the result of doubt or fear — the conversation would have ended long ago were that the case — but of intrigue. Depending on the circumstances, I might answer the question with something like, “Well, remember that ‘concealed’ means ‘concealed.’ Nobody but me should know, right?” Or I might just admit that I am and that I would appreciate them not divulging that information to anyone.
If the questioner is demonstrating true intrigue, genuine interest and would be helped in their understanding by a few more details, I might reveal a bit more information about how I am carrying or what gun I happen to have on me. As a general rule, I’ll never show the location of carry on my body nor will I show them my gun.
4. Do you carry while you’re at ______?
This is related to how often you carry, but here you can insert whatever the questioner perceives as the most unlikely place or circumstance for carrying a concealed handgun. While you’re at church? At Aunt Betty’s? At your workplace? While shopping in suburbia? And the list goes on. It’s up to you to know your state and local laws about where its and is not legal to carry and how you’ll answer such a query. But what the questioner is probably exploring in this question is how pervasive your self-defense mindset actually is and whether there’s actually a place or time where carrying a handgun would simply be regarded as inappropriate or outside some boundary. The better question is whether there’s a place where you will not carry — and why.
5. Who else do you know that carries?
After the matter resolves in terms of the immediate relationship, it’s natural for the questioner to consider who else might think this way and actually follow through. I don’t recommend you reveal the names or otherwise indicate who else you know who carries — it’s “concealed carry,” right? — so it’s best to help the questioner understand that, in a general sense, there are millions from all walks of life who think the same things and exercise their right to carry, probably more than the questioner has ever considered.
At this point, depending on the nuances of the conversation and your perception of how this person thinks, it might be appropriate to turn this question around on him or her and ask about his or her level of interest in self-defense or shooting in general. Don’t try to win the person over to daily concealed carry right away, but be willing to help him or her explore the matter further. Offer to provide helpful resources, offer to take him or her to a range, and so on. Your patient and careful handling of questions might be what that person needs to consider how he or she will take the next step in taking responsibility for his or her safety.
What are the most common questions you hear?
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When asked “why do you have a gun” I have replied with….
“For the same reason you have a fire extinguisher, sometimes you might just have to stop the threat yourself, because the firemen\police just can’t get there in time.”
I do not carry, concealed or otherwise, because the People’s Republic of Hawaii seems to think harsh words or the threat to call 911 is all you need to make evil disappear in a puff of smoke. That may be changing, soon, as the 9th Circus, ahh Circuit just decided in favor of a man who was denied a permit to open carry on the Big Island (Hawaii). The 9th Circuit; who’d have guessed. Of course it was only a three judge panel of the court and now both Hawaii county and the state are debating their chances of a successful appeal to the full (nine members?, I’m not sure) of the court. So, maybe there’s hope for us, yet. However, I’m not altering my plans to say Aloha to this “paradise” as soon as my finances permit.
Why do I carry? Because there’s times that my black-belt just won’t ‘reach’ that far. I keep 3 guns on me at all times…one hangs from each shoulder and the 3rd….just hangs…wherever I put it. Nice to have choices! Badda-bing…badda-bang…badda-boom!
My response to “why” is I refuse to be a victim of a violent crime against myself or my family.Not much comeback to that.
Very wise answer and well said! It eliminates confrontation, does not point fingers, accusation, judgment or negativity. I puts no one “on the spot” and just generally shuts down argument for any rational, person.
It says a lot with so little. Awesome reply!
I know this explanation works symbolically in casual conversation… but if someone commits a crime against you; even if you defend yourself efficiently and effectively, you’re still the victim!
This is super important to verbalize to first responders and in your own defense in court. Just sayin.
Great article, but I sure wish today’s writers would drop that horrid “he or she” locution. It makes reading those sentences almost mind-numbing, and highly distracting at the least. There’s a new word on the block, even approved now by AP style guide, to use ‘they’ or ‘them’ as a third person, gender-neutral, pronoun. It totally solves the problem. Anyway, just had to vent. Like I said, great article.
Uuugghhh! Yes that is so unnecessary and cluttering!
If one wishes to address both “he” and “she” then they need not say “he or she” at all! They can simply say “one” or “individuals” ……or they, them, those…..
I mean really, we don’t need this;
If he\she wants, then he\she can carry it on his\her belt if he\she wears a belt when he\she wears his\her pants.
When it’s easier and better to do this;
If one wants, they can carry it on their belt, if one wears a belt when they wear their pants.
no ones business but my own. The only time I let anyone know is if I know them well and am entering a space that is theirs, like a car, workplace, home, even their private property.Its a respect thing, and I appreciate the same in return from friends. If I don’t know them, there is a possibility that I may be better off if they don’t know, so they can just wonder.
Ambassador? Do I need to tell them I am carrying to be an ambassador? Isn’t it better if they have known me for years and I have always been a good guy and then they find out I am an owner? Shouldn’t being a good guy be a part of being a sheep dog right from the start?
I am a sheep dog, not a sheep. You can bet I have teeth in my mouth but lets leave the barking for the wolves and Chihuahuas.
No one knows when I concealed carry.
The reason please ask, “Why”, I think is pretty sound if you think about it.
1. They are gathering information to judge you and gauge your potential as a threat. Do you can cause of your “Crzy” ex, the secret world government, space aliens or do you have rational reasons.
2. Many are under the mistaken impression that the police have a moral/legal obligation to protect you. The courts have repeatedly said the police don’t. Decades of government schools and news media re-reinforcement contribute to this mistaken belief.
3. The majority of people are simply “Sheep” and don’t know how and/or don’t care about taking personal responsibility for their own protection and the protection of family or community. This is an easy choice for most and for the vast majority a very viable strategy, until it isn’t. However it will not, cannot happen to them, as they live in a nice area and live a good clean life, etc, etc. People who take personal responsibility for their life, are an aberration or curiosity to those who don’t.
4. When these types of conversations are started, I think it is a good idea to take a deep breathe and put on your “Ambassador Hat” and be friendly, patient and polite, like you are speaking to someone visiting our planet for the first time. Seriously, the concepts of taking responsibility for your life, are alien to these folks and its not their fault, they are the product of our culture and society, for better or for worse. Always take the opportunity to humbly explain gun ownership and the obligation to carry.
For the same reason people have fire insurance, even though they expect that their house will never burn down, even long after they have sold it. A major home fire will almost certainly never affect one’s own home, but we insure against it because, while a low probability event, it is a high consequences event.
My answer single answer is:
HAVE YOU SEEN THE NEWS LATELY??
Nuff said!
When I get asked why I carry I tell them it’s because I have done a great deal of thinking about it, and a great deal of studying the law, and I’ve spent a great deal of time preparng myself mentally, emotionally, and legally for a life threatening event I hope will never happen. Being that I am a rational and good person who is prepared and capable of using my concealed firearm to save a life, I carry all the time because I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I left the gun at home and someone died because I didn’t have it with me.
Good article. I get a lot of the same questions when the subject arrives. And yes, it’s typically to a friend or “in-law” that asks because the subject came up and not because I’ve indulged that I AM carrying or have this obvious “printing” going on that begs the question. To add to your list though, I often get the strange question of, “Is it loaded?” And to that I usually come back with, “HELL yea it’s loaded!”. I then try and explain that “if something happens I want to be prepared IMMEDIATELY! I don’t want to have to rack the slide or dig in my other pocket for bullets or a magazine. I might as well just carry around a hammer if that’s the case.”
The only time I do not carry a gun is at the P.O. There are places in & around town that are marked “NO CONCEALED FIREARMS” & that’s easy enough. They must not need my business & I will no longer set foot on their premises. “In your own home?” people gasp. You’d better know it. 100% of all home invasions happen in the home. Deal with it & be appropriately prepared.
It doesn’t really matter if they have a sign. You don’t have to obey it as long as you’re concealed, unless they are searching people or they have a metal detector. It would only be an issue if you took it out, and the only reason you would take it out is to do a dirtbag. And, even if they did find out, all they can do is throw you out, and perhaps trespass you.
Of course, I am not talking about government facilities that ban guns. There, you likely would be charged with a probable misdemeanor if they find it on you. Again, not likely unless they are searching people or have a metal detector.
I believe carrying in the PO is a federal felony. The signs say so. I believe them.
The same with the Post Office, i.e. federal offense
Ron,
Whether or not it “matters” depends upon which state you’re in at that moment. In some states (like Oklahoma), there are statutorily-designated places where carrying a firearm is indeed a felony, but in all other places the signs do not carry “weight of law.” In other states (like Illinois), signs do carry such weight, and carrying a firearm onto “signed” premises is also a felony in itself. In other states (like Texas) only government-designed/approved signs carry weight of law, but other signs (that do not conform to government specs, such as hand-written ones) do not. No one answer is correct in all states.
P.O.? Post Office? Something else?
I think if you told me you carry “because you can”, I’d suspect an anger management problem, grin nervously and cast furtive glances for the nearest exit.
The idea of a self-appointed “good guy with a gun” does not reassure me.
You’re kinda confused. The ultimate reason we carry a gun is because we CAN….
i suppose it depends on the context of the conversation and your relationship to the person. someone answering this way might be mildly flip or not want the discussion, and still take the responsibility of carry seriously. now, if this is someone’s ONLY answer, i might suspect they need to give more thought to a decision with life-or-death potential.
George,
That’s the problem with “people like you”. You assume that anyone who chooses to exercise their 2nd amendment or god given right to protect ones self or family is self-appointing themselves as a “good guy with a gun”. To put things into perspective, the last thing I would want to do is get involved in your shit, should something happen to you while I am around exercising my right to carry. 1st how do I know who is right and who is wrong in order for me to intervene. I could be wrong and choose the wrong side and be prosecuted and sued. 2nd I don’t want to be in a situation involving myself let alone you or someone else. The legal ramifications, cost, heartache and time are too great. I only want to have to deal with that situation if I truly felt that my life, my family’s life or an individual’s life was truly threatened with death or grave bodily harm. I have carried for over a decade and can tell you that I go out of my way to avoid situations, since I do carry. It’s actually made me more aware of my surroundings and puts things into a greater perspective that my actions have consequences and that those consequences could be truly devastating. So I’m not looking to appoint myself as anything other than a father, husband, son, brother, or uncle that wants to be able to defend himself or loved ones & that I can go home each night to my children & wife. 3rd if I did truly see an injustice like an active shooter, terrorist attack, woman being assaulted or something of the likes I would intervene. If it was a robbery of cash or physical objects in no way would I intervene for that. To quote Edmond Burke “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”. If you don’t want to carry then don’t but don’t judge other people for exercising their rights and don’t lump us all together and yes I said “people like you” because you revealed who “you” are.
GOOD DAY SIR, I SAID GOOD DAY SIR!
Yeah, as has been mentioned, in this day and age of crazies, the “Why?” is pretty foolish.
But it DOES tell you something of the person asking that question.
Too many Americans believe they have a ‘right’ to safety encumbered upon our society, when in fact no such ‘right’ exists, and would be impossible to achieve in a free and open society. Safety is the individual’s responsibility.
Hence, our Founding Fathers established their belief that we ALL have a right to protect ourselves in the manner we each deem appropriate through strength of arms.
One would have thought that the many tragic events of the recent past would have impressed this upon their minds, but most are too indoctrinated to come to that realization.
“We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness….”
Note that Jefferson puts Life before Liberty.
Is what you propose “a free and open society” or a jungle?
The world we live in has gradually descended into this “jungle” you refer to – I certainly hope you aren’t implying that this is due to the actions of law abiding gun owners. The right to bear arms is protected by our Constitution (Bill of Rights) and is a major factor insuring our “free and open society”.
Not really sure what you’re meaning or implying with your question about open society or jungle?
I’ll go on a tangent though. During Jefferson’s time, he – and other Colonists – saw first hand what a government can do to it’s own people. Before the American Revolution, their own government (British Crown) enforced gun-bans, gun collections, warrantless searches and seizures, etc. upon legal British citizens in various parts of the Colonies (especially in the urban areas along the coast). This is where the “Truths to be self-evident…” comes into play, along with the Second Amendment: they saw firsthand how government can mistreat even law-abiding citizens, and this is why the Second Amendment was put near the top of the list in the Bill of Rights. Government has, does and always will abuse it’s own citizens from time to time; it varies by occurrence, length, action and severity, but the common denominator is that it always occurs. The 2A is there for our protection against that along with defense against the common crook – hunting and target practice is not the reasoning behind the 2A.
Self preservation/self defense is the FIRST LAW OF NATURE!
One more thing. People say to me, “you are a Christian don’t you have any faith? I answer, Peter, who Jesus said had great faith, carried the armament of the day, a sword, when he was with Jesus. The ONLY time Jesus rebuked him was when it was Jesus’s time to die on the cross. If Peter carried one with God beside him then I feel it’s OK to carry one today.
Jesus was the son of God, not God.
Oh, for Christ’s sake…
That is wrong. Jesus is God, The Bible proves it.
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
Hosea 13:4 But I am the Lord your God from the land of Egypt; you know no God but me, and besides me there is no savior.
John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.
John 10:30 I and the Father are one.
There are lots of other references that God or Jesus tells us that they are one. Since God created the universe, He exists outside and is much greater than the universe. At his choosing he can embody himself however he chooses and needs to in order to get his point across to his people. Imagine people lived in a 2 dimensional universe and God was 3 dimensional. Us in our table top universe cannot see him in his 3 dimensions but he can put his thumb down in one spot and tell Moses something from burning bush. He can put his index finger down in another spot and be Jesus. He can put down his pinkie in a third spot and be the Holy Spirit. We see different “beings” but they are all God.
When they ask me why I feel the need to carry a gun I tell them it’s the same reason I wear a seatbelt. Not because I go out of the house in the morning expecting to be in an accident, but if I am in one I want all the help I can have to stay safe.
My answer to this and any other invasive question is simply, “Why do you ask?”. This tends to stop a lot of nosy questions and can shut down an antagonist by putting them, and not me, on the defensive.
Why? Because a police office won’t fit in my back pocket, the chief won’t assign one for me personally, and even if the first two happened, police are no longer required to protect me.
I can\’t believe ppl ask \”why\” when there have so many mass-shooting trajedies in the last coUpLe Decades. You never know when some crazed lunatic with a trench coat and an SKS, is going to decide it\’s time for the ppl at Walmart to pay for the shooters crappy life, or a Terrorist gets orders from Somalia, to take out as many American Christians and become (in their feeble minds anyway) a Martyr, or a gang-member decides that they need your family car more than you do, sometimes w/your family still seatbelted in it. It can quickly turn in to a bad seen and in a hurry. Since they ALWAYS have the advantage/element of surprise, just do to the fact that THEY know what\’s getting ready to go down, BUT THEY MOST CERTAINLY DO, and we have absolutely no idea, whatsoever, NO DISPUTING THIS SIMPLE FACT.WE Might be pre-occupied singing songs with our family, on the way to Church, or simply changing the radio station… so this is why both myself AND wife, EACH have a .45 auto strapped onto our leg as often as humanly possible, but sometimes trying to get her carry is like pulling teeth. Most women (and I don\’t care what this sounds like to whomever, because I DO NOT have even one politically correct bone in my body, so you can label me if ya want, but you\’re just wasting your time, BECAUSE I JUST DO NOT CARE) anyway, yeah, most women don\’t comprehend that criminals can set off on a shooting spree, no matter how good of a mood you\’re in, how much money you have, how much GOD loves you, nor how swell/good of a day you\’re having is going to keep a crime from happening, it may even better lull you into a the false sense of security of \’IT CAN\’T HAPPEN TO ME, ESPECIALLY TODAY, BECAUSE IT\’S BEAUTIFUL OUTSIDE, NOT A CLOUD IN THE SKY AND THE BIRDS ARE CHIRPING….WRONG!!!
NOTE: Now, that being said about the women, isn\’t ALWAYS the case. I know that SOME women are like Annie Oakley and can teach their husbands a thing, or 10, but overall men have more of a guarded way of thinking, as they shoul, because they are SUPPOSED to be the Protector. The women that fall under the Annie Oakley cattegory, deserve a medal and obviously I wasn\’t personally adding you to this list. If you carry w/o having to be told by your husband, I commend, respect you and think you deserve a week at the spa, because you have the Wisdom some men (& I use this term \’men\’ oh, so loosely.) Can happen ANYWHERE at ANY time! It\’s really too bad we men (The true protectors of the family, or are supposed to be anyway) Have to keep a constant vigilance and our wits about us, at ALL times, not just some, but that\’s just the way it is nowadays, unfortunately. You can call it parinoid, but I\’ll stick with the term Constantly prepared and hyper-vigilate, that stems from the word \’VIGILANTE\’ or vice versa. I keep my head/eyes on a CONSTANT swivel, along with a constant \’WHAT IF\’ SENARIO. I LOOK FOR planned CONSTANT ESCAPE ROUTES IN MY VEHICLE AND RIDE WITH MY PISTOL, EITHER OUT AND UNDER MY LEG (WHILE DRIVING, OR ITS UNCOVERED AND MY SHIRT DOES NOT IMPEDE/COVER IT AT ALL. IF A POSSIBLE DANGEROUS SENARIO LOOKS LIKE IT COULD PRESENT ITSELF, I IMMEDIATELY COCK THE HAMMER ON MY KIMBER ULTRA CARRY TWO AND THEN PUT THE SLIDE SAFETY ON, DECOCKING IT AS SOON AS THE POTENTIAL THREAT IS GONE. I\’M GLAD I WAS SORT OF A BAD KID/YOUNG MAN WHEN I WAS YOUNG, BECAUSE I CAN READ BODY LANGUAGE AND AN EVER SO SLIGHT CHANGE IN BEHAVIORAL CHANGES IN PPL that indicate there\’s about to be a problem. ALWAYS HAVE THAT ESCAPE ROUTE PLANNED AHEAD OF TIME AND \’NEVER, EVER, NEVER PULL UP TOO CLOSE TO THE CAR IN FRONT OF YOU, IF YOU\’RE AT A STOP LIGHT/SIGN, BECAUSE YOU WENT FROM TWO ESCAPE ROUTES (FORWARD AND REVERSE, 2 JUST REVERSE. IF YOU LEAVE ENOUGH ROOM FROM THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF YOU, YOU DON\’T HAVE TO BACKUP TO GET AROUND THEM, BECAUSE YOU\’VE ALREADY LEFT THE SPACE YOU NEED TO GO AROUND, W/O HAVING TO BACKUP, WHICH MAY NOT BE AN OPTION ANYWAY BECAUSE A CAR COULD OF PULLED UP ON YOUR TAIL, AND THE REVERSE ROUTE IS NOW BLOCKED AND THE ONLY ROUTE YOU HAD WAS FORWARD AND YOU\’VE PINNED YOURSELF IN BY GETTING TOO CLOSE. THESE METHODS ARE TAUGHT TO LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND ESPECIALLY THE SS (SECRET SERVICE) IN DEFENSIVE DRIVING COURSES. IS IT NOT \”BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY?\” Some of you may think I\’m crazy and others may just live thru a situation, because of what you\’ve learned here today. Hope most of you choose the latter.Another security tip….when you\’re driving at night, NEVER STOP AT A RED LIGHT, IF POSSIBLE. TRY AND TIME THE LIGHTS TO WHERE YOU CAN SLOW YOUR VEHICLE DOWN WHEN APPROACHING A RED LIGHT, EVEN IF YOU JUST HAVE TO CREEP ALONG for a half block, BUT \’NEVER\’ STOP ALL THE WAY AT A LIGHT, if something is definetely not right & its safe to procked wit caution. IF YA DO GET STOPPED AT A LIGHT, DO NOT BE AFRAID TO LOOK 360° SO THAT YOU CAN TAKE METAL PICTURES IN YOUR MIND AND MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE NO CREEPS WALKING TOWARDS YOUR VEHICLE, OR EXITING THEIRS. IF YOU HAVE TO, RUN THE LIGHT, A COP WILL UNDERSTAND COMPLETELY, BESIDES A 30.00 TICKET COULD BE WORTH IT. IF YOU\’RE IN A BAD NEIGHBORHOOD AND THERE ARE SHADY CHARACTERS HANGING ON THE CORNER… DON\’T STOP ALL THE WAY, UNLESS TRAFFIC IS COMING. SIMPLY LOOK BOTH WAYS AND BUZZ ON THRU. YOU HAVE TO START THINKING LIKE A FELON TO OUTWIT ONE…PLAIN AND SIMPLE. ALWAYS, ALWAYS MAKE SURE YOU FILL YOUR GAS TANK DURING THE DAY, SO U DON\’T HAVE TO END UP IN A SHADY PART OF TOWN, WHERE THEY WAIT IN THE SHADOWS FOR POTENTIAL VICTIMS.This/my training/GOD given talent came from growing up in a pretty rough neighborhood, where fighting was a past time for most of our local residents. NEVER give a stranger the benifits of the doubt, because they can read you also. I also played in a band that traveled the Nation and we were always armed, but when we\’d pull of the freeway, say in Arizona, or New Mexico, sometimes there would be 20-30 gang members hanging out at a convenient store, so we learned to get snacks and gas while the sun was still shining. One time in Kansas city, a rest area that had a Mc Donalds was FULL of gang members, that were ALL wearing red. This was scary as shit, but prayer got us out of there. It was bad & this was in broad daylight. What really made it worse, is when one of the old guys that worked for us, didnt know a Blood was pooping in the stall and the lock was broken. Well Al opened the door, innocently, but then he didnt know what to say, so he just said \”HEY BUD, HOWS IT GOING, WITH THE STALL DOOR STILL OPEN. THEN THE BLOOD SAID, AH, NOT TOO BAD. I GRABBED MY FOOD AND HEADED FOR THE BUS, LOL! Mean mugging, or the acting nice method , either one, will only serve to get you hurt, don\’t make eye contact, OR even speak to them. This opens up contact that will only serve to get you hurt, IF that\’s their intention of the per anyway but will just justify their actions (especially mean mugging, or trying to portray yourself as tough, or strangely enough, by bowing up to them/kissing their tail. Try and drive thru the parking lot BREFOE entering a hornets nest so you can at least see what your up against & gives you a chance to move onto the next option, if need be. One of my favorite things to do, is act like I\’m weak , mentally challenged ( Which probably comes pretty easy for me.) if I do get confronted which sometimes puts the offender at a false easement, or gives them a sense of false security that theyre not going to be any problem whatsoever, sometimes putting them at ease and giving them that false sense of security. I\’ve acted like I was scared and even a Wussy before, just to get them to relax, then when it goes down, you most likely can get the drop on them, because they\’re not expecting a sissy to swing around and deposit an Hydra-shock into their cranium.On the contrary, if you\’re trying to act like a billy-badass, this will only serve to make them feel the need to take u out and take you out quickly. Use ANYTHING you have at your desposal to make them think you are no threat at all, including, like I mentioned earlier….acting like you\’re weak, maybe even on the lines of a mentally handicapped, or even phsically. Perhaps walking with a limp. There are many things you can do to make them THINK that you\’re incapable of defending yourself &,family, so when you have some thinking time, run through drill senario and use what works for you. You want them to think it\’s perfectly A-OK to turn their eyes away from you, if even only for a split second. Long enough for you to get the \’GREAT EQUALIZER\’ where it belongs, aimed at their vitals. Hope this helps, because it has served me well for DECADES. YES, ONLY IN STREET fights so far, but guns and knives were involved in some of the altercations and they were disarmed and got their asses kicked. You instinctively know when a fight\’s coming, ALL of us do, so DO NOT ignore this feeling because we were designed to feel this way for a reason,DO NOT ignore it and hope it goes away…IT WILL NOT, no matter how hard U wish it (The Problem.) Whatever you do… DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT deny your instincts, because they\’re ALWAYS right. I\’d rather be judged by 12, than carried by 6 anyway, especially when my family could be one of those that could be getting carried. Hope what seems to be my unorthodox methods help you someday and maybe even saves U, or your loved one\’s life, because I can GUARANTEE YOU…THAT THE \’BILLY METHOD\’ has saved my life and the lives of my friends on NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. I WON\’T GET INTO ME HAVING TO SHOVE MY BUDDY\’S INTESTINES BACK IN THEIR BODIES, OR ALL THE OTHER GORY THINGS, BUT I AM….LEGITIMATE AND DO CARE ABOUT GOOD, GOD FEARING, LAW ABIDING CITIZENS, OF BOTH THIS EARTH AND FUTURE RESIDENTS OF THE KIngdom OF HEAVEN….my brother & sisters, or I wouldn\’t of just burned up a half hour of my time on total strangers in total anonymity. What I\’m saying, is that all I\’ve said is 100% true, because I have absolutely NOTHING to gain from this, so PLEASE BELIEVE AND TRUST ME …STAY SAFE AND GOD BLESS, MY FRIENDS AND FELLOW AMERICANS!Oh, just one more tip….Oh, just one more thing while I\’m thinking about it, for those of you w/o a GPS. Usually when you come to a big city. OK, you can stay on the inrerstare, highway, or whatever, but WHATEVER U do, DO NOT think you\’re going to save some mileage by going thru the dreaded \’BUSINESS DISTRICT!!! Say we\’re on hWY 75. You\’ll see two signs, one will be just hwy 75 and the one next to it will say hwy 75 \’BUSINESS DIST.\’ WENT ON A TRIP W/MY MOTHER 2 other elderly women and a mentally retarded man (What an ass-kicking little force I had in our convoy, NOT!) Anyway, the business dist, in ST. Louis M.O. was like going through Bagdad, or Somalia. Not to be racist or anything, but we went thru MILE AND MILE of 100% GHETTO. It was a hot Summer night, so there were GANGSTERS as far as the eye could see.AND, of couse there was a stop sign at EVERY single corner, on EVERY BLOCK. I told the sweet lady to roll on thru the stop signs, but she said it was against the law….WHAT?! Anyway, it was her car, so I just had to bite the bullet. What seemed like a hundred miles and 3-4 hours was probably only 30 miles and about an hour….but seemed like an ETERNITY. I know GOD had his hand over us that night, because…and I\’m not making this up, we must of went past 5000 ghetto folks that were in extreme poverty and it was a miracle that we made it thru. They ALL did nothing but stare at us constantly and from beginning to end. So, map out you\’re route, BEFORE leaving the house and WHATEVER YOU DO….NO BUSINESS DIST, EVER, EVAR, EVER AND EVEN MORE EVERS…TO INFINITY. I\’M NO COWARD, BUT A GUY KNOWS WHEN HE\’S OUTNUMBERED AND THE ODDS AREN\’T IN HIS FAVOR. THEN WORRIES ABOUT THE OTHERS, ESPECIALLY MY MOTHER. YOU DO NOT KNOW STRESS, UNTIL YOU\’VE BEEN THRU PARTS OF ST LOUIE, CHICAGO ILLINOIS, DETROIT AND I\’M SURE D.C. IS ON PAR WITH THESE CRAPHOLES,LOL.
Sweet rant. You done snorting coke off of your bible?
If you are truly carrying concealed, then the questions should not arise. Don’t print and don’t get questioned.
You Say:”””If you are truly carrying concealed, then the questions should not arise. Don’t print and don’t get questioned.”””
You are 100% correct and you should never ever tell anyone you carry a firearm.
It is nobody’s business but yours.
I don’t ever get asked so any of those questions have never come up. As far as I’m concerned, the second amendment means exactly what it says and none of the laws about what weapon you can buy or carry or how you can carry it or whether or not you CAN carry it/them are constitutional. If you have to ask permission, whether through getting a permit or a background check, your right has been infringed. If they can tell you how you can carry or what you can carry or where you can carry, your right has been infringed.
I can’t believe ppl ask “why” when there have so many mass-shooting trajedies in the last coUpLe Decades. You never know when some crazed lunatic with a trench coat and an SKS, is going to decide it’s time for the ppl at Walmart to pay for the shooters crappy life, or a Terrorist gets orders from Somalia, to take out as many American Christians and become (in their feeble minds anyway) a Martyr, or a gang-member decides that they need your family car more than you do, sometimes w/your family still seatbelted in it. It can quickly turn in to a bad seen and in a hurry. Since they ALWAYS have the advantage/element of surprise, just do to the fact that THEY know what’s getting ready to go down, BUT THEY MOST CERTAINLY DO, and we have absolutely no idea, whatsoever, NO DISPUTING THIS SIMPLE FACT.
WE Might be pre-occupied singing songs with our family, on the way to Church, or simply changing the radio station… so this is why both myself AND wife, EACH have a .45 auto strapped onto our leg as often as humanly possible, but sometimes trying to get her carry is like pulling teeth. Most women (and I don’t care what this sounds like to whomever, because I DO NOT have even one politically correct bone in my body, so you can label me if ya want, but you’re just wasting your time, BECAUSE I JUST DO NOT CARE) anyway, yeah, most women don’t comprehend that criminals can set off on a shooting spree, no matter how good of a mood you’re in, how much money you have, how much GOD loves you, nor how swell/good of a day you’re having is going to keep a crime from happening, it may even better lull you into a the false sense of security of ‘IT CAN’T HAPPEN TO ME, ESPECIALLY TODAY, BECAUSE IT’S BEAUTIFUL OUTSIDE, NOT A CLOUD IN THE SKY AND THE BIRDS ARE CHIRPING….WRONG!!!
NOTE: Now, that being said about the women, isn’t ALWAYS the case. I know that SOME women are like Annie Oakley and can teach their husbands a thing, or 10, but overall men have more of a guarded way of thinking, as they shoul, because they are SUPPOSED to be the Protector. The women that fall under the Annie Oakley cattegory, deserve a medal and obviously I wasn’t personally adding you to this list. If you carry w/o having to be told by your husband, I commend, respect you and think you deserve a week at the spa, because you have the Wisdom some men (& I use this term ‘men’ oh, so loosely.) Can happen ANYWHERE at ANY time! It’s really too bad we men (The true protectors of the family, or are supposed to be anyway) Have to keep a constant vigilance and our wits about us, at ALL times, not just some, but that’s just the way it is nowadays, unfortunately. You can call it parinoid, but I’ll stick with the term Constantly prepared and hyper-vigilate, that stems from the word ‘VIGILANTE’ or vice versa. I keep my head/eyes on a CONSTANT swivel, along with a constant ‘WHAT IF’ SENARIO. I LOOK FOR planned CONSTANT ESCAPE ROUTES IN MY VEHICLE AND RIDE WITH MY PISTOL, EITHER OUT AND UNDER MY LEG (WHILE DRIVING, OR ITS UNCOVERED AND MY SHIRT DOES NOT IMPEDE/COVER IT AT ALL. IF A POSSIBLE DANGEROUS SENARIO LOOKS LIKE IT COULD PRESENT ITSELF, I IMMEDIATELY COCK THE HAMMER ON MY KIMBER ULTRA CARRY TWO AND THEN PUT THE SLIDE SAFETY ON, DECOCKING IT AS SOON AS THE POTENTIAL THREAT IS GONE. I’M GLAD I WAS SORT OF A BAD KID/YOUNG MAN WHEN I WAS YOUNG, BECAUSE I CAN READ BODY LANGUAGE AND AN EVER SO SLIGHT CHANGE IN BEHAVIORAL CHANGES IN PPL that indicate there’s about to be a problem. ALWAYS HAVE THAT ESCAPE ROUTE PLANNED AHEAD OF TIME AND ‘NEVER, EVER, NEVER PULL UP TOO CLOSE TO THE CAR IN FRONT OF YOU, IF YOU’RE AT A STOP LIGHT/SIGN, BECAUSE YOU WENT FROM TWO ESCAPE ROUTES (FORWARD AND REVERSE, 2 JUST REVERSE. IF YOU LEAVE ENOUGH ROOM FROM THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF YOU, YOU DON’T HAVE TO BACKUP TO GET AROUND THEM, BECAUSE YOU’VE ALREADY LEFT THE SPACE YOU NEED TO GO AROUND, W/O HAVING TO BACKUP, WHICH MAY NOT BE AN OPTION ANYWAY BECAUSE A CAR COULD OF PULLED UP ON YOUR TAIL, AND THE REVERSE ROUTE IS NOW BLOCKED AND THE ONLY ROUTE YOU HAD WAS FORWARD AND YOU’VE PINNED YOURSELF IN BY GETTING TOO CLOSE. THESE METHODS ARE TAUGHT TO LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND ESPECIALLY THE SS (SECRET SERVICE) IN DEFENSIVE DRIVING COURSES. IS IT NOT “BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY?” Some of you may think I’m crazy and others may just live thru a situation, because of what you’ve learned here today. Hope most of you choose the latter.
Another security tip….when you’re driving at night, NEVER STOP AT A RED LIGHT, IF POSSIBLE. TRY AND TIME THE LIGHTS TO WHERE YOU CAN SLOW YOUR VEHICLE DOWN WHEN APPROACHING A RED LIGHT, EVEN IF YOU JUST HAVE TO CREEP ALONG for a half block, BUT ‘NEVER’ STOP ALL THE WAY AT A LIGHT, if something is definetely not right & its safe to procked wit caution. IF YA DO GET STOPPED AT A LIGHT, DO NOT BE AFRAID TO LOOK 360° SO THAT YOU CAN TAKE METAL PICTURES IN YOUR MIND AND MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE NO CREEPS WALKING TOWARDS YOUR VEHICLE, OR EXITING THEIRS. IF YOU HAVE TO, RUN THE LIGHT, A COP WILL UNDERSTAND COMPLETELY, BESIDES A 30.00 TICKET COULD BE WORTH IT. IF YOU’RE IN A BAD NEIGHBORHOOD AND THERE ARE SHADY CHARACTERS HANGING ON THE CORNER… DON’T STOP ALL THE WAY, UNLESS TRAFFIC IS COMING. SIMPLY LOOK BOTH WAYS AND BUZZ ON THRU. YOU HAVE TO START THINKING LIKE A FELON TO OUTWIT ONE…PLAIN AND SIMPLE. ALWAYS, ALWAYS MAKE SURE YOU FILL YOUR GAS TANK DURING THE DAY, SO U DON’T HAVE TO END UP IN A SHADY PART OF TOWN, WHERE THEY WAIT IN THE SHADOWS FOR POTENTIAL VICTIMS.
This/my training/GOD given talent came from growing up in a pretty rough neighborhood, where fighting was a past time for most of our local residents. NEVER give a stranger the benifits of the doubt, because they can read you also. I also played in a band that traveled the Nation and we were always armed, but when we’d pull of the freeway, say in Arizona, or New Mexico, sometimes there would be 20-30 gang members hanging out at a convenient store, so we learned to get snacks and gas while the sun was still shining. One time in Kansas city, a rest area that had a Mc Donalds was FULL of gang members, that were ALL wearing red. This was scary as shit, but prayer got us out of there. It was bad & this was in broad daylight. What really made it worse, is when one of the old guys that worked for us, didnt know a Blood was pooping in the stall and the lock was broken. Well Al opened the door, innocently, but then he didnt know what to say, so he just said “HEY BUD, HOWS IT GOING, WITH THE STALL DOOR STILL OPEN. THEN THE BLOOD SAID, AH, NOT TOO BAD. I GRABBED MY FOOD AND HEADED FOR THE BUS, LOL! Mean mugging, or the acting nice method , either one, will only serve to get you hurt, don’t make eye contact, OR even speak to them. This opens up contact that will only serve to get you hurt, IF that’s their intention of the per anyway but will just justify their actions (especially mean mugging, or trying to portray yourself as tough, or strangely enough, by bowing up to them/kissing their tail. Try and drive thru the parking lot BREFOE entering a hornets nest so you can at least see what your up against & gives you a chance to move onto the next option, if need be. One of my favorite things to do, is act like I’m weak , mentally challenged ( Which probably comes pretty easy for me.) if I do get confronted which sometimes puts the offender at a false easement, or gives them a sense of false security that theyre not going to be any problem whatsoever, sometimes putting them at ease and giving them that false sense of security. I’ve acted like I was scared and even a Wussy before, just to get them to relax, then when it goes down, you most likely can get the drop on them, because they’re not expecting a sissy to swing around and deposit an Hydra-shock into their cranium.
On the contrary, if you’re trying to act like a billy-badass, this will only serve to make them feel the need to take u out and take you out quickly. Use ANYTHING you have at your desposal to make them think you are no threat at all, including, like I mentioned earlier….acting like you’re weak, maybe even on the lines of a mentally handicapped, or even phsically. Perhaps walking with a limp. There are many things you can do to make them THINK that you’re incapable of defending yourself &,family, so when you have some thinking time, run through drill senario and use what works for you. You want them to think it’s perfectly A-OK to turn their eyes away from you, if even only for a split second. Long enough for you to get the ‘GREAT EQUALIZER’ where it belongs, aimed at their vitals. Hope this helps, because it has served me well for DECADES. YES, ONLY IN STREET fights so far, but guns and knives were involved in some of the altercations and they were disarmed and got their asses kicked. You instinctively know when a fight’s coming, ALL of us do, so DO NOT ignore this feeling because we were designed to feel this way for a reason,DO NOT ignore it and hope it goes away…IT WILL NOT, no matter how hard U wish it (The Problem.) Whatever you do… DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT deny your instincts, because they’re ALWAYS right. I’d rather be judged by 12, than carried by 6 anyway, especially when my family could be one of those that could be getting carried. Hope what seems to be my unorthodox methods help you someday and maybe even saves U, or your loved one’s life, because I can GUARANTEE YOU…THAT THE ‘BILLY METHOD’ has saved my life and the lives of my friends on NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. I WON’T GET INTO ME HAVING TO SHOVE MY BUDDY’S INTESTINES BACK IN THEIR BODIES, OR ALL THE OTHER GORY THINGS, BUT I AM….LEGITIMATE AND DO CARE ABOUT GOOD, GOD FEARING, LAW ABIDING CITIZENS, OF BOTH THIS EARTH AND FUTURE RESIDENTS OF THE KIngdom OF HEAVEN….my brother & sisters, or I wouldn’t of just burned up a half hour of my time on total strangers in total anonymity. What I’m saying, is that all I’ve said is 100% true, because I have absolutely NOTHING to gain from this, so PLEASE BELIEVE AND TRUST ME …STAY SAFE AND GOD BLESS, MY FRIENDS AND FELLOW AMERICANS!
Oh, just one more tip….Oh, just one more thing while I’m thinking about it, for those of you w/o a GPS. Usually when you come to a big city. OK, you can stay on the inrerstare, highway, or whatever, but WHATEVER U do, DO NOT think you’re going to save some mileage by going thru the dreaded ‘BUSINESS DISTRICT!!! Say we’re on hWY 75. You’ll see two signs, one will be just hwy 75 and the one next to it will say hwy 75 ‘BUSINESS DIST.’ WENT ON A TRIP W/MY MOTHER 2 other elderly women and a mentally retarded man (What an ass-kicking little force I had in our convoy, NOT!) Anyway, the business dist, in ST. Louis M.O. was like going through Bagdad, or Somalia. Not to be racist or anything, but we went thru MILE AND MILE of 100% GHETTO. It was a hot Summer night, so there were GANGSTERS as far as the eye could see.
AND, of couse there was a stop sign at EVERY single corner, on EVERY BLOCK. I told the sweet lady to roll on thru the stop signs, but she said it was against the law….WHAT?! Anyway, it was her car, so I just had to bite the bullet. What seemed like a hundred miles and 3-4 hours was probably only 30 miles and about an hour….but seemed like an ETERNITY. I know GOD had his hand over us that night, because…and I’m not making this up, we must of went past 5000 ghetto folks that were in extreme poverty and it was a miracle that we made it thru. They ALL did nothing but stare at us constantly and from beginning to end. So, map out you’re route, BEFORE leaving the house and WHATEVER YOU DO….NO BUSINESS DIST, EVER, EVAR, EVER AND EVEN MORE EVERS…TO INFINITY. I’M NO COWARD, BUT A GUY KNOWS WHEN HE’S OUTNUMBERED AND THE ODDS AREN’T IN HIS FAVOR. THEN WORRIES ABOUT THE OTHERS, ESPECIALLY MY MOTHER. YOU DO NOT KNOW STRESS, UNTIL YOU’VE BEEN THRU PARTS OF ST LOUIE, CHICAGO ILLINOIS, DETROIT AND I’M SURE D.C. IS ON PAR WITH THESE CRAPHOLES,LOL.
Bill enough is enough
I thought GA moderated these comments.This one is taking up space for no good reason.
Personally, I say nothing at all, or at a maximum “I think this is a private matter”. People talk, and talk and talk, and if a situation occurs (and I am in no way suggesting that it will), I want every advantage on my side, including not being labeled as the target to take out first. I am not trying to win converts, or make people think. I am trying to get myself, and my loved ones home, and this mandate succeeds admissions in polite conversation.
Why do they know that you carry concealed? The whole point is to keep it a secret! I would expect questions if I open carry, I don’t, but no one knows if I have my gun. That is the point.
Exactly. I might casually mention it to friends, and occasionally one will ask questions, typically number 3 and number 4.
Just a few years ago there was a shooter in a church in SC, sending numerous church members onto thier forever home.
I suspect the shooter was convinced that no one would shoot back at him.
Our pastor expects our church elders to help and encourage and all folks that come to worship with us, and he encourages us carry concealed as means to prevent such a tragedy inside our location.
Opposite with me. I am a deacon in my church and I carry. If anyone knew, I would not be welcome. Not an issue with me, but it would be nice to know I had back up. Anyway, I love my congregation and my pastor so am happy to be a sheepdog. Don’t ask, don’t tell as it were:)
I HAVE HAD A CONCEALED CARRY PERMIT FOR OVER 40 YEARS. I CARRY WHENEVER I WEAR PANTS. I CARRY FOR MY PROTECTION ONLY MY COP 357 DERRINGER. I AM NOT THE POLICE. ACTUALLY CARRYING MAKES ME AVOID SITUATIONS AS I DO NOT WANT TO USE IT.
Why???………Why do people have a fire extinguisher in their homes? The Fire Department is right here in town?
Because when seconds count the cops are only minutes away. Not to blame them, its certainly not their fault. I do get the question when i make new friends. They eventually will figure it out and then the dialogue starts. Perfect opportunity for me to ask them “why not?” I had a situation several years ago where this nut job followed me off a freeway to surface streets, cut me off then sped up and blocked the road. He got out and came towards me. I had my wife and daughter with me and no way to defend myself or them except my fists. Fortunately when i got out of the car and stood up, being over 6′ and 300lbs made him rethink his next move. Ever since then i never leave home without one or two. He could have easily drawn on me and killed all three of us. I never did figure out why. I never cut him off or had ever seen him before. I firmly believe that the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.
That reminds me of an incident that happened to my father. This was back in the 60’s and Dad owned a hobby shop and closed at 9PM each evening. One night a car followed him out of the parking lot and pretty much followed him turn for turn and finally sped up and pulled in front blocking the way. Dad had the days receipts with him same as every night. He also had a weapon holstered and when he got out of the car a voice was heard “Oh S**T! He’s got a gun!” and they ducked back in their car and sped away. Not concealed but a good example of how having one can save your life.
so if you CC, how would said person know you have a gun on you? if they know you then the question would be answered already, would it not?
now for people such as me that open carry i do at times have questions put to me but not very often. most time if i do it’s to know how to go about getting permit, which i hope in the near future we won’t need if we go to Constitutional carry which we ALL should be able to do anyway because it is our RIGHT just as free speech and the other rights we have in our country and only in our country thank GOD.
but to get back to your article, i do when asked try to answer peoples questions in a way to get them interested in counting only our them protecting themselves and their family not the cops or anyone else as it’s not the cops job even though people really think it is.
Just because you CAN do something doesn’t necessarily mean you SHOULD. I would respectfully ask you to at least reconsider your decision to open carry for one primary reason: by doing so, you give up the 2nd most valuable advantage to carrying at all – the element of surprise. The most valuable of all is the firearm itself of course. Combined with the element of surprise, you have a much greater chance of determining the final result of any encounter with a bad guy with a gun. Just friendly advice.
When they ask me why, I tell them that it is my spare tire to being attacked by criminals. Just like you carry a spare tire in your car in case you get a flat, I do the same in case I get a criminal. Especially as I age, I see more “predatory” looks while I’m out in public too.