I have. I’ve been in places and situations where being able to get someone to back down and slow their roll would have been a better outcome than what I was able to get without being armed. Shit just happened around me, and I couldn’t exit the situation in good conscience. It’s terrifying to try to stand up to stop shit from going really sideways knowing that if it does, there’s not a lot you can do except be a meat shield for someone else. Almost all defensive gun use doesn’t involve shooting; it involves having a gun, knowing how to use it, and using the threat of force to stop someone else from escalating a situation.
People say that when seconds count, the police are only minutes away, and fuck me, that is extremely optimistic. I’ve never had the cops show up in under five minutes; the closest was about ten minutes, and that was after a shooting in my 'hood in Chicago. CPD showed up after the ambulance.
Let’s imagine that the weapons are extremely hard to get, and people can’t afford even legal ones (because of checks and prices), not to say about illegal. Wouldn’t your place be better one if that was so?
I’ve never been in a situation where I’d need to know how to do cpr. Yet I’ve learned how to do it.
I’m happy for you. It sucks having to use one. But it sucks more not having one and having to use one.
I have, it’s not fun
When I took a class to get my Concealed Carry Permit, on the very first day the instructor made a very interesting statement.
“If you are somewhere where you feel you need a gun to feel safe… Why are you there in the first place?”
While I did go on to get my permit I never once carried. I never went anywhere where I felt I needed it. If I became uncomfortable at a location, I left.
I got mine so it would be easier to transport weapons to a range. I got the weapons in case trump starts a civil war or something.
As well reciprocal states that recognize it so you can transport them with minimal issues as well. It’s one reason to get one regardless of being in a constitutional carry state.
I did self-defense training, both learning and teaching for close to 15 years or so, I did the CCW thing, took classes in firearms as well as martial arts and the whole nine-yards for many years.
I will often reiterate what you cited there, that if you’re in a dangerous situation that you already expect to be dangerous, your first priority is changing your situation. Not going to that place, working towards moving, etc. Kind of like step-one of any fight is to not get into a fight.
I eventually also stopped carrying my gun, because all it did was add extra stress to my life. Always making sure you know where it is, if you’re somewhere that legally prohibits you having it, then if you do have to leave it outside of a store or business, you are always thinking about it inside your car. My greatest worry was someone breaking into my vehicle and using the gun to commit a crime, which statistically is much, much more likely than actually being in a situation where you need to use it.
I still own guns but keep them locked up. But I don’t enjoy guns broadly because I’ve had too much time think about it. I’ve had to learn the law, I’ve had to take responsibility for teaching others how to defend themselves, I’ve spent too much time playing out situations and the post-event situations that most gun-chuds NEVER spend a moment thinking about.
I feel strongly now that a lot of the gun violence in the US can be connected to the general lack of respect and knowledge about firearms. The only “training” most owners get is action movies. I think if more people were required to actually study the law and play out scenarios they might be far less likely to reach for a gun to solve all their problems.
Interestingly, a lot of gun violence in the US comes down to neglected spaces. Without changing anything else, cleaning up vacant lots, demolishing abandoned buildings, adding street lights, and general neighborhood beautification cuts down on a LOT of gun violence. Violence intervention programs–teaching kids restraint, essentially–does a lot too.
I know that building community is not only an answer to violence, but broadly speaking the answer to a lot of social problems. I am curious though if you’re referencing a source or study, if the neighborhood beautification projects lead to people becoming more involved in their communities, or if it’s communities already coming together to beautify their neighborhoods.
Never really thought about the logistics of having to leave it in your car. Are you allowed to take the ammo in with you?
It depends a lot on your local laws. Not every state even makes the distinction, so to err on the side of caution, I always treated ammo the same as a gun, and never separated them.
Some laws let you transport guns anywhere in your car if it’s in a locked box, some laws are written in a way where that could mean your glove compartment, other states have wording that excludes a glove compartment, just as an example of the ambiguity involved in gun laws.
Also, your proximity to schools or other public services can override all the other laws. It was when I was drawing kilometer radiuses from local schools that I started to feel such stress from planning my trips outside that I decided to stop taking the damn thing out all the time, and eventually just stopped entirely.
A good CCW class will give you the most basic stuff you need to know for your area, but it does change frequently so you would need to refresh on the laws frequently.
If it’s a state/federal building you can’t even bring the ammo and that’s still the least of concern. The person getting a firearm can get replacement magazines and ammunition for it easily. People concerned for the safety of others and not wanting it stolen will get small gun safe boxes that bolt into the car someway to stow it.
I got a conceal carry and virtually never carried. The main reason I got it was because the rules for transporting your weapons/ammo without it in my state was overly convoluted. So even just going to the shooting range was more involved.
As another carry permit holder, this is most certainly true. But there are a few places I will carry due to the remoteness and some of the wildlife that can eat you if they really want to. But mostly it remains at my bedside as an “in case” if it’s needed. If something were to go sideways, law enforcement is probably going to be at least 20 to 30 minutes away and possibly up to 90 minutes. I cannot rely on either one of the two deputies on duty at 2AM to be anywhere near me if things go bad. Things will be well and done long before I can expect help.
Another thing most of the rabid “Gotta have my pistol and 3 spare mags on me at all times” never think about is the cost of shooting someone even in self-defense. By the time it’s all said and done, it can cost upwards and beyond of $100,000+ in lawyer, expert testimony, and court fees. And you are likely to lose your job due to being jailed for at least large parts of it.
But mostly it remains at my bedside as an “in case” if it’s needed. If something were to go sideways, law enforcement is probably going to be at least 20 to 30 minutes away and possibly up to 90 minutes. I cannot rely on either one of the two deputies on duty at 2AM to be anywhere near me if things go bad.
If something goes ‘sideways’ at 2AM, you expect anyone breaking into your house to ring the doorbell and wait for you to wake up?
Even if you carried at all times, and you were specifically trained (think special forces training, not I spend my weekends at the gun range training) then it’s still a toss-up if you will be able to respond fast enough. If they want to harm you, they will. You cannot be hyper-aware of your surroundings 24/7, you need to relax, you need to sleep.
I can’t imagine what life must be like when you’re so afraid that you think you need to have a gun within reach at all times.
I do not keep a gun on me at all times. Merely when hunting. I do have a first layer warning system called dogs. Hopefully the barking is all it takes to drive away a bad situation. But I WILL be awake before you can get out of your car.
And it’s not about being afraid of my surroundings. It’s about understanding that public safety, (police, fire, ems, and even neighbors), is a long ways away and I cannot expect timely help from anyone. If I have a heart attack at home, I will die for sure because EMS will never get there in time. So I need to be at least somewhat prepared for situations you don’t even consider living in a city. Where help is a mere phone call and a few minutes away. Hell, I don’t even have cell service in my yard to even call or text with.
So yes, you are at least somewhat correct. You can’t imagine.
Most people don’t sleep next to doors to the outside. Most windows are always locked. The least common way of a burglary happening is someone picking a lock.
You will be awake with a significant amount of seconds to grab a gun if someone breaks into your home.
As to doing it 24/7? Jesus, did you even read the rest of the post? That was the whole point of what you were replying to. They specifically said they think it’s true that carrying it most of the time isn’t the point.
The least common way of a burglary happening is someone picking a lock.
You don’t need a gun to defend against a burglar. Burglars are generally cowards and run away when caught. The whole point of sneaking into your house is to not be detected and commit theft. (taking something without a person noticing it).
What you might need protection from is robbery (taking things under thread of violence). A robber is not going to sneak into your house. They will either kick down your door while you sleep or simply ring the doorbell and wait for you to open. Do you bring your gun every time someone is at the door?
They specifically said they think it’s true that carrying it most of the time isn’t the point.
Then there is no point. They will just wait until you are not carrying to rob you.
There might be someone dangerous in Publix!!!
It happened to me once. I was sitting on the back porch on a farm in Tennessee, and there were cans on the ground about 100yds away. Things would have been better if I could have put some holes in those cans
Hope you had a backstop
Please… that sort of precautions are for pussies… USA USA USA
But what if you wanted to shoot a gun? Surely that would make that situation better.
Glory to Mankind
I’ve definitely had some rural evenings that would have been better with the ability to shoot some cans.
I don’t think that’s the kind of “better” you were talking about
How do you plan on doing the revolution without a gun?
“Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun” -Mao
“By any means necessary” - Malcolm X
“I don’t care if I fall as long as someone else picks up my gun and keeps on shooting.” - Che Guevera
etc, etc…
“Hold mah beer. I gotta go to work.” – My Uncle defending his home.
I can see situations where having one would be handy, especially in the US, but I think the likelihood of me blowing my brains out is greater than needing one to defend myself, so I don’t have one.
Okay, but what if my self-esteem is predicated on the knowledge that I could kill anyone at a moment’s notice.
Surely that suppressed libidinal desire to inflict unimaginable pain and suffering on everyone around me is worth something.
You’ve got a good point there… Have you ever considered using your car as a weapon against bicyclists who have indirectly offended you?
It’s incredible that we feel the need to make up monsters for our movies and ghost stories when we’ve got prime examples living amongst us.
Realistic movies scare the shit out of me. Prisoners, Blue Ruin, The Tall Man. True psychos are way scarier than any fucking ghost or demon.
A bicyclist’s very existence is offensive. But I consider the .50 mounted on the back of the pickup a more sporting way to handle things. Alternatively, mini-gun mounted from a helicopter, and if anyone asks I’ll just say I was hunting wild hogs.
Motorized bicycles?
Okay, what I said before but totally unironically for everyone in this picture except Macy.
I have, but it’s because I’m trans and I lived in a bad place for trans people.
Give it a bit, we all will.
I have lived in Oakland. I have lived in some of the seediest areas in Northern California. I have known gang members that wore colors. I have seen bikers with patches all over the place.
Not once have I been in a situation where a gun outweighs treating people like they are people.
I currently live in Oakland.
Then you know! I currently live in Vallejo.
I’ve faced many attempts to severely harm me but I usually escaped. I failed to escape twice: got kneecapped with a bat once (leaving me with a permanent injury), and stabbed once miraculously missing anything vital.
My crime: having to work late, growing up in a poor neighbourhood.
I’d feel a lot safer if I could be armed. I don’t want to die.
There are plenty self defence tools apart from guns.
That’s a hell of a thing to say to a person who has literally been stabbed.
Why? I mean if a gun could help you in that situation, some other non lethal stuff could have also been enough. At least those are enough for people not in the US facing similar situations.
Exactly I’ve never needed a gun I think its purely marketing and social expectations causing Americans to default to “muh guns” when someone’s mentioned self defense. Like if ur up against guns js wear body armour at all times rather than trying to be john wick.
I’ve been stabbed too. Ive never felt the need to carry a gun. I face a lot of risk anytime I leave my house esp rn acc due to political unrest essentially I still don’t feel the need for guns yet the government do feel the need for arming trained police (known for corruption and violence where I’m from) who I think are a lot more likely to kill me than someone w a knife. As I mentioned tho I still don’t feel the need to arm myself against those people infact doing so would worsen the situation as I’d be more of a threat and could be further used for the narrative justifying the arming of police in the first place
Edit: if an unarmed person is shot by police even if its attempted to be covered up the people who were there will know what happened. if I try to shoot the police because im threatened and they shoot back that’s going to worsen things. I don’t see how its better to carry a gun in this situation
Rule #1: Cardio
Running away saved me a lot of times. It also failed me twice, and those two times left me with a scar and a permanent disability. As a complete self-defense solution it’s a bad idea, but as part of your defense it’s a great suggestion for any able bodied people.
I can no longer outrun potential attackers. This door is closed to me.
