Why do people feel the need to carry a gun?

[CathyA]

I'm not sure this post belongs here, but here goes.....

After reading the thread on the Tuscon shootings, and the response by Alan and bae, who carry a gun around all the time.......It makes me wonder why? Have you two (and others) ever had an experience where you needed a gun?
Do you live in a high crime area? Were you involved in a crime against you before you owned a gun? Are there grizzly bears where you live? No police protection in your area? Just curious what has made you think you need that kind of protection.
And please don't take this question the wrong way..........were you abused as a child?
I'm trying to understand what makes people think they need that kind of protection.

[goldensmom]

I don't know if this is helpful or not but here goes. I have relatives in law enforcement and yes, they do carry their guns all the time except of course where firearms are prohibited such as on an airplane. I guess as police officers they are really never off duty even when off the clock. I have a gun but I keep it locked in a gun safe. I will never shoot anyone or anything other than the occasional tin can and then I usually miss hitting the can. Hunting is big my neck of the woods. I am not adverse to hunting but I do not hunt. I could never shoot someones deer or rabbit mother, father, brother, sister, etc.. but I do not attach a familial relationship to a tin can.

[CathyA]

I totally understand an off-duty police officer carrying his/her gun all the time. I'm curious why regular citizens feel the need to do so. And I understand owning a gun and keeping it locked up in your house.......in case someone is breaking into your house......but for just regular non-trained citizens to carry a gun is curious to me. Seems like if you're not extensively trained in using your gun in dynamic/unexpected situations, it could make the situations worse and more deadly.

[Dharma Bum]

There's the old saying "I carry a gun because a cop is too heavy."

[iris lily]

I live in a high crime area. Over the years more than one police officer has advised people here to gt a gun and learn how to use it. That is in opposition to the police department's official public stance which seeks to reduce the number of guns on the street. But when you live shoulder by shoulder with the badnicks, you know that they aren't following laws of any kind. Register their gun? Permit to carry? ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.....

I don't have a gun, though, it's just too much trouble. I don't even like to carry a purse.

[Alan]

That's a difficult question to answer in a way that everyone would understand. I'll give it a shot though.

I enlisted in the Air Force in 1973 and served as a Law Enforcement Specialist, which entailed carrying a weapon while on duty. Upon discharge, I went to work for a major corporation in the Corporate Security department, with heavy emphasis on Executive Protection.

Now it may or may not come as a surprise to many that there is a segment of society which believes that corporate CEO's are evil people, and a subset of that group has no qualms making threats to high profile corporate executives and their families. In order to mitigate those threats, the business world is filled with people like me who spend their lives doing threat assessements, advance work, special event security planning, executive and dignitary protection details, etc. Think private sector secret service and you'll get an idea.

Anyone who has spent 30 plus years filling that role naturally takes on a "sheep dog" persona, even if it's not a part of their natural psyche. If you don't understand the sheep dog reference, take a look at this for insight.

It has nothing to do with living in a high crime area or being abused as a child, and if you think that the vast majority of people who do carry weapons are not trained, you're mistaken.

It has everything to do with being a sheepdog.

[Zigzagman]

I don't feel the need to carry a gun.

I live in the country and I own multiple guns - shotguns, rifles, even a couple of handguns. Having said that I don't carry a weapon, I haven't since leaving the Army in early 70's. In my case most all of my guns have been accumulated through the years. Growing up I deer-hunted, target practiced, shot skeet, dove hunted, etc. This experience came in handy when I went into the military and even now when being forced to deal with varmints around my place, having to put down injured livestock and animals, etc.

I think the reason people carry is simply "because they can". Were it illegal, I suspect that most people would not consider doing it. I seriously doubt that it has much to do with "constitutional rights" and probably more to do with fear and protection. Guns are the "Great Equalizer".

I live a very simple life, don't go out much at night (when evil tends to be more prevalent), try not associate with unstable people, and mostly avoid crowds. I guess I just don't feel threatened and personally don't want the responsibility of carrying a weapon.

I personally don't think that guns are our problem - people are - and we really do have a lot of unstable people in our society. I also think that we would have less violence if we had fewer guns but that is another topic.

Peace

[CathyA]

Thanks Alan. But I think you would be the exception to most people carrying a gun. I have a sheepdog persona too.......but I don't carry a gun. (just a very loud bark!) I know that loud barks don't stop the bad guys, but I guess our position on how far we want to go is on a very long continuum. I have some back-up plans ready to go in emergency situations, whether they be in my house or out in public. Having worked in an E.R. and critical care, I feel sort of prepared to think quickly and take action. But life has a way of throwing curved balls at us.
I'm sure there are alot of people carrying guns who I would trust........sort of like there are people who drive cars/semi's that I would trust (and I consider these lethal weapons). But there are probably more that I wouldn't.
Guns are just so darned deadly and unforgiving. For the masses to have access to them really concerns me.

[CathyA]

Thanks zigzagman, We were writing at the same time.
I feel as you do. If I lived alone out here in the country, I might consider one........but for now, I'll stick to my back-up plans, tire irons and ball bats.

[JaneV2.0]

After reading Bae's characterization of his sidearm as a "tool," I wracked my brain trying to think of a time in my many decades of life when carrying one might have been useful to me, and came up empty. In my world, a tool is a Leatherman or a spork.

Like millions of citizens in scores of civilized countries, I've never felt a need to carry weaponry on my person. I think guns do far more harm than good in this society, and I didn't have to look very far to find examples:
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/43265...istshot02.html

Gun rights are not a big deal to me; they're certainly not a hot-button issue, but I absolutely agree with Greg Palast that this country has become "an armed madhouse." Evidence abounds.