Why you carry your handgun

Because at age 62 I woke up and saw the world as a dangerous place. I am still responsible for the safety of my wife kids and grand kids. I could be sitting with my family in a crowded restaurant, when a WHACKO comes in to shoot the place up. I could be at a gas station at night when a carjacker accosts me and my family. I could be sitting in my own home, watching TV when the front door gets kicked in. And YES!!!!! I carry at home. the only time my firearm comes off is to sleep or shower.

It's not a magic talisman nor is it a testosterone laden symbol of manhood. I quietly carry. There is only one or two people who know i even carry. As the Quote goes "If you can, always carry, you can't choose the moments, they choose you." - Colion Noir (2013)
 
I love the "because I can't carry a cop answers." I am a law enforcement officer, and besides the weapons I am issued for my job, I also have a number of firearms that I personally own. My personally owned rifles are for either hunting or home defense. My handguns are for personal protection, and since case law states that LEOs are always on-duty it's a just a good idea to be armed whenever possible. If I wasn't a LEO you can bet I would have a conceal carry permit!

As far as your paper goes I'm not sure what direction your looking to take, or how long the paper is supposed to be. Also you may want to consider the political views of your professor/teacher. While getting downgraded purely for your views would be reprehensible it is not out of the realm of possibility. I would focus more on history, and the original intent of the Second Amendment being that the common citizenry could form fighting forces, and touch on modern firearm ownership towards the end.
 
I have a fire extinquisher, but dont expect a fire.
I have seat belts, but dont expect a wreck
I carry a gun, but dont expect to need it. With more and more idiots that are popping up everywhere, it is a possability. My 3 neighbors where shot dead in their house a year ago, and we live 35 miles from the closest town.

With that said, we also have the occasional skunk or dog that wanders thru raising hell with the chickens and livestock. Stay ready for anything.
 
I think Thomas Jefferson said it best:

A strong body makes the mind strong. As to the species of exercise, I advise the gun. While this gives moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprise and independence to the mind. Games played with the ball and others of that nature, are too violent to the body and stamp no character on the mind. Let your gun be your constant companion of your walks.
Thomas Jefferson Letter to Peter Carr 1785
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NateKirk said:
Hey all. I'm writing a paper for my sociology class on the American gun culture. So to help me with that, I am asking these questions...
- Why do you carry a gun?
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I have a variety of reasons.
  • I have a wife and daughter. I'm too old to fight and too fat to run, but I have a responsibility to protect them.
  • I'm a lawyer. That a alone is enough to make me generally unpopular.
  • If that wasn't enough, my duties include traffic court prosecution. As you might imagine, some folks get testy when I tell the judge that his or her significant other needs to stay in jail for a while, particularly when it's over a Driving on a Suspended License charge.
  • And if THAT wasn't enough: One other aspect of my job is that I sue drug dealers and ask judges to evict them from their homes.
  • Because I can.
  • In case I need a gun.

NateKirk said:
- What do you think is the definition of gun culture?
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This won't really answer your question, but I am bothered by the term "gun culture." The media tosses the term out when there's been some horrific shooting, but that's the only time you really hear it. (For example, I've never heard any commentator mention the "gun culture" right after an Olympic Biathlon event.) I see it as an attempt to lump all gun owners together with active shooters, to convince the public that every gun owner is a killing spree waiting to happen.
 
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For the same reason I have locks on my doors, a fire extinguisher in my kitchen, smoke detectors in my bedrooms, and practiced plans for fire escape and home invasions - stuff happens. Being unprepared for the unexpected can cost you your life. There are evil people in the world, and I want to be prepared should our paths cross.

It's okay to delegate your health to doctors, or your safety to the police, but never abdicate. In the end you are responsible for you.

TomNJVA
 
I don't exactly know what you are speaking of when you say "gun culture". I do, however, believe that there is a culture specific to my local rod and gun club. It is a culture made up of law abiding citizens who enjoy a sport and the interaction that it brings. It also brings about a sense of belonging and family. (personally, I shoot most often with both my father and father in law). The truth is that we shoot more sh_t than we do lead, but that is another story. We talk about politics, family, friends and hunting, and truly enjoy getting together. So, I guess that is my definition of gun culture.
 
"The Second Amendment Culture"

A long time ago, I read that there is at least two ways of expressing yourself or an idea. Most times, one is preferred over the other. So ...;

Instead of "Gun-Culture" which in this country, has become politicized why not use;
"Second Amendment Culture" ? I'd rather have our Constitution watching my back, than politicians. .... ;)

Be Safe !!!
 
There are a lot of reasons to carry a gun, as outlined above.

The term, "Gun Culture" is a little derogatory to my eyes. It's a way of saying, "us v. them" when it comes to those who do or don't own guns. It's a way of stereotyping.

As to the second amendment, I think that many who don't choose to own guns for whatever reason (and even some who do) get it confused with hunting. I hear things like, "Why would a person need a 30-round magazine to go deer hunting?" Well guess what, there's nothing in the second amendment about hunting. The second amendment was written into the bill of rights to prevent the government from wielding too much power over the people. That's it... Pretty simple. That's also why modern military type weapons should never be taken away from law-abiding Americans.
 
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Because in the real world statistics don't mean squat. When I have the right to protect myself and my family, I see no reason not to.

Not sure what to say about gun culture. Gun owners are regular people despite what the media makes them out to be.
 
Why do I carry a handgun? I might see something that needs shooting, and won't have a long gun available. I'm not talking about the urban, two-legged variety, but also the rural, four-legged or the rural no-legged variety.

Gun Culture? I don't know where to begin on that one. I've been around guns all my life, my first job at age 12 was at a skeet range. It doesn't do any good to look at one facet of my culture. I also drive a car, so I guess I'm in the automobile culture, and I have a family, so I guess I'm in the family culture, and ... you get the idea. Guns are a part of my life, just like my family and my vehicles and my land, but I don't identify any of those as my culture. My culture is an amalgamation of all those things. I can't think of any member of my family or close associates that don't own and use guns.
 
I carry a gun because I'm too old to fight, and too fat to run.

But to tell you the truth, I carry a gun because I like guns and like having one with me.

I have no idea what a "gun culture" is.
 
I am a convert. Growing up, I was not around firearms, guns just wasn't part of anything in our family. I believed that only bad people had guns, and thought they were the scourge of the nation.
In my late teens there was a slight draw to them. Mainly it was a friend of mine who kept claiming to have a huge arsenal of guns he wanted to show off, but it turned out he didnt have any. Was a huge lie just to impress other people. So my interest dried up when I stopped being his friend.
It was winter of 2001 that I stumbled across an opportunity to see a gun. A friend was moving, he didnt want his pistol anymore, and he offered to sell it to me. I accepted, and became a gunowner. Still thinking I had to be a horrible person to own a gun though. I didnt tell my roommate, and hesitated to tell my landlord, but felt obligated, and was fearing he would evict me once I told him. Much to my surprise, the landlords response was 'great! want to see my collection?'
After seeing that a 'normal' person could have an interest in guns, I started doing research. First I wanted to prove/disprove all of my beliefs. I studied the CDC Mortality reports going back to the late 60s. Surely the number of deaths attributed to guns would have increased at least proportionately with the rise of population in this country! It was a huge epiphany to see the truth behind the numbers. But once I saw the numbers for myself and knowing it was from an unbiased source, I went all in for the 'gun culture'.
My knowledge increased, so did my collection of weapons. By 2003 or 2004, I forget exactly which year, I obtained a concealed carry permit. I lived in a neighborhood that had plenty of crime. Was not uncommon to hear gunshots. Ive witnessed shootings, stabbings, been accosted by strangers, and I know that my personal safety is not in the hands of a police officer.
Now I am married and though I live in a better area of town, I am still convinced that the best way to ensure my safety and that of my family is to be prepared to defend myself and them.

I discovered that my love and respect for life and my desire to protect it (mine or someone elses if need be) is what sets me apart from those 'bad guys with guns' who have no love or respect for life.
 
I carry a gun because the feel of cold steel and plastic on my hip excites me!!!:rolleyes:

Now for my second reason.
1977 - Houston TX pumping gas; the feel of a sawed off shotgun in my ribs and a guy demanding my money.

My 3rd reason.
1978 - Houston TX at work; robber demanded money and I refused (3rd time being robbed)
Was shot in the stomach with a 25cal pistol, 45 minutes later cops arrive.
I have robbers gun and he is face down on floor wishing to God he chose some other place to rob.
Swore to myself it would never happen again.

Fast forward 1992 Ft. Worth TX
Young male attempted to carjack me.
My 44mag snubby was much more menacing looking than his 380.

I will not be a victim ever again.
Rather judged by twelve than carried by six.
 
When the possibility of concealed carry grew in Ohio, I was interested, but only casually. In the age that I grew up (mostly in the 80s), only cops and bad guys had guns on them. I've been a dedicated hobbyist shooter since I was a teenager and I'd burned a HEAP of time, energy and money on guns and shooting, but concealed carry didn't seem "normal" to me because of the political climate surrounding my formative years.

It's funny how that works on your brain when you aren't paying attention.

When concealed carry went in to effect in Ohio, the law, as written, was horrendous. There were a couple major points that turned my stomach. One was that you could carry concealed legally (with the license) but you could NOT conceal in your vehicle. (Sound STUPID? It is.) You basically had to make your carry gun visible when inside your car. And worse, for me, was that there was no vehicle distinction for a motorcycle. So to be legal, I'd have to open carry on my motorcycle. Concealed carry in Ohio, at first, was fraught with pitfalls.

Perhaps worse? Many of the liberal-leaning newspaper outlets were scared of "blood running in the streets" and "old west shoot outs over parking spaces..." and they were VERY much against any form of legal concealed carry. And with journalist credentials, public records can be accessed and they could find *ANY* new licensee. So some newspapers threatened (and IIRC, executed!) a plan to PUBLISH names and addresses of anyone who applied for and received a concealed carry license.

So I just forgot about the idea of carrying concealed.
Fast forward a few years and after MANY revisions of the law in Ohio, we've shaped things to be FAR better. And as concealed carry has swept the nation, it's not quite as "new and shocking" and though the mainstream media still loathes us generally, they don't seem to threaten us with such action these days.

I got my license in 2008. At first, I got it because it seemed like a nice option whenever I chose to carry. But it didn't take me long to figure out that all I was doing was trying to "guess" at when I might need it. Like strapping on the seatbelt only 5% of the time I got in to the car, or considering purchasing car insurance early in a month while trying to guess whether or not I might have a wreck upcoming.

Once, when I was younger, I really, very much needed a loaded gun and I didn't have one. I became a victim.

The idea that I have the right to legally carry and I own the hardware to do so and I'm proficient in all facets of the concealed carry lifestyle, it only make sense to carry all of the time.

As was said, I keep fire extinguishers in the basement, kitchen and garage. For dead sure certain, I don't have these because I expect to have a fire. If I expected to have a fire, I would MOVE because frankly, I don't want a fire. Don't wanna lose all my stuff or maybe burn to death. If I thought I'd have a fire, I would address that immediate problem.

Instead, I keep these fire extinguishers handy in case I happen to have a fire.
 
Why carry a gun?
...because you never know when you might need one.

I can also relate to CajunBass's comments above...all of them:)
 
I carry every place it is legal to do so, and wish there were more such places. I was created in the image of a loving God and have value and those I love have value. My ethic requires me to die to protect the persons and property I am responsible for. I would much better require the evil to pay for their actions.
There are only two ways to modify behavior, reason and force. Without effective force the reasonable man or woman has no options to modify the behavior of evil men or women.
My enjoyment of firearms, which may relate to the "gun culture" is simply the ability with Jeff Cooper's "speed, accuracy and power" to affect a distant object. I like archery, skipping rocks across the pond and bowling too.

An armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life.

Robert A. Heinlein
 
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