Why you carry your handgun

I carry a gun because I have a moral obligation to try to protect the lives of myself, my family, and others if reasonably possible. "Reasonably possible" would depend on the particular circumstances of the incident. I have no illusions of being a hero, only doing what any sensible human would do if faced with a life threatening situation. I don't always feel like carrying a gun, but the State of Texas has issued me a concealed carry permit, so I would hate to think what it would be like if I had not been prepared for a deadly situation and someone lost their life if I could have saved it. Law enforcement officers cannot be everywhere at all times and usually they are not at the scene of a deadly incident until after injuries or fatalities have occurred. I try to be somewhat prepared for a violent or deadly incident, yet I pray I am not involved in one.

As for the term "gun culture", I feel it is the invention of people with unrealistic expectations of what our society could be and is generally used with a negative bias against guns and gun owners. It generally does not reflect the positive uses of firearms such as hunting, self defense, home defense, and recreational shooting and it generally focuses on crime and the other negative aspects of guns.
 
Oh, to the term "Gun Culture."
I agree that it seems to be a term used by someone WELL OUTSIDE of that "culture" and typically used in some derogatory fashion, meant to be condescending. A similar term would be "Gun nuts."

You may find that many of us call ourselves or refer to ourselves as "Gun cranks", or perhaps you have to get OLD to fall in to that group. :p

I used to call myself a "very active hobbyist shooter", but it seems now that "active shooter" a newly labeled term for some crazy psycho that's way off his meds and is in the process of murdering people.

"Firearms enthusiast" sounds... silly. But it's accurate.

Lots of us casually call ourselves "Gun guys."

What's also worth a snicker is when I tell people that I'm a very active, high volume hobbyist handloader. Most folks (even a few people with guns who aren't much in to a lot of shooting) have -NO IDEA- what a handloader is. :D
 
I started carrying a handgun many years ago when I realized I had a responsibility to my family to protect them, and to protect myself and come home safe to them. My daughters are grown now, living on their own, but they still need the things a dad provides, and my wife will always need a loving husband. Having a firearm readily available improves my chances of being there for them for a longer time.

As mentioned earlier, the term "gun culture" is usually used in a derogatory manner, with the implication that people who own guns possess an inherent character flaw that makes them violent, bigoted, ignorant, and dangerous. In truth, people from all walks of life own guns; they listen to all sorts of music, eat all sorts of foods, hold every imaginable religious belief, and even run the spectrum of political affiliations and positions. The overwhelming majority are honest, respectful, and safe. One has to wonder why, if all of the owners of the three hundred million plus guns in the US are dangerous to society as those who portray the "gun culture" would have us believe, the kind of violence that makes headlines still makes headlines.
 
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Why do I carry a gun?

Nate, after 27 years of carrying two guns to work daily, I guess part of it is force of habit. Of course, during those years I learned there is, sadly, a growing segment of our society that feels they have the right to take anything they want whenever they want it. Even sadder many of these folks feel it’s acceptable to use any amount of force to achieve their ends. I will do whatever is necessary to protect my family, friends, and myself from harm.

As for the “gun culture” I grew up around firearms and throughout my life the majority of my friends enjoyed the varied shooting sports. So I just accepted it as a normal part of my life. As I’ve always believed it was important to be a well-rounded person, I’ve always attempted to have various interests and activities in my life.

The question was not asked, but I will give my answer anyway. In the 11 years I’ve been retired and a civilian, I have not had felt it necessary to draw my gun. I have on two or three occasions have been in a situation where I was discretely reaching for it. I also believe that whenever I can do safely I have a duty to retreat, and deadly force is to be a last resort.
 
Guess I'm part of the "gun culture" since I grew up with them, watched westerns which were full of them, and was raised by a veteran of WW II and a part time police officer.

For those reasons, I love westerns and the best reason for me to carry a pistol came out of the western mini series, " Lonesome Dove".

Captain Call handed young Newt a pistol and holster and stated, " Here, better to have this and not need it than to need it and NOT have it!"

Good luck with your paper and remember the admonition I saw posted earlier. "Keep in mind the views of your instructor on this subject"! Your grade may depend upon you not stepping on his/her toes too hard:D
 
"Gun Culture" is a catch phase made up by a 2A regressive media in an attempt to demonize firearm owners. It's nothing more than a lame attempt to sensationalize a rather mundane topic.

As for carrying a firearm, why would you not carry a compact life saving device if the law permitted. I consider personal safety and that of my family a number one priority. Why be a willing victim if you don't have to? I may not successful in protecting my loved ones but I sure won't be a willing participant.
 
I don't believe there actually is a gun culture. The term is used to demonize people who own guns by placing them in an identified group which is easy to label and dismiss.

It is the same tactic as labeling rifles "assault rifles", which by the way is based on looks instead of function. To top it off, those types of guns are rarely used in crimes yet are on top of the ban list. Why is that? Those who want to ban them are disingenuous when they say it is about making the streets a safer.

Why do I carry a gun? First, I am responsible of my own safety. The police, despite their union rhetoric, are not here to personally provide for my safety. They are here for the collective and this has been decided in the courts by the way. In other words, you are on your own.

Secondly, it is my right to do so with no other reason needed.
 
You are right, the term "gun culture" has become a pejorative, so I address the issue of gun owners as a broad group by using the term "gun community". You kow how libs like the word community, it's that "it takes a village" kind of thing to them. So I use their self proclaimed term to diffuse the issue.

Besides, a community is a more accurate description because within a community there are many cultures who reside that live, work and play together.

If I go any further on this we'll all be hugging and singing KumBaYah, so I will shut up!
 
First, I think the term "gun culture" is something invented by the anti-gun zealots. It's a very prejudicial term. Some of us are simply gun owners. Others may be gun enthusiasts, collectors, hunters, or competition shooters. Most people who own guns don't carry them.

I do carry a gun. I started carrying when my work required that I manage some properties in an industrial area. Contrary to what many folks who train gun owners how to defend themselves with a gun, I don't always carry. I sometimes leave the gun locked up in my vehicle, or at home. To me, I love having the right to carry a gun, but it really can be a PITA.
 
With two robberies in which the BGs killed three defenseless victims, within a half mile of where I live, I thought it prudent to arm myself. The whole world lieth in the wicked one says the Apostle John.
 
Ha. I didn't read all these responses. So I apologize if this has been mentioned. You are from Detroit and you really need to ask? Ok in all seriousness. I like to feel I can help and positively change the course of a violent attack on me should it occur. I've been interested in and positively exposed to good firearms usage and therefore "like" to carry a firearm as much as I believe it to be a good tool for life preservation. Growing up near Detroit I have lost various people I have known through my younger years to various violence. Not just violence involving guns but other objects. All these victims were not armed themselves. They basically died without a fight. I feel VERY strongly that competent, good morales citizens who are proficient with and carry arms for defense are one of the best methods to combat the evil nature of some men. I want to be included in the company of these good people.
 
- Why do you carry a gun?
~~ i carry my gun because carrying a police officer hurts my back, haha in all seriousness first and foremost the main reason is for personal defense, i was a victim before, i refuse to become one again. 2nd is to exerscise my legal 2A right to bear arms
 
I don't carry a gun, except to and from the range or were I hunt.
I have carried in the past and I can't rule out the possibility of doing so in the future. As it stands I don't have a compelling reason to.

Gun culture is pretty amorphous. It varies from area to area and person to person.

For most of my life gun culture meant two things, look at that gun cool let's shoot it, and look at that animal cool lets shoot it.

I think that was true for the majority of gun owners till relatively recent times.

Starting probably around the late 1960s the demographics of gun ownership changed.
Hunting as a proportion of gun uses has shrunk quite a bit.
With the loss of purchasing power that started to accelerate in 1980s the average gun started to grow beyond being a casual purchase. The number of people who shoot just for fun has also shrunk.

At the same time people who own guns for personal or home defense started to grow as a proportion of gun owners. This group tends to be more politically active and visible.

It's probably a predictable shift as the nation becomes more urban.
 
I didn't feel like typing it, so I'll C&P the truth for you.


"In my experience, those individuals who carry do so because they very consciously do not want to belong to the class of citizens that is inherently helpless — totally reliant upon the state to protect not just themselves but their family, friends, and neighbors. If the choice is between protectors and protected, they choose to be protectors.

This identity is often inseparable from the notion that there is no set of government policies — no utopia — that can eliminate from human society the need for immediate protection. People can and will try to hurt others — using whatever means immediately available — and it strikes us as utterly reckless to be unprepared for this reality.

The protected class has a different view. The protected class is a dependent class — not economically dependent of course, but dependent on the state in perhaps a more fundamental way (for their very lives) – and like members of other dependent classes, they are terrified of flaws in the state’s protective apparatus.


http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/371307/why-people-carry-guns-response-david-frum-david-french#!
 
'Gun Culture' should be described as the 'Shepherd Culture'. Not all of us care to be victims, nor do we care to rely on somebody getting there in time.

Yesterday, while inspecting a house, I heard a woman screaming inside another house. I felt helpless since I wasn't going into the fray, so I called PD. It only took them 43 minutes to arrive. The suspect had left and I gave a 1/2 way description. The woman never answered the door for them, so they finally left.

She wasn't able to defend herself. PD weren't there. If they had been, they could have gone in and done something. I suspect it will happen again and guess she'll just have to get used to it. I suppose she relied on somebody to come rescue her.
It's the difference between her and my wife. You want to beat my wife, help yourself. I'll call EMTs so they can come and pick up your body.
 
There was a post on the rec.guns usenet newsgroup about 20 years ago, entitled something like "first pistol belt". It was written by a woman reminiscing about how, as a child, she would go to the range with her parents to shoot. One day she was given a belt and holster and allowed to actually carry a holstered pistol between turns at the target. She was overwhelmed at the trust and acceptance her parents thus demonstrated.

A character in Robert Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress opined that "sovereign" is simply a word in the dictionary between "sober" and "sozzled" but it is more. There is sovereignty associated with assuming the responsibilities of an adult citizen, to behave lawfully and with awareness of the potential consequences of one's actions. Among with these responsibilities is the duty and right to protect one's self, family, and potentially village, town, state, and Nation from gratuitous aggression. A child is not expected to know "Right" from "Wrong" but an adult is.

So there are (at least) two distinct "gun cultures" in this country. Yes, the phrase is derogatory and invented to demonize people (us), but it bears further examination.

In one gun culture, the one we are used to, a person who demonstrates adult maturity and responsibility has earned respect, and is trusted with weapons for defense, for feeding the family, or for any other lawful use.

In the other, a person acquires a gun and demands respect - not on the basis of trust, but on the basis of terror - because he'll shoot you if you disrespect him. In that culture the word "bad" is good - because if one is "bad" enough, everyone knows not to cross him. In that culture, being "good" is belittled, ridiculed, and derided because it is associated with adhering to the tenets of the larger society, with which that culture is in conflict.

As many have already said on this thread, I carry because I do not want my last thought to be, "I could have prevented this had I not been too lazy to holster up this morning." Same reason I vote every election - a right neglected is a right lost.
 
I carry because I am a gun guy. I've been one since my earliest memory. My dad was a gun guy and his was too. I like having them around me.

Secondly, while I don't expect to ever need it, I want it there in case I do.

I'm guessing "gun culture" is just a term somebody, who never shot one, came up with to try to put a lable on what they don't understand.
 
I don't carry a weapon.

I am the weapon. The gun is just a tool.

::slow walk towards camera after explosion::


No seriously, I don't carry a gun. The gun carries me.
 
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