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Self Protection

I had a friend ask me once, “Why do you feel the need to carry a gun?” It’s a fair question. It wasn’t a verbal attack -- she just wanted to know. Now, I can’t speak for everyone, but my main reason is simple: to protect myself and others.

Wanting to know more, she followed up with, “Well, yes, but why do you feel like you need to protect yourself?”

To my friend, the idea of concealed carry seemed paranoid. I read a quote recently that I feel addresses this concern perfectly. “It’s not about the odds, it’s about the stakes.” Self defense is not just about having a set of skills, it’s the mindset that you and your loved ones are worth being protected.

As I mentioned, the biggest reason I carry a gun is for protection. Here’s my thought process: I acknowledge there are people in this world who have either the intention or willingness to harm others to get what they want. I certainly don’t want to be fearful, but I also want to be realistic. I carry a gun to prevent those kinds of intentions from being forced on me. You don’t get to choose if or when you may need a gun. Someone else does that and it’s not likely they’d give you much notice.

If I ever need to tell an attacker to back off, I want to be able to back up my words with action! I’m a petite woman (not quite 5’2”), with an awareness of my inability to overpower someone significantly larger. A gun, however, could really level the playing field.

I’m not even talking “worst case scenario” here. It’s possible that just by having a gun (not even shooting it!), I could discourage an attacker or criminal. If you’d like a few examples of what can and does happen all over the country (more frequently than any of us might imagine), check out the following stories posted on the website, The Well Armed Woman: 

 Women's Survival Stories - Shopping With my Mom

Women's Survival Stories - The Gun I didn't Have to Use

It’s not just for my own concern that I carry a gun, but also for those around me. I believe it’s essential for society to have people who are willing to stop violence (police, military, firefighters, concealed carry permit holders, etc). As I strive to be a responsible gun owner, I hope those around me will be at least somewhat safer because of it. It's possible I’ll never need to use my gun (I hope that’s the case!), but I’d still like to be prepared.

Interestingly enough, the same friend later told me that even though she doesn’t have the desire to carry a gun herself, she feels safer around me, knowing I do carry one.

If you carry some type of self defense tool, what are your reasons for carrying?

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