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Concealed Carry: It’s Time
Shooting a gun never appealed to me prior to five years ago. My attitude towards guns has shifted to a point where it seems natural and necessary to have one.
When my husband pressed me to have a gun in the house, I resisted for a few years. We live in a gated community, and having a gun in the house seemed excessive. I didn’t object to guns, per se, but I also didn’t much appreciate them. Since my husband was so determined to have one, given there has been minor crime in our development, I agreed. His first gun was a Glock 19. It felt heavy and intimidating to me, but I wasn’t going to use it—until my husband expressed his desire for me to learn how to use it, since it was going to be in the house. (Reflecting on his rationale, I don’t find it very persuasive, since I am rarely here without him!) But I finally tried it out at the first gun range which we joined.
The darn thing felt heavy. And the noise in the gun range was unbelievably loud. Even with earplugs and ear muffs, it was disturbing and difficult to tolerate. The trainer recommended a couple of adjustments, like getting my hair off my ears, and the ear muffs fit much better. Still, the indoor range was very loud, and I always jumped at the first shot fired by anyone.
Gradually I found I kind of liked shooting. We bought better ear protection, so that helped my attitude. I wasn’t a total disaster on my aim, but the gun still felt heavy to me. So we decided to buy a Ruger for me. That wasn’t a good idea. It had a kick that I disliked and it interfered with my aim. So I started to use my husband’s gun again, discovering that with my ongoing comfort with the idea of shooting, the weight didn’t bother me.
Eventually, my husband suggested I get my own Glock (and I suggested he get the newer model), and we also found a gun range, indoor/outdoor, closer to home (20 minutes). Long story, short—he now calls me Annie Oakley and I really enjoy the discipline and challenge. Before I go on the range, I always repeat the three rules: assume the gun is loaded; point in a safe direction and keep your finger off the trigger (when you’re not shooting).
But now the question of concealed carry has come up. A while ago my husband decided he should get one because the time might arrive when a citizen would not be permitted to have one; I thought that possibility sounded a bit extreme. With the latest proposed laws, and watching Republicans cave to ridiculous justifications for limitations on guns, I figured at the very least, I needed to get a permit.
This step and its significance for me is a big deal on a number of levels. I resent having to consider concealed carry because of the stupidity and ambitions of the Republicans. They are not even looking at the data to figure out which existing laws simply need to simply be applied, which new laws will make no difference at all, which proposals will cripple our current rights, and whether gun control is good for citizens and for the country. I resent living in a time when I don’t feel safe, that I have to take more responsibility for my safety, and that my peace of mind regarding my day-to-day life has been compromised (however little), so that I might need a gun. I resent feeling that I may be overreacting to the possible dangers, that I may be becoming paranoid, and that I am acquiescing to a trend.
At the same time, I read some statistics from 2018 (updated since) that made me feel less like an outlier and more in alignment with others who appreciate their Second Amendment Rights and concealed carry:
- Last year, despite the common perception that growth in the number of permit holders would stop after the 2016 election, the number of permits grew by about 890,000.
- Outside the restrictive states of California and New York, about 8.63% of the adult population has a permit.
- In fifteen states, more than 10% of adults have permits, up from just eleven last year.
- Alabama has the highest rate — 22.1%. Indiana is second with 17.9%, and South Dakota is a close third with 17.2%.
- Four states now have over 1 million permit holders: Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Texas.
- Another 14 states have adopted constitutional carry in all or almost all of their state, meaning that a permit is no longer required. However, because of these constitutional carry states, the nationwide growth in permits does not paint a full picture of the overall increase in concealed carry.
- Permits continued to grow much faster for women and minorities. Between 2012 and 2018, the percent of women with permits grew 111% faster for women and the percent of blacks with permits grew 20% faster than for whites. Permits for Asians grew 29% faster than for whites.
- Concealed handgun permit holders are extremely law-abiding. In Florida and Texas, permit holders are convicted of misdemeanors and felonies at one-sixth of the rate at which police officers are convicted.
I’ve made excuses for quite a while to avoid getting a concealed carry permit. I still dislike the idea of wearing a gun or carrying it in my purse. And yet–
It’s time.
Published in Guns
I carry gun incident legal representation insurance with USCCA. I carry their contact card in my wallet right next to my carry permit. It provides a lot of peace of mind for me.
I let my CCW expire 4 years ago, and have no intention of renewing it at present. I had several reasons for doing so, not the least was the lack of time to get to the range to maintain proficiency (not helped the closure of one range near me, and a general disgruntlement with the staff of the other one). But I had to make an honest assessment of things too.
For one, Ohio laws, while better than they used to be, make it a damned inconvenience to carry because there are so many places where you’re not allowed to carry – it would be a felony, for instance, when dropping my kids off at school if I put one toe out of the car to assist them in any way. I was frustrated at constantly having to either leave it at home, or lock it in a strong box in the car so often. What’s the point? Every time you have to holster and stow, or pull it back out again, you’re increasing the odds of either being made, or having an accident.
But the bigger reason was this: my routine varies so little that the odds on ever needing the thing were incalculably small. There honestly was no need for me to bother with it. Yes, I get having the CCW “because I can” – it feels a bit like sticking one’s thumb in the eyes of the Left – but realistically, I never live nor work in dangerous areas, and when going out to dinner with my wife it’s nice to share a couple glasses of wine (illegal to carry in Ohio when you’ve had any booze – yet more locking it up in the strong box). I’ve done it, I’ve got the gear, but honestly it was a waste.
Too many of us, and many random people get it for the benefits (like skipping the security line when going to Austin).
Nah, the first knocks will be the NFA trust people. A list of people with a list of the weapons. Sounds convenient.
If I had any patience at all I’d finish reading through the comments before commenting. However…
I do not have to have a driver’s license to drive on my own property. I can teach my underage grandson to drive on my own property. But…public roads are public roads, not just because the public can use them but because the public owns them. Therefore the public has a right to set rules for their use, and the public has done so. That includes age restrictions, passing a test, obtaining and maintaining a license. With penalties for failing to heed the rules.
Guns are to cars as apples are to lettuce.
“Guns are to cars as apples are to lettuce.” Not entirely. If you want to carry a concealed gun in public, then rules requiring gun proficiency and knowledge of the law are reasonable.
@chuckles
I think driving should be as absolute a right as owning a gun, and I think taxing cars and gasoline should be illegal.
Feel free to drive any where and any time and any way you like- just not on my property without my permission.
That’s fair!
Why do you specify concealed?
I also wonder why you’re not responding to the fact that cars are used in public, as a matter of course, but guns are only carried. Doesn’t that make a difference to you? How many people do you know who’ve been hurt in car accidents, versus concealed carry accidents?
Concealed weapons are more dangerous, so to carry concealed in public “rules requiring gun proficiency and knowledge of the law are reasonable.”
You have to pass written and practical driving tests before you can legally drive on public roads.
“..cars are used in public, as a matter of course” because they have many uses: transporting people to work, church, stores, entertainment; transporting goods and people for hire, driving to view the scenery, just plain driving for enjoyment, etc.
A concealed gun in public has really only one use – firing it at someone. I carry a concealed weapon in public to be prepared to defend myself, if necessary. Otherwise, why would I need to carry a gun around? For sport? then I would go to a range or to private property.
Car accidents are generally just that – accidents. When you pull a gun out, injuring or killing someone isn’t an accident. So you need to know how to use the gun, when and when not to use the gun, etc.
What is so hard about this? What I seem to hear in many of these comments is – “I should be able to carry my gun any time, anywhere, no rules, no restrictions because………the Constitution.”
The Constitution gives us the right of free speech. But there are laws against (for a hoary example) “yelling fire in a crowded theater” when there is no fire.
The Constitution does not give us the right of free speech, it defends it. The Constitution does not give us the right to defend ourselves, it defends that right.
We do not have an inalienable right to drive an automobile, the Constitution neither gives nor defends such.
And, btw, I am quite comfortable refusing to allow someone I don’t know to enter my home, which I own, either carrying open or concealed. Especially if I have no reason to believe they know doodly squat about gun safety or how to use it properly. On the public streets is another matter.
You are perfectly free to yell fire in a crowded theater, even if there is no fire, if you had a reasonable belief that there was a fire. You are liable for damages, if there are any, and if your belief was not reasonable. Prior restraint of crying fire is unconstitutional.
You’re saying that concealing a handgun makes it more dangerous? Or you talking about carrying, in general?
In other words, cars are more dangerous, and they’re dangerous in a way that guns are not.
It’s true that lawfully-carried guns are only used for self-defense, but that means that gun you carry is almost never being actually used (except for range-time). Yet you’re comparing the 2-ton vehicles that people are using in public, sometimes for multiple hours each day, to weapons that aren’t leaving their holsters. That doesn’t mean we can’t have a training requirement, but it does mean you’re using a weak comparison.
It seems obvious to me that a much less burdensome way of ensuring people have a basic level of safe gun-handling is to give a few hours of instruction in grade school (or home-school), with a refresher course for high-school-aged kids. Then spend a few more hours teaching the high school kids their state’s laws about the use of force, as part of a civics course. I bet local gun shops or gun ranges would be happy to get involved.
This is another comparison that works out better for my side than yours. We don’t deal with the downside of free speech by requiring people to pass a government training course before they’re allowed to speak, or have a social media account, or publish a book.
I disagree. There are other very important courses that need to be offered that are not offered–like American history, the Constitution and so on. If you wanted to make it available as an elective, with parent approval, I might consider it. But I don’t remember electives being offered at the grade-school level. Unless you can get rid of the other ridiculous courses that are forced on kids, I’d not approve of it.
Requiring training, or any other prerequisite in order to possess or carry weapons serves only to allow the government a convenient excuse to make the training too difficult to master. Any infringement is unreasonable, and unconstitutional.
I’ve said my piece. You guys are arguing for the sake of arguing and it’s getting less than enlightening. See you on another thread.
H.S. electives; I’ve no idea how widespread it is/was, but in my school (Texas) 1964 I had some choices. Trig, for example, was not mandatory. Some kids took automotive shop I don’t recall what I took but wish I’d taken automotive shop. Earlier, I guess 1959, So. Cal., there was an option – I think PE or shop, I took shop.
When I said a few hours, I meant just that. Not a few hours per week. Realistically, it would probably be less than that.
I would submit that most government-required training to carry a handgun is worthless. To be effective, it would probably have to take so long as to constitute an undue burden, and prior restraint of a fundamental right.
You really don’t need to make snarky comments on your way out. It’s not enlightening at all.
This is why we need mandatory training before people are allowed to chat online.
I think she had a point,Joshua. The discussion was becoming a bit. . . bogged down. Although your last point made me chuckle. I’ll get in line!