New QotD- Why did you decide to carry a firearm?

[headcase]

I originally thought I would ask this of members who were not raised around firearms, but I guess it should be open to all. I am not looking for, "because I can", or,"it's my right", kind of answers. What I would like to see are specific reasons, or events, that spurred you on toward daily carry. I am especially interested in reasons from people who did not previously own a handgun, who bought one with the express intent of carrying it.

For myself, my background is I was raised in Queens, N.Y. In the neighborhood of Far Rockaway, specifically, where the only guns were possessed by cops or robbers. I moved around a bit as an adult, but firearms were not part of my thought process. I joined the Army, and became quite proficient with small arms and explosives. The Army changed my core, as the service does for many, but when I was discharged, I left my weapons behind.

One day, as my son and I were playing at our local park, I noticed a large group of kids, ranging in age from 11 to about 16, passing by. They were surrounding an older guy, I would say he was about 30, and they were listening to him talk much like I would assume the disciples listened to Jesus.
The snippet of conversation I heard, as they passed, changed how I thought about my area. It went something like this:

30 year old, to group of kids, "When you wit us, you ain't got shit to worry 'bout a'ight. Y'all got static or some ***** roll up wit some beef, all you gots to do is yell and we be here fowty deep yo'...."

In the park where my son plays. In the park where my family gathers to barbecue and swim. Gang recruiting. There were enough unsupervised kids to form a two deep ring around this guy. I was at the gun store that same night. Forty deep the scumbag said. Since the second I received my LTCF I have never gone anywhere in my local area unarmed.

OASN~ The park this happened at is directly across the street from the police station....

You?

[incynr8]

i grew up in the country, isolated area.

I was 21 and wanted to exercise my rights, as well as have protection just in case. I also learned that LTCF went hand-in-hand for handgun hunting, travel with handgun INTRA state, and the ability to wear the item to target ranges, even in the car instead of dealing with the cases back and forth, etc.

then I moved to the city and it was about protection of my person.

now I am back in the country and all the above feels applicable to me in a totality.

[1861]

my earliest memories are of hunting with my daddy . I joined the army straight out of high school ( 1965 ) when I discharged I went to work as police officer ( 1970 ) retired in 1998 . so I guess you could say I have always been a gun person .

[lildobe]

While I did grow up around guns, they were always used for hunting and target practice.

About 4 years ago now, I had the opportunity to work as a police/fire/ems dispatcher, and 911 operator. (A job that I would like to do again, if only I could find an "in" somewhere) If anything, that job taught me that bad things happen, and they usually happen to good people.

When I moved back to Pennsylvania, I learned how easy it was to get a LTCF. I also had some extra money, so I purchased a pistol and got my LTCF. Since then I've also gotten myself some decent training as well.

I carry because bad things happen to good people, and you can never be truly safe anywhere.

[jmiro]

Guns were in our house as a child but never insight. My father taught me how to shoot a riffle. I didn't and still dont like hunting. I initailly got a pistol to go with my friends to the range.

The feild I work in lets you here about people at their worst. I make decisions that could lead to people being very unhappy with me.

After hearing the stories of what people are capable of and a few confrontations with people who were unhappy with my decisions a began to carry. I m not ready to leave this earth yet and will do what it takes to keep me above ground.

[the_mav]

My wife isn't too thrilled that I sometimes carry, let alone have a firearm in the house, but I do it for protecting the family as necessary.

I'll do what I have to do to protect them, but I have to admit that I'd be worried about the legal issues afterwards, should anything take place and I actually shoot someone. This is also why I prefer spray instead as I think it's 'safer', if that makes any sense.

I was mugged a few years ago in MD (ironic as no matter what I did I could never get a license there) when going to meet a supposed client, who ended up staging the entire thing. I wasn't hurt, just assaulted and everything stolen. It's changed me quite a bit on the perception of what is most important in life and the utter disregard of other people.

So, when necessary, I carry for protecting the family and would do whatever it takes to keep them safe.

[Asterix909]

Well... I don't actually carry... yet...

I was raised in a no-gun household. I think this was 90% because my family was not very outdoorsy, and 10% we live in a safer than normal urban area.

It is strange though, because I am sure my mom was probably more proficient with a firearm as a child than I was... But this stems from that fact that her family was a more outdoorsy family. The first gun I shot was put in my hands by her dad when I was very young:-)

But for some reason she was never very keen on the idea of guns. We always had my dad's grandfather's winchester 94 in the house... but I swear it had probably only come out of the closet like 3 times in my memory (prior to this month)... and never shot.

I always enjoyed shooting though. I had the opportunity to go shooting on occasion with friends, family, etc... but not that much at all.
During school I always wanted to pick up a .22 for plinking- but that never happened. Money was always tight.

But also keep in mind that guns were kind of taboo in my family. But not in the 'Zomg guns r baaaaaaaaaaaad' sort of way; it was more just like they didn't exist- if that makes any sense. Kind of like, I am sure few of you ever consider buying a loom. Its just something that you don't really know about, don't talk about, and thus don't consider doing- even though it might have been a bit fun. So it was a very BIG step for me to consider getting one (gun, not loom ).

So finally after making it out into the real world (and tasting the glorious flavor of real money) I took the step and *investigated* about buying a gun.
I didn't know the laws or how the laws affected me. Once I was sure I wouldn't get myself put behind bars due to ignorance, I went ahead and got my m&p9.

But this was still my first gun. I was (*cough* am *cough*) not proficient with it. I am not comfortable in my skills or handling. Thus I do not carry it.

I figure once I get my groupings under control and become consistent and capable just shooting it, and I get better safety/proficiency training then I will practice wearing it... and eventually I may actually wear it.

But maybe not. It all depends if I can get myself to feel absolutely certain that my skill and ability is at 100%.

I'd rather leave myself vulnerable than become another risk to others.

EDIT:

I am not looking for, "because I can", or,"it's my right", kind of answers.

there, none of that stuff from me:-) Gun rights are one of the last political concerns on my list. Hate me if you want, but I'd take extreme gun control over some economic issues any day if I absolutely had to choose...

[mjfletcher]

I originally thought I would ask this of members who were not raised around firearms, but I guess it should be open to all. I am not looking for, "because I can", or,"it's my right", kind of answers. What I would like to see are specific reasons, or events, that spurred you on toward daily carry. I am especially interested in reasons from people who did not previously own a handgun, who bought one with the express intent of carrying it.

For myself, my background is I was raised in Queens, N.Y. In the neighborhood of Far Rockaway, specifically, where the only guns were possessed by cops or robbers. I moved around a bit as an adult, but firearms were not part of my thought process. I joined the Army, and became quite proficient with small arms and explosives. The Army changed my core, as the service does for many, but when I was discharged, I left my weapons behind.

One day, as my son and I were playing at our local park, I noticed a large group of kids, ranging in age from 11 to about 16, passing by. They were surrounding an older guy, I would say he was about 30, and they were listening to him talk much like I would assume the disciples listened to Jesus.
The snippet of conversation I heard, as they passed, changed how I thought about my area. It went something like this:

30 year old, to group of kids, "When you wit us, you ain't got shit to worry 'bout a'ight. Y'all got static or some ***** roll up wit some beef, all you gots to do is yell and we be here fowty deep yo'...."

In the park where my son plays. In the park where my family gathers to barbecue and swim. Gang recruiting. There were enough unsupervised kids to form a two deep ring around this guy. I was at the gun store that same night. Forty deep the scumbag said. Since the second I received my LTCF I have never gone anywhere in my local area unarmed.

OASN~ The park this happened at is directly across the street from the police station....

You?

13 yr old, 9mm, didn't know how to use it so he pulled the trigger on a gun that had no round in the chamber, wasn't cocked, and had the safety on. I was 19, up to that point in my life I refused to even touch a gun, but after that I decided as soon as I hit 21 I was getting my LTCF and a gun.

[KnightZero]

I grew up in a neighborhood where all the bad guys had guns, and all the good guys were afraid of guns. Although I moved away from all that around the age of 15, I knew I wanted to own a firearm legally as soon as I was of the proper age, just to prove that the good guys could. My mother was strongly anti-gun, so I didn't have much opportunity to experience firearms, but I did get to see my first rifle fired at a Royal Rangers outing. My mother was appalled that a group of "Christian" men would be exposing her son to such evil things - I didn't get to stay in the Royal Rangers for long after that..

Although I still had a passion for it, when my 21st birthday rolled around, I was still very nervous about getting into firearms - mainly because of the words drilled into my head by a very frightened mother who only saw them as a tool of the bad guys. Finally, one payday I picked up my then-fiancee and declared that we were going to the shooting range - I knew if I sat around to think about it I would talk myself out of it. I fired a .22 revolver for my first time that day and was hooked - I quickly got over my fear. My ex out-shot me that day, though.

Two weeks later I purchased my Walther and applied for my LTCF. Good guys can carry guns too. WooHoo!

[andrewjs18]

Caa2003's Dad got me more into guns and wanting to enjoy them.

I was around a lot of smaller caliber guns and bb gun's as a kid, but never really excited me until about 3-4 years ago.

Man, nothing is more fun then plinking beer cans at 25-30 yards with a bb gun.