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Why are you carrying that firearm?

SFCRetired

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2008
Messages
1,764
Location
Montgomery, Alabama, USA
Normally, when I am asked this question (not very often), my answer is, "Because it is my right as a free man and because I care about the safety of myself and my family." I will usually go on to explain that, yes, it is legal in Alabama and will refer them to either this site or ALOC.

The exception was the little gang-banger wannabe who said, "Hey, Pops, why you packing?"

My answer, "You don't know?"

His response, "Naw!"

Again, "I didn't tell you?"

His response, with a smirk, "Naw!"

"Then it must be none of your damn business!"

His little buddies cracked up laughing at him. He even started laughing. Then he came back with, very politely, "Sir, why do you carry?"

From that, we had a pretty good little discussion and I hope they learned something about both respect and firearms.
 

HolyOrangeJuice

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 26, 2010
Messages
221
Location
AZ
Normally, when I am asked this question (not very often), my answer is, "Because it is my right as a free man and because I care about the safety of myself and my family." I will usually go on to explain that, yes, it is legal in Alabama and will refer them to either this site or ALOC.

The exception was the little gang-banger wannabe who said, "Hey, Pops, why you packing?"

My answer, "You don't know?"

His response, "Naw!"

Again, "I didn't tell you?"

His response, with a smirk, "Naw!"

"Then it must be none of your damn business!"

His little buddies cracked up laughing at him. He even started laughing. Then he came back with, very politely, "Sir, why do you carry?"

From that, we had a pretty good little discussion and I hope they learned something about both respect and firearms.

;) LOVE it!
 

DWCook

Activist Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2010
Messages
432
Location
Lenexa, Kansas
I personally carry a firearm due to the increase rate of crime and not enough police protection for the city. Numious times of crimes and police dont get there fast enough and someone gets hurt.
 

MamaLiberty

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2006
Messages
894
Location
Newcastle, Wyoming, USA
I personally carry a firearm due to the increase rate of crime and not enough police protection for the city. Numious times of crimes and police dont get there fast enough and someone gets hurt.

Just a few problems with that idea, DW... The crime rate is actually falling, in part due to more people going armed I believe.

But it is important for people to understand that the "police" or sheriff or any other "law enforcement" bunch has absolutely ZERO obligation to defend anyone personally, or to come to their aid when called. This has been established over and over again at every court level including the Supreme court. So you need to carry because YOU and YOU alone are responsible for your safety.

And you might give some thought to how many innocent people get hurt AFTER the cops show up...

Dial 911 and die...
 

protias

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2008
Messages
7,308
Location
SE, WI
Just a few problems with that idea, DW... The crime rate is actually falling, in part due to more people going armed I believe.

But it is important for people to understand that the "police" or sheriff or any other "law enforcement" bunch has absolutely ZERO obligation to defend anyone personally, or to come to their aid when called. This has been established over and over again at every court level including the Supreme court. So you need to carry because YOU and YOU alone are responsible for your safety.

And you might give some thought to how many innocent people get hurt AFTER the cops show up...

Dial 911 and die...

Crime over all has been falling, but in some places it has increased, like in the Twin Cities (MN).
 

bullyforyou

New member
Joined
Apr 19, 2010
Messages
5
Location
Limington, Maine, USA
in my older age i've stopped trying to explain to folks "why" i carry a gun. while i've only been asked a scant few times, my answer today is:

"...the fact you had to ask indicates to me that you are either not inclined to, or are incapable of, understanding the answer."
 

Giant81

New member
Joined
Oct 7, 2010
Messages
5
Location
Montfort, WI
I guess my answer would be something along the lines of

"Why not?"

Might even tack on something like "While I agree that we live in a relatively safe society compared to most out in the world, bad things still happen to good people."
 

since9

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Jan 14, 2010
Messages
6,964
Location
Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
"Because I can't carry a cop?"

No, that's been said.

How about this: Because our Founding Fathers saw fit to damn well ensure each and every one of us would forever be fully armed to resist any and all attempts to subvert our way of life!

Yeah, I'll buy that.
 

Ruby

Regular Member
Joined
May 5, 2010
Messages
1,201
Location
Renton, Washington, USA
I don't think that it helps our cause to give someone a smart ass answer to this question. I always answer that I carry for self protection, to deter an attack on me or someone near me, and because it is my Constitutional right. Some people really want to know; perhaps they really haven't thought about it until they saw someone OC. Be professional, be polite, and you may open someone's mind. If you give someone a smart ass answer, it doesn't help you or them.
 

eye95

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 6, 2010
Messages
13,524
Location
Fairborn, Ohio, USA
I don't think that it helps our cause to give someone a smart ass answer to this question. I always answer that I carry for self protection, to deter an attack on me or someone near me, and because it is my Constitutional right. Some people really want to know; perhaps they really haven't thought about it until they saw someone OC. Be professional, be polite, and you may open someone's mind. If you give someone a smart ass answer, it doesn't help you or them.

+1. Be rational in the face of an emotional reaction.
 

meyek91974

New member
Joined
Aug 8, 2010
Messages
9
Location
Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Why I Open Carry

Although I have had a concealed carry license in two states for about fifteen years, I had a problem when needing to renew my license this time. It seems that Kentucky has a law which if a persons' child support arrearage (backed payment) is greater that the ammount of the current one years' payment amount, he/she may not have a license.

The issue is that I found that I have a daughter via e-mail and as of the time which child support was established I was "greatly" behind. Although my payment is based on current and arrearage, my child support payment was lowered this year as I am unemployed, on govt sub income, and have cancer. Ultimately, as my arrearage is greater than $540, I am not able to have a concealed carry license. - Go figure.

Kentucky is an Open Carry state and I will go about my day that way. -- Offhand, though, I do not see the corelation between legal firearm carry for a licensed law-abiding citizen and the cost of putting food in my daughters' belly. (help on that one)
 

brimst0ne13

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2010
Messages
13
Location
Alabama
Civil answer: "Because it is my legal right to do so, and my personal obligation to protect myself and my fellow citizens in times of immediate life threatening danger."

Goofy answers: "Because i cant quite throw my bullets hard enough to defend myself."

"because it just makes my eyes pop, dont'cha think?"

"Sometimes my steak is a little too rare, so i gotta pop it once or twice."

"to make you ask questions."

"it costs me $300 for a gun, rather than my family $10,000 for funeral costs."
 

Brimstone Baritone

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2010
Messages
786
Location
Leeds, Alabama, USA
Among people that I have a good relationship with (for instance, coworkers who encounter me on my off days), I usually use an amusing or disarming (pun intended) response. My favorites are "Because cops are too heavy" and "The holster matches my shoes/The grips bring out my eyes". Most of them are intelligent enough to know why people carry guns and what they are used for. Most of them really mean "Why do you carry like that?" and it usually leads to some great conversations where I get to explain/defend the legality of OC.

Among people that I don't know, and usually don't care to know, My response would probably be "Do I know you?" So far though, I haven't been approached because I tend to put off a 'leave me alone' vibe.

When encountering police, the reasons don't seem to matter much. I'm usually trying to reinforce the legality of carrying.
 

merc460

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 20, 2010
Messages
229
Location
North Carolina, USA
Among people that I have a good relationship with (for instance, coworkers who encounter me on my off days), I usually use an amusing or disarming (pun intended) response. My favorites are "Because cops are too heavy" and "The holster matches my shoes/The grips bring out my eyes". Most of them are intelligent enough to know why people carry guns and what they are used for. Most of them really mean "Why do you carry like that?" and it usually leads to some great conversations where I get to explain/defend the legality of OC.

Among people that I don't know, and usually don't care to know, My response would probably be "Do I know you?" So far though, I haven't been approached because I tend to put off a 'leave me alone' vibe.

When encountering police, the reasons don't seem to matter much. I'm usually trying to reinforce the legality of carrying.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, to people that should already know. Go figure.:confused:
 
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