Giving up something to carry a gun

People want to know what changes they will need to make in their lives when they decide to carry a gun for self-protection. The answer I usually give out isn’t about new clothing or different equipment, it’s about a new attitude. Specifically, you can’t get angry when you carry a gun.

Ever. Let me say that again in another way: Carrying a gun means giving up your right to be angry at the actions of others, no matter how unbelievably stupid those actions may have been. 

An example. 

A friend of mine’s boyfriend got into an argument while driving with the driver of another car. Words were exchanged, and both cars pulled over to the side of the road. My friends boyfriend walked out of his car with his gun in hand, determined the other driver was unarmed, and drove off, believing the incident to be over. 

The other driver called the cops, claiming my friend’s boyfriend had pulled a gun on him (which, in reality, is sorta what happened). My friend’s boyfriend had a long legal journey that only recently came to an end and with a satisfactory (but not exculpatory) conclusion. 

What if he had just walked away and not stoked the fires of anger? What if he gave up his “right” to express his anger at that @#$! who just cut him off at traffic? Would he have had to worry about that other driver being armed? Would he to face a mountain of legal bills and possible loss of his right of armed self-defence? Is giving up the pretend right of being angry at someone worth the loss of your actual right to arm yourself in defense of your life and your loved ones? 

If  you answer to that question is “No, I am not willing to give up my right to get angry”, please don’t own a gun. The safety of myself others around you depend on such things. 

Drive (and live) Defensively

If you’ve never owned a gun, the thought of carrying one on your person for self-defense can seem a bit intimidating, because after all, you’re carrying something that can potentially kill other people. 

But driving a car also means you’re using a machine that can potentially kill other people, yet we do that all the time without much concern. The good news is, the same concepts that keep us safe while driving a lethal instrument like a car can also keep us safe when carrying a gun. 

Defensive driving is about trying to minimize the odds of hazards happening by anticipating the other drivers’ moves. It’s not about being paranoid or stocking up for the zombie apocalypse, it’s about being aware of what’s happening on the road around you. 

We do this on the road without thinking about it because we’ve practiced it for years. We’re not nervous about driving, we’re alert. We keep the music loud enough to enjoy, but quiet enough to hear an oncoming emergency vehicle. We keep our anger in check because we know that causes accidents, and we keep an eye out for people who aren’t as careful.

We are safer in our cars because we are situationally aware, and we are safer outside of our cars if we take that awareness with us when we leave our vehicles. 

“You have the rest of your life to solve your problems. How long you live depends on how well you do it.” 

– Clint Smith