You have heard me say, “If you are more than three seconds away from your gun, fix that right now.”
I actually borrowed that phrase from a friend of mine, Paul Markel. I give credit where it is due.
The reason I took that phrase is because I really believe it. While anti-gunners call us paranoid, I reply with two simple words. “I’m prepared.”
When someone—anyone—can accurately predict where and when the next violent crime will occur, I will give up my gun. Until then, I will have a gun on my hip everywhere I am legally allowed to carry. This is not because I am afraid; it is because I do not wish to allow those who would do me harm to have any advantage over me.
Clint Smith, the internationally known firearms instructor and founder of Thunder Ranch, reminds us that carrying a firearm is not supposed to be comfortable. It is supposed to be comforting. Wise words…but they are only partly true.
You can find a relatively comfortable means to carry your firearm. At the same time, the comfort you gain from carrying your gun should be offset by the huge responsibility it is to have a loaded gun ready for immediate use. If you don’t feel that sense of responsibility—if you don’t think about what it really means to carry your gun everywhere—well, you’re doing it wrong.
Your level of comfort will increase with your level of training. How seriously you take your responsibility will be reflected in the level of training you seek and how you continue that training to ensure your skills and your knowledge stay sharp.
Did you read that last part—the part about knowledge? Did you ever wonder why so many classes that prepare you to get your concealed carry permit do not require you to fire your gun? That’s because the most import element of effective concealed carry is understanding the legality of what you might be forced to do. Just strapping a gun on your hip and going about your daily business should give you no level of comfort. If you feel like you need to pull out your gun, you had better know that your actions are 100 percent legal—because that’s who we are. We are the good guys with guns. (My apologies to the female readers. My Wisconsin roots and our colloquial dialect up here tend to define “guys” as the entire community of people. As in, “You guys.” Which, of course, means everyone within earshot. But, I digress.)
The question in the headline asks, “Are you carrying right now?”
Well? Are you? I don’t know when you will be reading this column, but as you read it, stop and think about the location of your gun. Are you at home? Did you take off your gun and put it away after a long day of feeling the grip dig into your side? What if someone kicked in the door of your house right now? Home invasions happen. Would you rather draw your gun and stop the threat, or fight your way through the threat to get to your gun to stop the threat?
Go get your gun. Keep it with you. Keep it maintained, loaded, and ready. Get more training. Don’t listen to the naysayers. If something happens, they will be looking for someone with a gun to protect them.
