10 things non-gun people should know about CWP holders.

[Serenity]

I was thinking the other day, not about the rabidly anti-gun forces and how to reach them (they are pretty much a lost cause) but about how much could possibly be done if the more or less apathetic non-gun crowd could be reached and educated. So I came up with 10 things I’d like non-gun people to know about most CWP holders.

Tell me what you think and add your own points too if you like.

There’s a lot of misinformation out there these days about people who have chosen to exercise their right to carry a concealed weapon according to the provisions made by state governments.

Here are a few things that CWP holders want people to know about them. Now of course there are exceptions to these general rules but I think you’ll find these things to be true about the vast majority of your legally carrying neighbors.

1. We don’t carry firearms so that we can ignore other basics of personal safety. Every permit holder that I know realizes that almost all dangerous situations can be avoided by vigilance, alertness and by simply making wise choices about where one goes and what one does. We don’t walk down dark alleys. We lock our cars. We don’t get intoxicated in public or hang out around people who do. We park our cars in well lighted spots and don’t hang out in bad parts of town where we have no business. A gun is our last resort, not our first.

2. We don’t think we are cops, spies, or superheros. We aren’t hoping that somebody tries to rob the convenience store while we are there so we can shoot a criminal. We don’t take it upon ourselves to get involved in situations that are better handled by a 911 call or by simply standing by and being a good witness. We don’t believe our guns give us any authority over our fellow citizens. We also aren't here to be your unpaid volunteer bodyguard. We'll be glad to tell you where we trained and point you to some good gun shops if you feel you want to take this kind of responsibility for your personal safety. Except for extrordinary circumstances your business is your business, don't expect us to help you out of situations you could have avoided.

3. We are LESS likely, not more likely, to be involved in fights or “rage” incidents than the general public. We recognize, better than many unarmed citizens, that we are responsible for our actions. We take the responsibility of carrying a firearm very seriously. We know that loss of temper, getting into fights or angrily confronting someone after a traffic incident could easily escalate into a dangerous situation. We are more likely to go out of our way to avoid these situations. We don’t pull our guns to settle arguments or to attempt to threaten people into doing what we want.

4. We are responsible gun owners. We secure our firearms so that children and other unauthorized people cannot access them. Most of us have invested in safes, cases and lock boxes as well as other secuity measures to keep our firearms secure. Many of us belong to various organizations that promote firearms safety and ownership.

5. Guns are not unsafe or unpredictable. Modern firearms are well made precision instruments. Pieces do not simply break off causing them to fire. A hot day will not set them off. Most modern firearms will not discharge even if dropped. There is no reason to be afraid of a gun simply laying on a table or in a holster. It is not going to discharge on its own.

6. We do not believe in the concept of “accidental discharges”. There are no accidental discharges only negligent discharges or intentional discharges. We take responsibility for our actions and have learned how to safely handle firearms. Any case you have ever heard of about a gun “going off” was the result of negligence on somebody’s part. Our recognition of our responsibility and familiarity with firearms makes us among the safest firearms owners in America.

7. Permit holders do their best to keep our concealed weapons exactly that: concealed. However, there are times with an observant fellow citizen may spot our firearm or the print of our firearm under our clothes. We are very cognizant that concerns about terrorism and crime are in the forefront of the minds of most citizens. We also realize that our society does much to condition our fellow citizens to have sometimes irrational fears about firearms. We would encourage citizens who do happen to spot someone carrying a firearm to use good judgment and clear thinking if they feel to need to take action. Please recognize that it’s very uncommon for a criminal to use a holster. However, if you feel the need to report having spotted a firearm we would ask that you please be specific and detailed in your call to the police or in your report to a store manager or private security. Please don’t generalize or sensationalize what you observed. Comments like “there’s a guy running around in the store with a gun” or even simply “I saw a man with a gun in the store” could possibly cause a misunderstanding as to the true nature of the incident.

8. The fact that we carry a firearm to any given place does not mean that we believe that place to be inherently unsafe. If we believe a place to be unsafe, most of us would avoid that place all together if possible. However, we recognize that trouble could occur at any place and at any time. Criminals do not observe “gun free zones”. If trouble does come, we do not want the only armed persons to be perpetrators. Therefore, we don't usually make a determination about whether or not to carry at any given time based on "how safe" we think a location is.

9. Concealed weapon permit holders are an asset to the public in times of trouble. The fact that most permit holders have the good judgment to stay out of situations better handled by a 911 call or by simply being a careful and vigilant witness does not mean that we would fail to act in situations where the use of deadly force is appropriate to save lives. Review of high profile public shooting incidents shows that when killers are confronted by armed resistance they tend to either break off the attack and flee or choose to end their own life. Lives are saved when resistance engages a violent criminal. Lives are lost when the criminal can do as he pleases.

10. The fact that criminals know that some of the population may be armed at any given time helps to deter violence against all citizens. Permit holders don’t believe that every person should necessarily be armed. We recognize that some people may not be temperamentally suited to carry a firearm or simply may wish not to for personal reasons. However we do encourage you to respect our right to arm ourselves. Even if you choose not to carry a firearm yourself please oppose measures to limit the ability of law abiding citizens to be armed. As mentioned before: criminals do not observe “gun free zones”. Help by not supporting laws that require citizens to be unarmed victims.

[Old Guy]

I love it!!

When I get my gun page up and running, can I post it there (along with credits to you)?

[kevins_garage]

Well said.

There's bonus points in it for you if you can get that printed in a newspaper as part of a letter to the editor or as some kind of opinion piece.

[rondawg]

Very nice, and well said. Perhaps something could be added about the dangers of vicious animals....seems like dog attacks are getting more and more common these days. And there's the danger of other animals too, like bears and mountain lions on campouts and hiking mountain trails. Rare, but they do happen. There was a cougar spotted last year in the town where I live, a suburb of Denver that's not even close to the mountains.

I was walking my Beagle the other night on a public sidewalk in my neighborhood, and as we passed this yard a very large and angry dog in that yard hit the fence so hard I thought he was gonna break it and come after us. I was unarmed too. Won't do that again. Also encountered a couple once on the bike path behind my house that were walking two MASSIVE Rottweilers, that they could barely contain. Those dogs wanted me and my dog, and I didn't even own a gun then. Those dogs were as big as trashcans. Not to mention all the coyotes living in the greenbelt area where the bike trails are. From now on, I shall be PREPARED on our walks!

[Cooperdisciple]

Bravo!
While I'm pretty sure everyone that reads this could add a point or two, your post is very well thought out and sums up nicely what those of us that take responsibility for our personal safety and conduct, feel. With your permission, I would like to print this and "spread the word". I think this would make an excellent contribution to an editorial page at your favorite newspaper, by the way. Thanks for your efforts.

Diligencia/Vis/Celeritas
Gunsite Orange

[thearmedrebel]

Amen. I want to draw extra attention to number 6. Every time I hear "accidental discharge" I cringe. Someone pulled the trigger or allowed something to pull the trigger (something that shouldn't have been inside the trigger guard was, causing the discharge).

Robert

[Serenity]

I've had a couple of requests by forum members to use this list for various purposes.

So long as it is used to promote our second amendment rights I gladly give permission for it to be used, reprinted or otherwise published.

I would request that if you do post it or submit it to a newspaper for publication that you let me know. I don't need any credit for it as it is merely a compilation of things that I've learned from many websites, my CWP instructor and other's I respect but I would like to know how and when it's used, if it indeed is.

This list is only a codifying of things that most of us here know. It belongs to anyone who loves freedom. Use it as you will and let freedom ring.

[dd698]

Bravo Zulu[well done] to you.Well thought out well written

[WobbleZone]

CCW holders are much more likely to come to your aid if you are attacked. Alert Non-CCW holders can hopefully provide a tag number or a description so that your murderer will perhaps be brought to account.

[Sheldonj]

Well Said

[Dwight55]

Serenety, . . . that is great, . . . but the one thing that stands out for me, . . . head and shoulders above anything else, . . . is just simply the caliber of the folks who do indeed CCW, legally.

First off, . . . there is not a known, convicted rapist, murderer, bank robber, spouse beater, mugger, embezzler, extortioner, child molester, or otherwise criminally convicted individual amongst us.

There are (last I heard) a little over 80,000 in Ohio who have concealed carry permits. I wonder if any other group with a common interest could pick a random 80,000 and find such a squeaky clean bunch.

I am not sure it is possible to say that about any state legislature, certainly not the federal congress, the AFL/CIO, the America Medical Association, any state bar (lawyers) association, American Dental Association, national teachers organizations, etc., ad-infinitim, ad-nauseum.

Makes me glad to just be one of them.

May God bless,
Dwight

[punkgunner]

I tip my hat to you, sir!!! (im not wearing one, but if i was, it would be tipped)

I live in NH and this is already a very gun friendly state. But i def. recomend EVERY person send this to their local paper!

Especially those of you living in non gun friendly states!!

[Sheldonj]

Originally Posted by Serenity

I've had a couple of requests by forum members to use this list for various purposes.

So long as it is used to promote our second amendment rights I gladly give permission for it to be used, reprinted or otherwise published. It belongs to anyone who loves freedom. Use it as you will and let freedom ring.

Thanks, N you should be very proud of this, it is very well written and articulated. A tri-fold of this should be on left on top of every pro 2A table at every event we attend.

[thomasmagnum]

That is a great list.

[SatCong]

Originally Posted by Serenity

I was thinking the other day, not about the rabidly anti-gun forces and how to reach them (they are pretty much a lost cause) but about how much could possibly be done if the more or less apathetic non-gun crowd could be reached and educated. So I came up with 10 things I’d like non-gun people to know about most CWP holders.

Tell me what you think and add your own points too if you like.

There’s a lot of misinformation out there these days about people who have chosen to exercise their right to carry a concealed weapon according to the provisions made by state governments.

Here are a few things that CWP holders want people to know about them. Now of course there are exceptions to these general rules but I think you’ll find these things to be true about the vast majority of your legally carrying neighbors.

1. We don’t carry firearms so that we can ignore other basics of personal safety. Every permit holder that I know realizes that almost all dangerous situations can be avoided by vigilance, alertness and by simply making wise choices about where one goes and what one does. We don’t walk down dark alleys. We lock our cars. We don’t get intoxicated in public or hang out around people who do. We park our cars in well lighted spots and don’t hang out in bad parts of town where we have no business. A gun is our last resort, not our first.

2. We don’t think we are cops, spies, or superheros. We aren’t hoping that somebody tries to rob the convenience store while we are there so we can shoot a criminal. We don’t take it upon ourselves to get involved in situations that are better handled by a 911 call or by simply standing by and being a good witness. We don’t believe our guns give us any authority over our fellow citizens. We also aren't here to be your unpaid volunteer bodyguard. We'll be glad to tell you where we trained and point you to some good gun shops if you feel you want to take this kind of responsibility for your personal safety. Except for extrordinary circumstances your business is your business, don't expect us to help you out of situations you could have avoided.

3. We are LESS likely, not more likely, to be involved in fights or “rage” incidents than the general public. We recognize, better than many unarmed citizens, that we are responsible for our actions. We take the responsibility of carrying a firearm very seriously. We know that loss of temper, getting into fights or angrily confronting someone after a traffic incident could easily escalate into a dangerous situation. We are more likely to go out of our way to avoid these situations. We don’t pull our guns to settle arguments or to attempt to threaten people into doing what we want.

4. We are responsible gun owners. We secure our firearms so that children and other unauthorized people cannot access them. Most of us have invested in safes, cases and lock boxes as well as other secuity measures to keep our firearms secure. Many of us belong to various organizations that promote firearms safety and ownership.

5. Guns are not unsafe or unpredictable. Modern firearms are well made precision instruments. Pieces do not simply break off causing them to fire. A hot day will not set them off. Most modern firearms will not discharge even if dropped. There is no reason to be afraid of a gun simply laying on a table or in a holster. It is not going to discharge on its own.

6. We do not believe in the concept of “accidental discharges”. There are no accidental discharges only negligent discharges or intentional discharges. We take responsibility for our actions and have learned how to safely handle firearms. Any case you have ever heard of about a gun “going off” was the result of negligence on somebody’s part. Our recognition of our responsibility and familiarity with firearms makes us among the safest firearms owners in America.

7. Permit holders do their best to keep our concealed weapons exactly that: concealed. However, there are times with an observant fellow citizen may spot our firearm or the print of our firearm under our clothes. We are very cognizant that concerns about terrorism and crime are in the forefront of the minds of most citizens. We also realize that our society does much to condition our fellow citizens to have sometimes irrational fears about firearms. We would encourage citizens who do happen to spot someone carrying a firearm to use good judgment and clear thinking if they feel to need to take action. Please recognize that it’s very uncommon for a criminal to use a holster. However, if you feel the need to report having spotted a firearm we would ask that you please be specific and detailed in your call to the police or in your report to a store manager or private security. Please don’t generalize or sensationalize what you observed. Comments like “there’s a guy running around in the store with a gun” or even simply “I saw a man with a gun in the store” could possibly cause a misunderstanding as to the true nature of the incident.

8. The fact that we carry a firearm to any given place does not mean that we believe that place to be inherently unsafe. If we believe a place to be unsafe, most of us would avoid that place all together if possible. However, we recognize that trouble could occur at any place and at any time. Criminals do not observe “gun free zones”. If trouble does come, we do not want the only armed persons to be perpetrators. Therefore, we don't usually make a determination about whether or not to carry at any given time based on "how safe" we think a location is.

9. Concealed weapon permit holders are an asset to the public in times of trouble. The fact that most permit holders have the good judgment to stay out of situations better handled by a 911 call or by simply being a careful and vigilant witness does not mean that we would fail to act in situations where the use of deadly force is appropriate to save lives. Review of high profile public shooting incidents shows that when killers are confronted by armed resistance they tend to either break off the attack and flee or choose to end their own life. Lives are saved when resistance engages a violent criminal. Lives are lost when the criminal can do as he pleases.

10. The fact that criminals know that some of the population may be armed at any given time helps to deter violence against all citizens. Permit holders don’t believe that every person should necessarily be armed. We recognize that some people may not be temperamentally suited to carry a firearm or simply may wish not to for personal reasons. However we do encourage you to respect our right to arm ourselves. Even if you choose not to carry a firearm yourself please oppose measures to limit the ability of law abiding citizens to be armed. As mentioned before: criminals do not observe “gun free zones”. Help by not supporting laws that require citizens to be unarmed victims.

Love it!

[Misfit]

Originally Posted by rondawg

Very nice, and well said. Perhaps something could be added about the dangers of vicious animals....seems like dog attacks are getting more and more common these days. And there's the danger of other animals too, like bears and mountain lions on campouts and hiking mountain trails. Rare, but they do happen. There was a cougar spotted last year in the town where I live, a suburb of Denver that's not even close to the mountains.

I was walking my Beagle the other night on a public sidewalk in my neighborhood, and as we passed this yard a very large and angry dog in that yard hit the fence so hard I thought he was gonna break it and come after us. I was unarmed too. Won't do that again. Also encountered a couple once on the bike path behind my house that were walking two MASSIVE Rottweilers, that they could barely contain. Those dogs wanted me and my dog, and I didn't even own a gun then. Those dogs were as big as trashcans. Not to mention all the coyotes living in the greenbelt area where the bike trails are. From now on, I shall be PREPARED on our walks!

This is a very good point to bring up. I think that many people who don't particularly care for guns are detered primarily because the idea of shooting another human being is repugnant to them. Bring up animal attacks, and their attitude tends to change.

[Serenity]

Originally Posted by Misfit

This is a very good point to bring up. I think that many people who don't particularly care for guns are detered primarily because the idea of shooting another human being is repugnant to them. Bring up animal attacks, and their attitude tends to change.

On the other hand, you have to be careful. There are a surprising number of people who value animal life over human life. (How many liberals do you know that are perfectly in favor of abortion of a human baby but rabidly against any "abuse" of animals be it eating meat, hunting or milking a cow.

Be careful of this tactic.

[chadmichael]

I came across your list posted on a blog yesterday...with 2 additions.

Not only did I very much like the list, but tracking down the credit led me to this forum...2 good things!(I love my 1911s)

The blog is at http://oldnfo.blogspot.com/2007/06/d...now-about.html
Credit is at the bottom.

[progunner1957]

Some Sheeple say that gun owners should not be allowed to carry firearms because it "scares them."

How about if we propose that we don't allow the Sheeple to talk about gun laws or to vote because their views "scare" gun owners?

Why is their need to not be "scared" more important than ours?

Just curious...

[MrBeta]

Bump for the good read.
I try to explain those exact thought to people but some people are just thick.

[GaryG]

Most excellent.

If I were a CCW/CHP instructor, I'd print off a copy of this for each student for every class.

[Kevin108]

This is an incredible piece of information. I've posted it on Digg.com

Please Digg it and pass the link along!

http://www.digg.com/politics/10_Thin...ut_CWP_Holders

Some forums will break the actual link. In that case use http://www.kevin108.com/10things

[M1911Arch]

Originally Posted by chadmichael

I came across your list posted on a blog yesterday...with 2 additions.

Not only did I very much like the list, but tracking down the credit led me to this forum...2 good things!(I love my 1911s)

The blog is at http://oldnfo.blogspot.com/2007/06/d...now-about.html
Credit is at the bottom.

I re-posted the 12 things on AR15.com! Damn well worthy of it!

[Dustdevil]

Nicely done. I don't choose to carry a concealed weapon, despite the fact that I could likely do so in my home county. But I appreciate the fact that some people do, and have taken the responsibility of such very seriously. I have been impressed by the comments and thoughtfulness of the people who do carry, who make comments on some internet blogs.

Keep up the good work, and remember that society expects more of those who carry, right or wrong. They expect you to be perfect. Please do your best not to tarnish the very good image being generated thus far. Make good sound decisions, and the right to carry will likely continue to expand. If you have a tendency to overreact, please don't get a CCW permit, or carry. You run the risk of destroying a lot of hard work by a lot of very dedicated and concerned people.

[Kevin108]

Hey guys, we're almost at 100 Diggs now and we've got a lot of comments coming in on the Digg page so make sure you get in there and reply to nonsense with courtesy and fact and Digg down whatever is incorrect.