Concealed Carry: good or bad idea

I live in Florida. I've never known a world without concealed carry.
We're also home to the nation's most idiotic or horrific crimes and the Stand Your Ground law where I could literally shoot you from my car's front seat if you began to approach me, and I stand a good chance at getting away with it.

So - I'm not 100% sure how I feel about it.

I would look a little more into that. Don't think you can just shoot people for casually approaching you.

You can if you feel threatened by them. All you have to do is prove your case in court. It happens here not frequently, but it does.

Sorry for derailing the thread with the SYG law. That's not what the OP is asking so I'm going to let it go after this.

i feel safe. nobody i know has ever been threatened with a gun in the uk.

Perfectly put. If I lived in a society where I didn't feel I could be safe without carrying then maybe I'd be more open to being able to own and carry. As it is I live in a society where I can't carry but I have never for one second felt like I've been at risk of being shot. And I'll take that feeling over a right to carry any day.

Brb never going to America, wouldn't be able to trust anyone.

Its not the ones legally carrying that you can't trust....its all of those that carry illegally, or who "legally" cannot carry, but do anyway.

Really? Because I'm not too concerned with thugs that shoot each other (I know innocent victims to get hit sometimes but it is rare) But I have heard of PLENTY of mass murders where legal registered weapons were used, or even accidental shootings where the "responsible" gun own left their loaded weapon within arms reach of a 4 year old.....

ETA most home invasions the occupants never have the chance to get their gun out of the locked gun case, then loaded, and ready to be shot. Most trained individuals cannot easily hit a moving target, so even if someone had been armed during the mass shootings the outcome would not have been much different, not to mention once the police show up and realize you have multiple people with weapons drawn...well...you are just asking for trouble at that point.

Statistics have proven my children are much safer in my home without a gun than they are with one.

Just like criminals figure out how to counterfeit bills everytime the US Treasury gets a wild hair and changes them, criminals will find ways to get their hands on legally purchased firearms.

An no "responsible" gun owner will leave a firearm where anyone not allowed to handle it can get to it. I do not have children and I live alone-mine is still kept out of site, and while it's always a remote possibility, it most likely wouldn't be found in a robbery. Part of gun safety is exactly that-safety. There are never accidents with firearms- it's generally some form of irresponsibility.

Alot of criminals get their weapons from people that buy them at gun shows. A "responsible" gun owner 2 posts above just told me he keeps his gun loaded in his unlocked dresser...

Statistics on this one too please

i feel safe. nobody i know has ever been threatened with a gun in the uk.

Perfectly put. If I lived in a society where I didn't feel I could be safe without carrying then maybe I'd be more open to being able to own and carry. As it is I live in a society where I can't carry but I have never for one second felt like I've been at risk of being shot. And I'll take that feeling over a right to carry any day.

ha! spooky. we're posting the exact same things here.

Brb never going to America, wouldn't be able to trust anyone.

Its not the ones legally carrying that you can't trust....its all of those that carry illegally, or who "legally" cannot carry, but do anyway.

Really? Because I'm not too concerned with thugs that shoot each other (I know innocent victims to get hit sometimes but it is rare) But I have heard of PLENTY of mass murders where legal registered weapons were used, or even accidental shootings where the "responsible" gun own left their loaded weapon within arms reach of a 4 year old.....

ETA most home invasions the occupants never have the chance to get their gun out of the locked gun case, then loaded, and ready to be shot. Most trained individuals cannot easily hit a moving target, so even if someone had been armed during the mass shootings the outcome would not have been much different, not to mention once the police show up and realize you have multiple people with weapons drawn...well...you are just asking for trouble at that point.

Statistics have proven my children are much safer in my home without a gun than they are with one.

Thugs never rob innocent victims? Give an example of where a legally registered weapon was used for a mass murder by the person that had it registered please. Also, "responsible gun owners" don't leave their guns where kids can get to them, so we can throw that one right out the window.

What kind of idiot stores an unloaded gun for protection? No one I know. I can have my gun in my hand and ready to shoot in 3 seconds from where I sleep. I am glad you can speculate how someone being armed at a mass shooting would have ended, you should start a psychic hotline. So you are telling me that the mass murderer has no problems hitting his moving targets but a trained citizen that was armed wouldn't have been able to hit a moving target? By the time the police get there the shooting will likely be over so if you are the one who is legal it's easy to just put your gun down and explain the situation.

I would love to see that statistic also. 1 post shows you are completely uneducated about firearms.

Your first sentence shows me debating with you would be pointless. No where did I indicate that thugs NEVER rob people. Robbing people and killing people are two different things. I would not shoot someone to keep my wallet. I have children in my home what kind of moron would I be if I had a loaded easily accessible weapon in my house? The chances of a home invasion are slim to none so I dont worry about that too much anyways. A mass murderer is shooting wildly into a crowd, much different that trying to shoot 1 person out of a crowd. There were armed guards at Columbine, it didn't make 1 difference.

Also, I find that most of the anti-gun people I have met are only anti gun because they are uneducated in the subject. It seems that for a few of the responders, that is the case here as well.

Ding ding ding.

[/quote]

ETA most home invasions the occupants never have the chance to get their gun out of the locked gun case, then loaded, and ready to be shot. Most trained individuals cannot easily hit a moving target, so even if someone had been armed during the mass shootings the outcome would not have been much different, not to mention once the police show up and realize you have multiple people with weapons drawn...well...you are just asking for trouble at that point.

Statistics have proven my children are much safer in my home without a gun than they are with one.
[/quote]



What kind of idiot stores an unloaded gun for protection? No one I know. I can have my gun in my hand and ready to shoot in 3 seconds from where I sleep.
[/quote]
[/quote]

The two of you have touched on the one of my main concerns in the gun debate. If you have children, or others in your home besides yourself, how can you have a gun ready to shoot in 3 seconds, but still think you are being "safe" or "responsible"? What if you're sleeping and your toddler wanders in your bedroom and grabs your gun and shoots his/herself before you even know what's happening? Or your depressed teen knows it's there, takes it during the night and goes to school the next day and shoots a bunch of classmates? Or you, while you're sleeping? I'm sorry, but I don't see how having a gun lying around loaded is safe for anyone. Either the gun is unloaded and locked up and "safe" but useless in a surprise situation, or it's loaded and accessible, "unsafe", but ready to use.

The thing about concealed carry is, it levels the playing field. Would-be criminals and those who wish to do harm with a firearm aren't likely going to be toting it around in plain sight for all to see. With concealed carry available, those criminals also do not know who else may have a weapon on them. It is no coincidence that states with concealed carry permits have a lower rate of gun violence, whereas cities (think Chicago and DC) which have gun bans (open or concealed carry) have rather high rates of crime. If criminals obeyed the law, they wouldn't be criminals!

I have a concealed carry permit, and support it fully. I truly hope I never have to use a weapon against another human being...but if it comes down to me, or some thug trying to turn me into fertilizer, well, you know. When I was 8 years old, I saved my mom and little sister from at least getting raped...and probably worse than that because I was able to get to my dad's gun and convince a couple guys that I would use it. If not for that gun my whole life would have been destroyed.

^^^This exactly^^^ Granted, I was 27 rather than 8, but after my divorce, I got my carry permit. I have two large dogs at home as my first line of defense and to buy me the precious seconds needed to get to one of my guns, but if someone gets past them, I'll be ready for them. I hope to never have to use one of my firearms, but I'm prepared to do so if absolutely necessary.

I don't think the death of a UK soldier gives ANYONE the right to discuss US concealed weapons laws. And how disrespectful that this is in the chit chat fun and games section

The thing about concealed carry is, it levels the playing field. Would-be criminals and those who wish to do harm with a firearm aren't likely going to be toting it around in plain sight for all to see. With concealed carry available, those criminals also do not know who else may have a weapon on them. It is no coincidence that states with concealed carry permits have a lower rate of gun violence, whereas cities (think Chicago and DC) which have gun bans (open or concealed carry) have rather high rates of crime. If criminals obeyed the law, they wouldn't be criminals!

How many americans own guns? I dont think it stops anything/anyone

Well, maybe you would have:
One injured, scared, but ALIVE Soldier
multiple dead or injured assailants
shaken up bystanders.

By the way, why were so many people just standing around watching?

the probability that, taken by surprise, 2:1, the soldier would have managed that... i think that scenario is a little optomistic.

perhaps the men fired no shots at the people watching because they knew those people were unarmed and thus posed absolutely no threat.

ETA most home invasions the occupants never have the chance to get their gun out of the locked gun case, then loaded, and ready to be shot. Most trained individuals cannot easily hit a moving target, so even if someone had been armed during the mass shootings the outcome would not have been much different, not to mention once the police show up and realize you have multiple people with weapons drawn...well...you are just asking for trouble at that point.

Statistics have proven my children are much safer in my home without a gun than they are with one.
[/quote]



What kind of idiot stores an unloaded gun for protection? No one I know. I can have my gun in my hand and ready to shoot in 3 seconds from where I sleep.
[/quote]
[/quote]

I could never keep a loaded gun with easy access in my home as i do have children.

If we could just get the criminals to obey the gun (and knife) laws, we wouldn't need CCP's.

I respect the police, but it is ultimately my responsibility to protect my family and also make sure they are well trained in firearm use and safety.

CCP Holder
Lock and Load
Aim Center Mass

If we could just get the criminals to obey the gun (and knife) laws, we wouldn't need CCP's.

I respect the police, but it is ultimately my responsibility to protect my family and also make sure they are well trained in firearm use and safety.

CCP Holder
Lock and Load
Aim Center Mass

Pssst criminals dont obey laws. Should we just get rid of them?