Why Did You?

[Guest S7A2G6]

Hope I didn't ruffle too many feathers (from previous posts).

Share your story. Why did you or what motivated you to get your permit. Why do you or don't you carry?

[Jonnin]

Mostly a political statement combined with the old boy scout "be prepared" school of thought. Never needed a gun, havent really been in a fight of any sort since high school. If I ever need it, the problem is solved, but I go out of my way to not need it by avoiding bad areas and paying attention and such. I have a gun in reach 24-7 and it takes some strong motivtion to get me to go to places that do not allow it.

[Guest bkelm18]

I've never needed a gun but there had been a few instances where I wished I had one just due to the area I lived in at the time. So I got my CCL (Virginia) and when I moved back to TN I got my HCP. Now I always carry and I always have one near me at home. I still don't live in a great area, but it's certainly not the worst I've been in.

[E4 No More]

Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

[daddyo]

I originally got mine because a buddy called and said, "Let's go take our TN HCP class, then we can carry a gun!!". It took about 12 years before it dawned on me that I needed to carry daily for my own safety and that of my family. I'm just thankful that I had the epiphany BEFORE anything happened.

[Motasyco]

Who else is going to protect my home and family? Take a look around. Our world is not becoming a safer place and I can depend on nobody but myself.

[Wheelgunner]

I was not a gun person before I enlisted.

Slept with my M9 in my hand for months because the interpreter pool at my base in Iraq had been infiltrated by Al-Qa'ida. One of 'em tried to kill a soldier with a pistol -- in the office where I worked. At any given moment I might or might not have had my M4 within arm's reach, but that M9 was always on my leg or in my hand. Got so that it was normal to carry a handgun, and when I came home I didn't see any reason for that to change, so... I got my permit.

I carry because my safety and the safety of my family isn't your responsibility; it's mine.

[monkeylizard]

I'd thought about it for a while. Sort of a "just because I can" thing. I passed on taking the class with a couple of friends. It wasn't very importnat to me. I didn't own a handgun and was more interested in spending my money on other things. Then my mother-in-law was home when a couple of low-lifes kicked her door down, robbed her at gun point, and placed her on her knees in the bedroom with a gun to the back of her head, execution style. She kept begging and pleading with them to just leave. Finally they did.

That's what it took. My wife and I are now both permitted. I shoot as often as possible and now have the rifle and shotgun disease too. I need moooorrrrre!!!!

[bigwakes]

I was in L.A. during the riots. My dad and some men in our building ran some guys off the property with a couple .22s. My dad just had a single shot bolt action, but it scared the crap outta the bad guys and they put out the fire they started and left. I was only like 12, but that event stuck with me. I knew as soon as I could I would protect my family at all cost. I took the class for my permit two weeks before my 21st birthday. I applied for my permit and bought a pistol on my birthday.

[Guest 270win]

I thought it might be wise when traveling out of state to be legal when carrying a weapon, so decided to get a license. Some police where I am from also started to take a dimmer view of people not having a license when carrying a handgun in their cars and charge/let the court figure out if you were legal. I didn't care for the process because it was honestly a hassle, but considered it cheaper than hiring a lawyer to drop a carrying a weapon charge/prove I was legal and get my gun back. I've carried a handgun out in the woods or when I've traveled since I was 18. As I got older, I carried it more and more.

Edited August 10, 2011 by 270win

[zapfbroad]

I was a latch-key kid of a single mother and grew up in a lot of bad neighborhoods up in new england and around atlanta as we moved around alot. My mother is from TN but grew up in the poor projects of NYC. She was always concerned with safety but was scared to death to have a gun in the house due to some bad experiences in her childhood and wouldn't allow me even BB guns though of course my friends helped me hide them. I was 9-10yrs old and would cut out pictures of guns from the magazines I wasn't supposed to have and put them on my wall behind a non-threatening sports poster haha. 3 non-breakable rules of the house, you must wait until you are 18 to get a tattoo, piercing or gun all of which I Needed pretty badly when I was 13. Turned 19 & saved up and got a tattoo, just came home with it one day. Mom didn't approve but was super calm "At least wait a year before you get any more, you know to make sure nothing was wrong with those needles they used." LOL. Then shock of all 21st birthday comes around.. mom gives me a copy of the receipt where she paid for me to take a hcp class. It's not for her but she will accept it's a passion of mine and still just wants me safe. Never did get a piercing but glad that I wasn't allowed because it's just not me and I feel like I would probably regret it because it's just not an addition to my appearance I want anymore. Early on I lost all delusions of perceive safety being exposed to the things I was. I hope my children never have to experience it quite as abruptly and as startingly but we plan on teaching them gun safety from an early age. It will be their decision if it's their passion but it will be in their knowledge base.

[BluewaterTactical]

I wish more people did "an armed society is a polite society". I carry because I have been in 2 situations in Memphis where a gun was pulled on me, never really felt comfortable after that. So now I carry and teach the classes. I think all americans should get their permit and carry, get the education and training and carry for the protection of yourself and family. I hate to say it but I foresee the nation becoming more and more chaotic and just down right MEAN.

Bluewater Tactical Defense

[Guest TnRebel]

I have been carring since I went into the Marines in 1960 and have had one close at hand ever since . I have had a carry permit since 1986 ( Florida CWP ) and when I moved back to Tn, got my HCP.

[Caster]

At a tender young age, I got the privilege of looking down the barrel of a 12g as a pair scumbags invaded my home and helped themselves to whatever they liked. From then on, all through school, at great risk (had I have been caught) I was armed with a knife, mace, and when I started driving my shotgun stayed behind the seat. At 20 yrs old I walked into a pawn shop and talked to the owner. This was before instant background checks. I told him I would turn 21 in a few months but I wanted to get started now. He allowed me to put a Lorcin .22 auto (yeah, go ahead and laugh) on layaway for $25 down and $25 a month until it was payed for. I also met with man who is now passed away, but was giving permit classes. He allowed me to take my class within a few days of my Bday. My permit came quickly and I have carried a pistol since I was 21 and just a few weeks.

I carry with me the attitude and creed that the Jewish Defense League carries. A raised fist and the words: NEVER AGAIN.

I've never really needed my weapon and I hope I die an old man, saying the same. I may die today, my weapon doing me no good, but I won't live in fear and bastards will not get it free while I lie there and take it, like before.

[DWARREN123]

I carry because I like my handguns and like to take them places, can't do that without a permit.

[JReedEsq]

I've got a few personal stories that I won't share on a public forum. Here's the gist:

1. I work in the legal system- this means I often interact with people I wouldn't often interact with; sometimes I ask them difficult questions or ask a judge to do something they might not like. It also means I occasionally get out of my office and drive to parts of town I wouldn't normally travel to to ask the difficult questions. A few LEOs have told me they think it would be stupid to do what I do and not carry. Most of the LEOs I interact with are generally pretty good guys, even when I'm on the other side of things from them. In short, I may not always agree with everything they do but they have a tough job, they mean well and they generally aren't dumb. If their experience indicates that I have more potential to need to defend myself than the average person, they are probably right.

2. I have a wife and kids.

Edited August 10, 2011 by JReedEsq

[Guest DELETED]

2 reasons.

1) Because I can.

2) Because it's cool.

[Raoul]

In the course of doing my job I wandered into a meth lab.

[Punisher84]

Memphis.

[Raoul]

Memphis.

Extenuating circumstances.

[Guest clownsdd]

Been carrying handgun all my adult life. Had a rifle or shotgun in the pick up when I was a kid.

[Guest G22DaD]

In the spring of 1970, the front door of my parents' house trailer was kicked in by a man who was claiming two other men were trying to kidnap him. Almost immediately after, the two men in question showed up and was saying that the man was high and having a bad trip; and was merely trying to get him home.

At that time, mom scooped me up from my crib. and ran me back to the bedroom and hid me under some covers. She then found dad's .22 9-shot High Standard pistol. But, she couldn't find any bullets. So, she picks up the gun and heads for the front of the trailer. She then points the pistol and orders the men to leave. Luckily, the men left. Then dad goes to clear the gun, when he finds the gun empty. He nearly passed out! One thing about my mom--whe could bluff well when she had to. And apparently, the men didn't want to gamble with a scared young, energetic, pissed-off new mother with a gun.

In around 1999, or so--my dad was mugged at knife-point.

After 18 years of martial arts training, and training in the USMC, I was foolish enough to think I didn't need anything else! Luckily, I never had to test that theory. I then decided to train and get my HCP. I've not stopped carrying every since.

I know in my heart, that I could have a 1000 guns...but there's no protection like God's protection. But, He blessed me with the privelige and responsibility to carry a concealed weapon.

Hopefully, I can be the barrier between my wife, child--and harm's way--with God's help. I hope harm's way doesn't ever kick in our door. But, if it does--I'll be waiting.

Edited August 11, 2011 by G22DaD

[Guest Victor9er]

OK, This might get a little long...I had never been a gun person growing up. My dad liked to hunt and fish, but it was just never my thing. I remember when I was in 2nd or 3rd grade (so I was about 7 or 8) he got me my own 410 crack-barrel shotgun. I was taught how to hold it, not to play with it, and the ammo was always kept locked up, but it was my gun. Of course, I was a very scrawny kid and the recoil on that thing would bruise my shoulder, so I never really warmed up to it... much to my dad's dismay. I always wanted to try his .22 rifle that he had but he never let me. Anyway, that was the extent of my firearm experience growing up (aside from the typical toy guns I had as a kid, lazer tag was one of my favs!).

Grew up, studied martial arts for a bit, got married, always had a thing for swords and knives but never developed a passion for guns. Then, while we (my wife and I) were living in Baton Rouge there was a serial killer on the loose in the area. He was kidnapping women right out of parking lots, then raping and killing them. My wife worked late hours for a major retailer and often had to cross a dark parking lot to get to her vehicle. Needless to say she was scared. She actually brought up the idea of getting a gun, which I wasn't thrilled about but I understood her reasoning so I said "if we're going to get a gun then we're both going to take a class together and learn how to handle it safely," etc. etc.

So we took the safety class that you need to take to get a concealed carry permit in Louisiana. We both rented guns to shoot since we didn't own any yet. I shot a 9mm, she shot a .38 special, and that was the first and only time I had ever shot a handgun. We both did pretty well. Well, a few days later they caught the guy, and we never ended up applying for the permit. We looked around briefly but with our budget at the time it was going to be hard to get a "quality" gun and eventually time passed and we just never got one.

Since that time, I've thought about getting one from time to time and there had been a few instances where I never actually needed one but I certainly re-thought my stance on not having one. Not going into too many details here, but most notably walking back to my hotel in downtown Atlanta around 3am, being woken up in the middle of the night to my wife saying "I think there's someone in the house!" and not having anything to defend myself with aside from a flashlight. (Thank goodness no-one ever was)

Then, one quiet Sunday afternoon I'm at home with my wife and now 2 kids. Our dog was in the back yard and he starts barking at someone. (Our back yard faced a steep incline with a road on it, so anyone on the road was above the level of our fence.) I look out to see two guys in suits walking by slowly, obviously looking for something, or someone. Well, I'm on alert at this point but they walk on by and nothing happens. Then a few seconds later I hear a bunch of sirens. I look out front to see about 4 or 5 cop cars converged on the house 3 doors down from us. Apparently they were busting a homemade meth lab not far from us and one of the guys, who they had already handcuffed, had managed to jump out the window and run off. They caught him 3 doors down from my house. I wondered what would have happened if he had been armed and tried to bust into our house...

Anyway, we moved up here recently and unfortunately we couldn't keep our dog, who had always been a great watchdog and alarm service for us, so when we gave him away to a friend the whole "rethinking my stance on owning a gun" kicked in again. Here we are, with two kids living in an apartment with no way out aside from the front door... what if... All of those previous instances started popping into my head... what if... I'm from New Orleans, thankfully we moved away before Katrina hit but all of the stories I read and heard about what happened there in the aftermath... what if...

We had the money, I made up my mind it was finally time to get one. This time it was my wife's turn to not be thrilled with the idea. She worried about the kids getting a hold of it. I worried that if we didn't educate them on gun safety what would happen when they go to a friend's house and find a gun there? I can control how I store my gun at home, but I can't control what happens at someone else's house. Sooner or later they're going to come across a gun at some point. If they haven't been taught what to do and more importantly what not to do... what if...

I've been fortunate, but I didn't want to play the "what if" game after something happened. So a few months ago I finally broke down and bought my first handgun. I figured if I'm going to own one I may as well be able to carry it with me also. I'm a photographer and still not familar with the area so if I ever find myself in a shady side of town (or face to face with an over-protective jealous boyfriend) then I'd feel safer having my gun on me. Like others have mentioned, I hope to never have a need to use it in the future, but I'd rather have it and not need it than... etc, etc.

So at 34 I finally bought my first gun this past May. I took the class less than a week after buying my gun, and applied for my HCP two days later. Just over two weeks later I got my permit in, and now I'm already looking at buying a 2nd gun!

Hope that wasn't too boring of a read for you guys, guess I rambled a bit but there ya go. That's my reason(s) for getting my HCP.

Edited August 12, 2011 by Victor9er

[Guest 808-South]

Coming from a state that is not gun friendly. And having my right to bear arms crippled. Now living in TN, I am embracing my right to the fullest.

Also the protection & safety of my family is my responsibility.

And, "wishful thinking wont keep you safe"

[tnhawk]

A carry permit is similar to an insurance policy. You obtain each because you may need them.