I’m a big proponent of concealed carry. I carry everywhere that I legally can.
However, I’m not of the opinion that simply carrying a gun means that I’m “covered”, that I’m “safe”. Yes, Rule 1 of a gunfight is “Bring a gun”. However, my personal defense philosophy is based on the concept of avoiding, or reducing, confrontation. If you haven’t heard the phrase “the mind is the final weapon”, you need to start wrapping your head around it. Your mindset will mean the difference between success and failure in a crisis, and in some cases, it will mean the ability to avoid a crisis.
If you have a job that takes you in harm’s way, you won’t have the options that “regular” people have – for example, if you’re a police officer, you won’t be able to avoid confronting a dangerous person.
However, for the rest of us, the concealed carry Jack and Jills, we need to realize that carrying a gun doesn’t turn us into invincible superheroes. Carrying a handgun does not make us police officers, bodyguards, or the solution to an active shooter at a mall. As tragic as such a situation can be, your first responsibility is to defend yourself and your family or anyone who might be traveling with you. Running to the sound of gunfire sounds romantic, but it rarely ever turns out that way.
If you knowingly put yourself in a dangerous situation – this could be anything from visiting a bad part of town to choosing to escalate a confrontation when you have the option to de-escalate – you’re not doing yourself any favors. Obvious situations like not walking down a dark alley can be avoided by most, but do you pay attention to the mannerisms of people you see or encounter in your daily life? Do you evaluate someone as a possible threat, or does the thought never cross your mind?
I highly recommend the book The Gift of Fear, by Gavin de Becker, who runs a very successful executive security company. While I disagree with his stance on firearms – and find it ironic that he abhors personal firearm ownership while paying his employees a bonus if they have concealed carry permits – he is one of the world’s foremost experts on personal security. Whether you’re a single female living and working in a big city, or a Soldier about to deploy to Afghanistan, you’ll learn a lot from this book.
The tools of personal defense and safety are vital – the flashlight to identify friend from foe, the knife to cut a seatbelt that may trap you in a burning vehicle, the handgun to neutralize a violent attacker, and other items which you may be limited to due to legal constraints, such as pepper spray or a Taser. Being cognizant of threats, however, and of your own limitations, is even more vital.
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