Some thoughts on self protection, concealed carry, etc

I’m a huge believer in the 2nd Amendnment.  I believe it is one of the most important fundamental rights we have in the U.S.

However, I also believe that concealed carry is the least important tool in the self protection toolbox, yet it seems to be the most popular.

I recently posed a question to my friends on FB whom I know own a weapon.  I asked how often they carry when they leave the home.

The hardcore gun enthusiasts said they carry “most” of the time.  Only one said close to 100%.

Of these hardcore enthusiasts, only one, the one who said they carry nearly 100% of the time, seems to train with any sort of regularity.  Yet, that only appears to be in a typical firing range situation, standing still, shooting at a non-moving target.

One person replied they keep the gun in their car.  How often are people involved in an altercation where they need the weapon in their car?

What I concluded from my little survey was that the vast majority of people who believe in concealed carry and own a weapon for that purpose are kidding themselves.

They are vastly unprepared to deal with violence involving a weapon, whether at home, at a club or at Wal-Mart.  Sorry if this observation hurts any feelings.

As for me, I don’t own a weapon, and if I ever do, it will likely only be a shotgun that I keep at home.

Why?  I am just not a gun enthusiast, and would not take the time necessary to train.

Here are some interesting stats I dug up from the FBI website and a site that looks at FBI data.

On an annual basis, between 75% and 80% of homicides involve a firearm.

From 1980 through 2010, only 21% of murders commited with a firearm involved people who did not know each other… ie, strangers.

The rest involved people who knew each other ahead of time, and many of these are family members, friends, co-workers, acquaintances.

I would venture to guess that many drug and gang related murders involve people who knew each other ahead of time.

So, are we over emphasizing the need for concealed carry away from home?

Over 20% of all homicides do not involve a firearm. Most of these other homicides involve a knife, followed by empty hand.

With all this said, I think we get a bit complacent when it comes to self protection. It’s imperative we develop other skills to deal with most threats.

These skills include soft skills such as just being aware of your surroundings and situational control, and hard fighting skills.

I would also suggest that most people are not in physical condition to deal with violence when a weapon is not involved.

Understanding the concept of the Vital Pyramid becomes so much more important when you think about self protection.

Even if you own a firearm, if you don’t have the mindset to use it, it is useless.  It is virtually useless if you also don’t have the proper training.

I remember a scene from the movie The Deer Hunter, where Robert DeNiro’s character Michael is busting the balls of John Cazale’s character, Stanley, for carrying a small gun.

Michael was a war veteran by this point in the movie, and understood that Stanley would never know how to deal with real violence.  All it really did was make Stan feel a bit more manly.

Here’s another fact… if you find yourself in a situation where a gun is being pointed at you, somewhere in the lead up to that situation, you screwed up.

You either weren’t aware of a situation unfolding as you were going about your day, or you contributed to the situation, either at a bar, or at home.

The most important self protection skill you can have is to be aware of your surroundings so you can avoid these situations altogether.

If you are serious about your self protection, then do yourself and your family a favor and start training seriously!

Thanks for reading.