To carry is Risk mitigation. I do. For years. Most important is staying out of trouble and common sense. Most violent acts are perpetrated by non-conservatives.

Millions of events, people remained safe as a result of unreported threats by protecting themselves with a firearm without firing it. Search for facts not opinions.

The brain is most important. Me? I’m combat trained, martial arts, Marine, certified firearms instructor and will run and avoid first.

I’ve got nothing to prove fighting some idiot. I have a family to go home to. Unless I have to - trapped, cornered, outnumbered... Then will seek to resolve the situation as peacefully as possible. Up to and including defending myself and stop the bad guy(s) doing evil.

Those without firearms and training have fewer options and may not get home to their families.

I’m also a refuse to be a victim instructor. If a student does not want/can’t use a firearm, still plenty to teach to help them to avoid being a victim in the first place.

That’s the point. In my experience, Anti-gunners do not listen and seem incapable of mature factual conversation.

Keep in mind, a trained armed woman is the equal of any man.

I have absolutely no animosity or hard feelings and pretty much go along with about everything you have said. But again, my only question is why you are explaining all of this to me. I have taught much of this to others over pretty much the past 40 years. I have lived in ranch country or farm country much of my 72 years. Yes we carried firearms, I still do. But that doesn’t mean we ever pointed the firearm in a threatening or menacing manner.

These days, however, I have seen tourists to the West who see someone in a restaurant carrying a handgun on their hip and they tend to get upset, as if the person is going to suddenly go berserk and shoot up the place. This happens even when there might be a LEO also sitting nearby. The fear some people have about firearms is one of those strange unexplained phenomena of psychological science.

The ACLU is a totally different conversation entirely. They are simply a Left Wing part of a Socialist type government that Democrats have been supporting for years. While they are supposedly looking out for civil liberties for all of us, they don’t recognize the 2nd Amendment at all. Like many of the Liberal mindset they go along with the laws they like which suit their agenda but ignore the rest.

Dennis

That is a long post, I believe, chastising me for my post. As an ex LEO and owner of a couple of hundred acres of ranch land, I have had my share of dealing with trespassers on others land as well as my own. On my own land I carried a Remington 870 Police Model, ready to fire as I yelled to the unknown trespasser(s) to come out. He did with his hands up. I had no intention of shooting unless I felt threatened. He had no right to be on my land and he knew it as I had warned him before. When the deputy arrived and asked if I wanted him arrested, I asked the trespasser if I needed to have him arrested or did he get the message. He said he finally understood I was serious. The deputy backed me up and said he would be patrolling my area. If he ever saw the guy again on my land there would be an arrest made.

In the case of me arresting trespassers, another state, I played the same role to that landowner. The trespasser left and a FID, Field Identification Card, was filled out for future reference.

As for the Native American carrying a firearm, I have absolutely no problem with people carrying firearms. My point was that he can only lawfully shoot IF he is actually threatened by the trespasser. Legally he cannot touch the trespasser unless in self defense.

As for the ACLU, they mean nothing to me or most everyone in law enforcement. They are a Communist organization bent on destroying America.

Dennis

Right, a LOT of people underestimated the simmering anger of the marginalized among us. They got a voice and Democratic blacks did not turn out for Hiliary as they did for Barack. There were several Republicans far better but Trump’s behavior during the primaries appealed to those who (understandably) were very dissatisfied with DC. They voted, and even though Trump lost the popular vote, he won the electoral college vote. Fairly.

The trouble is, only some of us see the serious damage being done. He is evicerating our long term alliances and embracing our long term enemies... AND that’s just for starters.

Angry reaction does not make things better... it just changes the focus.

We’re in serious trouble; some see it now, all will eventually see it. Just ask the farmers who voted for him.

Here in NC, where pork and soybeans are billion dollar exports, these farmers are in danger. The difficulties will only expand. I wish I was wrong... I’ll be happy to be proven wrong... but the signs are ominous and, as a country, we are foolish to ignore them.