I'll preface this by saying that I have never in my life felt unsafe or afraid in my day to day comings and goings any where I have lived. I don't carry a concealed handgun because of a fearful existence or paranoia.

I also do not have a "commando complex" which would make me one of the worst kind of wannabes seeing I have never served in the military or law enforcement. I actually do not have any desire to use the gun on anyone and pray I never have to pull it for any reason. I don't place myself in dangerous situations or go places where I think danger may be present. In other words, my primary form of self defense is avoidance of potential danger, not confrontation. That does not make me a coward, because I have inadvertently and unintentionally found myself in situations where I have had to step in to defend other people (without a firearm), and I have responded pro-actively and decisively.

So setting aside those common accusations against people who carry concealed handguns, why do I carry one?

1. Because I can. It is a right afforded to me by the U.S. Constitution and the Arkansas State constitution. It is afforded to me by a concealed carry. law that law abiding citizens should never have had to fight for. Nonetheless, it has been hard won through long and expensive legislative action to develop what we have today. It is a right and the more of us who obtain the license and carry the guns, the harder it will be for controlling politicians to reverse it in the future.

2. Because it is my duty and responsibility to take advantage of a right afforded to me by what I believe was the guiding hand of an almighty God in the framing of the Constitution of the U.S. and the Bill of Rights.

3. Because I choose to take responsibility for my and my family's safety. Police generally arrive at a crime scene after the criminals are long gone and the devastation to citizen victims is already done. It is foolish indeed to believe that that our civil governments have the ability to protect us from the sub human predators of our society.

4. Because I live in a real world in which I recognize the dangers above are present. To do otherwise is to stick our heads in the sand and ignore an ever-present danger among us.

5. Because I want to be part of what makes criminals wonder if the next person they choose to assault may be the one that ends their life. The more law abiding citizens that are armed, the less sure criminals can be of the outcome of their actions against us.

Carry the Largest Gun Possible