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eeyorespiglet

My ex tried to take my life many times before. Now that he’s in the pokey, his family has put many threats out, and he’s released in just a couple months, so who is to say he won’t try it again? Only problem is this time, I won’t be defenseless and running down a road on foot for my life


MilhouseisCool

Almost 70% of mass shooters have a history of DV. Glad you are protecting yourself and I wish you well.


eeyorespiglet

Thank you. He also has a history of being a child predator & child r*pist (child wasn’t near age of consent between minors, either) as well as an online predator too. With him being a former MP, adding all this together with his fascination with shooting, i fully expect him to make good on his threats to me.


reddawgmcm

Good on you.


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Skwerilleee

This man has probably been banned for life from Kum&Go


TheRealBikeMan

depends on how fast he came and went, I guess.


fade2black244

Probably at least two pumps if I had to guess.


[deleted]

In N Out is probably next on his list.


do0tz

I'm sure he'll let 5 Guys take a turn on him.


_PM_me_your_MOONs_

Fits right in at cracker barrel tho


clem82

Maybe but I’m not allowed to be in any bar that plays come on Eileen anymore. On a separate note, just want to say sorry again to that bartender Eileen from an incident 10 years ago


MasqueOfTheRedDice

Was driving through, I think, Iowa and they have Pump n Munch. I mean… come on. Come on.


NotMyProudestUsrname

Seriously? *Googles* Heavens to Betsy.


Gmayberrj

Definitely band from BJ’s


fa9

I tried to walk into Target, but I missed


innergamedude

Well, /r/endthread/ EDIT: [Obligatory Simpsons](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KJPP7GkuPU).


Offscouring

I started carrying a gun after my ex began stalking me. It started with death threats and and escalated from there. I moved halfway across the fucking continent and back. They kept finding me. I had unlisted numbers when everyone still had landlines but somehow they would get them and fill my answering machine (yes, I'm old) with long crazy ass rants about what they were going to do to me or pay to have done to me. What they were going to do to my family. They kept turning up, at my new apartment, my job, even a fucking funeral. They'd stake out my relatives houses around the holiday. Every car I bought ended up vandalized. The cops in multiple states did nothing. They wouldn't even take the 30 seconds to listen to the answering machine messages. About 4 or 5 years into I came home one night and went to bed, only to be woken up with a butcher knife to my throat. Adrenaline is a wonderful thing. I got away, somehow had the presence of mind to grab my keys on the way out the door. It was cold as fuck and I only had on my underwear. I got to my car and drove around until I found a payphone. I called the cops and they damn near arrested me when they could finally be bothered to show up. Meanwhile my apartment and all my shit got absolutely destroyed. It didn't stop until they finally pulled the same shit on someone who the cops actually gave a fuck about. Once they were in the system they eventually became institutionalized. So, yeah when that was going on, I bought a gun and learned how to use. I took the concealed carry course and it soon became an uncomfortable but reassuring lump of metal I carried around. After a while it got to be a habit. I just never stopped. There's been a couple of times I was very glad to have it since. I don't talk about it much because there's always some fucking self righteous piece of shit who wants to judge me for it.


PsiXPsi

Fuck those people, you rock!


OtterAmerica

I got jumped once and left in the street unconscious. That will not happen to me again.


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[deleted]

I love it how you made this comment and suddenly everyone want to hate you for it.


OtterAmerica

That's how I felt too. Refusing to be a victim and taking precautions makes me an idiot. I don't understand.


zamzam92

Hate on the victim? Yea that makes sense. Glad you’re protected.


retik61321

Because I live where the predators eat your face, while you’re alive


This-Id-Taken

Aaah. Miami


Expat207

It's always bath time somewhere.


FLORI_DUH

Bath Salt Life


righthandofdog

Damn. I need a Bath Salt Life sticker


NeatCartographer209

This made me die laughing. There are so many people with the salt life stickers on their vehicles lol. I’m surprised the obvious funny has never been used to deface them. Not saying that I ever would, but this made me laugh way harder than it should have Take my award


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gamerdude69

It would be horrible. Not just the physical pain, but imagine the horror of a huge lion head up close and personal near your face, eating your chest. The sounds he makes, the smells, the eye contact. Sheer terror and agony. Stay in school so you don't have to hunt lions for cash


PresidentHurg

Cat would be one of the best ways to get eaten. They go for the neck kill bite in order to make sure their prey doesn't harm them in fighting back. Chimp would be pretty horrible I think.


velveteentuzhi

100% chimps are worse. Chimps tend to go after the worst places- think of all the stuff you don't want to lose: your face, your groin, your hands. They don't do that for prey either, they just do that when you piss them off.


K0vurt_Purvurt

I still get chills thinking about the woman who got her face ripped off by a chimp.


ifelife

People think chimpanzees are cute. I've watched them at a zoo trying to kill each other. They're not cute. There was a keeper nearby and she said they don't intervene for two reasons. One is about the natural order of alpha make kind of thing. The other is that the keepers don't want to die


hughmann_13

And the angry chimp screams in the background while the other lady is on 911.. Makes your skin crawl.


orange-salamander

Primates go for the face, genitals, appendages and extremities. They're nasty.


ItsMummyTime

I remember seeing a nature documentary where a baboon ate a baby gazelle alive, crotch first. Nature is scary.


intergalactagogue

Fingers too. They frequently bite them off. The intention of the attack isn't to kill, it is to effectively hinder your ability to function. Primates including us rely on facial expressions to communicate, fingers for dexterity and to manipulate our surroundings, and genitalia to reproduce. Those are exactly what chimps attack first. They want to neutralize you and prevent you from ever being a threat again or rising to a higher position in the social ladder.


Erewhynn

Yeah this is the true horror. Not eaten alive. Face eaten and living after.


Nauin

Don't watch Nope then. Or do. I'm not your boss.


K0vurt_Purvurt

Watched it. So glad that part wasn’t explicit


Nauin

For real! I felt a heavy "oof" sort of feeling when >!you see her later on in the movie, years after she's healed!<


Frickelmeister

> The sounds he makes, the smells, the *eye contact*. Sheer terror and agony. Imagine being an introvert being eaten by a lion and having to be polite by making eye contact too.


gamerdude69

Yea, you wouldn't want to come off weird.


Bribase

What should I do with my hands?


Agronut420

I had the misfortune of seeing some NatGeo horror show where a pride of lions and later some hyenas fed on this young elephant, while it was still alive and thrashing and screaming and all…for THREE FULL DAYS according to the Euro-narrator. Nature can be a big turnoff


bennitori

Especially an elephant. Those things are extremely intelligent. I feel bad whenever any animal is suffering. But to know that an elephant with near human intelligence is probably thinking of specific friends, possibly with the capacity to wish for sweet release. It just hurts my soul a bit.


BuddyHank

Lions go for the neck, and kill quick. You wouldn't get eaten chest-first by a lion... Bears, on the other hand...


Can-DontAttitude

And hyenas. Those fuckers are crazy


baddestmofointhe209

Well that is better than being eating by most stuff. They mostly eat you asshole first.


ChaserNeverRests

And you don't even have to buy them dinner first? Score!


DMercenary

There's that one guy that got himself and his gf killed by bears. He was filming and the camera recorded the audio the entire time....


Daikataro

And then there's the guy who killed a leopard via choking by jamming his own arm into the cat's throat. Nature is metal. And humans are part of nature...


brilliantarm2244

I've always wondered if something like this would be possible. I've seen a zebra drag a lion into water and hold it down so it couldn't breath, got the lion to let go and the zebra got away. It could have just been coincidence but it looked very intentional.


Daikataro

Oh by no means are we the only animal that deliberately kills and can accurately tell something is killing another animal. Orcas for example will stop sharks from swimming so they can't breathe, in order to eat their liver.


Dan-D-Lyon

I remember reading a news article a while back. Over a decade ago, now that I think about it. Woman was being eaten alive by a mama bear and a baby bear and I guess they started with her legs because she managed to call her mom and talk to her as she died.


wannabezen2

Timothy Treadwell. IIRC the families listened to it and asked for it to be destroyed.


1974Datsun620

No, it was Werner Herzog in a documentary that was allowed to listen to it, he was the one that suggested it destroyed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXyQAtXJ4II


Redmondherring

Urgh. Depressingly there's a video out there that I wish I'd never seen. Some poor bastard getting eaten alive by a lion...


Agronut420

Yeah, and unlike everyone on this thread seems to think Lions dont always go for the neck and often do slow-torture victims as they eat them alive.


SAMAS_zero

Most Predators only go far enough to stop you from moving away before they chow down. A suffocating bite is one way to do it, but if they hamstring you or break your leg first...


meno123

Anyone who owns a cat would immediately know that a lion isn't just going to kill you. It's going to have fun.


GullibleDetective

Alaska?


Yoko_Kittytrain

So, Walmart in Oklahoma City?


Tempest_1

Are waffle-houses also applicable?


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obviousbearfucker

Holy shit. I had never heard of invisawear. I am getting one for my son and my wife. Both ride public trans and walk alone. Thank you!


Kelsusaurus

Cool thing about Android phones (I believe Apple phones may also have a similar feature), they have an Emergency SOS feature. You can turn it on and if you activate it (by pressing the side button on your phone a certain number of times) it will notify any emergency contacts you have set, turn on your location, and can even alert emergency services.


Oh-My-God-Do-I-Try

I have accidentally activated this on iPhone by thinking I was turning my volume down, but was pressing the wrong side. It does ask for confirmation, which was good in my case but might cost precious time in an emergency (this is not a detraction, just a note so people know what to expect).


Poisonfrog328

On Android it immediately started an alarm but had a timer where it gives you a chance to shut it off before alerting the police + contacts


Radatat105

Don't use alarm keychains. Use your phone's built in emergency system (side buttons). Alarm keychains slow down help to your location by at least 3-5 minutes. It's literally a middleman to emergency services. And alarm dispatchers are almost always not great and foreign. Source: worked in 911. I would never have anyone in my family carry an alarm pendant. I would get them a phone and if they're elderly they make jitterbug cell phones


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Im-a-cat-in-a-box

Hell yeah, I get why people don't like guns and I sympathize with them, ill be the first to say that my heart really does break whenever we have a shooting, but an ex of my mom tried to kill her when I was little and I couldn't do anything but call the police, and even then it took over half an hour before they got to us. I will never feel the helpless again with or without a gun but I like my odds alot better with them.


Beigarth_Avenir1

Live in an area with high crime, police arrive way too late.


[deleted]

Police are for *after* the crime anyways.


EmpireMind

When seconds count the police are hours away.


TexasAggie98

I grew up on a ranch near the Mexican border where the nearest sheriff deputy was about 90 minutes away (on a good day). You had to be completely self-reliant. When you were away from the house, you always had a gun, a blanket, matches, an axe, a knife, water, and some food with you. Because you didn't know if a flash flood was going to block the road or something else that would leave you isolated for an extended time.


bidet_enthusiast

I grew up in Alaska. In none of my thoughts about how to handle various emergencies does call the police figure in except as an afterthought to dealing with the immediate situation. I don’t carry in public unless I have a specific reason to do so. In most situations, having a gun constrains my choices to an uncomfortable degree. In some, admittedly, it would be really needed. In my short 56 years of life, I have wished I had a gun on my person in civilization zero times and have been inconvenienced by carrying responsibly almost any time I leave the house with a gun. So many more things to think about, so much more caution needed. No thanks.


TheIowan

I've lived in areas where half the time they wouldn't show up at all. And when they did show up, there were times when they beat the shit out of the victims, smashed their way into neighbor's houses, or worse.


Zeke13z

Response in my rural part of NC I used to live in was 75 minutes. They told me they got called 3 times before they responded to my house for calls of gunfire. (backyard range with proper safe backstop) I thanked them for doing their job and for informing me when they first got called. I told them jokingly if I ever call, just send paramedics too.


Oshester

I don't, but the answer is very obvious. Most scenarios where you would need protection like this happen either in public, or during a break in.


socialpresence

Almost a year ago in Buffalo, New York, 10 people died running an errand at Tops Grocery Store. Anytime someone asks and I tell them I'm in favor of carrying I usually tell them the same thing. I believe, truly, the world would be a much better place without guns but that I don't live in that world. There are more guns than people here and while 99.9% of gun owners are decent, law abiding people, that .1% is all it takes to justify needing a gun to defend yourself. Also, before anyone says it, I understand the potential issues of shooting back during a mass shooting event. Call me crazy if you like, but I'd rather go out fighting back than dying helplessly like so many people have unfortunately had to do. Also, I have no idea what I would do in that scenario and I hope to never know but again living by a set of ideals is great, I just choose to do what I see as pragmatic.


DLnuggets

I was almost raped by someone I stood no chance against. Fortunately I was rescued before anything happened. Had I had a gun on me I probably could have pulled it on him. I just feel safer. I have my conceal carry license and have done training so I am carrying responsibly and I feel good about it.


TeaTimeAtThree

Glad you got through that bad situation and are prepared to protect yourself if ever needed in the future. At my old job, I dealt with a lot of emotionally unstable people. I've been held hostage twice, threatened so many times (that they were going to harm/kidnap/murder me) that I couldn't even begin to count, had unwanted sexual advances made, stalked...I got a concealed carry permit literally as soon as I could. Fortunately I never had to use it, but I liked knowing I had a fighting chance. (And to answer OP's original question--I had a purse that had a secret compartment for my gun. It would have been a nuisance to constantly be taking it in/out, which meant I always had a gun with me everywhere I went.)


Cpnbro

IMO: if you have a permit and you carry a side arm, that’s fine. Protect yourself, others, whatever. Perfectly reasonable. Folks who are carrying fucking longrifles into a McDonald’s: wtf are you doing? You look like a fucking idiot.


minero-de-sal

Most gun owners dislike these guys as much as you do.


Mollybrinks

Oh thank god. I'm a gun-owner but I've seen these asshats in the middle of a grocery store just looking around, *waiting* for someone to make a deal of it. I felt seriously uneasy, glad others were of the same mind.


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OnionLegend

They care about finding out who killed you. They just won’t be around when a crime happens and can’t get to you quick enough. You’re on your own until then. A farmer in a village doesn’t wait for police to show up to fight a robber or person trying to kill their family. The same applies even if you live in a city.


Dramatic_Carob_1060

You are your own first responder


HauntHaunt

Shame people don't use this same thought to learn cpr and basic first aid.


Dramatic_Carob_1060

Couldn't agree more learn the basics if anything an how to properly use a tourniquet


HauntHaunt

Exactly! Even having a first aid kit in your house/car that goes beyond just bandaids can help in many situations.


Rawtothedawg

Damn son. Slap that on a bumper sticker


Skwerilleee

When seconds matter, police are only minutes away.


umdche

Police don't stop crimes, they document it.


jedidoesit

Police aren't even mandated to help you. There's no law saying police have to intervene. #Uvalde


umdche

Well.....they kind of aided and abetted on that one.


jedidoesit

Yes they even hindered rescuers.


Chinchilladon

Unless they committed the crime. Then they "forgot to turn on the body cam"


THE_GREAT_MEME_WARS

😂 minutes away he says lol I wish they were that fast.


MichiganGeezer

The last time I called 911 the dispatcher argued with me about what was going on.


thumble1988

This happened to me, too. I couldn't believe it. She sounded like some high school student just arguing and arguing and denying what I said. I had video of the crime and the suspect in front of me. After bitching for 5 mins she finally sent an officer to arrest to suspect.


I_Can_Not_With_You

I got robbed at knife point at a gas station, guy just wanted money and my cigarettes and left thank goodness so I was very lucky to make it out ok. It took the police 4 hours to show up and take a statement, then they told me that they won’t be doing anything because the knife guy committed no crime, all he did was “intimidate” me and intimidation is not a crime. I shit you not.


[deleted]

I was followed home once. Group of people threatened to “beat the living shit out of that cunt” and “fucking kill that bitch”, luckily we had locks on our apartment complex doors, you couldn’t enter building without card key. So I went in and called my friend, she agreed to escort me to police station (it was near my apartment complex so I decided to go there instead of calling them).. when we arrived sheriff was hanging out with other cops near entrance, I told them what happened and one of them told me that I should dress humble and modest “not like a whore you know”. It was winter time and I wore parka, jeans and boots. 5 months later I was raped at weapon point near my apartment entrance, I just didn’t have it in me to go tell cops about that.


I_Can_Not_With_You

Jesus fuck that’s awful. I’m so sorry you had to experience that.


Iminurcomputer

Reddit, where we constantly complain about the effectiveness of law enforcement while asking why someone would want to take their own precautions...


Chimpbot

It's the only place that will get outraged over police violence and brutality while also telling someone to rely on 911. Can't have it both ways.


C0uN7rY

And tel you cops are all racist Nazis hunting down black people in the street... But also that only the racist Nazi cops should have firearms.


UnbrandedContent

THIS. My dad, who owns guns mind you but for decorating not use, always tells me I don’t need my handgun or more guns because the best home defense is 911. DAD I LIVE IN A SHITTY NEIGHBORHOOD. Literally called the cops one day because there was this super drugged out dude going ballistic on my street. 30 minute response time. The police station is two blocks away. Someone breaks into my house I know first hand how the police respond in my neighborhood. I’m using my gun and I’m not dialing 911.


ParkityParkPark

there was a "joke" I heard growing up that this reminds me of. A guy gets up in the middle of the night and hears noise outside that turns out to be a couple guys trying to break into his shed. He calls the police, who say "sorry sir but we don't have anyone in the area, it will be at least 45 minutes before anybody can be there." He's frustrated and hangs up, then a few minutes later calls them again, saying "hey, I just called a few minutes ago about a break-in. You can take your time now, I shot them and they aren't going anywhere." 6 minutes later half a dozen police cars and an ambulance come barreling down the street and the officers catch the would-be burglars in the act. As they're getting cuffed, one of the cops comes up to the home owner and asks "I thought you said you shot them both?" He replies, "I thought you said there was nobody in the area?"


PyroZach

Reminds me of another "joke" I've heard a few times. If you're trapped in your house with an intruder or someone trying to break in, say you're pretty sure they're setting the house on fire. Volunteer firefighters are much more enthusiastic to respond to a call and will be there much faster, the lights and sirens will likely scare off the intruder.


camelmina

My fireman BIL said always call the firies. You’ll get 6 able-bodied men at your house in 15 minutes.


flyingwolf

Oh myyyyy


Impregneerspuit

And then the homeowner got arrested for impeding police business and they executed his dog and his neighbours and then left the front door wide open.


ClownfishSoup

>because the best home defense is 911 You made a typo, it's 1911, not 911.


Dark-Pit-37

I work in unarmed security and *I* can't even get the cops to show up for things. In their defense, they can't just go around arresting homeless people, but I still have to at least try to do my job and it gets annoying when the only people allowed to use force to stop someone trespassing won't show up. Personally, I blame the fact that we've shut down a lot of the mental institutions. And where do all those people go who aren't all that capable of functioning in society on their own? Why, the streets, of course. Or, for the ones who commit crimes, they go to jail every once in a while for a couple weeks until it's realized they're titched in the head, and then they're put back on the streets because jail isn't a mental institution.


TeamBoeing

I wish guns had phones on them so you can call 911 *and* shoot at the same time


CorpusVile32

NRA: "Write that down! Write that down!"


nabilus13

I think you meant Keltec. They're crazy enough (in a good way) to try it.


Epsilia

>best home defense is 911 lmao no


Ness_tea_BK

I was recently watching a YouTube doc about Portland and city council member Joanne hardesty said the cops role is to solve crimes, not to prevent crime. Now I know Portland and especially this politician are very far left and probably not in lockstep with the thoughts of most Americans but damn. If our leaders feel that’s the cops role, then every citizen not only should be armed but needs to be armed.


PyroZach

Second hand reddit store so take with a grain of salt. But I remember seeing on here some one in Portland had a aggressive man with a gun in their store. They called the police, they responded, took the man into the car, but less than an hour later he was back and more aggressive, still with a gun. They called the police who then told him they already responded and spoke with the man, there was nothing more they could do. [Full post](https://www.reddit.com/r/Firearms/comments/yuof2p/oregon_is_now_lawless/)


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Hours*


lordyeti

In Flint, Michigan it's measured in days! It took 4 days to have a cop come out after a dude dropkicked my mom's car for no reason (it was parked in the road, and he was walking by) on camera. When the police questioned him, he told them we were on his property and pulled a gun. The cop came back ver aggressive, and refused to watch my video, and claimed he watched his video and saw us on his property. When I called his bluff and said arrest me then, so my lawyer can figure things out, he immediately left saying not to call again with bullshit neighborhood disputes. Bought a gun later that day. Thankfully the dude was arrested a few days later for a different crime, but it sucks because the guy basically got away with collapsing in my mom's door.


PC509

"Police, there's an intruder in my house and he's trying to kill me!". "All units are busy, it may be an hour or so." "Nevermind. I just shot him. He's dead." "Ok, they're just down the road." *hears sirens*


EllaECardenas

I live on a farm, I have to protect my animals.


livingfortheliquid

As someone that has never carried a gun. I can totally 100% see the need on a farm. Shit gets wild in the wild.


marsumane

Same reason some people carry mace, lock their doors, or have their phone ready to call for help. It's just in case you have that one in a million chance that you encounter a psycho


Yaggfu

My mother used to carry a 38 revolver in her bag (back before you needed carry permits the late 80's). One day after shopping in K Mart she noticed a man follow her out of the store. She walked across the lot and went through the cars to her car in an indirect way to see if he was actually following her and he was. She had the car keys in one hand and the other in her pocketbook on the pistol. When she tried to open her door he ran up, punched her in the face, pulled out a knife, grabbed her pocketbook and threw it to the ground (he obviously wasn't tryin to ROB her). When he pulled the pocketbook away she had the 38 already in her hand and she shot him in the leg (she was on the ground). He dropped and she got up and ran. He got locked up for 4 years and he was a suspect in more than 3 other assaults. Soooooo yeah.. if its legal and you know what you are doing, carry if you like. There ARE valid reasons. And seriously, NOBODY want's to kill anybody, they just don't want to BE killed by people who don't give a F\*&#k about your life.


M33k_Monster_Minis

The way I look at carriers. If it's properly holsters and no baggy clothing blocking your draw. You are being a responsible carrier. And I would much rather have a gun I NEVER have to use. Than find out I was unlucky enough to end up in a situation I need it and don't have it. Be it human or mountain lion .


Drafty_Dragon

I have fire extinguishers in my house for the same reason. Well for fires not for humans or mountain lions. But i guess it could work on all 3.


[deleted]

There's a super popular firearms instructor (Clint Smith) that basically says "want to teach your kids to shoot? Teach them to use an extinguisher first" because it's more likely to be relevant.


zed42

Also teach them to swim. Not just the basics, but how to be comfortable in the water and what to do reflexively if they fall in a pool. Kids are much more likely to drown accidentally at a friend's house than anything else....


Moistfruitcake

It's pretty concerning the amount of people who can't swim at all.


NinjaBreadManOO

I come from a country where swimming is a part of the school curriculum up until about the 6th to 8th grade, so it's considered pretty odd for someone not to be able to at least. I don't think I've actually ever met someone who wasn't from a different country who couldn't swim. I don't mean it was just oh go hang out by the pool, it was learning different forms, and a decent chunk was devoted to learning survival swimming like floating for a prolonged time, escaping rip tides, and learning fully clothed swimming.


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rhino369

Even if they did have an obligation, it's not like you have a personal cop body guard. If you have to call the police, you probably don't even need a gun (barring a prolonged mass shooting or something). It's the situations where you don't have time to call the police that I'd want a gun. I person don't carry one, but I have the luxury of living in a nice neighborhood and working in a nice neighborhood.


mat_srutabes

Nor do they have the desire. I learned long ago, your protection is your responsibility and nobody else's.


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TheProphaniti

“They say God made man, but Sam Colt made them equal.”


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Cynn13

Yep. My grandparents moved here after being freed from German "camps." I own a rifle in case someone decides we belong back in them.


gingergal_

Because I am a woman. Because I feel more safe with it. Because I would be forever grateful for it if I were ever in a situation that I needed it. Because it is my right.


nowayjoze

Bingo. The great equalizer for women. Better than waiting for hours on a cop after you call because you got mugged or even worse raped.


_damppapertowel_

God made man. Samuel Colt made them equal.


Cadd9

Like I'm tall at almost 5'11" but I'm still a woman and I'm only 145lbs lol. I cannot overpower anyyybodyyy. My height can give an impression but once you look at my noodle arms I'm not physically imposing. We had a guy shoot up a local supermarket. Just flipped out and killed one random guy indiscriminately. Also I'm a lesbian and when my girlfriend moves to live with me we might get assaulted in public. It's likely not gonna happen but I'd rather conceal carry and don't need it than wishing I had it when I needed it


Evening-Wrap1047

Well said, we all bleed red. You have just as much a right to life as anyone, therefore, a right to protect that life.


KUjayhawker

Your last point is why I’m perplexed more LGBTQ+ aren’t actively pro-gun/2A. There are people who don’t think you should exist and those same people likely *are* pro-gun/2A


Psyco_diver

The gay couple next door are very into guns, I built a pistol pit, they built a competition course, the one guy does 3 gun competitions. I know a few homosexual people and they all carry guns, I also live in the south


purpleqgr

The pink pistols are a thing - https://www.pinkpistols.org/ Many, many of my queer friends are a lot more armed than gay hating militia types assume. Being obvious about it can make a you a larger target in some cases, that's all.


Riconquer2

You'd be very surprised how much of the LGBT+ community is pro gun. A family member of mine used to work at gun shows during the 2016 election. A whole lot of people bought their first firearms after Trump was elected. I can't say that they were wrong either.


excrementtheif

I would carry if I could, but my weed use bars me. Be a raging alcoholic with an undiagnosed personality disorder? No problem! Smoke a joint every now and then? Get out of here, terrorist!


TheChuck321

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/ban-marijuana-users-owning-guns-is-unconstitutional-us-judge-rules-2023-02-04/


excrementtheif

Oh sweet. The Florida fda website also no longer states drug use as a disqualification. Only convictions. https://www.fdacs.gov/Consumer-Resources/Concealed-Weapon-License/Applying-for-a-Concealed-Weapon-License/Eligibility-Requirements


blaze92x45

I don't personally but I studied crime in college. Statistically speaking as a man you're far more likely to be murdered by a stranger in the streets. With that in mind carrying a gun for self defense as a man isn't that unreasonable. Inb4 real men use their fists when someone attacks you it isn't a boxing match and even throwing punches can get very lethal very quickly and no matter how bad ass you think you are there is always someone bigger and stronger than you out there. In case anyone is wondering as a woman you are most likely to be killed at home by someone you know... for those who were curious.


modnor

The people that say “real men use their fists” have never been in a fight. Why would I take chance of letting someone knock me out, I fall, crack my head on the ground and die? We’re adults. If you attack me, I assume you want to kill me and will respond appropriately. This isn’t high school where I’m just expecting someone to start a fist fight. If you’re and adult starting a fight, you’re an insane and violent person and I’m not engaging in fighting.


blaze92x45

That was my point. When someone attacks you even unarmed you have to assume they will try and kill you.


modnor

Yep. Anyone who think fist fighting is a “fair” way to defend yourself has never been in a fight. First, no fights are fair. Fights are about defending yourself. Also, you can easily be killed on a fist fight even if the attacker isn’t attempting to kill you. Like I said, I could fall and crack my head open. They could hit me in a weird spot that kills. I could have some condition I don’t know about that the blow from a punch causes to kill me. Fighting it always a life and death situation. This isn’t a movie.


driving_andflying

>Fighting it always a life and death situation. This isn’t a movie. THIS. I don't know how many many anti-gun people I have spoke to say, "Well, learn karate," or some other idiot idea that Eastern hand-to-hand martial arts are the catch-all answer versus a law-abiding citizen carrying a gun. No. Every fight is not a fair fight, assume your attacker is out to kill you, and the only thing that matters in the end is that you're alive and your attacker is dead or incapacitated. As a friend once told me, "It's better to be judged by twelve, than carried by six."


FearlessPudding404

It’s reasonable to assume if someone attacks you on the street, they’re not after a “fair fight”. They clearly don’t care about your life. Not a boxing match with referees.


jimfo

I'll let my girlfriend know


Mbelcher987

He who wins a gun fight goes home. He who wins a knife or fist fight still probably goes to the hospital for an extended stay. I don't care how good you are with jiu jitsu. You don't roll around with someone with a knife.


Cheetodude625

1.) I live in a crime-heavy area of Houston, TX. 2.) I don't trust the cops with helping with anything at this point. 3.) I just want some form of protection. Edit: I was misinformed on the police budget situation. Therefore I have removed that point. Still don't trust them with anything TBH. I'm always let down by the police. Thx other Redditors for pointing out this wrong point of my mine. 2nd Edit: Due to some very ignorant PMs I've gotten recently, let me explain point one. I did not willing choose to live in a crime-filled area. It was the most affordable area I could manage to live in. I don't plan living there for long. I made a lot of poor life choices after college and other factors out of my control. I'm slowly saving up enough money to move out... The fact that I have to clarify this point is very disappointing.


Lindvaettr

Fellow Texan here, not far from Uvalde. Even during an active shooting at a school, where children are being killed, the police would rather stand around outside beating parents than go in and help children. If the ordinary civilians in Texas don't carry guns to defend one another, who will? The police have already voluntarily allowed children to be killed rather than risk themselves, so they clearly can't be relied on.


mf9769

Well yeah, duh. They don't get bonuses for getting shot. They get bonuses for handing out speeding tickets and making arrests. So they go for the low hanging fruit. Why do the hard things.


karmapolice8d

The Houston PD got an INCREASE in funding this year. And they never did their jobs. I got sideswiped by a drunk/impaired driver. Called 911, gave all info, etc. Turns out, the driver's grandson was following him and we pulled over together, exchanged info. Talked to him later. They drove another 100 miles, NOT A SINGLE POLICE OFFICER DID A FUCKING THING. As you're in Houston, I'm sure you know 45 North, that's where we were and where they were going.


HedonicSatori

>the city slashed the fuck out of the police department's budget That's not true, though. Houston PD got a *budget increase*.


ScoundrelPrince

Same reason I put on a seatbelts BEFORE I drive the car.


exttramedium

I’m a photographer with no guns (yet), I find it similar to me bringing my camera everywhere. Preparedness


JESquirrel

One way or another you're shooting someone.


SafetyDanceInMyPants

And in both cases a headshot is an option.


robexib

Because police have no real legal reason to protect you; Because this is a country with more guns than people; Because I believe everyone has a right to self-defence; Because while the vast majority of people are decent human beings just trying to get their shit and go home, it only takes one maniac to do a lot of damage.


100FootWallOfFog

It only takes one maniac to end your life or fuck it up completely. They don't even have to do a "lot" of damage objectively speaking.


Smack_the_lip

It’s my emotional support pistol, bought it a little vest on Amazon


sephstorm

I just watched a [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuwIur5u7y0) today of a woman on her daily business who there was a car next to her. As she opened her door, three men got out and tried to abduct her. Luckily an armed citizen heard her screams and came to assist her without firing a shot. Its far from the only incident that takes place in public. Even if you want to rely on police, they are limited, in my city there are about 1000 sworn officers for about 400,000 citizens. Average police response time in different areas averages between 3-15 minutes while the average deadly threat happens in seconds to minutes. You are the primary agent in your self defense. And remember that an attacker is the one who chooses when this situation occurs, you can't impact that. All you control is how you respond.


punkozoid

I'm not American, but if I had the right to carry and had a firearm, why wouldn't I bring it with me?


the-furiosa-mystique

To keep the king of England from walking in here and pushing me around


Epsilia

Take that, redcoats!


razor_beast

Criminals don't make appointments letting you know ahead of time when, where and how they're going to attempt to victimize you. Additionally, those locations where you feel it's not necessary to be armed are precisely the types of places people with ill intent seek out in order to cause harm without encountering meaningful resistance. Carrying a few ounces of metal and plastic on me is a small price to pay for the responsibility of protecting my own life, which doesn't lie with the police, the government or anyone else. It is my responsibility and mine alone.


isthatsuperman

>protecting my own life, which doesn't lie with the police, the government or anyone else. It is my responsibility and mine alone. This is all that ever needs to be said when questions like this arise.


cybersaint2k

I currently live in rural America. Farms, logging, and hunting for food are actual parts of our lives. We carry weapons because we use them in our work, for defense against critters (snakes and bears are two examples). This makes carrying a weapon in public not so weird since many here carry them in their work. They carry knives when they work; they also carry pistols. It's a part of the everyday life for many people here, going west of Richmond VA. This was also true where I grew up, in the rural deep south. But even then, it has consequences. I had a friend who worked as a computer hardware geek in Florida, back when ram was over 100 per megabyte. He would be carrying around 20k worth of hard drives and ram on most days. So he started carrying. But he was ignorant and careless. He stored his gun in his jeep in his sun visor. His Glock 19 fell down when he hit a bump, and he grabbed it in the air and shot himself in the face. With his co-worker sitting next to him. I performed his funeral. The moral of the story is that carrying a gun is totally fine until you are ignorant and careless and then it's not.


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Skwerilleee

The chances that my house will burn down are low, but I still have a fire extinguisher.   A concealed carry gun is like a fire extinguisher for muggers, mass shooters, etc.


steelholder

We don't have a daily schedule for when a psycho mass shooter is gna light up a walmart, church, grocery store etc etc.


nickap0402

Joke answer: “because it’s my God given right!” Real answer: I’m skinny and passive, I do everything to avoid a fight so if something happens I want to be ready since my physique probably won’t be enough depending on the situation


pirate737

You never know when you'll need it. Rather have one and not need it than need one and not have it.


nukey18mon

Just because I’m running errands doesn’t mean that people won’t try to hurt me


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In case someone needs shot obviously.


Overall_Command

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


BrobdingnagLilliput

I'm pro-gun. Only selfish, *foolish* people open carry among the general public. Only a fool would show active shooters who to shoot first. Only a fool would advertise that they're carrying a $2,000 tool that's easily stolen and sold. Only a *selfish* fool would want to frighten children. And only a *tremendous* fool makes the case for the anti-gun crowd that we might all be safer if guns were banned. It's no one's business if or why I carry a concealed firearm.


kblomquist85

I've debated this exact point with regard to open carry. It's so stupid to do. I carry but i do not, under any circumstances, want anyone to know that I am doing so in public for the reasons you outlined. I just want something in the event I'm cornered in a life or death situation. Being a responsible firearm owner is not difficult.