Why I Always Carry

I didn’t want to venture into the political realm here because this is about helping all veterans, and as we know, vets come from all areas of the political spectrum.  As I got ready to head to the barber shop with my son a couple days ago and concealed my pistol I asked myself why I didn’t like leaving the house unarmed, and I think this is something for all veterans.

carry

I don’t like to go anywhere without a weapon and a spare magazine.  In fact, if I could conceal a long rifle and a basic load, I probably would do that too.  Many of us know that first magazine in a firefight goes insanely fast, and when the adrenaline is pumping hard and bullets are flying your way, your accuracy percentage plummets.

An anti-gunner would say that I’m afraid or paranoid, and somehow they are braver for venturing into the world daily without paranoia.

I’m not afraid.  I’m not paranoid.  I’m also not naïve.  Police, firefighters, paramedics and military are more likely to carry than the regular civilian population.  You know why?

Because we don’t have the luxury of pretending that there is no evil in the world.

Cops deal with the worst of us every single night.  Take a cop like my buddy Geoff who patrols one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Orlando.  This guy chases real bad guys down every night while you dream about gumdrops and rainbows in your violence-free fantasyland.

A few months ago I went to visit him.  We walked into a restaurant together, both scanned the room, both moved to the booth in the back corner, and then fought about who gets to sit with his back to the wall.

I’ve seen the world as it really is.  I’ve lived through the experience where a situation goes from calm to chaos in a millisecond.  I’ve seen the horrific things that people are capable of and I don’t get to forget that shit.

TED Shot

I carry because I know there are evil men out there.  I carry because I know how hard it is to take a violent man down.  I carry because I know how hard it is to protect someone and fight at the same time.  I carry because I know a controlled-pair center-mass is the fastest way to end a fight.

For you jackasses that think that disarming me somehow makes you safer, you should know that my guns are only dangerous to those who seek to do harm; that includes someone that wants to harm you.

So don’t feel guilty for wanting that sense of security.  You’re not broken, your eyes are opened and they can never be closed now.

Godspeed out there