Thread: Ultimate Test of Civility ~ 2nd Amendment

Carrying a gun is an interesting thing. Normally I know males especially, have an inflated ego and a tough guy ideal about them, no matter how out of shape or aged they may be, I practiced over time not portraying myself this way, but I'll let that take the backseat for a moment in order to explain the gun concept. I know most guys think to themselves I can protect myself against this or that, or I could take him if I wanted. Let me tell you, I have spent most of my life practicing and competing in practical and tactical fighting. Thats when you take the art out of martial arts and concentrate on the fighting of it all, and testing yourself under full contact simulated conditions, and working on the incapacitation and deadly forms of those arts for survival and mental awareness. I have also had to put these skills to use (not the deadly part) quite a few times in some of the jobs I have had which require some physical contact to perform. So when I say I could injure or kill someone, give me the benefit of the doubt since I have trained for it for the better part of my life.

That said, there is a whole other feeling in thinking to yourself in a car when someone cuts you off "I could kill him" when you would have to follow him, get him out of his car and attack him, than when you know all it would take is the will and the squeeze of a trigger. It puts the world in perspective, you no longer think to yourself or daydream about injuring the jerk in traffic or the guy that curses you out on the sidewalk for no apparent reason. Having the means to easily end someones life with a gun changes you, and when for most, when a gun is carried, those thoughts simply stop and are replaced by thoughts of peace and calm. People often ask me, how do you keep from wanting to shoot someone, and I can see in their eyes that the innocence of not understanding the inherent responsibility that becomes part of who you are when you have the training and means to cause the death of not one buy many.

As I mentioned training, although many people dont realize it, many of the armed individuals train very seriously some for fun, some for work, and some for self defense. I have trained religiously with my weapons until they are an extension of self, and I have made the decision to move it up a notch by continuing my training for the next few years at a school regularly attended by special forces and taught by elite teams such as retired SEALs and high level special operations groups. I also know many LEO and FLEO, and why it doesnt worry you that more often than not LEO's only train a few times a year, with some only shooting when required to requalify for their department.

So, while you think that many of us may not understand how those who dont own guns feel, we have a much more healthy fear and respect for weapons then those who dont want to touch them, and understand their capacity for dispatching life more than most will ever know. It upsets me that many people curse guns who have never made them part of their lives, and feel a false sense of security about their lives without them, or had the chance to feel how precious the life is of the person on the street next to you with the understanding how easily it could be taken away.

Good post, JL. I feel very much the same way. I never owned a firearm till a few years ago when I started working as a hotel night auditor. Our security are all off-duty police officers and ALL of them told me to get my concealed carry permit and a good handgun. Every one of them believe in a responsible armed citizenry. They told me frankly that they can't be everywhere. I read everything I could on the subject and finally did just that. Interesting how much more in control of thoughts and emotions one is when one accepts the responsiblity of carrying deadly weapon.

Originally Posted by JLStorm

It puts the world in perspective, you no longer think to yourself or daydream about injuring the jerk in traffic or the guy that curses you out on the sidewalk for no apparent reason. Having the means to easily end someones life with a gun changes you, and when for most, when a gun is carried, those thoughts simply stop and are replaced by thoughts of peace and calm.

Were you packin' when you posted this one?:

Originally Posted by JLStorm

I say screw them, end them, eliminate them in their entirety. They breed like rats as well.

Originally Posted by dylandog

Were you packin' when you posted this one?:

HK USP FS LEM 45 Variant 2, 12 rounds in the mag one in the chamber + 2 x 12 round magazines and a S&W 340PD .357 magnum on my ankle

Originally Posted by JLStorm

HK USP FS LEM 45 Variant 2, 12 rounds in the mag one in the chamber + 2 x 12 round magazines and a S&W 340PD .357 magnum on my ankle

I guess it didn't go amiss.