Recently, I completed the process of acquiring a license to carry a concealed weapon, in the state of California, called a CCW. It was only after my approval that I started thinking about why this is so important to me; what was it that encouraged me to do so? Most Southern California moms that I know have trouble understanding why I would take such drastic means in order to feel safe. I wanted to better explain my reasons for obtaining a license to carry a concealed weapon and choosing this lifestyle.
I am an NRA Certified Basic Pistol Instructor, I teach safe firearm handling, sight alignment, proper holding of the firearm, range safety, and basic gun cleaning. I have taken many courses in personal protection inside and outside the home. I have undergone training through FEMA’S active shooter program and I am an advocate of education in active shooter preparedness. When it comes to firearms, you can never have enough training to feel safe, confident, and be empowered.
Why have a CCW?
I was out hiking with my dog years ago, on a trail in the redwoods in Northern California. It was a pleasant day in a secluded section of the park, and I had my dog with me (a yellow lab named North), so I felt safe. North being well trained and responsive to hand signals and voice commands did not need to be on a leash. As North sauntered through the woods ahead of me on the trail, though always within sight, a suspicious man dressed in a hoodie appeared around the bend. I am not sure whether North was picking up on my anxious energy or the ill intentions from the man approaching me, but he quickly returned and positioned himself at my side creating a barrier between the man and myself. As we passed each other on the trail North snarled and growled at him, with the fur on his back raised, heeling next to my leg. I have never witnessed this behavior from my dog before. Keeping the potential threat within my sight, I waited until he was rounding the corner behind me, and took off running down the path, with my faithful canine protector, towards my parked car. On the drive home, I couldn’t stop thinking, What if that man had tried to victimize me? How would I have reacted? After all I was far from help and deep in the woods, no one would have heard me screaming.
#1 – What If
Nothing bad happened on that hike in the woods, and I cannot even be sure the man had any ill intentions, but it concerned me to how vulnerable I felt. The man had his hands concealed in his hoodie pockets – what if he had a weapon? I had my dog North, who I know, would’ve tried to protect me, but if the man had hurt him then I was defenseless and on my own. I pondered the many “what ifs” over the last decade. With the rise of terrorist threats and deadly attacks emerging over the last 15 years in the United States, it has made many stop and think about personal safety. It really hit home for me in 2011, when a lone gunman started carjacking victims and randomly killing people in what police described as an execution. This was happening in my backyard, on the roads that I drive with my four young children strapped in car seats. What if, it was us driving that day, how would I have protected my children and myself? In an instant, I remembered the feeling of vulnerability. As I looked and my babies in the back seat I decided that I needed to do something to protect them. I wanted to start carrying a firearm.
#2 – Vulnerability
We live in a society where women are increasingly vulnerable. If a person is willing to go about it the correct way, by making a commitment to being safe, then we should be able to carry a weapon that allows us to protect our families and ourselves. People carry concealed weapons for many reasons; I am a responsible gun owner, so accordingly, I carry a gun. What if my four small children were with me on that hike? How would I protect all of us, on my own?
#3 – Deterrence Works
When it is well known that a part of the population carries guns, criminals will think twice and be much more thoughtful. Prison surveys indicate that what criminals fear the most are armed citizens. You don’t need to be in imminent danger to realize that personal safety and the safety of your family should always come first.
#4 – It’s My Patriotic Duty
It is my constitutional right to carry a gun and to protect the ones I love and myself. I support the 2nd Amendment. If a person, of good moral character, is willing to take the responsibility to attain the necessary knowledge and skills required, then that individual has a basic right to carry a defensive weapon. Even though, the right to bear arms and free speech are pre-existing human rights.
#5 – It’s My Christian Duty
When I have my CCW with me, it reinforces my lifestyle and strengthens the philosophy of Edmund Burke, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” Good people arm themselves with the disposition that all is not right in the world and that the individual can make a difference. I choose to be proactive and a good citizen, therefore, I have my CCW.
#6 – Keeps Me Alert And Attentive
My level of awareness is transformed by having a CCW, it creates a formidable sense of vigilance. Benjamin Franklin once said that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”…Carrying a “pound of cure” in my holster urges me to live with a heightened awareness of my surroundings. I am more observant now; I look for someone displaying the signs of a potential threat everywhere around me more so than before I concealed carried.
#7 – To Stack The Deck In My Favor
There is an old saying; “God made man, but Sam Colt made them equal.” There will always be someone younger, stronger, and better armed, who is looking for victims of a lesser challenge. The chances of survival for a woman alone with four small children are limited. The weapon that I carry, and the continual training I employ, will ensure that I have a better chance creating an equal balance of power.
#8 – As Great As The Police Are, They Are Not Quick Enough
Most Police officers will admit that they are minutes away when seconds count. In a defensive situation, no police officer can respond to a crime before damage occurs, no matter how fantastic the officer is. Carrying a gun is to criminals as a fire extinguisher is to fire. It is good to have one when you need it and to know that backup is on the way.
#9 – A Good Citizen
Carrying a gun is a matter of good citizenship, given that we are responsible for our personal protection and the defense of those who depend on us. My Christian upbringing has taught me that the world would be a better place if people looked out for one another. When I conceal carry, it is a conscious decision to make a difference, to do something to engage proactively in my community.
#10 – Confidence
I feel confident that I am ready to handle a troublesome or even deadly situation if I need to. If faced with a situation like the father at Wal-Mart, who was shopping with his daughter when two predators attempted to rob them in the parking lot for the young girls newly purchased Gameboy. The father, a CCW carrier, pulled his weapon and averted the crime while protecting his daughter. How about the terrorist situation, which took place this past week in Oklahoma, where a man beheaded a woman at a food plant and became thwarted from killing further by the armed CEO, who shot him. The threat is out there, and you never know when your family will be in a life or death situation that requires action.
#11 – It’s a Dangerous World
To protect yourself and your loved ones from whatever threat may arise you need to accept the reality and prepare as best as you can. After all, many heinous violent crimes have been committed in ordinary places such as movie theaters, schools, and restaurants. Keeping these places absent of lawful members of the community with a concealed carry weapon is an open invitation to criminals. Moreover, the presence of law-abiding citizens with CCW’s offers a practical deterrent to assailants who wish to inflict harm and fear among the public.
In the end, it’s about choice. Concealed carry licensees only wish to be secure, and if things take a turn and get ugly, we hope for a chance to make a difference. Criminals do not play fairly; they love to victimize the weak and will usually attack without warning, being armed is simply an edge. And for women, especially mothers with children in tow, it can be a great equalizer. Most women would find it difficult defending themselves against an attack by a man, but having a firearm creates a situation where a woman can be just as powerful as any armed bad guy.