I may buy a gun for when I volunteer at our local Democratic office. Seeking advice. [View all]

[hay rick]

Relevant facts:

I have never owned a gun, so I need to get basic information concerning what kind of gun fits my needs, safety precautions, etc.

I want to buy a gun to protect myself and other people in our office. We had somebody come into our office recently screaming that he "hated liberals." There were about 15 people in our office at the time, including half a dozen high school students. The man left because I screamed in his face..."get the fuck out..." We were able to identify him later and contacted the police, who issued a trespassing citation which is also equivalent to a restraining order in this jurisdiction. Sadly, this is not the only incident, so we want to be proactive. We are investigating "hardening" our office by making the front windows and doors bullet-resistant. We also want to install an automatic re-locking lock.

I volunteer almost every day. I have my own desk at the back of the office, about 40 ft. from the door. We often host campaign events and have our own network of volunteers who use the office. When other people are in the office, most of the activity takes place between my desk and the only door. Our office is in Florida. Lots of people have guns. Florida is famously a "stand your ground" state. Florida is not an open carry state. It looks like it is easy to get a concealed carry permit which I would likely do.

I don't like the idea of having a gun in the office and I am concerned that some of our volunteers will stop coming around when it becomes known. On the other hand, I despise the notion that we should curtail our activities due to intimidation.