Does anyone here carry a firearm everywhere they go?

[rrneck]

21. The answer to that question lies bewtween two extremes.

Very few people will expect to carry a gun absolutely everywhere they go. There are a lot of places where a firearm would be illegal or inappropriate. On the other hand, a gun is not like a pocket knife or a pair of nail clippers. It is a sizable responsibility and if it should be necessary to use it one should be able to do so with the certainty that it can be deployed and fired with skill. Maintaining that skill requires practice, and part of that practice is making it a habit to carry the firearm.

I think the vast overwhelming majority of people who are inclined to carry fall somewhere between two extremes:

1. Carry absolutely all the time for reasons other than self defense like a political statement, a clear danger as a result of persistent threats, or if they are just really into carrying a gun. The final reason should not be construed a a sign of mental illness and any word like "compulsion" is an insulting and ill informed caricature.

2. Buy the gun, complete the paperwork, and leave it home in a drawer until they think they might need it: a need that will probably never manifest itself. This is still a pretty safe country to live in.

Of the two extremes, the second one is the more dangerous. If somebody carries a gun most of the time, there is nothing to preclude them from doing any of the things an unarmed individual might do to avoid any situation where the firearm might become necessary. If they are willing to carry a gun they probably take the responsibility of doing so seriously and are proficient in it's use. On the other hand, someone who rarely if ever carries may not have enough practice either physically or mentally to carry a gun safely or actually use it when they need it.

If you own a handgun and plan to carry it having it on you even if you know you won't need it is actually safer for you and everyone around you.