Concealed Handgun License

[ajstoner21]

Does anyone have one?

What are your thoughts about carrying?

For those that do, have you ever had to use it, or had a good or bad situation come out of it?

Just curious.

 

[Jim Logajan]

Fascinating discussion; my only modest comment is this:

Accidents kill 6 times as many people as homicides. Carrying a weapon is not unwise by any means, but applying the finite amount of time and effort one has available in becoming proficient in its emergency use would, based on statistics and the concept of allocation of resources proportionate to risk, be better spent in first applying your finite resources toward quality first aid training. And only when you've got that done, and you've started to establish a healthy lifestyle for you and your loved ones does it make sense to expend some effort on proper weapons training.

So if you're packing heat, but don't know how to handle a medical emergency, I humbly suggest you are overdue on learning the latter.

 

[Jim Logajan]

Jim, I'm a gun nut and don't disagree with you there.

The gun is just another survival tool, but as the story above shows quite the useful one.

I saw that article - the woman did a good job. Glad to see the emergency operator didn't tell her "don't shoot."

I haven't fired a weapon in three decades; if I took it up again I'd have to go do some training to feel safe and comfortable. But I've never learned proper first aid or handling most medical emergencies - that next on my list. I've already got the elliptical trainer and have been using it (as has my wife) - and I have been eating right for several years. The "bad guys" I know who will harm me most have a higher probability of being in my blood stream than outside my window. Once I have that squared away I'll worry about the lower probability issues.

 

[Jim Logajan]

Is this comparing firearm related accidents/homicides or all types of accidents/homicides?

All types of accidents and homicides; I used the information from a document I now can't find! However, check Table B on page 9 in this document:
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr59/nvsr59_04.pdf

Accidents (unintentional injuries): 117,176
Assault (homicide): 16,591

The ratio in that document is actually 7 to 1.

This document has breakdowns by broad age groups:
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db64.pdf

As expected of their relative health and low life experience, ages 1 to 24 die mostly due to accidents (38%), homicide (14%), suicide (12%), cancer (7%) and heart disease (3%). This group might improve their situation by arming themselves (but might actually also accidentally shoot themselves or someone else.)

Ages 25 to 44, homicide (6%) is less "probable" than even suicide (10%) with accidents still the leading cause (25%) of death (health issues are starting to dominate.)

Above age 44, health problems are what kills people, with accidents, homicide, and suicide dropping to very small relative percentages.

 

[Jim Logajan]

Nope, you don't get it.

In this forum, if people want to discuss guns, or anything else "...so long as they are discussed in a civil manner", we can.

I believe the above argues against a claim she didn't make.

You're free to ignore topics that you don't enjoy. Your characterizing us based on whatever perceptions you have about guns as "chest-thumping" says more about you than it does about us, I think.

She's also free to read and post her opinion. And keep doing so. If that annoys you, you could find a forum dedicated to firearms that excludes negative posts and discuss concealed handgun licenses there in relative peace.

While most of the posts to this thread have been measured and reasonable, a few have been "chest-thumping" (obviously in my very humble opinion.)

 

[Jim Logajan]

You don't have to read the thread and people are free to discuss this provided they remain within the RoC which they're doing. What is your issue? Don't look at it if you don't like it - there is no reason for you to come in here and start bashing those that like firearms.

If posts are allowed that bash people who dislike firearms (there have been several posts that have done that; let me know if you would like me to point them out) then shouldn't those bashed people be allowed to respond?

(Just to be clear: I'm a libertarian and believe very strongly in the right to bear and use arms.)

 

[Jim Logajan]

Caution, on the internet, you will encounter people with different opinions and different demeanor from you.

I think I noticed that 23 years ago, when I first encountered Usenet.