16 October 2009

Why I Carry a Gun

From time to time, I mention firearms on this blog. I have described the struggles I went through, relearning how to shoot, in my 50s, to achieve what I could easily do 20 years ago. I've published pictures of my targets, most recently showing nice centrally-placed shots on the bulls-eyes.

And, inevitably, I get e-mails: "How can you, a man of the cloth, (or a Reverend, or insert-your-own-variation), justify the possession of/use of/wearing of a gun???"

It's easy. This has been widely published before, but allow me another repetition:
Personally, I carry a gun because I'm too young to die and too old to take a beating.

I carry a gun because where we live in Alaska, there are predators which are bigger, stronger, and scarier than me - and some of them have four legs.

I don't carry a gun to kill people. I carry a gun to keep from being killed.


I don't carry a gun to scare people. I carry a gun because sometimes this world can be a scary place.

I don't carry a gun because I'm paranoid. I carry a gun because there are real threats in the world.

I don't carry a gun because I'm evil. I carry a gun because I have lived long enough to see the evil in the world.

I don't carry a gun because I hate the government. I carry a gun because I understand the limitations of government.

I don't carry a gun because I'm angry. I carry a gun so that I don't have to spend the rest of my life hating myself for failing to be prepared.

I don't carry a gun because I want to shoot someone. I carry a gun because I want to die at a ripe old age in my bed, and not on a sidewalk somewhere tomorrow afternoon.

I don't carry a gun to make me feel like a man. I carry a gun because men know how to take care of themselves and the ones they love.

I don't carry a gun because I feel inadequate. I carry a gun because unarmed and facing one or more armed thugs, I am inadequate.

I don't carry a gun because I love it. I carry a gun because I love life and the people who make it meaningful to me.

"Police Protection" is an oxymoron. Free citizens must protect themselves. Police do not protect you from crime; they usually just investigate the crime after it happens and then call someone in to clean up the mess.

h/t Syd at Front Site Press & Brigid, for supplying his name [The line about Alaska was inserted by me, because it's true - Paul]

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I carry a gun because I am a free Man, and plan on staying that way.

Tbird said...

Amen..people who depend on the police for protection end up as victims or dead or both.

Home on the Range said...

This was written by Syd at blog "front site press" and widely distributed and modified without crediting him (his blog is on my sidebar). Though the word Alaska was not in the original test he wrote, it is fitting.

Thank you for sharing. Good words, but I wanted the original author to be recognized too. He's a good family man and avid shooter.

MaddMedic said...

Because if we don't we are all serfs, peasants or slaves.