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yeah its amazing how a city decides to take a crime ridden neighborhood and revamp it for tourists...they basically are using them as bait for the bg's. 1 block either way of that nice harbor area is the worst part of town. The police statement to me was "we know we have a problem but there isnt a lot we can do...we normally have someone on foot down there." I hold nothing against them..just the city for making such a dumb decision and myself for putting myself in that area.

my pleasure....
When you go through the ordeal like I went through its theraputic to talk about it...the more you talk about it and play it over in your mind the less traumatic it is once you can work through it. A bit more info:

It happened in front of a ruth chris steak house in the harbor area of baltimore. I was attending a security conference sponsored by the NSA. Myself and a good friend of mine had decided to go downtown and grab a steak and a quiet dinner and did just that. I stopped at an atm by the aquarium which is unfortunately outdoors and near the street. Seems someone saw me do this and waited for me outside ruth chris. When my friend and I walked out they grabbed him and drug him into an alley way while 4 others continued to beat me into oblivion. The first hit was with something metal which knocked me out. Then they repeatedly beat and kicked my head. The only thing I remember is my head laying in my friends lap in the cab and him pleading for the cabbie to take me to the hospital. I remember saying to myself "you have to wake up..if you dont it could be bad and you may never see your kids again". Just a side note I had found out the day before my wife was pregnant with our 3rd child.

Well when I woke up in the hospital my friend of course was there and a few policemen and the doc of course. The doc looked at me and said "I have good news and bad news...the good news is your brain is not bleeding and seems to be just a severe concussion...bad news is your face is a mess and you need surgery." I had broken my cheekbone in 2 places and it was depressed into my face. My orbital was fractured several times. My jaw was broken, and even my sinus cavity in my cheek was fractured. I was in the naval reserves at the time this happened so I had to report to a navy hospital after this. I refused treatment based on it was more of a practice surgery for them. I got outside consultation and never got surgery...you can only really tell anything is wrong when im really tired and my left eye gets a bit lazy...and if I turn so you see my right profile you can tell my left cheek bone is sunk in a bit.

It took months for me to go outside of my house after dark...was always afraid something else would happen to take me from my family. The doc said the only thing that saved me was my years boxing...most people wouldnt have survived with no brain damage....and 2 weeks later someone died from being beaten to death in the same exact spot during a robbery.....this is 1 block from a police station.

So this is my story...this was the driving force behind my getting a license...so when you debate if you "need" a license...just do me a favor and think about who would ultimately pay the price if you were taken from your kids and wife....all over a wallet which I would have given if they had asked.

trust me if you have a family it should be a responsibility. After almost losing my life where a CHL could have possibly kept me from harm...I definitely saw the need. Like they said it only takes one time of needing it and not having it...bad thing by then its too late. I just got lucky and escaped my ordeal with several broken bones in my face and a severe concussion....all over my wallet.

yeah bass pro is definitely pro chl...that is actually where I did my range portion for the CHL class.