Defining moments - what made you decide to carry?

[lawrnk]

The influx of Criminals after Rita in Houston

[WildBill]

When I moved to Texas I thought you HAD TO!!

Seriously, I had been wanting to get a CHL for many years, but lived in a state that was not "shall issue" so I couldn't get one. So there was no "defining moment", just fullfilling a long-time goal.

[GrillKing]

I originally got my CHL to avoid 'travel' issues when actually traveling and to avoid any 'issues' going to and from the range. But as I read "The Armed Citizen" in American Rifleman each month, I came to realize that the need to physically defend myself and my family, though still a low likelyhood of actually happening, was much higher than I thought. High enough, I no longer feel I can chance it.

[GrillKing]

When I moved to Texas I thought you HAD TO!!

In Texas, you must own guns, carry most of the time and drive a pickup. Remember, it's the law.

[Sarah81]

I'm safest when I'm at home. Not completely safe 100 percent of the time, but safest.

Why would I leave my best means of defense here when I take off for the day?

Living on campus for two years had a lot to do with my decision to get the CHL. No weapons allowed except commercially-manufactured pepper spray. That's wonderful stuff, in the right situation, but I doubt that it's very effective if there's a bad guy with a gun. And I didn't like what I read and learned about the cross contamination thing. Knowing my luck, I'd dose myself with the stuff and end up being miserable AND robbed (or whatever).

So basically, I spent two years putting my faith and trust in the campus police department. They're nice people. They really are. And they do want to help. But they can't respond fast enough to help me if somebody breaks in...or if I'm walking across the parking lot and a bad guy decides that my wallet belongs in his pocket.

I'm a commuter student now. I would rather drive an hour one way to get to classes than live in an environment where I cannot feel safe or protect myself.

Now...hopefully the Great State of Texas will get in gear and let CHLers carry at school. I'm sure that it'll happen at some point, but I'm hoping that it's sooner rather than later.

[CJATE]

I too got it to avoid any travel run-in’s back and forth to range.

Then I started a business, and the only office space I could afford was not in a great area. Working late, back and for the to bank ect…Already had CHL, started carrying to office. That quickly lead to all day at work, that quickly lead to the knowledge that my wife is more comfortable knowing I am carrying. I carry 90% of the time now,

[JVanBrunt]

I have been around guns for as long as I can remember so naturally as soon as I turned 21 I applied and got my chl. I carried in the car mostly as I worked in a hospital and couldn't carry inside. I got married in '05 and my license expired in '06. I let it go almost until my birthday in '07 and renewed along side of my wife who got her license. Now, and especially since the birth of my daughter I carry on my person 98% of the time.

[Dan20703]

Several close friends I grew up with in NY became LEOs and they always carried. Many times they made me carry when we went to certain areas of the city (Buffalo). I was always around guns via hunting and target shooting so it was a logical (and legal) next step. I've had a permit for carrying in 3 states now (NY TX NH). New Hampshire was the easiest and least strict.

[atxgun]

When I got my first gun a couple years ago the guy gave me the card of a CHL class in the area. I didn't really think much of it at the time, I just wanted to go shoot at the range. Also I thought at the time it was pointless b/c I was under the impression all those "no weapons" signs you see everywhere applied to CHL. So I thought I wouldn't really be able to carry anywhere anyway.

Then I found that card a while back while cleaning and started thinking about it. Looked into it, found out those signs don't apply and figured I already have the gun so I may as well. I'm sure I would feel pretty stupid if I was robbed, attacked or worse realizing I could have had some defense. Also after thinking about it I didn't want to live through some disaster like Katrina where society effectively collapses temporarily and even the cops aren't much use.

Lastly I figured it might make things easier if I did get pulled over with it.

[Texasdoc]

since I was 18 I carried a handgun and like TXI stated I am a Retired LEO, So not carrying is like going out without pants on.

Doc

[shootthesheet]

My first child.

[Venus Pax]

My parents have always had guns. Guns were just something you have around, kinda like groceries.

My dad expected me to get my CHL upon turning 21. In fact, he bought me a .38 special the Christmas before I turned 21 so that I would have a gun to carry once the plastic arrived. It took me nearly ten years to take the class and apply. During those years, I was either short of cash, time, or both, or it wasn't on my mind.

Dad called one day and offered to schedule a class for me if I would be willing to go; I went since I had been meaning to do so for awhile anyway.

[thenavarro]

I made a couple of real enemies and just want to have the additional means to protect myself and my family.

[atxgun]

I made a couple of real enemies and just want to have the additional means to protect myself and my family.

scarry

[casingpoint]

I was driving a big truck hauling freight between New Jersey and Miami in the middle 1980's . Back then, you just didn't go down into Miami proper without some heat. All those Cuban marielitos, or convicts Castro let loose were around. LOL now, all the freight out of Cinamminson, New Jersey was glass sheets bound for table manufacturers in Miami. You know what glass tabletops are good for? Dividing cocaine into individual doses with razor blades and snorting it right off the glass. Absolutely no waste like wood or tile. The finest semi trailer rigs in the U.S. were pulling refrigerated produce trailers called "reefers" on I-95 between south Florida and the Bronx. Umpteen thousand heads of lettuce on board, and one guy at Hunts Point Market knows which head of lettuce in which packing box has been hollowed out and filled with cocaine or heroin. After that, I got back home and things were pretty calm for almost twenty years until those two hurricanes in 2005, Katrina and Rita. It was time to gun up again. Life just ain't been the same on the Gulf Coast since. You go to the big cities now and you can see it in their eyes, something that wasn't in there before the storms.