How to get my wife to get a CHL

[jecsd1]

Thanks for all the great advise. I think for now I will continue to take her to the range with me on occasion. She seems to enjoy that much. I will then bring up the idea of one of those defense seminars. That seems to be the best place to start.

Baby steps I guess. I thin even getting her to keep one in her car at all times would be a HUGE step up. I think that will be the first major hurdle. Oh well, I'll keep trying.

[jecsd1]

wow, I just looked up that "Refuse to be a Victim" seminar by the NRA and there's only one in the next 2 months and it's 6 hours away. Anyone know of an alternative?

[Charles L. Cotton]

Now you've made me feel guilty. I'm going to schedule both a Texas Self-Defense & Deadly Force Laws Seminar (3 hrs) and a Women's Self-Defense Informational Seminar ( 2 hrs) at PSC in June. They may have to be on a Friday evening because of scheduling the classroom.

I'll probably schedule the Women's Self-Defense Informational Seminar first. They will not be scheduled together, but on separate days.

Chas.

[seamusTX]

wow, I just looked up that "Refuse to be a Victim" seminar by the NRA and there's only one in the next 2 months and it's 6 hours away. Anyone know of an alternative?

http://www.google.com/search?q=austin+w ... nse+course" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Looks like an embarrassment of riches.

- Jim

[Kevinf2349]

Now you've made me feel guilty. I'm going to schedule both a Texas Self-Defense & Deadly Force Laws Seminar (3 hrs) and a Women's Self-Defense Informational Seminar ( 2 hrs) at PSC in June. They may have to be on a Friday evening because of scheduling the classroom.

I'll probably schedule the Women's Self-Defense Informational Seminar first. They will not be scheduled together, but on separate days.

Chas.

Charles,

Will these seminars be open to non PSC members?

[Charles L. Cotton]

Now you've made me feel guilty. I'm going to schedule both a Texas Self-Defense & Deadly Force Laws Seminar (3 hrs) and a Women's Self-Defense Informational Seminar ( 2 hrs) at PSC in June. They may have to be on a Friday evening because of scheduling the classroom.

I'll probably schedule the Women's Self-Defense Informational Seminar first. They will not be scheduled together, but on separate days.

Chas.

Charles,

Will these seminars be open to non PSC members?

Yes; available seats will be reserved on a first-come-first-served basis. I'll announce the date here at the same time I send the email notice to PSC members and post it on the PSC website.

Chas.

[Venus Pax]

Now you've made me feel guilty. I'm going to schedule both a Texas Self-Defense & Deadly Force Laws Seminar (3 hrs) and a Women's Self-Defense Informational Seminar ( 2 hrs) at PSC in June. They may have to be on a Friday evening because of scheduling the classroom.

I'll probably schedule the Women's Self-Defense Informational Seminar first. They will not be scheduled together, but on separate days.

Chas.

Charles,

Will these seminars be open to non PSC members?

Yes; available seats will be reserved on a first-come-first-served basis. I'll announce the date here at the same time I send the email notice to PSC members and post it on the PSC website.

Chas.

Can I bring the baby?

[Charles L. Cotton]

Now you've made me feel guilty. I'm going to schedule both a Texas Self-Defense & Deadly Force Laws Seminar (3 hrs) and a Women's Self-Defense Informational Seminar ( 2 hrs) at PSC in June. They may have to be on a Friday evening because of scheduling the classroom.

I'll probably schedule the Women's Self-Defense Informational Seminar first. They will not be scheduled together, but on separate days.

Chas.

Charles,

Will these seminars be open to non PSC members?

Yes; available seats will be reserved on a first-come-first-served basis. I'll announce the date here at the same time I send the email notice to PSC members and post it on the PSC website.

Chas.

Can I bring the baby?

Absolutely.

Chas.

[Venus Pax]

[surprise_i'm_armed]

jecsd1:

Your bride, although not there yet (getting her own handgun + CHL),
has the experience and attitude that seems to be leading her down
the yellow brick road to her own gun + her own CHL.

You may wish to bring up the DPS demographics stats links for the 2 most recent years,
as this could bump her perceptions in a more enlightening direction.

2008 - 18% of the thousands of Texas CHL's were issued to women.
2009 -22% of the thousands of Texas CHL's were issued to women.
Then look up the stats for your zip code, multiply times 18 % and 22%, and she
may be amazed at how many women in Georgetown got their plastic
in just the last 2 reported years.

Even though she works at a school, she may keep the gun in her vehicle
during teaching hours, legally, as long as she has a CHL. Of course,
absolute silence on her gun ownership to school colleagues must be
the policy. Loose lips sink ships.

As soon as she's off work, she can carry on body or in purse.
If she thinks your gun's caliber is too big, get her a mouse gun.
At the minimum, a mouse gun is better than no gun.
Over time she may be persuaded to carry someting more substantial.

Good luck in your efforts to help the bride realize that self defense can
be part of being a prepared adult. If you have/intend to have children,
she'd defend their lives with baby seats/seat belts, right? Guns are another
tool with which to protect your family.

SIA

[CompVest]

jecsd1:

Your bride, although not there yet (getting her own handgun + CHL),
has the experience and attitude that seems to be leading her down
the yellow brick road to her own gun + her own CHL.

You may wish to bring up the DPS demographics stats links for the 2 most recent years,
as this could bump her perceptions in a more enlightening direction.

2008 - 18% of the thousands of Texas CHL's were issued to women.
2009 -22% of the thousands of Texas CHL's were issued to women.
Then look up the stats for your zip code, multiply times 18 % and 22%, and she
may be amazed at how many women in Georgetown got their plastic
in just the last 2 reported years.

Even though she works at a school, she may keep the gun in her vehicle
during teaching hours, legally, as long as she has a CHL. Of course,
absolute silence on her gun ownership to school colleagues must be
the policy. Loose lips sink ships.

As soon as she's off work, she can carry on body or in purse.
If she thinks your gun's caliber is too big, get her a mouse gun.
At the minimum, a mouse gun is better than no gun.
Over time she may be persuaded to carry someting more substantial.

Good luck in your efforts to help the bride realize that self defense can
be part of being a prepared adult. If you have/intend to have children,
she'd defend their lives with baby seats/seat belts, right? Guns are another
tool with which to protect your family.

SIA

She may want to review her employee hand book before thinking she can keep it in her car. She can certainly do so legally but may lose her job doing so depending on her terms of employment.

[drjoker]

Sounds like my wife, except my wife sounds a bit more anti-gun than yours. At least yours allows you to have guns in the house. I have given away all my guns to my dad and shoot "his" guns. Anyways, she may not see a need for a gun. You probably live in a nice neighborhood and she probably thinks you're just a tad paranoid. She just doesn't see why she should pay money for a CHL, new gun(s), ammo, holster(s), mag(s), flashlights, lasers, etc. for defending against something that is such a remote possibility. Anyways, after one of my wife's friends was stalked and had to quit a six figure managerial job so that she could move away from her stalker to another lower paid job with one less zero, she became a bit more receptive to getting a CHL. I explained to her that getting a CHL is like buying life insurance. You wish you never have to cash it in by dying, but it's nice to have it. I also explained to her that a CHL may take months to process, while a gun takes minutes to buy, so she should get a CHL and if the need arises, she can buy a gun later. You don't want to wait months for a CHL if a stalker is stalking you now. There's no need for the expense of a CHL, guns, ammo, holsters, etc. Y'all can just get the CHL for now and decide on the other stuff later. Buying everything on the shopping list (gun, ammo, holster, etc) may cost over a thousand dollars, but getting only the CHL will cost just $240 to $290. Just get your foot in the door with a CHL. You get work on getting the other stuff later....

Good luck

Hi,

My wife was raised with almost no exposure to guns except for what we see on TV.

She cites the cost and the fact that she couldn't carry it most of the time she's out of the house (she's a public school teacher so thats out) as primary reasons not to do it.

any suggestions?

[fwgrace]

The website http://corneredcat.com played a huge role in changing my mind about carrying.

When my brother first started talking about getting his CHL, I was quite opposed -- not for moral reasons, but because I was scared he would accidentally shoot himself, or the gun would "just go off". (I had never shot or been exposed to guns.)

I hit the internet to find facts to support my position, and after some research (including reading through the entire http://corneredcat.com site), I was thoroughly convinced he was right. A few months later, I got my own CHL.

[jecsd1]

Since I originally started this thread I have taken into consideration all the previous advice. The wife and I have had a few conversations and she seemed to be coming around so I figured I wouldn't push it. Then one day last week she says " I want to talk to you and I want you to listen to what I have to say." So I'm thinking "What did I do now?"

She goes on to tell me that she has been thinking and decided that she should get a CHL. She made sure to tell me that it doesn't mean she wants her own gun and to not expect her to want to carry 24/7 like I do. Rather that she thinks that she should get it because (like Mr. Cotton said) with it she has the choice but w/o it she has no choice. To use her words "I would only carry when I'm not with you and out by myself and I would just take your small shiny gun because I'm OK with that one" She was refering to my S&W J frame.

I told her that I was thrilled w her decision and thought it was very adult of her to realize that, despite how careful she always is, bad things can happen to good people

In total I would call it a major victory. Thanks for all the advice. Now I know one thing I can get her for Xmas

[Hoi Polloi]