handgun shooting range practice pistol training
[CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

As I wrote in my journal the next day: “The gun society is a no-nonsense social dualism, precisely divided between good guys and bad guys.”

And despite the “love in the room,” despite the respect and patience the instructors showed to everyone present, despite the wisdom and clarity of their words—shooting is a “Zen process,” one of them said—the weekend’s essence was the reduction of life to that one reptilian option: fight or flight.

In the NRA’s words: “Using firearms responsibly and ethically for personal protection involves: Mental preparation for an encounter (what will I do before, during and after?), a willingness to use deadly force (can I do this?) and recognizing use of a firearm as a last resort.”

In other words, to join the camaraderie of the good guys, you have to declare a willingness to use deadly force. Only when absolutely necessary, of course—whatever that means. It’s an individual determination. But once that willingness is officially declared . . . what? The need to be armed is ever-present. The need to be on the lookout is ever-present. You are now armed and scared. You are a good guy with a gun.

What weekends like this do, I decided afterwards, is spread the willingness—and the presumed right—to use deadly force, not to mention the false belief that being unarmed means being unempowered. That was a decade ago. Look how much safer we are now.

— Robert Koehler in My Weekend With the ‘Good Guys With Guns’ 

106 COMMENTS

  1. I wonder how Grace would feel if someone came up to her and started to beat her within an inch of her life. I bet all those anti-gun feelings would evaporate rather quickly. Or would should just stand there and take it chanting “beat me, beat me”. Give us a break Grace people like you are all talk until your Ox gets gored. Again, Grace Stevens, hasn’t got a clue about guns or gun issues. Personally I think she gets off on writing anti-gun stuff.

    • Grace didn’t write the article. She just posted it for us to vent about it. Robert Koehler wrote the article. Follow the link for the entire article.

      • By his own words Gun Control robert koehler paints a picture how he would sit still while his family or anyone else was butchered, etc.

        • He does sound like one of those pacifists that would do just that. Dare I say that even Jesus told his disciples what to buy in Luke 22. Did that make the disciples armed and scared? I think armed but not scared. May Koehler never run into one of the jackals in the blue cities that will take your life just for kicks…

      • Just a few days after at least two of us called him out for doing the same stupid $#!+.

        • What can we do? We pointed the mistake out, but he repeated it. Almost as if he is not who he seems?

        • Sounds like a pretty clear case of “Any honest man can make a mistake, but once he hears the truth he either ceases to be mistaken, or he ceases to be an honest man.”

      • A lot commenters get their feelz hurt pretty easily around here. Not a lot of thinking going on either.

    • ” will beat you to withing an inch of your life to make you agree with me” and you didnt even get the author of the journal entry right. You have failed the test for intelligence required to own a firearm.

    • SO WHAT would she do if being beaten. Go for her gat?? Right. That makes sense! She’d be a bloodt sight better off with a pepper spray, It is a statistical neqar ceertainty that TRYING to use a firearme in SELF DEFENCE [and ‘trying is what it boils down to! Is far and away more likely to get you a trip to the morgue that it is to save you from harm.

      • It’s really not the best idea to get your statistics from dacian or Miner, they have a tendency to skew things to fit their warped narrative and it makes YOU look stupid (not that you need any help in that department).

      • Albert L J Hall, I Have some very bad news for you. Your statistics are full of it. For your edification, pepper spray is only effective about 60% of the time. Where as a gun is effective 90% of the time.
        In this country a “gat” is illegal. You see a :gat” is a machine gun?

        • gat” is a machine gun

          As an armorer in the British Army, he probably knew that, right Albert? But then he also seems to think that 9mm is the ultimate gun. Pretty good for a guy that is not ALLOWED, by HIS government to carry a weapon to defend himself… but, oh yeah, they don’t have bears.

  2. I wonder what the nitwit author of this article thinks about seat belts and airbags?

    • That if you’re wearing a seatbelt, in most traffic wrecks the damn airbag is going to be what injuries you.

      • Years ago, a fellow coworker of mine was involved in a minor collision while driving to work one day. He was in a compact car, so its front section crumpled a little, but no damage to the frame. However, the deployment of the airbag threw both of his hands (which he said were at the recommended 10-and-2 positions on the wheel) to the sides, causing his left hand to smash through the door window’s glass. If his window had been rolled down, he would have escaped all injury except for perhaps a slight bruising across his chest from the seatbelt. But instead, he was transported to the hospital because several of the bones in his hand were broken.

        And he was a large guy at 6’3″.

        • Just a little FYI from an experienced competitive driver:
          10 & 2 is only recommended because it is lowest position you can place them and still be visible by a cop from outside the vehicle (in most circumstances). 3 & 9 is the best position for best vehicle control. Also, this would have caused your co-workers hand to hit the door panel instead, which would have had more give and possibly padding depending on design. It’s one of the things auto safety engineers design for.
          Also, limit having your thumbs on the inside of the wheel, i.e. hand wrapped around. In the event of a collision that hits a front wheel/suspension, the steering wheel can violently spin and/or the airbag deployment and it’ll break your hand/thumb. Also, NO DEATH GRIP; keep loose hands.
          In the racing world we say that once control is truly lost (spin, off track, etc.) both feet in (brake and clutch) and hands off the wheel. In regular driving, shit can happen fast enough that you don’t get time to react but those tips can lower the chance of major hand/arm injury. And if you get the “both feet in/hands off the wheel” thing ingrained well enough to do it reflexively, it could help dramatically in those cases where you do have a second to react such as seeing someone pulling out in front of you or you notice someone in your mirror about to run into you at a red light.

    • My first thought towards the end of the article.

      You take a whole lot more than a weekend with “car guys” learning to drive and what do they teach you other than how the machine works?

      “Never don’t be afraid!” When you’re driving trouble may appear at any moment and you have to be prepared to deal with it. Car in good working order, driver not substance or sleep impaired, seat belts on.

      It even starts before you’re old enough to drive.

      Look both ways before crossing the street. Watch out for out of control cars when you are at a bus stop or waiting for a crossing light. Never jaywalk.

      But excuse me, there is a big difference between being awared and prepared and being scared and prepared.

      Or as the old lady carrying a .45-40 “mare’s leg” answered the cop who asked what she was so afraid of: “Not a goddam thing.”

  3. Koehler evidently has never heard the story of the old lady pulled over by the State Trooper in Nebraska with a substantial number of firearms in her car.

    As she said when the trooper asked what she was afraid of: “Not a f*cking thing”.

    • Funny story, my wife and I were driving down a street on omaha, I was pulled over for going 12 over the speed limit (was not paying attention), when the cop came up to the car, I told him we had our cows and were armed, I had one, my wife had one and there was one in the council, the cop said to me ” oh your one of the good guys”, I got a warning ticket that day.

  4. This “journalist” equates situational awareness with fear. I find it quite sad that he spent an entire weekend in a self defense course and this was his take away. Based on his writing style I wouldn’t think him a functional illiterate. Perhaps the years have dulled his cognitive abilities.

    • That is someone who went into the weekend with an agenda and was looking for anything to validate their agenda.

      Like my dad used to say, “if you go into it looking for trouble – you’ll find it or trouble will find you”.

      Same applies here. This person went in with a notion and found what he wanted – in himself…but that is not a fair representation of the rest of us whom want nothing more than to be (a) left alone and (b) have the ability to defend our/our family/our communities lives when evil comes calling and wishes to try and take our lives and/or freedoms.

      That is not fear, its preparedness, a basic human right, and part of our Constitution.

      • Preparedness and fear are closely related and both can be present in rational and irrational people. Irrational with an agenda can create some wild interpretations as we see in this article.

        • Preparedness and competence tends to negate fear.

          I see it all the time in codes. You can see who is new and who is experienced and who is eager and who is afraid right off the bat. Then we have the people who are eager do stuff to calm them down and we have the people who are afraid do stuff to allay their fears.

          I have never seen anyone still be afraid after a year of experience regularly doing codes. Since violent situations don’t come up for most people like codes do in hospitals, we train.

          Training builds competence and allays fears.

          I could probably write a book on this, about how the brain builds subroutines, and having a subroutine for something categorizes it as known and solvable. And how that stops the release of chemicals that we feel as fear or anxiety.

        • Crimson I found “the gift of fear” to be an excellent book for this topic over a decade ago. Probably others out by now but worth reading in the unlikely event you haven’t already.

    • “Koehler has lived in Chicago since 1976” – just another neutered hive dwelling pansy damn “journalist”.

    • R.K. said, “And despite the “love in the room,” despite the respect and patience the instructors showed to everyone present, despite the wisdom and clarity of their words”
      The author had to work hard to find the negative response, inspite of all the despite(s) he stated. He had an agenda and he made sure he did not sway from his predetermined conclusion.
      Absolutely nothing objective about his observations.

      • He’s just another left-wing gun grabber drama queen looking for something (and again failing) to verify their point that ALL gun owners are a threat to society and when that fails, they just fall back to the “drama”.

      • He said it was like a decade ago that he took that class, his theory is all those scared “good guys” are then out there cruising for trouble, over-reacting at the slightest provocation. Too bad he didn’t have a way to research or reconnect with people taking a class like that to see how many “scared good guys” went on to commit crimes or shoot people, I bet out of that class maybe none of them even had to draw a weapon in a defense scenario, or if they did, didn’t even shoot.

        As usual these authors presume to tell everyone else about the state of their inferior minds, projection etc.

        The alternative would be to blissfully walk around pretending nothing bad will ever happen, and then panic if things do go badly, so shocked that you will be unable to move out respond, frozen in fear. But at least you won’t have a gun. That would apparently be a bad thing.

  5. “Being armed and scared … always.”

    It’s called SITUATIONAL AWARENESS, not fright!

    You’d think it’s so much better to be unarmed and completely oblivious. Yeah. Save the surprise for when the bad guy emerges from the public restroom armed to the teeth and spraying bullets all over the food court like in the recent Greenwood Park Mall shooting.

    • And if you are aware of what is going on around you, I bet you will be less rather than more likely to be in a position in which you need to use force in the first place. That last resort emphasis is very real in good courses.

      And yes, the alternative is to walk around oblivious. Which admittedly works for most people most of the time, especially for people like Koehler who have higher income and the luxury of sticking to safer places. But people like Koehler aren’t really interested in the safety of people who are in crime ridden areas. And thus…Chicago.

    • H Allen Davis,

      I was victim of two incidents and an observer at one incident where deadly force was legally justified (at all three incidents) before I decided that it was wise to be ready to defend myself with deadly force as a last resort in the future. Since that decision and arming up, I have experienced four events that were extremely dangerous and could have turned deadly in an instant. Two incidents involved known large and viscous dogs and two incidents were attempted armed robberies. I am 100% confident that I prevailed at all four incidents (without any physical injuries) solely because I was armed.

      To be honest, having experienced 7 events in my life which were extremely dangerous and could have turned deadly in a heartbeat, I am a bit scared. Being very aware of my environment and being armed has reduced that fear level down to a tiny annoyance.

      The simple truth of the matter is that this world is a dangerous place. Fortunately, many people never observe or are victims of attacks where deadly force in self-defense is legally justified. Sadly, many are.

      • I would think most POTG would be scared when bullets actually start flying. However, courage is the willingness to act despite fear. Fear can be controlled and overcome. Of course, so can ignorance, but…

  6. I guess he doesn’t bother locking his car or front door either since that’s just for people that are scared… Always.

    • Or wear a seat belt, or have a spare tire in his trunk, or have health insurance, or car insurance, or home owners/renters insurance, or life insurance, or have some supplies in his vehicle(s), or some spare winter clothing in his vehicle, or an emergency fund.

  7. “Look how much safer we are now.”

    In the context of the article, he’s saying more armed citizens don’t make us safer. As a matter of fact, we’re less safe now. Except there’s a little more to it than that. The Colour Revolution of 2020, which happened under the guise of “racial justice,” was used to usher in this era of violence. Fixing this doesn’t happen without a purge of the communist ruling class and a return to traditional morality and respect. They’re lying with their nonstop propaganda, yet people keep buying it. It’s poisoning minds which is the goal.

      • My elderly (71)friend I sorta taught to shoot has an Indiana CCL & a constitutional carry right. He has also said “I don’t want to kill anyone”. None of us do but IF it comes to that you have to be willing to send him into eternity. It’s a conundrum to a lot of people. Not me…

  8. So ……….. did Robert Koehler just begin to realize that savagery and violence for absolutely no reason exist in the world and can happen anywhere and instead of figuring out how he would deal with it went into full denial/shutdown and trash people with the willingness to face reality? If so damn guy I know 12 year olds with a better grasp of reality.

  9. Koehler’s target audience is clearly defined in his opening………

    “You may find this shocking, but a little over a decade ago I spent a weekend learning how to shoot a handgun—under the auspices of the NRA. I wound up earning myself an NRA “personal protection in the home” certificate…..”
    I would bet he’s never fired a handgun since.

    The author is a 911calling (minutes away when seconds count) anti-gunner who went to some “introduction to shooting” event staged by the NRA. Put on especially for anti-gunners who work in the media methinks.

    Insightful that the NRA issued a “personal protection in the home” certificate.
    Perfect to hang on a bathroom wall…………for use when you run out of toilet paper.

    Just that the NRA has a “Protection in the Home” certificate speaks volumes of how they roll.

    FCS, does the NRA presenter wear an Elmer Fudd hat while handing out those certificates? 🤔

  10. So, Koehler is afraid of us. That is the core of his message. He is afraid to be around us. He is afraid we may, spontaneously decide, “Now is the time to use deadly force”.

    Apparently, he is also afraid of facts, such as Constitutional Carry has never caused an increase in violence. Legal gun owners stay legal.

    Another thing we know about Koehler, he does not converse to learn, he does not engage to see another’s point of view, he engages to subvert, twist, and distort the positions of those with whom he disagrees.

    Not an intellectual. Instead, a propagandist.

      • If you can make your political opponents the objects of mockery and contempt, you tend to win, whether the facts are on your side or not. Old principle.

    • I’ve never intended to be a “good guy” with a gun, merely a smart guy with a gun…

  11. One good definition of ‘bravery’ is being scared but doing it anyway.

    Carrying a firearm is not about being scared. It’s about dealing with reality. It’s about the the love of life for you and those around you. It’s about taking responsibility.

  12. You are now armed and scared.

    I don’t know where he was or who this group of Wanna-Be’s was, but I hope I’m never around one of them when the SHTF. This guy is just another “useful idiot” and most likely to fail if he’s ever confronted by a “bad guy with a gun”. If you are scared don’t carry, scared leads to panic and panic leads to bad decisions which in turn leads to chaos, kind of like when a bunch of cops open fire on a suspect and end up hitting a group of innocent bystanders. If you walk out the door armed without a plan and the confidence to execute it then don’t do it. Anytime you are out in public armed or not and you are not at least casually aware of what is going on around you then you are eventually going to find yourself in a situation you are totally unprepared for. Awareness is not fear awareness is just common sense.

  13. So by his logic, all animals that have teeth, claws, venom, etc. should give all that built armament away. He’s an idiot that knows nothing about nature, or about people. Our armament is our brain, which he obviously missed out on.

  14. I carry a firearm for the same reason I have a first aid kit, a fire extingusher, etc, because in an emergency, I am my own first responder. It’s about being a responsible adult and being prepared for an emergency situation that may save my own life. Really simple thought process.

    • Pretty much, I have a few fire extinguishers and that doesn’t make me fearful of fire.

  15. Mr. Koehler is obviously a chicken-shit weasel who would run and hide instead of trying to protect his family, others or himself. Aggression can be ignored and walked away from, violence needs to be meet with overwhelming force and defeated. He needs to learn the difference.

    • Pretty sure he’s the type that would push his wife in front of him during a robbery. Balless POS.

  16. I bet this bozo also doesn’t believe in defensive driving. I’m always doing SIPDE – Scan, Identify, Predict, Decide, Execute. I’m looking for what idiots are around and what they can do to get me into trouble. When I’m on a motorcycle, I try to stay out of blindspots and give myself room to maneuver. I’ve been doing it for decades, but I guess I should give it up since we still have traffic collisions. I’m not scared of the other drivers. I’m very calm and don’t get many “near miss” adrenaline rushes. I don’t get angry that somebody just tried to kill me through their negligence. I’m not surprised when somebody tries to sideswipe me by changing into my lane — I’m usually not there in the first place. He’s probably in the “ignorance is bliss” mode, talking on his phone, chatting with passengers, his mind on anything but driving — the kind of driver why lane assistance and automatic breaking has been invented.

  17. When you are a piece, you can’t stand people who aren’t. The only way to make your self feel better is to try to soil those who aren’t. Bravery isn’t about never being scared, but how you use that. I have a healthy fear of a lot of things, still have all my body parts because of it. Men do dangerous things every day, but then what do you know about being a man?

  18. This guy is one that would rather dance in the blood of many victims than to save lives…there is alot of souless people out their that salivate for mass shootings because it moves us closer to totalitarian big government…

  19. Your comment is awaiting moderation
    As I wrote in my journal the next day:

    So why did he have to wait til the next day to write this? I thought journalists tried to get stuff on paper while it’s still fresh in their mind. Maybe he had a bad dream or a couple of cocktails too many the night before and his memory was fogged or maybe it just took him that long to figure out how he was going spin this steaming pile of crap.

    • THAT post is being moderated? WTF? There is nothing about “varginas” or “sochalists”, I didn’t say fuck and there is no personal attack on any other person posting here. Wow need clarification so I can be a more productive fucking contributor.

      • I have plenty of rotten things to say about how bad the commenting system is now compared to how it used to be, but then my comment would be awaiting moderation, too.

        • Yeah that, hell I just got sent to “moderation” again on another topic, two in row, what the FUCK let’s go for three.

  20. No stupid…..it meand we’re armed and determined! YOU can be unarmed and scared if you want, then come lookin for one of us gun nuts when the sh*t hits the fan!!

  21. I lived in New Orleans and worked in the French Quarter.
    I had a CCW and carried.
    Was I always on the look out? Yes, as one should in any major metro area.
    Was I afraid? No. Not in the slightest.
    I got asked to escort some of the female waitstaff to their cars.

  22. I’m willing to be Robert Koehler has never been mugged, assaulted, raped or home-invaded.

    His tune sure reflects lack of awareness of the abject evil traipsing around our communities.

  23. I wonder if Old Bob ever took First Aid/ CPR training? If so does he forever feel someone near him is going to suffer traumatic injury of a Heart Attack? Has he taken a Fire Safety course for one of his jobs? Did that create in him a constant fear of an arson attack?
    Training is just that, training. It does not create in you a sense of constant foreboding, or paranoia!

    • I wonder if Old Bob ever took First Aid/ CPR training

      You’re joking, right? This clown has never done anything in his miserable life that would be of benefit to anyone else, he’s obviously a “what’s in it for me” kind of guy.

  24. Ready != Scared

    But what else would I expect from people driven entirely by emotions and feelings.

  25. “The gun society is a no-nonsense social dualism, precisely divided between good guys and bad guys.”

    And?

    Here, I thought the hippies of the ’60s had gone away.

    To give due credit, however, the decision to be armed requires a willingness to take a life, rather than give your life. Everything falls from that decision, all of it.

    The author is someone I would counsel to put away the guns, forever. Being “safer” isn’t a “we” thing.

    • Here, I thought the hippies of the ’60s had gone away.

      Who do you think is making all of these dumb shit gun grabs today? All of the leadership is in their late 70s early 80s, do the math.

      • “Who do you think is making all of these dumb shit gun grabs today?”

        The people you are talking about weren’t real hippies. The guys just dressed ratty, and went without bathing for days, in order to get the chicks. The people you are talking about were simply dilettantes, riding on family money, doing no real work, ever. Hating the people and system that allowed them to cruise along without effort.

        • Hating the people and system that allowed them to cruise along without effort.

          Sounds like the hippies I knew in the 60s

  26. Robert Koehler bills himself as a “Peace Journalist” (whatever that is) and posted this article on some obscure progressive site. The comments on that site about his article were predictably sanctimonious and anti gun. Responding to him is a waste of time.

    My short answer to liberals these days is: “F… you.” I’m fed up with their nagging and preaching. They’re to blame for the dystopian conditions that exist in this Country and they’re doubling down on policies that are making things even worse.

    FJB

  27. “Armed and scared”?! You mean armed and aware of your surroundings. There’s a big difference. Sure beats being unarmed and scared because in that sense you’d be justified.

  28. “That was a decade ago. Look how much safer we are now.”

    Millions are safer. For example, some of those millions were safer in GreenWood Indiana because the defender could carry under constitutional carry.

    A “safety” that keeps on giving millions of times annually all across the nation. In the mean time crime increases, and police tend to take it more seriously now that they do not actually have a duty to protect, and mass shootings are not stopped in the most important period 9f time by police.

    I’m not scared because I carry. I am able to do something about that criminal threat to stop it.

    But you want to know what’s really scarry in all this? That person with seconds remaining and thinking that call to 911 is gonna save them for sure from serious harm.

  29. he only said one true thing. the need to be on the lookout is everpresent. always has, always will.
    you don’t have to be armed to be a good guy. i like the odds better.

  30. I read the full article and the comments. This guy has some serious misunderstandings, and unfortunately there’s a lot folks cheering his ideas.

  31. We should probably stop using the “good guy with a gun” thing. To be more reflective, and extremly very much true relevant, with the times thanks to the democrats war to let criminals prey freely on society… all law abing gun owners should now be referred to as “Law Abiding Defenders”.

    • “Law Abiding Defenders”.

      And unfortunately, in some cities “law abiding DEFENDANTS”..

      • Well. “Law Abiding Defenders” works that way too. Gotta defend yourself in court too.

    • “…all law abing gun owners should now be referred to as “Law Abiding Defenders”.”

      Kinda like the liberal rage that would come from designating “good guys with guns” as Public Defenders.

  32. Out here on the homestead, I work with large animals that could potentially injure or kill a person. A horse that weighs over a ton, or a bull that will go 1800 lbs with his horns still on, could do a lot of damage. I have a healthy respect for what they could do, but do not fear them. When working around such animals, I need to be aware of their body language and movements. As well as anything else around that might spook them or startle them.
    Same thing when you carry a weapon. You do not fear anything or anyone. But, you must be aware of your surroundings and of the actions and body language of those around you.
    As several other on this thread point out. A firearm is a tool. One you hope you will never need to use. I keep a fire extinguisher and a first aid/trauma kit in each vehicle. I have had training in first aid, and in fire fighting. I carry a tool box, jack and spare tire in the vehicles.
    And hope I will not need any of those things. I carry a cell phone. I carry these things either in the vehicle, or on my person not because I am afraid of anything. But, because as a responsible adult, and knowing any help may be minutes to possible an hour away, I must be capable of dealing with whatever life throws my way.
    Evidently, Mr. Koehler doesn’t understand the difference between being afraid and being prepared. Must be nice being able to depend on others to look out for you and your best interests. Unfortunately, I’ve never had that luxury.

    • “Evidently, Mr. Koehler doesn’t understand the difference between being afraid and being prepared.”

      Thinking he was accurately reflecting his instructor’s message that at every minute, in every location, you are likely to be attacked by an armed aggressor; no place is safe.

      At the local gun range, observed a person shooting an AR style carbine. His stance was slightly bent, square on to the target. At a quiet moment, I offered that since the stance ended up with him upright, and off balance, maybe a slight step backward on the left, or right, foot might improve balance and stability. The shooter noted that his instructor used the same stance that the instructor had learned for shooting full-auto in the military. The idea being that rotating for other threats is best done with the square-on stance. I showed him the ease of rotating quickly for other threats, while using the stepped-back foot for pivot point. However, I recommended he stay with his training, rather than get into a discussion with his instructor.

      • Many military members are trained to “square up” to present armor plates (instead of less-defended armpits, etc.) to the threat. Some (and people who learn from them) mindlessly repeat what they were trained, even when not wearing armor.

        Copying what someone else did (for good reasons) without thinking about those reasons is like copying answers from a smart kid who has a different version of the test.

        What got this held for moderation?!

  33. I go to the AIM Grand American with my son every year, there are several thousand armed children running around. No one is afraid at all. There is no crime, if these morons were right, it would be the most dangerous place in America.

  34. I say prepared, not scared. (sorry if I copied anyone didn’t have time to read all responses) not like I’m FJB!

  35. Just another racist white liberal. Who lives in a nice white upper class neighborhood. Who doesn’t understand what all the fuss is about?

  36. interesting, Koehler is obviously an anti gun leftist ! and many who read the article have reading comprehension problems , it was`nt ” grace who was anti gun ,it was koehler. how they missed that I will never understand ! as fort the term “gat ” regardless of what it means in britain , here in the united states a “gat” is a hand gun , and has been since the 1880`s ! but then who actually pays attention to history these days ? right !

  37. It seems obvious to me that the author of the article took this weekend class with preconceived opinions, that those opinions are not a subject he’s willing to question. Thus another Anti 2A “Journalist” writes an article that expresses the same opinions he already had before he attended the class. He didn’t LEARN anything, except that which supports his opinions. The article lacks any objectivity, it’s purely subjective, and thus just another opinion.

    I’ve been carrying for over 30 years. I haven’t had to pull my gun or use it in that period. I hope and pray I never have to, but being prepared does not make one scared. I don’t fear having to use my gun for a lawful purpose, I just hope I’m never in the position to need to use my gun. I’m also a realist enough to recognize that a threat to life can occur anywhere, and at anytime, and that Murphy’s Law dictates it will happen when it’s least expected.

    I’m reminded of the story of the Traffic Cop who pulls the little old lady over. When asking for her license, she informs him it’s in her purse and her gun is there too and that she’s licensed to carry. Under his instructions she removes a Colt Commander 1911 in .45 ACP, then a S&W Model 60 in .38 Special, and lastly, a Bond Arms 2 Shot Derringer in .45 LC from her purse before handing her license and registration over. After seeing her arsenal he asks the old gal “what she’s afraid of?” She calmly looks him in the eye and says ” Young Man, not a goddam thing.”

  38. The author infers that we are less safe now with more people carrying guns but he overlooks the fact that more people are carrying because crime is rampant and the police are unable to stem the increase. There are more people carrying legally at the same time there are more people carrying illegally. If the author wishes to be unarmed and ignorant of the evil around him (especially in Chicago) that is his choice just as it is my choice to carry and not live in fear.

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