Thinking more about CCW

[jrdudas]

Each time I encounter a threatening situation I think more seriously about getting a CCW.  Convincing the wife unit that it's a good idea may be difficult however.  Last Saturday afternoon we had just left a funeral home in a questionable part of town and we were suddenly passed by a car with at least three occupants.  They passed us and immediately cut in front of our car and stopped at a traffic signal.  At the same time a second car came up on us at high speed from the rear; I was doing about 35-40 mph, and he had to be going at least 60 mph on a city street.  He was blowing his horn repeatedly and and acting very aggressively from what I could see in the rearview mirror.  I was able to stop with enough room between my car and the car that cut us off so that we could escape either to the right or left (over the curb and sidewalk) if necessary.  Somehow the guy that came up behind with such speed was able to stop without hitting us, but his horn kept blaring the whole time.  He turned at the next intersection and the car in front of us turned a block or two later.  Maybe my seeing danger in this situation is an over-reaction, and perhaps the guy behind me just had a stuck horn.  But I have heard of bad guys using similiar tactics to pin you in and then rob you or carjack you.   Anyway, I was feeling pretty vulnerable at that moment and wonder if a concealed carry piece would have made any difference if the situation had turned ugly.  The problem is that in a case like this one the bad guys are probably carrying too.

JR   

[jhm]

It might make you feel better having a CCW, however general ROAD RAGE situations I dont believe would be a vary strong defence, however if they were to leave their vehicle and attempt to remove you or any of your occupants from your vehicle to dfo harm then you would really need something and probably be justified in using it.   JIM

[Mikey]

"I have heard of bad guys using similiar tactics to pin you in and then rob you or carjack you" - yep, that's one tactic they use; there are others, too.

"Maybe my seeing danger in this situation is an over-reaction" - I doubt it.  Foresight might be a more accurate and descriptive term.

"perhaps the guy behind me just had a stuck horn" - I doubt that too.

"I was feeling pretty vulnerable at that moment and wonder if a concealed carry piece would have made any difference if the situation had turned ugly" - it would have made all the difference in the world.

"The problem is that in a case like this one the bad guys are probably carrying too" - 'probably' is the operative word in that phrase.  They may have a gun, or a knife, or a look-a-like weapon such as a pellet gun, but what they have is the mistaken impression that you would be unarmed and that you would most likely act like your wife......................."Convincing the wife unit that it's a good idea may be difficult" - sort of like trying to convince a neu yawk or d.c. cop you need a gun - why are you wasting your breath, criminals count on you being unarmed and a scared little rabbit.

If you need to convince your wife you need a ccw you are simply taking the wrong tact, you simply do not need anyone else's permission to defend yourself or to have immediately available the means to defend yourself.  Don't even bother discussing it with her

If you feel it necessary to listen to your wife or to allow her the 'final say',  then while she is on her knees begging for her life in front of some street scum, you simply take steady aim and she can blather all she wants about it later........................ If she is the type who absolutely must have the final word, then let her say 'thank God you had a gun". JMTCW.  Mikey.

[williamlayton]

I agree with Mikey. If I had asked my wife she would say NO. If I had asked her 35 years ago if it was OK too carry illegally she would have said NO. If It was a issue 45 years ago when she said yes too marriage she did not make a point of it.
I tend too do what I want. I have encouraged her to get one--she said no and I dropped it,
The laws vary, state too state, and I am not sure there is another like Texas--unfortunately. The Texas law is very conservative/liberal---word as you choose---when it comes too killing bad guys. They believe it save the taxpayers money---We are going too kill one tonight and four more shortly.
I am almost middle eastern in my thoughts---if you do the crime we are not going too waste the time trying too rehabilitate you---you are going too die.
Blessings

[TGFOGAL]

My wife didn't have gun safety so we took a class together.
Then she felt more relaxed with guns so we took the CCW together.
She doesn't carry but does practice when we go to the range.
In your situation, if the bad guys saw you both had guns they would run.

[Savage]

Pretty sad that anyone would have to seek permission or approval to defend themselves.

Savage

[Empty Quiver]

TGFOGAL's experience is much the same as mine. May I suggest that both of you go through a ccw class. The instructor in mine did an excellent job of allaying fears and that the feelings you have aren't paranoia but are self preservation, a good thing. Being around many like minded level headed people helps, think of the years of " You'll shoot your eye out " fear mongering that has been fed to us by the would be nanny's of the world. You have the God given right to defend yourself, begging for your life is no defense against a psychopath.  Would you be expected to allow a dog or shark or a hamster to attack you with no right or ability to defend yourself? I have no reason to believe my house will burn today, but I have two fire extinguishers, two CO detectors and four smoke detectors on top of home owners insurance that covers fire damage. You have seatbelts, air bags, collapsing steering columns, side air bags, booster seats, and any number of other safety features in your car that I have no intention of ever using but I'm happy to know that they are there. Your handgun is there if you are acted upon not for you to act out with. People who are bent on homicidal destruction are not out there asking permission from the state to carry a handgun, but those of us living within the laws need to be able to protect ourselves with the same weapons that our antagonists will choose. My signature line says it all much more concisely.

[deltecs]

In my opinion, it is not up to my wife to agree or not with CCW.  I chose to have the means available, if I'm smart enough to recognize a dangerous situation, to be able to defend us both.  The situation as described sounds like classic tactics for robbery and worse.  I would like you, be most apprehensive and on guard.  What would the alternative been, had you been attacked and due your wife's objection not have the means to protect yourselves?  I'll take a little criticism for being wrong from the wife, and only rebuke her comments not more than 2 times daily for being correct.

[jeep08ham]

With having sons in law enforcement and I am on a volunteer possee, I do have a CCW permit.  My wife after listening to our sons talk about it really has had a change of heart on this issue.   My wife happens to be disabled and now even she is considering getting her CCW.   She has been practicing lots with a Lady Smith in 38 Special. She can quickly under 10 seconds put 5 shots inside a 6" circle at 15 yards.  WE happen to have our own private range on our property. I also reload so she shoots a lot. She has been practicing reloading in a dark closet with speed loaders.   I think in the next few months I will have a wife with a CCW. 

Last year we had a lady murdered within two miles from where I sit right now.  That has been a major factor in her rethinking this issue too.  Better to judged by 12 than carried by 6.