How to answer to answer the question

[pileit1]

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concerned citizen: "Do you really think you need that in here?"

you : "NO! Do YOU think I'll need it?"

concerned citizen: "No, of course not!!"

you : "That's good to know! You had me worried there for a minute."

 

[Aaron1124]

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I don't. I usually just ignore them unless I'm being asked to leave.

 

[25sierraman]

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This has only been asked a few times to me. It was usually from a sheltered family member or a friend. In those cases a smart ass reply was ok because they already know my sense of humor. One buddy who asked me is a mechanic. I asked him why he has a spare tire. I think he got the point then but i would never try an answer like that if someone that i did not know approached me in public about it. I'd probably just try to keep my answer short and inform them that it is legal and its for my own personal protection. I'd like to leave a lasting impression (a positive one) if i can but im pretty sure that most people aren't really looking for information so much as they are confrontation. My blood starts to boil when i hear someone utter straight misinformed garbage so it's probably best that i avoid that kind of confrontation. I wouldn't want to adhere to any stereotypes.

 

[MSteve]

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I didn't read every post, so my apologies if someone made this point already, but here is what I respond with when someone wants to have the "Why do you own/carry a gun?"

I ask if they own/rent a home? If they have some form of fire insurance? Smoke detectors? Maybe a fire extinguisher or two?

Everyone always says yes.

Then I ask if they think having all that is a little paranoid, after all chance of a house fire is not that high.

Everyone always says it's not paranoia, just good planning.

Then I point this out (you can verify my numbers at NFPA and DOJ [2008 numbers]):

You are 1700 (no that's not a typo) times more likely to be a victim of violent crime in the US than you are to die in a house fire.

You are 12 times more likely to be a victim of violent crime requiring a call to the cops than you are to be a victim of any fire event requiring a call to the fire department.

Based on that, I'd say having a gun is "just good planning."

 

[25sierraman]

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MSteve wrote:

I didn't read every post, so my apologies if someone made this point already, but here is what I respond with when someone wants to have the "Why do you own/carry a gun?"

I ask if they own/rent a home? If they have some form of fire insurance? Smoke detectors? Maybe a fire extinguisher or two?

Everyone always says yes.

Then I ask if they think having all that is a little paranoid, after all chance of a house fire is not that high.

Everyone always says it's not paranoia, just good planning.

Then I point this out (you can verify my numbers at NFPA and DOJ [2008 numbers]):

You are 1700 (no that's not a typo) times more likely to be a victim of violent crime in the US than you are to die in a house fire.

You are 12 times more likely to be a victim of violent crime requiring a call to the cops than you are to be a victim of any fire event requiring a call to the fire department.

Based on that, I'd say having a gun is "just good planning."

I like that ^ can you site those stats more specifically?

 

[Don Barnett]

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I don't know how many times someone has come up to me and, knowing that I am a gun-rights person, and said: "Hey, I just bought a 'whatever' for personal defense."

I say: "OK, great! Where is it."

They say: "Oh, it's home. I just haven't gotten around to carrying it."

It is a matter of logic. If you buy a weapon for the purpose of personal defense then there is only ONE place for it to be: ina holster on your hip.

 

[Aaron1124]

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rugerdon wrote:

I don't know how many times someone has come up to me and, knowing that I am a gun-rights person, and said: "Hey, I just bought a 'whatever' for personal defense."

I say: "OK, great! Where is it."

They say: "Oh, it's home. I just haven't gotten around to carrying it."

It is a matter of logic. If you buy a weapon for the purpose of personal defense then there is only ONE place for it to be: ina holster on your hip.

That usually means that they specifically mean "For home defense".

 

[protector84]

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True. As to home defense, that is what a shotgun is for.

 

[MSteve]

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25sierraman wrote:

MSteve wrote:

I didn't read every post, so my apologies if someone made this point already, but here is what I respond with when someone wants to have the "Why do you own/carry a gun?"

I ask if they own/rent a home? If they have some form of fire insurance? Smoke detectors? Maybe a fire extinguisher or two?

Everyone always says yes.

Then I ask if they think having all that is a little paranoid, after all chance of a house fire is not that high.

Everyone always says it's not paranoia, just good planning.

Then I point this out (you can verify my numbers at NFPA and DOJ [2008 numbers]):

You are 1700 (no that's not a typo) times more likely to be a victim of violent crime in the US than you are to die in a house fire.

You are 12 times more likely to be a victim of violent crime requiring a call to the cops than you are to be a victim of any fire event requiring a call to the fire department.

Based on that, I'd say having a gun is "just good planning."

I like that ^ can you site those stats more specifically?

If you go to the department of justice, it breaks all violent crime out into each and every category/combination of categories. Same for the NFPA.

 

[gogodawgs]

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MSteve wrote:

25sierraman wrote:

MSteve wrote:

I didn't read every post, so my apologies if someone made this point already, but here is what I respond with when someone wants to have the "Why do you own/carry a gun?"

I ask if they own/rent a home? If they have some form of fire insurance? Smoke detectors? Maybe a fire extinguisher or two?

Everyone always says yes.

Then I ask if they think having all that is a little paranoid, after all chance of a house fire is not that high.

Everyone always says it's not paranoia, just good planning.

Then I point this out (you can verify my numbers at NFPA and DOJ [2008 numbers]):

You are 1700 (no that's not a typo) times more likely to be a victim of violent crime in the US than you are to die in a house fire.

You are 12 times more likely to be a victim of violent crime requiring a call to the cops than you are to be a victim of any fire event requiring a call to the fire department.

Based on that, I'd say having a gun is "just good planning."

I like that ^ can you site those stats more specifically?

If you go to the department of justice, it breaks all violent crime out into each and every category/combination of categories. Same for the NFPA.

Welcome to the forum. It is good to familarize yourself with the rules of the open carry forum. It is one thing that sets OC apart from any other gun forum.

7) If you state a rule of law, it is incumbent upon you to try to cite, as best you can, to authority. Citing to authority, using links when available,is what makes OCDO so successful. An authority is a published source of law that can back your claim up - statute, ordinance, court case, newspaper article covering a legal issue, etc.

While we want to believe statistics like yu state, they are meaningless unless you are able to cite to authority.

 

[MSteve]

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gogodawgs wrote:

MSteve wrote:

25sierraman wrote:

MSteve wrote:

I didn't read every post, so my apologies if someone made this point already, but here is what I respond with when someone wants to have the "Why do you own/carry a gun?"

I ask if they own/rent a home? If they have some form of fire insurance? Smoke detectors? Maybe a fire extinguisher or two?

Everyone always says yes.

Then I ask if they think having all that is a little paranoid, after all chance of a house fire is not that high.

Everyone always says it's not paranoia, just good planning.

Then I point this out (you can verify my numbers at NFPA and DOJ [2008 numbers]):

You are 1700 (no that's not a typo) times more likely to be a victim of violent crime in the US than you are to die in a house fire.

You are 12 times more likely to be a victim of violent crime requiring a call to the cops than you are to be a victim of any fire event requiring a call to the fire department.

Based on that, I'd say having a gun is "just good planning."

I like that ^ can you site those stats more specifically?

If you go to the department of justice, it breaks all violent crime out into each and every category/combination of categories. Same for the NFPA.

Welcome to the forum. It is good to familarize yourself with the rules of the open carry forum. It is one thing that sets OC apart from any other gun forum.

7) If you state a rule of law, it is incumbent upon you to try to cite, as best you can, to authority. Citing to authority, using links when available,is what makes OCDO so successful. An authority is a published source of law that can back your claim up - statute, ordinance, court case, newspaper article covering a legal issue, etc.

While we want to believe statistics like yu state, they are meaningless unless you are able to cite to authority.

I appreciate your comment, but lets address it.

"If you state a rule of law, it is incumbent upon you to try to cite, as best you can, to authority."

I did not state a rule of law, or discuss a legal issue. What I did was provide and independent (my own) analysis of 2008 statistics available on the DOJ and NFPA websites (the "authorities" cited above in bold). The analysis does not exsist on either site; I conducted it, and can therefore not provide a link to it. The base statistics are on the respective websites. If people want more specific statistics as was requested by25sierraman, they are free to visit those sites and conduct their own analysis for verification, using any combination of the statistics they wish.

 

[gogodawgs]

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It is common practice on this forum in an opinion like yours to:

1) Provide the link to the study you used for your analysis.

2) Provide information that led you to conclude your opinion. i.e. "see page 179", quote the information.



I understand what you did, however, you will be called out on this forum for that type of information.

just sayin'

 

[open4years]

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My answer: Do you only wear your seatbelt when you are certain you will have an accident? ( Hopefully the answer is I wear all the time )

Me: So you wear a seatbelt all the time because you don't know when or if you will have an accident. I wear my gun all the time as I don't know when, or if, I will need it.

My luck the other person doesn't wear seatbelts!

 

[open4years]

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I answered the question before reading everyone's answers. So Mather1, guess great minds think alike! And to anyone else it seemed as I copied your 'homework,'. I apologize as I haven't read all the answers yet.

Darn. I thought I was being so smart by coming up with the seatbelt reply, by myself!