The biggest mistake gun owners make is violating one of the four safety rules. Those are obviously non-negotiable and breaking the rules costs many people their lives and limbs. But, I believe the second biggest mistake gun owners make is not carrying their firearm often enough.
Yesterday, I got a call from my brother who lives in Utah. As soon as I picked up the phone he said to me, “Did you hear what happened at Smith’s,” (a grocery store in Utah.) Apparently, a man walked into Smith’s and purchased a kitchen knife. On his way out of the grocery store he started stabbing random people.
In the parking lot was a man who was passing through on his way home to Idaho. As he watched the madman stab two people he quickly drew his concealed carry gun and pointed it at the attacker who was now coming towards him. As soon as the attacker saw a gun was pointed at him, he stopped, and the Idaho man held him at gunpoint until police arrived.
Not surprisingly, Salt Lake City newspapers and TV stations are calling the man a hero.
He no doubt saved many lives by having a gun, including his own. As soon as my brother finished telling me this story he said to me, “I think I need to start carrying my gun more often.” I told him he was right.
In fact, this past weekend – being the super romantic man that I am – I took my wife on a surprise trip to Berkeley Springs, WV. It’s a tiny town that is famous for its hot springs and because George Washington used to visit there often. The town is full of antique shops and craft stores and pretty much a million other little shops that no sane man would ever enter, unless he was with his wife.
Well, the guns I brought along to West Virginia were my 1911 and Ruger LCP.
I don’t mind carrying a 1911 on a regular day when I’m running errands and not on my feet much. But when you’re on your feet all day and looking at quilts for 10 hours (yes, they had a quilt show and my unborn daughter now has a $65 baby quilt… and no, unfortunately that isn’t a typo) the 1911 starts to feel quite heavy.
Because of all of this walking around, I decided to pocket carry my LCP for a while instead of my 1911. But I still had a gun on me all weekend no matter what craft stores we were in. The point I’m trying to make is that we are blessed to live in a day and age when we have more firearms choices than ever before and there is little excuse not to have your gun on you.
Again, just think what would have happened if the man from Idaho didn’t have his gun on him in the grocery store parking lot. Just think of how many more people in this country would be dead if responsible gun owners weren’t carrying concealed.
(Now you have a good reason to tell your spouse you need a new lighter, smaller, gun.)
