There was a thread going on here about the first gun you’ve shot. I got thinking beyond that, and about what started your interest in the Second Amendment, protecting your rights, and the fundamental lifestyle of daily carry to protect yours and your loved ones’ lives?
For me, I’ve been shooting since I was a little kid, and owned various long guns over the years, but it was really 2020 and the incredible turn society took that changed me. My wife and I had been talking about starting CC, but not taken any steps until after peoples’ basic rights to make a living and choose our own medicine were trampled, plus our cities being turned over to roving gangs while police departments were “defunded,” that we knew we had to take care of ourselves. We went and each bought handguns, took the class and got our CCW’s. I haven’t looked back.
I had thought long and hard about the responsibility of carrying. I knew that it would mean a basic lifestyle and attitude change that would permeate every aspect of my daily routine. It took me a while to wrap my head around what it would mean, and get the mindset (and training) I knew I’d need to really do a good job of it. The changes of that time period made it an easy decision.
Since then I’ve become acutely aware of just how abused the basic right of self protection has become. I’m extremely fortunate to live in Florida where the right is fairly well protected (still not enough in my opinion), but I’m from NY state, and my family are all there. My wife and I have considered moving, but at this point, we would only consider moving to a location that has similar Pro2A laws as Florida.
It’s funny how something that I hadn’t really paid much attention to in the past (local gun laws) would become the primary criteria when considering a place to eventually retire to. I’ve always voted in just about every election I’m allowed to, and I hope all the other pro 2A people do, too, but it does seem like there aren’t enough voters educated as to our rights and what’s happening to them.
So what got you started in what has turned out to be a complete lifestyle shift?
Nice question. I started as a kid, we carried firearms in the fields on the farm. Cats and Coyotes were a real problem to us so we were always ready to defend the herd/flock. Once we moved to the city, being a street kid, we knew all about armed criminals so many of us carried just incase the guys from “over there” came around. Now I live in the middle of a city where homeless and crimes are supported by a left leaning city government. I guess it kind of evolved along the way.
I started the whole “2A”/Protector Lifestyle @ (17) in NYC (1978) When (3) ‘Yoots’ tried to take my “Garrison” belt.
When I did my Clevon Little in Blazing Saddles routine “Pardon me while I whip this out!”
I beat the crap out of all three of them, showing them the Buckle ! that’s when I decided to be a Protector of others, standing up for the little guy and adopted the “I won’t take any S— from anybody” attitude.
Thank God I’ve mellowed since then
2020 for me as well, I had a 30-30 and 20 gauge, but no pistols, when the violence started erupting all over the country, and even some in OKC, I began the life style. I have also become involved in the 2a and training. Crime in OKC is getting bad, shootings nearly every day and random crap, So I plan to keep it up. I grew up in New York, but glad I landed here 36 years ago. Kind of like fate I guess. I have sisters still living there, and now I don’t like visiting with out my protection.
I worked fast food. I was in the walk in cooler. Someone on the floor radio’d through the headset something about someone having a gun. This was right after a guy was mean mugging and set off the gut feeling, as I was going to the back. The career employees had mostly been in an armed robbery before, somewhere. Then I was unable to raise anybody on the headset. I was a teen and was of course unarmed and had no idea what was going on out there and couldn’t get anybody. The door had a lock you could activate from the inside only for situations like this, and silent alarms all around the restaurant including in the walk in. I activated the alarm, then waited, still nothing, left the cooler.
It was fine, someone made a funny with the gun comment and then like every headset battery was dead except mine.
The police took awhile to get there.
I had a lot of time to think…what the hell were any of us going to do, if?
I grew up in a military family (dad, grandfather, uncles all veterans), but didn’t grow up around guns. My only experience with firearms as a child (other than BB guns) was at Boy Scout Summer Camp. I grew up in suburban CT, so fairly anti-2A area. When in college, I started working in the security /LE field, and then joined the military after college. During that time, I handled / fired plenty of firearms, but only carried one when deployed in a combat zone. I guess I never felt like I needed one when at home.
That changed in 2020 with COVID and anti-police protesting. While I was likely “blissfully ignorant “ of threats before that, that time was a real turning point in my world view. I have since done a good deal of training, and now carry every day. I also enjoy shooting recreationally (plinking, clays, target shooting).
As you all know, I went through 3 robberies, October 26, 29, 2027 and November 12, 2018.
My dad let me shoot his SCCY CPX-2 back in October 2018, and it was the first time shooting, and that was my introduction to shooting.
After I got robbed my 3rd time, it hit me, get one. Get one now. So exactly a week after the 3rd robbery I got one, took my class, got my concealed handgun license, looked into conceal carry insurance and ran into USCCA, did some looking for about a month, and got the policy in 2019.
I was 21 then in the video of me first shooting, and now I’m 25. I’ve done a lot of growing, I moved on from the gas station, and a toxic workplace to somewhere new.
Covid really got me thinking about prepping and made me realize just how fast this world can collapse.
Massive layoffs, unemployment system backed up, people panic buying, people running out of supplies, police aren’t responding to break ins.
@BRUCE26, that was a nasty storm, Brother. We were in Alexandria the weekend before she hit saying goodbye to My Wife’s GG. Sweet Lady she was. Luckily all the family came up from Baton Rouge and New Orleans and hunkered down with the “Northern” cousins as they call themselves. More like central. We bugged out and ran back to Texas that Sunday. Katrina hit on Thursday. as I recall.
Watching the Bush administration drop the ball is what made me get serious about prepping.
I have always been a hunter and outdoorsman, so it wasn’t too much of a stretch to concealed carry and stocking up.
