The Responsibility of Concealed Carry
By Dom DeSantis
Dominick (Dom) A. DeSantis is an NRA Certified Instructor, a Range Safety Officer and the Founder and Chief Instructor for www.BeSafeinPA.com
Most of my efforts are focused in my home State of Pennsylvania and each State, and in some States each Jurisdiction, has Concealed Carry Rules, Regulations and Laws. No matter what the law is in any State the responsibility for the person carrying a concealed hand gun is the same. Whether your State requires training to get a CCW Permit or not I always suggest a course, especially an NRA Certified Course.
Safety is always the primary concern in any Firearm Situation. Training and practice make us sharp and help us maintain our knowledge. Understanding the hand gun we are carrying; its safety features and the cautions are most important.
In the State of Pennsylvania you can walk into any Gun Store and as long as you can pass a background check you can walk out the same hour (in most cases) with a handgun, holster and ammunition… you are now armed… and in my opinion, very dangerous if you have no training and no experience with handguns.
If the person purchased that gun and ammunition with the intent to conceal carry (and by the way you can get a CCW Permit in a few weeks) does not have an understanding of the rules and regulations as well as his/her moral obligation to use that right to carry properly… they could spend many years to life in prison OR what may be worse… live with the fact that a stray bullet they fired killed an innocent person.
Personally I do not wish to live with the guilt of having pulled my gun and taken a few reckless shots to find out that I did stop the “bad people” but killed an innocent by-stander. So I remind you to always remember to carry responsibly and think clearly before your pull your gun, before you point it at someone and always before you pull that trigger. Once you pull that gun with the intent to shoot another human being… it has become a weapon… an instrument to kill.
If you can save another life or your own by stopping someone who is committing a crime or seeking to harm you… then I believe you are justified. We have had several examples unfortunately over the last few years where the laws have been tested… but if a life is taken by making such a choice is it not a tragedy for everyone?
So I urge everyone who is thinking about buying a handgun for self-defense or protection to take a course. Join a Club and practice shooting. Understand and learn the responsibility of CCW Permits. Be informed and be saf… help us maintain our Second Amendment Rights by carrying responsibly!
Be Safe.