2. Empowerment. After receiving training and the appropriate licensing courses you will feel empowered. Only a person who carries can describe it; you almost feel naked without your gun. You know you aren’t invincible, that’s not what this is about, but that sense of vulnerability when you aren’t carrying is real. Then when you are carrying, that “I can become a victim” at any moment feeling is instantly gone.

3. Your ability to protect your loved ones. Being properly trained gives you the ability to protect and defend your loved ones in almost any imaginable scenario. The news shows us the horrors nightly of the world we live in. The ugliness of humanity. The randomness of crime. The senseless violence. Having a concealed firearm doesn’t make any of that less true, it just makes your little corner of the world a little more safe. 911 response time in most major cities is in the double digits—as in the 12-14 minute territory! It’s basically a reactionary response after the fact. Whatever is going to happen to you, you are kind of at the mercy of the bad guy. 911 is not going to protect your family.

Let that sink in for a few minutes….

4. Be prepared. I was a Boy Scout and our motto was be prepared. To this day I live by that motto. I would much rather be prepared for something that never happened than not be prepared when that something did happen, no matter how unlikely its occurrence. That’s how I view being a concealed carry permit holder. The odds are I will never ever have to use my firearm to defend myself or protect my family. In fact the odds are overwhelmingly against me having to use it. Don’t take my word for it, according to a Harvard study, people defended themselves with a gun 0.9% of crimes from 2007 to 2011. According to Robert Young one of the researchers, “the average person has basically no chance in their lifetime ever to use a gun in self- defense.”  But in the unlikely chance that I draw the short straw and am pressed into action to defend my family or it’s a choice between the bad guy and me, I intend to stack the deck to make it me every time.

 5. Guns are smaller, thinner, concealable and easier to use than ever. The movement by manufacturers to smaller platforms specifically for concealment has changed the game. This article should help in selecting the best options for concealed carry. Manufacturers are also producing guns to appeal directly to women, with color and patterns choices that didn’t exist just a few years ago. And women have quite possibly some of the coolest holster options ever created, from purses, leggings, belly bands to traditional holsters. The options are endless.

If these weren’t compelling enough reasons, here is a real life story of survival from a woman as told in True Stories USCCA May 2019 A Bus Stop Bully. An armed 19 year old accosted a Chicago woman at a city bus stop and demanded money. The victim drew her gun that she was legally licensed to carry and defended herself. She fired on the robber striking him in the neck. He later died from his wounds.  

And here’s another… posted in the Organic Prepper: a Restaurant worker in Wisconsin Miranda Schaeffer said that her gun saved the lives of herself and coworkers back in July of 2018. She said her and coworkers were physically attacked by a customer who wanted a refund at a local restaurant in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. When the customer was told no to the refund and not to return, he punched a coworker. And that’s when Miranda pulled her gun.

And another…

An ex-wife in Alabama defended herself against her estranged ex-husband. The Organic Prepper reports that deputies were dispatched to a home where the ex-husband had broken into the home and tried to sexually assault his ex-wife. The woman was armed with a handgun and fired a shot striking him in the leg. The man was later arrested after trying to escape, he was charged with attempted rape, and second degree domestic violence.  

And lastly…

A mom in Dallas, Texas was the victim of an attempted carjacking as she pulled into a gas station for a quick stop. This mom, using poor judgement ran inside and left the vehicle running. The assailant tried to make off with her SUV not knowing her two young were children inside, ages 2 and 4. The mom jumped back into her moving vehicle as the thief was trying to pull off and managed to grab her gun from the glove compartment and fire on him, striking him in the face.

What did these four brave women have in common?

They refused to be victims!

When asked why women should carry a concealed firearm I cite these statistics, from Tracey and Charley Vega. Charley and Tracey are the co-founders of Simple Self Defense. They write a blog Simple Self Defense For Women and frequently are daytime television guest demonstrating their techniques:

Because….

“ 1 out of 6 women will be a victim of an attempted or completed rape”

Because….

“1 out of 4 women is a victim of domestic violence”

Because….

“1 out of 3 women will be attacked in some fashion in her lifetime”