got my license to carry today

[taking back sunday]

hooray for me. it arrived friday the 8th, which is exactly 6 weeks after i mailed it. my mom about freaked out when she saw a letter addressed to me from the indiana state police, so she actually opened it and saw "License to carry handgun" (she had no idea i was getting the permit, only my dad did) so she calls me at college saying she was going to throw it in the shredder (my mom is a huge anti gun fanatic.) i convinced her not to and what's the first thing i had to do? take a walk around the local wal-mart for about an hour. i played a little game trying to spot other people who were carrying, but found no one. i was walkin around thinking, im 19 years old and legally carrying my full size beretta m9 in wal mart, what a great country!

i did feel a little self conscious though because i felt like everyone could see it, but most people are in their own little world and probably wouldnt even notice if i was open carrying.

[Bill of Rights]

Good for you, Matt!

I have to wonder if Mom would have reimbursed to you the $125 you had to spend to get that little Pepto-Bismol pink paper in your wallet, had she shredded the form. Why anti-gun people can't understand that disarming the people who obey the law does not stop crimes from being committed by people who don't, I cannot understand.

Keep working on her. Maybe someday she'll realize that you're one of the good guys.

(I should add that I'm still working on making my mother understand that, too. :roll:)

Blessings,
B

[brotherbill3]

Congrats Matt,

I hope to get through the process shortly ... after I finish moving ...

Well see how long it take me (well us, as my wife amd I will both be doing this at the same time) ... I'm sure I'll not only have to convince my mom when the time comes ... but maybe our daughter and maybe even my dad (although he used to carry, some of the time)

"Brother" Bill

[Sandhiller]

Congratulations, Matt, and welcome to the ranks of the legally armed. You got something else in that envelope: a huge responsibility. I'm sure you will wear it well!

[nodaywithout]

Congrats, be safe and carry on

[DAN]

Matt, Sandhiller got it right! You got a whole bunch more in that letter then you probably realize. This will change your life and will probably reevaluate your priorities.

As a !9 year old carrying a concealed weapon you are a minority in this whole wide world and a lot of people will now expect you to hold up your end of the bargain.

It is not about guns it is about having the potential to take someones life in a split second.
Congrats,
DAN

[VegasGeorge]

Matt, as I look back on my life, I can clearly see that it was all about choices. Choices I made. Funny how those choices don't seem so important at the time, but wind up defining who you are and what you accomplish. Your carry permit lays a whole new set of choices in front of you. Choose wisely.

I have one specific caution to convey to you. With a gun in your pocket, you always have to avoid conflict whenever possible. You always need to act like a guy who doesn't have a gun. Never let your possession of the gun influence your behavior, except to make you even more cautious than normal.

I wish you a lifetime of safe and happy carrying!

[taking back sunday]

thanks for all your comments guys

Bill: i gave my mom her first "this is how a gun works" lesson earlier today, so maybe now she understands that guns arent as evil as she once thought :roll:

George: i absolutely understand what you are saying. i carried several times this weekend, and each time i seemed very aware of my surroundings. perhaps that little 9mm on my side had something to do with it.

the best thing to do is always avoid conflict, but sometimes it is impossible if it literally comes knocking at your door at 3 in the morning. this very incident happened to me a few short months ago. a (very) drunk man broke into our house where he proceeded to destroy various things in our house. it scared the living sh** out of me and my family. from that point on i have chosen to have control over my protection as well as my family's. this is why i carry, and why i keep a 12 gauge shotgun with 4 buckshot rounds followed by 2 slugs cocked and locked by my bed at all times.

[glockhead23]

Congrats Matt,
It is a big responsability.But in todays world I would rather be able to protect me and my family if it came to it than wait 15 to 30 min.'s for the PD to show up after a 911 call.I've had my CCW permit for 21yr.s and can say it has been a big comfort.
Again congrats and good luck,

[magafike]

Congratulations Matt,

Not knowing much about the household you are in a shot gun cock and loaded so to speak in your house even with the safety engaged would raise some questions in my mind. Are there ever any children in the house, what happens if some kids drop in? As responsible gun owners and those that carry, we are always responsible for the weapons in our homes and on our persons.

Avoiding conflicts can be a challenge but knowing where the kids are at times can be somewhat impossible...As a father of 2 and a Pappy of 4 boys I can tell you that that 3 year old can move faster than the speed of light while your attention is on the the phone, the girl friend or whatever.... Remember you are RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THE GUNS IN YOUR HOUSE HOLD...