Kids, Friends, and CC

This is a forum for OFCC's ladies to chat about their unique challenges when it comes to carry, or any other subject.

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shootergirl1174
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Kids, Friends, and CC

Post by shootergirl1174 »

I have had my CCL for a couple of months now and I always have my gun with me. I usually carry it in my holster purse or pocket carry, but also sometimes on my hip. I want to project the attitude of "I always carry" - except where it is not legal. I do this because if I were ever involved in a shooting I don't want to be asked, "why did you go there if you felt you needed a gun? Were you just looking for an excuse to use it?" This way I can say "I always carry". Anyway, I am the mom to 3 boys (13, 10, & 5) - and most often now am around other moms of preschoolers. I do my best to make sure my gun is kept out of sight, and if it's in my purse that my purse is either on my back (it's a backpack style) or at my feet if I am sitting down. Only 1 of my friends know that I carry, and she is OK with it, just slightly unnerved, but she has never told me I couldn't take her kids with me somewhere or otherwise acted like she doesn't trust me. I guess I'm posting because I'm a little worried about others. Several years ago I had a bad experience - a new friend was allowing her children to be at my house a lot. In the spirit of being honest, I informed her that we had guns in the house, although unloaded and locked. (This is what we were being told to do by other "gun safety" people, and as a parent I always want to know if my kids are in a home where guns are kept so I can address it with them.) She freaked out and spent several months without letting her kids come over, and when she finally did she asked me to lock my bedroom door while her kids were there. (Not unreasonable, but seemed overkill to me since the guns were locked up themselves in the closet in the room, and the kids weren't allowed in there). I can only imagine how she would have reacted if I had had my CCL at the time. My questions are: 1) If I am approached/confronted about why I carry around my child or other children, how do I handle it? (2) Has this ever happened to you? and (3) If so, how did YOU handle it?
Thanks for any info/stories you can share.
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AlanM
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Re: Kids, Friends, and CC

Post by AlanM »

One good response would be:
"If I didn't carry around my children, how would I protect them if the need arose?"

Or the humorous, but true, response:
"I carry a gun in my purse because a cop would be too big and/or heavy to fit in there."

One more:
"Your children are safer from being harmed by strangers while being with me and mine because I am carrying."


If you are a Christian there are verses in the Bible where parents are charged with protecting their family at any cost.
(Someone else here can probably give you a citation for this.)

And as I said in another thread, WELCOME TO THE FORUMS!!
AlanM
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Gumby
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Re: Kids, Friends, and CC

Post by Gumby »

Hi ShooterGirl,

Welcome to this forum. I like it a lot. I am female, a grandmother, and - of course - armed. I have had my CHL only a few months.

Humorous comebacks will not placate those who grill you about carrying. And I disagree with the advice you were given. I feel that it is nobody's business that you carry and that you should never discuss it or mention it to others. Keep it hidden and really DO carry it everywhere/every time it is legal. Telling others brings up really dumb conversations, such "Why do you have a gun?" "Wouldn't you be afraid to use it if something happened?" and the ever-popular, "I'd be afraid someone would take it from me and kill me instead!" :x

Just keep your carry status to yourself, IMHO. If somebody sees it and questions you, just tell them that you have a state license to do so.
Gumby

"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government." -- Thomas Jefferson
Mustang380gal
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Re: Kids, Friends, and CC

Post by Mustang380gal »

I agree with Gumby.

I have had my license since 2004 (I'm one of the first 50 in my county!) and only two friends and my Mom know I carry. One friend found out when we were going for a walk, after being in a day care, and I got armed. She is ex-LEO from a long time back, and fully understood and appreciated that I am concerned for my safety and thus hers. I am a Mom of 9 children, from ages 17 down to 5 months. We homeschool.

No one knows how many guns we have, or where they are, or where the ammo is. That is our business. I would not be inclined to volunteer anything to someone visiting my house. I can't imagine being so rude as to ask while visiting someone else's house. And then suggest I lock my bedroom door? What chutzpah!

So to answer your questions directly:
1.) I would rather see a bad guy intent on harming me or mine be buried than stand at the graveside of one of my children knowing I could have or ought to have stopped it. I couldn't live with myself if I failed to protect my child.
2.) The two friends that know I carry were told my answer to #1, and fully understand.
3.) I don't ask what someone else has in their house I don't approve of, so they don't need to ask what I have in mine. I am under no obligation to answer a rude question. Now if it is a general principle discussion, I'm all for that.
RIFLEWOMAN, wife of a RIFLEMAN, mom of 9, NRA life member, OFCC Patron member!
carmen fovozzo
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Re: Kids, Friends, and CC

Post by carmen fovozzo »

.......................I'm getting to the point now when asked why I carry, all I say is BUZZ OFF. :o
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Gumby
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Re: Kids, Friends, and CC

Post by Gumby »

carmen fovozzo wrote:.......................I'm getting to the point now when asked why I carry, all I say is BUZZ OFF. :o
Amen! :twisted:

AND, I like your slogan ("Lord, let me live long enough...)
Gumby

"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government." -- Thomas Jefferson
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BobK
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Re: Kids, Friends, and CC

Post by BobK »

shootergirl1174 wrote:My questions are: 1) If I am approached/confronted about why I carry
I used to get on the soapbox about responsibility to my family, my God-given rights to self defense, the 2nd Amendment, blah, blah, blah.

Now, if someone asks about it, I simply say in a high pitched, weird, quavering voice, "Because all the voices in my head told me to CARRY A GUN!".
I am a: NRA Life Member, Texas State Rifle Association Life Member, Texas Firearms Coalition Gold member, OFCC Patron Member, former JFPO member (pre-SAF).

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Brawulf
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Re: Kids, Friends, and CC

Post by Brawulf »

My usual response is "Have you watched the news? ... in ohhh say the last 10 years?"
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jobu72
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Re: Kids, Friends, and CC

Post by jobu72 »

Everyone is giving great advice, but I find the following article from Cleveland Gun Rights Examiner that OFCC linked to this last week to be most excellent. Entitled "Being realistic about keeping kids safe involves more than warning about guns"

http://www.examiner.com/x-2206-Clevelan ... about-guns

The chart in the middle of the page (provided by the Centers For Disease Control) will give you your best arguments in my opinion. You may respectfully inform the other parents that if they were so concerned about the well being of their children in other peoples' homes (including their own), their first questions should be, and in this order ...

1. Will you be driving my children anywhere? 12355 deaths
2. Are your household cleaners stored safely and out of reach? 2535 deaths
3. Is access to a pool, pond, river, bathtub, etc, restricted? 902 deaths
4. Are your smoke detectors up to date and tested? 390 deaths

Because out of 18168 deaths studied, only 255 deaths have been recorded due to firearms. That is 1.4%, compared to a crap ton more of other deaths that could have been prevented by other means. You sound like a responsible person that keeps your personal protection out of kid reach. So that probably even more greatly reduced your chance of being in the firearm statistic.

You could very easily turn the conversation around on to them using these statistics to show them how unsafe THEIR home is to YOUR children. However, to bypass all of this, you could more easily use the don't ask don't tell rule. Unless you care about your own childrens' safety, ask the questions to the other parents when your kids go over there.

But to directly answer your questions ...

1. How you should handle specific questions about why you carry around your children and other children, I would go with "because I always do, why being around them should be any different?" In fact being around them would be MORE important to me. With all these home invasions, school shootings, robberies, etc, it is a no brainer for us. Unfortunately, probably nothing you say will change this person's mind about it.
2. No it has never happened to me.
3. I would handle it just as I have described.
Psouper
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Re: Kids, Friends, and CC

Post by Psouper »

Don't ask, don't tell, and teach your children the Eddie Eagle slogan.
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LeiraHoward
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Re: Kids, Friends, and CC

Post by LeiraHoward »

A good series of articles to back up gun safety (written by a mom, for moms) is this site:
http://www.corneredcat.com/TOC.aspx#Kids" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

(I've not found a better site that deals specifically with the issues that pistol-packing mammas deal with).

My personal ideas are as follows:

(1) I *CAN* teach my children gun safety. Therefore, I will.
(2) I *CANNOT* know how safe other people keep their guns, therefore, I WILL teach my children what to do if they find a gun at another person's house. (Eddie Eagle rules, basically).
(3) I *CANNOT* account for the curiosity of other children who may visit. Therefore, I WILL keep all guns (except my carry gun) locked up and inaccessible to even the most curious child. This means locking them up in a way that would deter an adult, since most children are capable of defeating many "child proof" devices.
(4) Children move UNBELIEVABLY quickly, and can get into my purse while I am distracted by another child (especially if something happens, like a fight or playground accident). Therefore, I will keep my carry gun ON my person when other people's children are around. (Purse carry, IMHO, is not sufficiently safe while curious, active children are around.)
(5) Bad people are out there. Therefore, I will use whatever force necessary (firearms) to keep my kids and other children entrusted to my care safe.

As far as other mothers go... I wouldn't feel the need to inform them of my CCW status, though I would probably scout out in conversation to see where their leanings were. Obviously, a radical liberal who thinks all guns are evil is a bit more likely to overreact (even possibly call child services). If they asked directly, I would be honest, and would also make sure that I could honestly inform them that the firearms were safely locked up (in a gun safe or other place that would keep a grown-up out).
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High Power
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Re: Kids, Friends, and CC

Post by High Power »

Do a search with your address on these web sites. When you get the results, send the link(s) to the concerned mothers. Then ask them if this answers their questions. You might be surprised at how many perverts live close to you. I wish Mrs. High Power would carry more often.

http://www.familywatchdog.us/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.esorn.ag.state.oh.us/Secured/p1.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.drc.state.oh.us/OffenderSearch/Search.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein
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Imcrazy
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Re: Kids, Friends, and CC

Post by Imcrazy »

I'd just not tell anyone about the guns in your house or the ones on your person, Its really not anyone's business. If they are too weak minded to own guns to defend their homes they are in the wrong, your in the right for protecting you and your own.
-Aaron
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Re: Kids, Friends, and CC

Post by Javelin Man »

A mother asked my twin brother once if he owned a gun. He replied yes. She was shaken and asked where it was and he said it was in the living room. She asked if it was loaded and he replied of course. He watched her turn white and didn't bother telling her it was in our parent's living room 150 miles away from him. :roll:
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