How Veterans might utilize firearms for protection
As noted in the previous summary, Owning a firearm for protection, there are several factors that can impact a Veteran’s sense of safety and their decision whether or not to keep a firearm. Participants shared their beliefs about owning a firearm for protection and how they incorporate those beliefs into their firearm storage and accessibility practices and in some cases, their practice of concealed or open carry outside the home. Some Veterans described feeling the need to protect themselves and loved ones, and some reflected on their desire to help strangers whom they perceive as being at risk of victimization. For many like Nick, firearms represent “a great equalizer in a situation. Somebody could come with a firearm, but they don’t realize that you have one too. It kind of equals the playing field.” For others, however, having a firearm for protection does not feel like the right decision.
Owning a firearm to protect oneself
As he’s gotten older, Mark feels having firearms for protection serves as a “safety net.”
As he’s gotten older, Mark feels having firearms for protection serves as a “safety net.”
Yeah. You know, when I was in my thirties, I still felt bulletproof enough to where I thought if somebody would come after me, I could handle it. You know? I’m a pretty stout person. Now with my back and everything, and now after I was shot of course, I can’t handle it like I used to. So, that’s basically the only thing that’s keeping the bad guys away. In my opinion, it’s all I’ve got left. That was the way I felt anyway when I was – I don’t know. You know? It’s the same way with when I was doing convoys. I cannot drive on the interstate. I feel like I’m boxed in. I just can’t do it. I guess that might be a little bit of PTSD in me, but I don’t know. It’s just – I guess it’s more of a safety net. Now when he’s here, all of my guns are in the safe. So, they’re all locked up and everything. Otherwise, I have one on the nightstand. I have one in the shop, so I can get to it, but that’s about it.
Jessica feels safer knowing she can protect her daughter.
Jessica feels safer knowing she can protect her daughter.
The best thing about owning a firearm for me--and this might be a little bit hypocritical given how I know that the statistics--I know the statistics that if you own a firearm in your home, you are more likely to injure someone you know or you love. But I cannot get over the fact that, if I have a firearm in my home, I feel safer. I just feel safer when I go to the movie theater and I know my husband is carrying with me, I feel safer; when I go on an airplane and my husband is carrying, I feel safer. I don’t know what that is, because I grew up in a home without firearms--well, I guess I do know what it is: I grew up in a home without firearms and I did not ever feel safe, and there were a number of things that happened to me that made me feel unsafe. And I don’t know that having a firearm in the home would have solved that as a child; if anything, it could have exacerbated it. But now, as an adult, when my husband is going on a work trip or when I’m alone in the house where it’s just me and my daughter and I know I’m the first line of defense if anything happens, I feel safer.
Having a firearm gives Daniel “peace of mind” as he doesn’t feel protected by the local police.
Having a firearm gives Daniel “peace of mind” as he doesn’t feel protected by the local police.
Well, I think the best reason to own a firearm is probably peace of mind. It has a way of giving you confidence, that you’re able to protect your family, and also feed your family. Downfalls sometimes come too, that is when there is conflict with family and there is a firearm involved. So, I don’t know. That’s hard for me to put in words. I like to think about, if I have a firearm, it’s there if I need it. And I would think that I would use it only to feed my family. And if there is a crime going on, killing another person in self-defense would be something that would be a last resort. The police aren’t always there to stop anything. Most of the time, I see they come as an after effect. You know what I’m saying? If you live in an area where the crime is really high, you’re going to want to have a firearm.
Feeling responsible for protecting others in the community
For Jack, it’s important to be able to protect other parishioners at his church.
For Jack, it’s important to be able to protect other parishioners at his church.
So, it gives me a sense of security. That I was a good shot when I was in the military. I’m still a good shot. If I ever have to, the church where I go. We have a security plan. I’m sure you’re an informed person. You know there have been a number of mass shootings at churches. I was a preacher for a number of years. And I had a guy go off. And it was a guy that, he had mental problems. He was on disability, Social Security disability for his mental problems. And one day at church, he was a great big guy, younger than me. And he just went off. And he was mad at family members in the church there and then he turned on me. And we had been good friends up until then.
But I felt I didn’t have to fear him that much, because I had my pistol in my ankle holster. That if he had ever tried to harm – he was a great big guy, younger than me, stronger than me. If he had tried to harm me or anyone else, everything he did was just verbal. He never touched anyone. I never knew when his anger was going to change from just words to actions. But it gave me, that day, I really felt good that I can protect myself and any other man, woman or child in this building.
And I like the idea that if I ever need to protect myself or anyone else, any human being, I don’t care who they are; I can do that. I’m not looking to be any kind of a hero or anything like that. It’s not anything like that. I just – I’m not a criminal and I don’t tolerate criminals well. Especially violent criminals that would prey on innocent, unarmed people. I do not abide that well at all. If I ever was in a position where I could prevent that, I would not hesitate.
Andy talks about the importance of being able to protect an “innocent victim.”
Andy talks about the importance of being able to protect an “innocent victim.”
I had the law enforcement background. I take carry stuff, you know, on the street in Portland when I was probably – in the past two years. And I felt threatened. And I was threatened myself – I don’t want to shoot anybody. I value life. But if it comes to protecting my family, my – an innocent victim. An innocent victim and it’s clear it’s an innocent victim that’s being injured and their life could be very well taken away from them, I’m going to probably encounter the bad guy. You know, I just think there’s too much going down the pike. They’re being lawless. I’ve got a Concealed Carry and, you know, why not use it? And like you say, you know, think of it as a fire extinguisher; it’s really good when you really need it.
Mike recalls a neighbor admitting she felt safer living next to a military Veteran.
Mike recalls a neighbor admitting she felt safer living next to a military Veteran.
I think I've had a couple of neighbors after I moved into this house, I, they found out I was a Marine Corps Veteran. And I had one young gal, she maybe was 20, and she said, "Yeah you know how to fire a gun, right?" I said, "Yes and I own two." And she said, "Good, I feel safer living next to you." And I gave her my number. I said, "If you have any issues, you just let me know." I don't have a problem protecting you, too, if the situation ever called for it.
I don't. I do get some, I think, sometimes people think that anybody that's a gun owner is, like, a total NRA right to bear fanatic, blah-blah-blah. I'm not, and I've had people, kind of, treat me that way, and that's not my identity. But I think that some people get that in their head. I think I'm just a responsible gun owner that likes to enjoy shooting sometimes and spending time with friends.
Carrying for protection outside the home
Nick says his firearm is “part of my outfit,” but that it’s not his “first choice” for defense.
Nick says his firearm is “part of my outfit,” but that it’s not his “first choice” for defense.
I’m gonna be honest. It feels – it’s kinda like part of my outfit, to be honest. Because like, it’s – like when I get up and put my clothes on, that’s part of it, you know. Like that’s part of my uniform to be completely honest. A lot of the ideology in the military, I still carry with me. So, a lot of the discipline and a lot of the – you know, just the way of thinking, I still carry with me. One of our – our thing in the Coast Guard was Semper Paratus which means “always ready.” And so that’s something that I’m big on. I have to be prepared. I have a firearm with me. I have a knife with me, and I have pepper spray with me. The firearm isn’t my first choice at all. My first choice is like, “All right, can we have a conversation to kinda calm you down if you’re being rowdy or if you’re starting to try some issues.” Now if you come attack me, then you get pepper sprayed first. You don’t get a gun first. I don’t wanna kill nobody or shoot nobody. I don’t want to do it, you know? I think we glamorize it too much. And I think that’s why there’ so many guns. Because we think, oh yeah, it’s so easy to just – you know, it’s not easy. You know, I know people that have actually, like, shot somebody and went to prison for it. And they tell me all the time that there’s many nights they can’t sleep. So, we kinda gotta stop glamorizing. But to answer your question, it’s regular to me now, to be completely honest. It’s a part of like, my every day. And I don’t think about it.
Tom feels that if you can’t protect yourself you are “doing yourself and your family a disservice."
Tom feels that if you can’t protect yourself you are “doing yourself and your family a disservice."
I mean obviously there’s safety you know. You know, especially if I go to certain places or if we travel, I always carry a firearm with me. There’s just too many random things and too many crazy people out there in the world to not do that. That would be foolish, I think. I think you’re doing yourself and your family a disservice by not being able to protect yourself. And I’m talking totally defensive you know. I’m not talking going in and stopping robberies. This is stopping imminent threats to you or your family and that’s it.
Working as a tow truck driver, Johnny elects to carry his firearm “out in the open.”
Working as a tow truck driver, Johnny elects to carry his firearm “out in the open.”
Oh yeah. I believe in open carry. So, driving a tow truck, I used to carry a 911 right here on my chest out in the open. Everybody could see it. And it made it to where, when I was doing an impound or towing, people didn’t try to get stupid with me.
It was that, “Hey, you know what? That guy’s armed. I’m not going to mess with him.” When I’ve pulled bikes out from motorcycle clubs and nothing ever was done. They didn’t come at me stupid or nothing like that. I was respectful. They were respectful.
But then I go into a grocery store or something and people are, “Well, why do you need that for?” “Well, you know, I drive a tow truck and I get out here into some nasty parts of this county. And I also get, you know, bears and cougars at some of these areas where I’ve got to tow a car from. And I don’t want to be somebody’s dinner, or being a reason why I’m not going home tonight. So, I carry.”
Being discreet when carrying a firearm in public is important to Mark.
Being discreet when carrying a firearm in public is important to Mark.
I do have a carry conceal permit, which is one of those big ones. It’s multi-state. There’s only like two or three states that aren’t on it. I normally go. If I’m going, I’m normally going strapped. So far, nobody has ever noticed me carrying one, but I always have it.
Do we have guns? Yes. Do we sling them around and shoot at everybody? I mean, like I told you, I carry a gun almost all the time. And if anybody would have recognized that I had a gun, I’d have been embarrassed. You know? And it’s not to say that I’m embarrassed to carry a gun. It’s to say that I don’t want to make anybody feel uncomfortable that I have a gun. I guess that’s my mentality. That’s where most people’s mentality is.
Most gun owners that I know of that are really serious about safety, don’t flaunt. Like I said, most everybody that I know of – we don’t run around and say, “What are you carrying today?” No, it’s just not something that’s acceptable conversation. You just have it. That’s just what it is. I don’t know. That’s just the way I was brought up. My dad’s got two or three safes in his house. We were always brought up with safety in mind. Just out of all the family members, I’m the only one that’s been shot. It wasn’t – it’s just by accident.
For Jake, carrying a firearm outside the home is not worth it.
For Jake, carrying a firearm outside the home is not worth it.
It’s so much, like I said, responsibility. Even if there’s carjackings everywhere. It’s only more stress. I just feel I keep it here at home so if something happens in my home I can better explain that than how I just had to pull my gun out and shoot this guy because he tried to take my car or tried to rob me. They just were after the car. It’s nothing. Take the car and go. I mean lives are better than that. It’s been a while since I’ve done it, especially with so much gun play. Some of it’s difficult to even justify that you were rightfully right about defending yourself.
Ken doesn’t believe “open carry is what it’s cracked up to be.”
Ken doesn’t believe “open carry is what it’s cracked up to be.”
Now, can I carry legally? Yeah. Can I carry? Yes, I can carry, you know, a firearm, you know. But I don’t know. I just don’t. I don’t carry a sidearm with me, you know. I don’t know about your state, you know, whether there’s open carry or not. But there’s open carry in my state. And I don’t like it.
Interviewer: Can you tell me more about your thoughts on open carry?
Respondent: Here’s a good example of open carry, okay. I’m at a restaurant on the day of my birthday. And there was, you know, some folks that came in, you know, waiting to be seated. And then, you know, the hostess, you know, grabbed them up and seated them at their table. But they walked by me along with some other folks – I’m not the only one that noticed it. But it was one guy, he was – he had a firearm on his side, you know, open carry. And you know, I guess it made me feel uneasy knowing that he’s got a handgun and it’s being shown to everybody at that restaurant, you know. Everybody saw it, you know. And I can look around at their faces, you know, to see what their reaction was, you know. And their reaction was the same as my reaction, you know. Like, what the heck, you know. You have an open carry weapon with you going into a restaurant, you know. And the first thing that ran cross my mind was okay, here’s this guy. He’s open carrying his handgun on his side. It’s kind of unnerving, you know.
You don’t know if – you know, if he decides he wants to – had a bad morning or something, you know, whips out his gun and starts shooting up the restaurant. So, in that sense, I kind of agree with open carry, you know. Some people just don’t feel very comfortable seeing he has a gun. I mean, it’s one thing if, you know, if you’re in a foreign land and you’re in a combat situation, you know. Then that’s a picture case, but that wouldn’t bother me so much, you know. It wouldn’t bother me at all. But you know, restaurants, I’ve got my wife and my kids with me. And my son, you know, is, you know, telling me, you know, dad, you know, that guys got a gun. And like oh, jeez, you know. I just don’t think open carry is what it’s cracked up to be. I disagree with open carry. You know, the carry conceals, okay, you know. You don’t have to show it to the public. But to open carry like that, no. I disagree with it. I don’t feel very comfortable with open carrying, you know.
I don’t mind a person, you know, concealed carry, you know, where out of sight out of mind. But when you have, you know, somebody that’s carrying, you know, open carry, the magazine is right next to the handgun, you know. It’s like, well, that’s a lot of fire power right there, you know. You got one in a magazine, you know, in the gun itself. And he’s got two extra magazines right next to it. So, that’s a lot of rounds. You could shoot a lot of people up with that. That’s for sure. You know, it’s just a psychological thing. I don’t know about you, but for me, when I see a person with a handgun, you know, open carry, I’m at a disadvantage because he’s got a handgun, and I don’t have anything. What am I going to do, throw stones at him? You know, can’t dodge a bullet. If he decides he wants to go off, you know, I don’t have anything. I’ve got nothing. So, to me, it’s psychological, whenever I see someone with a handgun that’s, you know, open carrying. It does have a psychological effect, you know. It may be all innocent and not plan on pulling his handgun out, you know. But you just never know. You don’t know with folks nowadays. You know. You just don’t know what a person’s intentions are.
Deciding not to own a firearm for protection
For Keith, being able to access a firearm for protection doesn’t make sense.
For Keith, being able to access a firearm for protection doesn’t make sense.
Oh, I own firearms. I don’t really though—I would never carry it in the car because I worry. A couple of weeks ago, the window got smashed. In this area, there’s a lot of burglaries and thefts. So, while I’m watching my mother here, there’s just a lot of theft. They’re expensive. I wouldn’t want someone stealing it. I have a .22 with a scope for hunting that I keep at home, but I keep it locked in a case, unloaded, under the bed. Then, I have one pistol that I keep hidden in my closet, also. I don’t even really consider it for protection, if that makes sense. They’re only for hunting.
Doug has found other ways to defend himself and says, “guns don’t really go with my schtick.”
Doug has found other ways to defend himself and says, “guns don’t really go with my schtick.”
I haven’t owned one since; I had a couple of shotguns in high school, but since the event, I haven’t owned a firearm. And psychologically, I wasn’t able to have one--even to this day, it’s not a good idea; and my wife, especially, would not feel comfortable with me having one around the house. So, we bought Mace--and I take my dog for a walk every night--and we’re getting old and there’s mean kids, so I bought a Mace pistol, and so I’ve got a little teargas pistol. But yeah, no guns for me. I’m such a different person now. I’m an old hippie musician now, so guns don’t really go with my schtick.
Mickie talks about his ambivalence towards carrying a firearm for protection.
Mickie talks about his ambivalence towards carrying a firearm for protection.
I mean, when you’ve got one, it makes you a little brave, I guess I could say. You know, you get in a fight with somebody and, if you don’t have it, you might, “Okay, well, I’m going home.” But if you’ve got one, then, they’re going to escalate to another level and, you know, now you’ve got a problem. Somebody got shot and, you know, both families lose.
Darrell chooses not to carry a firearm because he feels it will ultimately lead to “more gun violence.”
Darrell chooses not to carry a firearm because he feels it will ultimately lead to “more gun violence.”
I have guns. I have – my son has several of his guns over here that I keep at my house. But I have a pistol that is still locked up. I don’t ever use it. I have a .22 rifle that my kids bought me. And it’s mainly to shoot like the armadillos or the wild hogs that we have out here on the – on my place that we’ll shoot. Other than that, I don’t have anything to do with guns. I don’t brandish them. I don’t carry them around with me. I don’t conceal them. I don’t have a concealed carry permit. I don’t believe in all this gun crap that’s going on. I don’t like it. And I just think that, you know, we’re getting back to where we shouldn’t be when it comes to – to firearms. I know everybody has a right to have them. But I just – I just think that some firearms should be banned. And I just don’t believe that people should just carry them willy-nilly and tote them everywhere they go. Because I just believe that’s going to cause more gun violence.