Quote:Fairly certain that the the guy pointing a firearm at patrons of a restaurant is the one that left no room for peaceful resolution.  Peaceful is how the place was before the armed robbers entered into the place.  How anyone could place blame on the CCW holder is beyond ridiculous.  Should he have shot the guy in the leg, or better yet shoot the gun out of his hand?  That's not how it works outside of Hollywood.  The armed robbers created the threat to this man's life, he used his firearm to end the threat. 

 

I carry CCW and pray that I will never have to encounter an instance where my life is threatened and I have to use my firearm to stop the threat against my life.  I was once in a situation where the business I owned in West Jax was held up at gun point late one night after closing.  My CCW was stored in my briefcase at the time because I had let my guard down after years without incident.  When the armed robber entered the storefront and demanded cash I went straight to my briefcase which was only a few steps away and was able to grab the handle of my firearm and begin unholstering it while using a corner as cover.  As I came up from my briefcase with my gun in hand and turned toward the robber he had his firearm pointed squarely at the chest of one of my employees at point blank range.  Knowing that I would not be able to stop this threat without my employee getting seriously harmed and due to the angle of where we all were standing possibly fall into my line of fire, I left the gun in my bag and got the little money still left in the cash register and gave it to the thief who turned and ran away never to be found.

 

That was the one and only incident I was ever involved in and the only time I had a gun pointed at me, and I can say that the helpless feeling of being a victim and having your life completely in the hands of some thug with a gun is unsettling to say the least.  I thank God that I made the right decision and nobody was hurt, my employee was safe, and that I did not have to use my weapon that could have resulted in someone being hurt or dead.  However having been through the situation once before I know that I was lucky with the outcome and refuse to sit idly by if my life is threatened ever again.  All that I, and I believe most CCW holders, want to do is to be able to peacefully enjoy our lives without having to be in the situation I was in a few years back.  We are not out "looking to get away with murder" as some anti-gun advocates like to spout.  Let me live peacefully and let others do the same is all I ask for, I wish I lived in a world without guns and without a threat of being murdered over a few bucks.  The sad fact is that we don't and that criminals will continue to be armed, therefore so will I.

I never placed blame on him and have seen no one else do that. That wasn't my point nor my intention either.

 

Excellent story you have there. Glad no one was hurt in the process. Like with you, I am sure the vast majority of people with conceal carries have nothing but personal protection in mind and good intentions. I have also had two different people, one an ex friend, that pulled theirs out and pointed it at me during verbal arguments. It's pretty hard to trust anyone carrying a gun after that. 

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