My Gun-Free-Family Surprises Me

Concealed carry in North CarolinaA day before last weekend’s trip to Asheville NC, my mother said to me,
“You’re not taking the gun with us, are you?” I informed her that this was, in fact, my plan, because when my family comes to my neck of the woods, I feel it’s my responsibility to protect them. She then worried that this would upset my sister, who is basically anti-guns. To which I replied that she needn’t know I was wearing it. Then my mother asked,
“So you’re going to wear it everywhere?!” Matter of fact-ly I said,
“That’s how it works.”
**and scene**

I may be a grown woman, but I hate to upset or disrespect my family. I realize that concealed carry is not a part of their everyday lives, living in New York City, but it bothers me that they live in this defenseless state. I have been involved in the gun world for over two years and have VERY slowly introduced them to the basic principles, but we still have a very long way to go.

Knowing that I would be sharing a hotel room with my sister, I seriously considered leaving my pistol in Atlanta, purely for her peace of mind, but in the end, it had to come. I should mention that my sister is a wonderfully tolerant person and she’s not a total lefty. Still, every morning in Asheville, I closed the bathroom door and strapped on my ccw. I wore shirts that were long in the back and less form fitting than I would have normally. If I had to leave the gun in the car, I did so as discreetly as possible and only once I was alone in the vehicle. A week later, I have no idea if she noticed, but she hasn’t said a word.

After our initial conversation, my mother didn’t bring up my gun carrying ways again during the entire trip. My step-father, would not have cared either way, but I doubt he would have noticed if I had been carrying openly. My gun-free-family surprised me this weekend because of their growing tolerance toward my gun-toting lifestyle. They don’t love it, but they accept it as a part of my life. They see that I am not a criminal, nor am I dangerous in my firearm handling, and they are coming to realize that a gun may not be the root source of violence in the world. Maybe, slowly, I’ll be able to convince everyone else.

10 Comments

  1. When I got together with my girlfriend, she was very anti-gun. Over the years, she has dramatically changed her views.

    Our first Christmas together, I bought her a Gock 19. Her mother did not come over to the house for a year. Now she asks if she has it with her.

    Both her sisters were very anti-gun. Now the both have their CCW’s, and have several weapons each.

    I have found that if you just answer their questions to the best of their ability, give them time to think about things, people will eventually change.

  2. I think this is how these sorts of battles are won, the hearts and minds of the general populace. My family wasn’t so sure of my CCW and my mother had the same sort of concerns as yours, though I don’t have any siblings who would object as yours may have. It went from “do you have your gun on?” with worry in her voice to “you’re bringing your gun aren’t you?” hopefully when we would go somewhere together. After several years, my family is comfortable and after some not so nice situations, a sister and niece are seriously considering taking up arms for their own defense. Mom probably would, but she lacks the self confidence to do it and I just can’t seem to get past that.

  3. This is absolutely the truth. I had family friends who went from being visibly distressed by a picture of a gun on my laptop desktop to being absolutely fine with my open carrying around them in public and making statements that they were glad I was there with my gun to protect them if need be.

    It takes time. It’s a slow process. You also need to realize that not everyone will change. My father for example still has a big problem with my OC’ing (this is a may-issue state and I don’t have a CCDW) but I carry around him anyway.

  4. THIS is what frightens the anti-gunners more than anything – renormalization of the GOOD American gun culture. They’ve struggled so hard for so long to convince people that “Guns’r BAD, mmmmKay?” that having an increasing portion of the population – especially women – reject this dispensed wisdom is making them proverbially pull their hair out. They’re getting desperate.

  5. When I first moved from NJ to free America (I should call it escaping….) I immediately applied for and received my LTCH from Indiana. I carried everyday, and even though I lived with my parents, and carried a full size pistol, they never noticed or commented about it.

    Fast forward several years, and I’m far more comfortable, carrying, and far more likely to let the gun be accidentally seen. My parents have mellowed on being so anti-gun over the past 5 or 6 years, and now, they expect me to have the gun with me.

    The first couple of times they saw it, they were a little concerned, but have gotten used to the idea now.

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