Guns in the hands of good people

I've been meaning to post this for a while but just hadn't gotten around to doing it.

June 28, 2008, was a defining moment in my life. It was the day I shot and killed a man in the defense of my life and the lives of others. We all have defining moments. They might not be as tragic as taking another man's life, but they are events that change the way we look at things -- or even, perhaps, how we live our lives.

Before that muggy Saturday evening in June, I would have said my defining moments were many: graduating from high school; enlisting in the Army; getting married; having children; getting run over by a tow truck; and especially, meeting my fiancée, Maria. All of these events, and more, have happened in my life and changed me.

If you are considering taking the step of arming yourself for self defense or you already carry for self defense, this is a must read. Carrying a firearm is not something to be taken lightly; the decision to use that firearm is an even more serious one. If you aren't willing to take the responsibility, then don't do it. If you're doing it to feel cool, or to use as a security blanket, don't do it. If, however, you are willing to acknowledge and assume the immense responsibility, then strap on a holster and join the ranks of Americans who are able and willing to protect themselves and others.