We live in the country with lots of space.  My husband’s friends would often bring guns out to shoot on our property.  I wanted nothing to do with it- after all I’d been taught that guns kill, and I certainly wasn’t going to have them around my kids.  I had heard all the horror stories.  Dirk and I would argue over this time and time again.  As time went on it became very apparent that he was not going to back down. He’d been around guns most of his life and wasn’t going to change because of my unfounded fears.  There would be guns around our house.  He was in complete agreement that they would be locked up tight so that our kid’s couldn’t get to them, so I went along- however reluctantly.

Then came the first turn of events.  We have a mentally unstable family member with a long history of mental illness and criminal activity. This person made threats against my husband and against my family. I began to open up to the idea of having guns in my house for safety and protection, but I still really had no desire to have them around.  Dirk began adding security precautions on our property, making sure the doors were always locked up tight including the screen door, we were no longer allowing the kids to answer the door if Dirk wasn’t home.  All of these things made the danger of the threats very real to me.  So I hesitantly learned how to handle the gun.  I really didn’t feel I would ever be faced with the need to use it as there is always one or more of Dirk’s buddies around, so they of course would be the ones to protect us if he wasn’t there.   But just incase someone might hurt my children I would be able to defend them.  I was not comfortable or confident enough to defend the home or myself at this point.  But i did know beyond a shadow of a doubt NO ONE had better touch my kids.

Then Concealed Carry came to Kansas and I was mad all over again.  This meant more guns and I figured my husband would be carrying his most of the time.  How in the world would my little girl cuddle her Daddy?  Then there were all the inconviences of businesses being posted with “No Carry” signs.  I had no idea it was going to disturb my life in this way.  All of the sudden there were so many businesses I had always gone in that I could no longer shop or eat at- and if I did….oh boy it was ugly.   Dirk is passionate about not patronizing establishments that would deny him his right to defend himself and his family. He began talking to many of these business owners about their signs and what they really meant.  He stood behind his word- we changed banks and he refused to buy my new car from a “posted” dealership. (you know how happy I was about that decision) Thankfully, after talking to the owner of that dealership, they saw the truth about the signs and took theirs down.  As I listened to him talk to the owners I began to understand- the sign was not going to keep out a bad guy- in fact it was more like an open invitation for them to come on in knowing there would be no citizen with a gun randomly in there that may stop them if they wanted to rob the place.  Without a sign the criminal  never knows if a citizen may be in there with a gun and the willingness to stop them if necessary.

As time went on I became more comfortable with the fact that guns don’t just go off all by themselves and that they can be completely safe to carry if the safety rules are followed.  I had gotten use to the fact that if I was with Dirk I felt safe.  This became very evident to me one Sunday at church.  I was volunteering in the nursery when a disturbed family member came in and tried to remove a child from the nursery.  He did not drop the child off and was not authorized to pick the child up. He was trying to take the child without the attending family members knowledge. Because he did not have the proper id tag to pick up the child his request was denied.   This was a person who was under a lot of distress and he became very angry.  We followed our safety procedures and locked the nursery up tight and security asked the gentlemen to leave us alone.  The man kept trying to come back and was making threatening gestures towards us in the nursery. I found myself at that moment wanting to know where my husband was with his gun to protect me and everyone in the class room.  I found myself very nervous about the fact that he was miles away and not able to be there if I needed rescued.  But carrying a gun STILL wasn’t for me…

Time went on and I had adapted to a gun always being around, I had learned to shoot targets for recreation, my kids all handle guns under their Dad’s supervision and the boys would occasionally go shoot IDPA pistol matches with their Dad.  Then it happened, my pivotal moment.  One night Dirk and I had taken 2 cars to go set up for a concealed carry class, the kids were gone with friends but my son was to be home by 10.  When we left I had locked up the garage on my way out.  I left ahead of Dirk to return home to make sure my son had gotten there safely.  When I pulled in I found a dark house and an wide open garage door.  In a brief moment so many things flew through my mind. Was a violent criminal in my home? Was my teenager being held against his will? Was he dead or alive? Should I go try to rescue him? Where are the Butler county cops? Are they up the road or are they miles away?  I knew living in the country if I called 911 it was going to be a matter of minutes or maybe much longer before someone was able to get there. It really woke me up to the fact that waiting for something bad to happen to decide to carry a firearm was about as bad a choice as I could make.

That’s when I knew it was time for me to learn to accurately shoot my gun and time for me to take Dirk’s class to get my concealed carry permit.   While it all turned out fine and my son was just late getting home and Dirk got there and checked out the house finding only that I didn’t tightly latch the door when I left, my life was forever changed.

MANY women say without hesitation that they would have no problem shooting a bad guy that wanted to hurt their children. The amazing thing is that so many women (in spite of the facts and statistics) will not prepare themselves in case that horrible day ever comes! I was one of them. Thankfully, I woke up.

I now shoot IDPA defensive pistol practice with my husband so that I practice shooting my own gun under stress and in scenarios that I might run into on the street.  One thing I didn’t expect is how much fun we have shooting together! It’s kind of a date night for us and the people at the matches are great- nothing like the stereotypes I had in my mind.

I now have my permit and carry my own gun.   I can now walk through a parking lot or garage confidently knowing that I am prepared to defend my family and myself should the situation arise.  I also know that my gun is concealed so if I don’t think I can improve a situation I don’t have to get my gun out.

Hopefully, I’ll never need to use my gun, but if I ever do, I intend to have it…

Ladies, that is a complete transformation in my life. Being on this side now, I can’t believe I waited so long. I’m so glad my husband didn’t forgo his responsibility to protect his family because of my misplaced fears about guns. If you find yourself feeling like I did in the beginning, I hope you’ll take this to heart and start asking the right questions of the right people. You’ll be glad you did…

An amazing perspective on this- reposted with permission from Condi S.- Read on…

I often thought “I COULDN’T shoot anyone to protect myself, but I would blow the hell out of anyone who threatened my children. But then one day after I began shooting I heard my mother say those same words. I countered back with “You mean you would just sit there and allow evil to rob from ME?” She just looked at me confused. I said “Don’t I get a say in who makes ME a victim of their evilness?” I knew I was hitting her hard. Then I said “If all good would decide to lay down at the feet of Evil, then Evil prevails.. That doesn’t sound like a pleasant place to raise our children.” She isn’t carrying, or even shooting.. but I could see that I struck a nerve and gave her somethings to think about. I did tell her “I hope to God I never ever ever have to be faced with needing to use my XD on anything more than paper plates, but if I have to then I will.”

She said “Condi, that is what the police are for.” I reminded her that when I was shot in the armed robbery, the police were excellent!! They did a fantastic job of solving the crime, finding the criminal and putting his butt in prison AFTER I was shot. I also told her “I have no idea how much range time the average police officer gets, but I know myself if at all possible I get to the range at least monthly for about 3 hours at a time, WITH a qualified instructor.” I also went back to my first arguement of When someone is a victim of a crime the WHOLE FAMILY is a victim, and by not defending yourself, you are also choosing to allow Evil to victimize your spouse, your children, your parents.. And to me that is a bit selfish to make those we claim to “Love” suffer at the hands of Evil when we could prevent it.. I don’t know if this helps.. But we women have been told from birth that our role in life is to be “nurturers”.. we are SUPPOSED to be “givers putting our own comfort on the back burner for the comfort of others”.. Look at the toys for children, boys.. guns, trucks, cars, bats, balls.. Toys that promote competition, power, strength.. Girls.. ez bake ovens, dolls, kitchens, nursing..Toys that promote care-giving.. To combat the “I can never take a life to protect my own” mentality, you have to help her see that her life has so much value to those around her, and that by protecting herself she is actually caring for those who love her the most..

The discussion between my mother and I ended with me asking her “If you found out you had cancer, would you fight it?” She said “Condi, that is not hardly the same thing.” I told her “Mother, that is EXACTLY the same thing.. Your life is worth fighting for, it shouldn’t matter what the threat is.”

Oh BTW, I used to be the most Anti-gun person on the planet.. I even fought hard with my ex-husband because I didn’t want the kids to have water-guns.. NO guns meant even toy guns.. I was BADDD scared of them!!

THIRTEEN THINGS YOUR BURGLAR WON’T TELL YOU

1. Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.

2. Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier.

3. Love those flowers. That tells me you have taste… and taste means there are nice things inside. Those yard toys your kids leave out always make me wonder what type of gaming system they have.

4. Yes, I really do look for newspapers piled up on the driveway. And I might leave a pizza flyer in your front door to see how long it takes you to remove it..

5. If it snows while you’re out of town, get a neighbor to create car and foot tracks into the house. Virgin drifts in the driveway are a dead giveaway.

6. If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don’t let your alarm company install the control pad where I can see if it’s set. That makes it too easy.

7. A good security company alarms the window over the sink. And the windows on the second floor, which often access the master bedroom – and your jewelry. It’s not a bad idea to put motion detectors up there too.

8. It’s raining, you’re fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your door – understandable. But understand this: I don’t take a day off because of bad weather.

9. I always knock first. If you answer, I’ll ask for directions somewhere or offer to clean your gutters. (Don’t take me up on it.)

10. Do you really think I won’t look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.

11. Here’s a helpful hint: I almost never go into kids’ rooms.

12. You’re right: I won’t have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it’s not bolted down, I’ll take it with me.

13. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system. If you’re reluctant to leave your TV on while you’re out of town, you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a real television. (Find it at http://www.faketv/.com/)

EIGHT MORE THINGS A BURGLAR WON’T TELL YOU

1. Sometimes, I carry a clipboard. Sometimes, I dress like a lawn guy and carry a rake. I do my best to never, ever look like a crook.

2. The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors.

3. I’ll break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise. If your neighbor hears one loud sound, he’ll stop what he’s doing and wait to hear it again. If he doesn’t hear it again, he’ll just go back to what he was doing. It’s human nature.

4. I’m not complaining, but why would you pay all that money for a fancy alarm system and leave your house without setting it?

5. I love looking in your windows. I’m looking for signs that you’re home, and for flat screen TVs or gaming systems I’d like. I’ll drive or walk through your neighborhood at night, before you close the blinds, just to pick my targets.

6. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook page. It’s easier than you think to look up your address.

7. To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it’s an invitation.

8. If you don’t answer when I knock, I try the door. Occasionally, I hit the jackpot and walk right in.

Sources: Convicted burglars in North Carolina , Oregon , California , and Kentucky ; security consultant Chris McGoey, who runshttp://www.crimedoctor.com// and Richard T. Wright, a criminology professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, who interviewed 105 burglars for his book Burglars on the Job.

FROM ANOTHER SOURCE

Put your car keys beside your bed at night.

Tell your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your parents, your Dr.’s office, the check-out girl at the market, everyone you run across. Put your car keys beside your bed at night.

If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies. This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator. Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this: It’s a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain. It works if you park in your driveway or garage. If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break into your house, odds are the burglar/rapist won’t stick around. After a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won’t want that. And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there. This is something that should really be shared with everyone. Maybe it could save a life or a sexual abuse crime.

Keep in mind that the Attorney General has up to 90 days to approve your application once you turn it in, so it may be a good idea to get the class out of the way sooner rather than later!

Many students rush out and buy a new gun right before the class. I’ve seen some pretty poor quality guns that weren’t reliable or that were the wrong choice for that particular individual. They didn’t know any better and just wanted to get a gun before class day.

We make recommendations regarding pistols we believe are better and more reliable choices as well as sources to buy guns from at a much better price than many stores offer. If you don’t have a gun and aren’t sure what you want or where to get it, you may be better off  to come to class first!

Feel free to call or drop me an e-mail with any questions.

Thanks!

-Dirk

Much of the class covers basics about guns, types of guns, (semi-auto’s and revolvers) Loading & unloading, safety procedures, Cleaning, maintaining and storing firearms, as well as fundamental basics of shooting including: Stance, grip, sight alignment, trigger squeeze and more.

Here we can teach you the proper shooting and safety techniques from the start. Almost 100% of the time that people go to the range and shoot on their own, they will show up here with numerous bad habits that then need to be unlearned so that proper shooting skills can then be learned.

We have many men and women in class who have never fired a gun before. They (and especially the ladies) almost always shoot better than some people who have been shooting guns for a long time because they started out with the right techniques from the beginning. You can go to the range first if you like, but don’t feel nervous about coming to the class first either! We work with our students on the range and help them identify any areas that need work so that they can shoot well.

As of this writing we’ve seen hundreds and hundreds of students in our classes. We have yet to have a single student fail. Hope to see you in class soon!

-Dirk