To Carry or Not To Carry: An Opinion

The author firing a .44 Magnum for the first time

What the author would like sometimes in certain circumstances

Recently an owner told me they had been robbed in their own driveway by someone that followed them from their store.
A question that I am often asked is whether or not I think people should carry guns in their store.

My answer to that question is very simple; it is up to you as the owner.
Now that might sound like I’m putting off the question, however, it is very much an individuals choice.
I know owners that carry open, owners that carry concealed, and owners that don't carry at all.
Whatever your belief is, there are six points that I believe every owner has to consider before answering this question:

One: Knowledge
If you have proper training and respect for a weapon, especially a firearm, you won’t ever have a problem with it. A responsible firearm owner knows how to handle their weapon, how to store it, how to carry it, and how to keep it safe. While accidents sometimes happen, responsible gun owners are generally not the ones that usually have problems with accidental shootings.
My father was a WWII veteran.
He taught all nine of us kids, and some of his grandkids, how to handle a gun. It didn't matter to him if we owned a gun, hunted, or even shot for sport. All of his kids learned proper firearm safety based on this belief. I've seen a lot of people do dumb things with guns. They all have two things in common, lack of training and lack of respect for what that tool can do. People that don't have those two things are often more dangerous with a gun than a responsible gun owner with proper training. 
Take a Hunters Safety class.
You might have no interest in hunting, however the fundamentals of the class are gun safety, gun safety, gun safety, how to handle a gun of any type, gun safety, types of guns, gun safety. 

 
Two: Education
No matter your feelings on guns, take a good concealed class or at least hunters safety.
I am not a legal expert, nor should this column be regarded as any kind of legal advice, however the second belief I have is that whether you choose to carry or not carry a weapon, everybody should go through training on how to handle a weapon and the legal ramifications.
The education portion of any training class I have taken has been great.
The concealed carry class was extremely valuable to me.
Every state, city, county, has different laws when it comes to open carry or concealed carry.
The state of Wisconsin (as of this writing), for example is not a "stand your ground state" that allows you to use deadly force just because you think you MIGHT be in danger.
Wisconsin law says that if you have to use deadly force, it has to be the last option and that includes not being able to run out of an exit door, or some other place that you can get away without using deadly force. In other words, if you are in your store and someone comes in to rob you, and there’s an exit door behind you with no obstructions, the district attorney might take a look at the door and the distance between you and the door and consider if you could have a reasonably run out of that exit door without having to use deadly force. If they think the answer is yes, it could be YOU that faces charges. 
In some areas the act of pulling a weapon out counts as deadly force in and of itself. Some areas say that all kinds of weapons from guns, knives, batons, to pepper spray and mace all require having a license to carry open or concealed. Some areas have open carry, some only have concealed carry. Take training classes to find out the particulars in your area. You need to educate and train yourself before you can completely answer the question about if and what weapon you should carry. Once you've taken training, find more training to take. There are classes on how to draw your firearm from its holster, protecting your sidearm from being taken, etc. 
The more you know the better.

Three: Practice
Whatever weapon you choose, practice practice, practice using it so if you need to use it you will be comfortable knowing how it works and what you need to do to use it. In an emergency situation you will panic and rush (because we don't use weapons everyday YOU WILL PANIC or at least GET SCATTER BRAINED) and the more training you have the more you will be successful in using the weapon and controlling your fear and emotions and thought processes.

Four: Do Something
We work in a business, where ALL people want what we have...cash. Cash cuts across all divisions in society. Since we all need cash, it only takes one goofball to ruin your day. With that in mind I think you need to do SOMETHING to protect yourself, your property, and customers. Several years ago you could make the argument that people in rural areas did not need to worry about vandalism or robbery like people in urban areas, that’s not true these days. It only takes one idiot, and that idiot can show up anywhere. Crime and drugs are not the exclusive domains of urban areas. Whatever you want to do to protect yourself I think that’s what you need to do. Cameras, on site security, extra lights, concealed or open carry, whatever you want you should do it, but you need to do SOMETHING to keep you and your store protected.  

Five: Compromise
EVERYTHING is a compromise when it comes to carrying or not carrying a weapon.
There is no such thing as a perfect defense.
For example:
If you carry a gun that is small enough to be concealed, does that gun have the stopping power, or carry enough ammo to knock someone down in case you do need to use it?
A larger gun that will have that stopping power is harder to conceal.
Carrying a taser can be a great defense, however in order for it to work you have to be physically close to that person and do you necessarily want to be that close in order to make it work? 
If you choose to open carry, how does that make your customers feel?
My guess is some will feel safe and some will feel intimidated.
Open carrying also lets the bad guys know that you are carrying a weapon and therefore they will bring a bigger or better weapon if they decide to come up against you.
It also deters potential bad guys because they KNOW you are armed and not as easy of a target. 
Not carrying a weapon compromises you because you don’t have anything and if someone comes up to attack you what method of defense do you have?
I know one owner that doesn't carry a gun but is skilled in Kali (Filipino martial arts using sticks).
He says odds are if he is in his store he is cleaning and has a broom or mop in his hands, so he better know how to use it. I've seen fighters using Kali. I'm not going to mess with them! 

Six: Try It
Before you dismiss it, try it.
I know a lot of people that say they just don't like guns.
When I ask if they have ever shot a gun they usually reply no.
Most ranges have several guns you can rent to try.
Send some lead down range and then see what you think.
I find shooting a great mind focus exercise, stress relief, and as you see in the video above; 
incredibly fun! You might have the same experience. You might not...but you can say you tried it.
Whatever you decide to do to defend yourself...try it.
If you're getting a camera system, practice pulling up video clips so you know how to look for items in case you need to give evidence to police.
Try a self defense class. No matter your physical condition there is a class and methods you can use to defend yourself. I know a story about one owner who beat up a would be robber with his cane!

These are the six things I have learned to consider when it comes to security.
Some of these opinions may be controversial, however if you haven't thought about your defense I hope it has at least started the debate in your mind.
There is no 100% perfect answer to any of those questions because it’s always a compromise.
One thing that is universal, we all want to come home safe after our shift.
I'm always happy to hear your opinions and answers.
Lets talk about it sometime.

Ev
A Heck of A Nice Guy