With the passage of Concealed Carry legislation in the State of Ohio, a great many of our fellow citizens now have the option of defending themselves from violent crime. Unfortunately, there are still people that either don't see the need for effective self-defense, or erroneously believe that it's the duty of the police to protect them. Sadly, if these folks ever do realize that their thinking may be in error, it's usually as they stare down an armed criminal intent on making them his next victim.

As a licensed individual, I make sure I practice my right on a regular basis. I very rarely leave the house without a firearm, if ever. Navigating the ins and outs of our current law can be perilous at times, but I firmly believe that my safety and that of my family is worth any inconvenience I might need to deal with to accommodate our sometimes confusing statutes. Our current law is the best we have right now, and there are many folks working hard to constantly improve and clarify it so we don't inadvertently violate some nuance and wind up criminals ourselves. Rest assured, we are making progress.

Still, there are those folks who view our decision to arm ourselves in the defense of our families with what can be described as curiosity at best; distaste at worst. Frankly, I find myself indifferent to critics who would challenge my decision. They are entitled to their opinions just as I am. Nevertheless, public opinion does have an impact on our laws, and it's still important to make sure that people have the facts to consider when they pull the lever in the voting booth.

I'm often confronted with the question:

"Why do you need to carry a gun?"

To be quite honest, I find it odd that anyone who lives in this day and age, in a well-populated urban area, who has any shred of awareness of the things happening around them, would NOT want to carry a firearm. However, since this sentiment rarely seems to be a satisfactory answer (indeed, it usually results in blank stares) I generally answer with any of the following thoughts...

The primary reason I choose to arm myself is the abundance of violent crime in our society. There has always been crime, but in recent years the level of violence seems to have been on the rise. Not only is it more violent, it's also more senseless. Perhaps it's the proliferation of drugs, perhaps it's untreated mental illness, or maybe even poverty. Whatever the reason, we are hearing more and more about crimes that just didn't happen in years past.

Some people will argue that going armed is unnecessary because they believe that it's the responsibility of the police to protect us from crime. I respectfully but firmly disagree. In many cases, our court systems have ruled that the police have neither the duty nor the responsibility to protect us as citizens. In fact, there are simply not enough police to do the job. Due to failing economies, and sometimes even irresponsible politics, not only are their not enough cops on the beat, but they're laying off the ones who are. Nobody wants to see fewer police officers on patrol (except maybe the criminals).

Just this week, Akron police were involved with two shootings, both of which resulted (luckily) in the suspects being apprehended and charged. The striking thing is that in both of these incidents, the suspects fired towards, or directly at, the responding officers who were fortunately not injured. It appears that the criminals are getting bolder and bolder. Why would this be? Perhaps it has something to do with the City of Akron announcing that it woul likely be laying off up to 139 police officers due to budget "shortfalls". Could it be that the criminals are getting more confident since they believe that there will soon be less cops on the streets? Fewer shepherds make the wolves happy.

No, as long as I'm able, I'll be protecting myself and my family, thank you. While I respect the police and acknowledge the difficult and sometimes thankless job they do, I don't expect them to protect me. I am a free American, and for as long as I can, I will choose to retain the right to do so myself.