Carrying concealed: Eight moral obligations. A permit to carry a concealed firearm has several moral obligations attached to it. In this article, we identify eight moral obligations for gun owners who carry their handgun concealed. These moral obligations are reflections of the mind-set, knowledge and skills that responsible concealed carry gun owners should develop.
The foundation for these moral obligations are legal obligations. Make sure you are up-to-date on your state’s concealed carry laws. They change so you need a way to is to sign-up for free legal updates from services like NRA – Institute for Legislative Action (https://www.nraila.org/)
Moral Obligation #1
Your firearm is a deadly weapon. It does not discharge itself. It first must be loaded (by you), the safety disengaged (by you, if there is one), then pointed at a target (by you), and then the trigger must be pressed (by you). You are responsible for the safe use of your firearm.
Moral Obligation #2
Make sure your firearm is inaccessible to children and irresponsible adults.
Moral Obligation #3
Owning, carrying, and shooting a firearm is not like what you see in the movies. You are not Dirty Harry, Rambo, or….When you are carrying your firearm don’t act like a movie actor or a street thug with a gun.
You also want to avoid brandishing your firearm, which means displaying it to intimidate others. In some states, brandishing a firearm is a crime. Displaying a firearm is more than putting it in your hand and pointing it; in some states when the shape of the handgun can be seen through clothing–which is called printing–that is also considered brandishing.
Moral Obligation #4
Learn how your firearm operates. This will help you to operate the handgun safely.
Moral Obligation #5
Learn how to shoot accurately. If you shoot at a target and miss you might hit and injure or kill an innocent person.
Moral Obligation #6
To comply with obligations 1-5 above, you must train often. We recommend training at least once per week. Our vice president trains twice a week and shoots 800-1200 rounds per month.
Moral Obligation #7
Not all firearms training is of equal quality. Seek out skilled trainers who provide superior training opportunities. If you buy a handgun, get a concealed carry permit, and then get low quality training you are setting yourself up for failure.
Moral Obligation #8
Reflect on who you are and what your firearms skill-level is. Assess your personal moral and religious values. Determine if you have the will to shoot another human being in a self-defense situation. Decide if you have the mind-set and courage to engage an attacker when your life or the lives of your loved ones are at stake.
Conclusion
In this post, we argued that firearms training is a moral obligation for those who carry concealed firearms. We identified eight moral obligations to uphold those values. Those moral obligations can be effectively responded to through high quality training on a regular basis. Be smart, get trained, be responsible, be safe and have fun!
https://www.spartanfirearmstraininggroup.com/instructors/