I guess my biggest concern with carrying a gun, is it makes it that much easier to use a gun. I certainly believe that there are times when using lethal force is appropriate, and even required. I come across unknown, strange dogs on my property from time to time, and sometimes they growl and get all stiff-legged...but none have ever attacked.
I wouldn't shoot a growling dog any more than I would shoot some mouthy jerk here in my shop. Chances are I may never see that growling dog, nor that guy with the attitude, ever again. If I do, and the situation escalates, then that's another story. I guess I'm just not that territorial. Truth be told, I've killed a dog or two in my time. And I'm pretty sure that, in my case anyway, a better way existed to deal with both of those situations, had I given things a little more time.
Now having a gun around the house? Sure, I get that. I own several, just like I own several kinds of hammers, and shovels. And I consider them to be much the same...tools. I don't carry a gun when I walk our property any more than I would carry a posthole digger. I don't feel like I need either one that close at hand. And to be clear, I have absolutely no beef with those who feel differently. It's just I was raised around guns and hunting, and it was drilled into me over, and over, and over, that you don't point a gun at anything you are not 100% ready to kill, right now. We weren't even allowed to point toy guns at each other, while playing as kids.
I will readily admit however, that practicing with a firearm is a whole lot more fun than practicing with a posthole digger.
