I can carry everywhere. I can and will shoot to protect life and property of myself and others.

I prefer concealed carry, but only for the "what if" factor. We go through extensive job training to maintain control of our firearms that consists of situational awareness and physical confrontations, and still they get taken away. I doubt the walking public would be able to maintain control of them. If they remain concealed the bad guys don't (or at least shouldn't) know who is carrying and who isn't.

 

Most concealed carry laws are fairly strict as to the consumption of alcohol. Louisiana doesn't allow concealed carry in most bars. The law also provides for a lower impairment standard than it takes to drive a car (.05 vs .08). I'm sure other states have different standards. So it's not all that easy to answer.

The American legal standard for justified use of deadly force is that you are "...in immediate danger of death or grievously bodily harm". So in your scenario, you could shoot a guy that's beating you to death, but I would think you would have a problem is you just pulled your piece and shot him. Now if you pulled you piece and told him to stop or you would kill him and he comes at you again, you would probably meet the standard, but you will likely have your day in the criminal and civil court systems. Now if you had a blood alcohol level of .05 or higher, you would have a problem even if you met the standard for the use of deadly force.

I've had a permit since Louisiana starting issuing them in 1996. I don't carry all the time, choosing to do so when I feel it's warranted.

 

Habs, having the privilege to carry brings a lot of responsibility. Where you live, you most likely would be protecting your family from some perp who is high on drugs and has no clue. Regardless of his condition or his actions, when you pull the trigger on someone and they die, you have to know that it's going to effect you for the rest of your life. Some can handle it, some can't. From your postings, I don't think you are the type that could handle killing someone regardless of the situation. In Texas, we have the Castle Doctrine which pretty gives you the right to kill anybody on your property that is doing any harm. Most often, there is no trial, no arrest of the shooter, the police sort out what happened and if the shooter was protecting property or his life, it's over. As you get closer to the Mexican border, it's a war down here. You MUST carry here or expect to die. Ranchers here have now issued rifles to all ranch hands with orders to shoot ANYBODY they see that doesn't belong there. There have been quite a few of the ranch hands injured and killed by the drug dealers bringing their goods across. They will kill you in a heartbeat for your truck so they don't have to walk. Circumstances are different here. You don't have that in Canada. While there is a certain bravado about carrying a gun, few realize the that should they have to kill someone, the effect it will have on their life. Be glad you don't have to carry.

 

Here in NY state i have a CCW and had no problems getting it (2 weeks) It is a full carry and you ask about some situations and you have to exhaust every means to defuse the situation even if it means you grovel to the person. If that is what it takes then do so. Now if this person attacks your person and life's are threatened then you must make that split second decision as to what comes next, if you pull a gun on a person have it ****ed, safety off and be willing to shoot to kill anything less and you are dead.....

 

you cannot carry in an establishment that is 21 and over only (such as a bar)

You cannot use a gun if you are in a fist fight, unless you can articulate that you feared for your life and had the fight continued you believed you would die (you're still going to get arrested more than likely)

If someone brings a weapon (baseball bat, knife, gun, chair) then you can use a firearm to protect yourself given you feared for your life or someone else's and the situational evidence supports the claim you feared for your life.

 

I carry concealed. Taking a local CCW class helped me to learn when/where it is legal to do so.

 

I don't think I could fit my 30-06 or my 16ga. under my jacket for CC and for some reason the local law tends to frown on my walking around downtown with it cradled in my arms...

regards