Anyone Carry while riding

Originally Posted by RichardS

I see you're in the UK, but even here in the States we have to be VERY careful about using deadly force when in a defensive situation.
That said, I think Americans , (and I'm including the politicians here), still consider our homes "sacred ground"....meaning that if a person comes into our homes with intent to harm us, or most importantly, puts us in fear of our safety, (how do we know what the heck their "intentions" are when we find an intruder in the house in the middle of the night? Maybe they are just there to "borrow a cup of sugar", ie, would never actually hurt anyone and they are just hoping to sneak in, take what they want, and get out), but I don't think in a situation like that anyone expects us to interview the bad guy about just how far he was willing to go before we act.
You cross the threshold in the middle of the night, that red dot on your chest is going to be the last thing you ever see, and I'll deal with the consequences later, but I have a wife and kids who are my world, and I'm not going to waste a split second wondering what to do. Not in a system where that person is probably carrying an illegally acquired gun himself, obtained a lot easier than my legal and fully registered weapons, and held by a person who could very well have no regard for any life, including his own.
Not to mention the fact that this person, if he lives, may come back....if he escapes, maybe soon......if he goes to jail....maybe later....much later, when I'm older, slower, and not expecting retaliation from the guy I sent to prison.
I love my country, and one of the many reasons I do is for the constitutional right to protect my loved ones with whatever force necessary to ensure their survival.
I'm a middle aged guy who should work out everyday like I used to do, but like many of my contemporaries, I am not in the condition I'd need to be in to go hand-to hand combat style with someone 1/2 my age, especially one who is very probably tweaked and out of his mind with some combination of drugs and the mental illness that brought him to his current lifestyle to begin with.
That said, my state, NJ, is an EXTREMELY difficult state to get a carry permit in, and even easier to lose if not managed exactly according to the restrictions applied to the few non-law enforcement exceptions made.
But at home, there is not that issue, and unfortunately, in this world we're living in, it has become almost a necessity to be prepared to use deadly force if the situation forces such compelling action.
I realize I got way off topic...sorry about that!
Just started venting some thoughts here, and I wonder how many of you guys agree or disagree?

Originally Posted by Cruiser4

So going by all the responses so far, lf i came over to America to fulfill one of my life long dreams and ride route 66 in all that glorious sunshine, most of the people i meet along the way are going to be packing a gun? Hmmm!!! Maybe i should take up base jumping for a hobby??