I don't associate guns with freedom rather I associate my ability to own and carry guns unmolested by the government as one of the freedoms I enjoy.
My pistol, I believe, has saved my friends and I from a violent encounter only a few years ago. I carry a pistol because my profession DOES NOT make me popular with criminals and may require travel into economically distressed areas to tend to victims and witnesses. While my profession is not a police office or prosecutor, I am a Victim and Witness Services Coordinator for the County's DA's office.
The department I work in provides basic psychological support (until they get cleared for a licensed therapist), court assistance, transportation, and emotional / physical assistance in / out of the courtroom.
Needless to say, it does NOT make the employees popular with the defendants, when we consul victims and witnesses of violent crime from highly emotional states to where they can testify effectively.
My license came with training from the DA investigators, the PD firearms instructor, a private course, and regular classroom time. As the the background check, that was a foregone conclusion.
Coming back to my narrative, I had decided to visit a gay couple in the gay "district" of my city. When had a great meal and decided to walk our was back, through a park instead of calling a cab. As we neared the park, a car of immature young 20 year old's crawled by the four of us: me , my boyfriend, and the other gay couple. I believe that the reason attention was payed to us is because it was a cold night and we were holding each other (arms draped) as we walked.
Continuing, the car came to a crawl and the window opened up, Out came the word F----T and a beer bottle landing nowhere near us. Not wanting to ruin a good night filling out a police report amid "other" reasons it was universally decided to ignore it until the work week where I could report it at work.
As we exited the park, following our walk, the same car pulled up and stopped. Out come four drunk but very fit 20 somethings. We tell them to leave us alone and attempt to walk away but another beer bottle (empty) lands near us. As we turn two of them had grabbed additional beer bottles and were beginning to throw them at us.
At this point I upholstered my CCW pistol and pointed it at the violent group. Now call me a tech nerd but my pistol does have a strobing light and laser on it. The pistol temporary blinds them and I direct the laser towards the center mass of the individual that seemed less intoxicated.
The once hostile confrontation immediate deescalates as the less intoxicated person grabs the beer bottles from the hands of the two other individuals and telling me they don't want any trouble.
Needless to say a good night ruined and no hanky panky as dessert.
Now, had my state been very restrictive (less freedom) in relation to whom it gives CCW permits to (in some states, I would not have "good cause" / NYC, SF, or LA) I could have had to spend the night at the ER either holding my partners hand or being in the hospital bed myself.
So while I do not directly associate Freedom with guns; I do associate my ability to own a legally carry a firearm without onerous regulations as a type of Freedom.
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