…And She Carries a GUN! Is Packing Heat a Dating Deal Breaker?

Friday night, I was out with my friends and one guy related a story about a young lady he started dating a month ago. They have been on 6 dates and really like each other.  He’s an attractive, normal 36-year-old man, but finding a woman that he’s excited about hasn’t been easy. Needless to say, he is thrilled.

On the 6th date, they were at a BBQ restaurant and she gets up to go to the ladies room.  When the waitress comes to bring the menus he lifts up her purse to move it, and notices that it is very heavy. Too heavy. He feels the purse and is pretty sure he feels the outline of a hand gun.

When she comes back he says, “Do you have a gun in your purse?”

She says, “Yes, I do. I have a .380 semi-automatic pistol, and a permit to carry it.”

Well, this guy almost fell out of his chair. They talked about it, and she told him that she’s never been attacked, but sometimes she feels scared and carrying a gun gives her peace of mind. She, essentially, always has it with her.

She has a permit to carry a concealed weapon, but in their state (Arizona) she can carry it unconcealed WITHOUT a permit. Some checking has shown that in July of 2010 no permit will be needed to carry concealed weapons in AZ. So, long story short – she’s not breaking the law.

Here are the issues at hand -

1.    Would it be a deal breaker for you to learn that your new romantic interest carried a gun almost all the time?
2.    Would it make a difference to you if the person carrying the gun was a woman or a man? Is there a double standard?
3.    Does someone’s desire to carry a firearm all the time tell you something negative about their personality? Is it a red flag for other problems?
4.    If the laws in your area made carrying a firearm illegal would that affect your opinion?
5.    Would you feel safer being with someone who always had a gun?