The majority of people I know who carry concealed do it regularly. They wouldn't think of leaving the house without having their weapons and being mentally prepared to deal with an attack. But, when they get home, these same people basically disarm themselves, taking off their pistol in the name of comfort while at the same time mentally unplugging. Being prepared means you're ready to respond to a threat any time, anywhere. We know danger can pop up at any time. If you know and understand this, then why would you not be ready at home? "But," they say, "I have a pistol by the couch." There's a flaw to this logic. You're only "ready" when sitting on the couch. Unless of course every time you leave the couch you pick up your pistol and carry it with you. But then walking around at home with the pistol in your hands and having the pay attention to keeping the muzzle pointing in a safe direction isn't really practical. And what about when it's time to do something that requires the use of both hands? What are you going to do with the pistol then? Pistol is in the holster, holster is on your belt, and belt is around your waist – safe and ready. Attacks in the home are increasing in number. I'm hearing more and more about bad guys coming into the house whether anyone is home or not. The only way to be truly prepared is to have the pistol on you. Most confrontations occur very quickly. Usually an immediate response is necessary, dealing with the threat before they completely have the upper hand. Having the pistol on you in your house is just like wearing it on the street. You wouldn't leave the pistol in your car, hoping that if something happens you're able to get to the car and your weapon. There likely won't be that much time. The same thing applies in your home. You wear the pistol so that if problems occur you have instant access to it, without trying to get to the room where you've got your weapon sitting and ready. The other problem with having a pistol laying around is that there may be a question of who gets to it first, you or the threat. Sure, it's not a bad idea to have some weapons stashed in strategic places around the home, assuming they are secure where unauthorized people don't have access to them. But unless you've got the pistol on you when trouble comes crashing through the door you're just hoping you'll have time to get to your weapon. Or, maybe the threat has entered the house without you knowing it. You're in one part of the home, your pistol is somewhere else, and they find it before you even know there's a problem. That's not going to work out well. Carrying a firearm for self-defense is a serious commitment. This has to be a habit, something that you do all the time, even in your home. I hear a lot of stories, such as "I was just going to take the garbage out, but this time I forgot to carry my pistol." Murphy's Law has a habit of popping up, especially when it comes to self-defense. Once you make the decision to become responsible for protecting yourself and family it becomes a full time gig, both in and out of the home. Make sure you're ready; keep that pistol on your side. Tiger McKee is director of Shootrite Firearms Academy, located in northern Alabama. He is the author of "The Book of Two Guns" - http://shootrite.org/book/book.html writes for several firearms/tactical publications, and is featured on GunTalk's DVD, "Fighting With The 1911 - http://shootrite.org/dvd/dvd.html Website: www.shootrite.org http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shootrite-Firearms-Academy/156608611038230?ref=ts