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I'm a police officer. In a couple months I'll observe my tenth anniversary as a cop. I live in the same city that I work for and over the years I've had many an individual tell me they know me and where I live. Often these moments have occurred when I'm on a call and the person telling me they know who I am is a possible suspect. Usually it's not at all threatning I should add. They're just trying to make conversation with me. Police work is a strange job. But when I was new it was disconcerting to hear them describe my house.

Well anyway last September I was doing some yardwork. The garbage truck came by to pick up our trash and the guys were kind enough to wait for me to bring the trashbag full of grass clippings over to them. Suddenly one of the workers smiled and told me that I had arrested him in the past. Of course I didn't recognize him. He told me I arrested him on Halloween night 2000 (October 31, 2000) for domestic battery. Then I remembered. He had punched his old lady a couple times because she told him they couldn't afford to get pizza delivered and when she went to call 911 he pulled the phone jack out of the outlet (911 Interference is a criminal offense in Idaho). He was really drunk that night and had been unemployed for several months.

Anyway our encounter was fine. He shook my hand and told me thanks. Yes he said thanks. He evidently had to go to court ordered drug addiction counseling as part of his probation.He got clean, got the job with the trash company (probably earning more than me) and he and his wife were doing just fine. He shook my hand and off he went. That was a good encounter and a good story, but it made me think. It was nine years later and he remembered me. Fortunately his experience actually turned into a positive thing and he actually thanked me for getting the ball rolling. But I'm pretty sure that he's the exception not the norm. So yes I'm armed and I have no trouble with the law abiding citizen being armed becasue whose to say that they might not have pissed somebody off in their past as well - for example.

I keep my GLOCK 19 loaded and next to my bed at night.I move it every morning to a more secure location, but I can access it without any difficulty if need be. I also keep my GLOCK 26 close by where I can get it. I've never needed to use them at home (thank god), but it's good to be prepared. And I have no trouble with anyone who wants to do the same.Whether that person be a cop, a stock broker or a plumber. I've walked into many a home with loaded firearms and often the owners are very quick to tell me. I don't have any trouble with that. There are many many weapons in a house and the fact of the matter is that there is always at least one handgun at every call I go to - mine. It's just a fact of life. Dosen't change my belief in the 2nd Amendment and I've been a card carrying member of the National Rifle Association for twelve years.