Ok... I know this is a touchy subject, but I'm just looking for opinions. They can be from people who don't have licenses, have them, whatever. Just looking for your thoughts. Reps will be given for thoughtful input...

So basically, long story short is that I HATE Savannah. It's a big ****ing ghetto, and the crime rate is through the damn roof. I don't feel safe, at all, after having two cars broken into, being held at knifepoint last year, witnessing a murder... you name it.. I had started keeping my grandfather's hunting knife under the seat of my truck, just in case, after a woman in my apartment complex was almost carjacked. A friend of mine is a cop down here, and I mentioned that and the fact that I have never felt this unsafe in a city, and he informed me that even though it's a knife, it's considered almost under the same jurisdiction as firearms because the blade is 14" long. He was using layman's terms, but basically he said that for a knife that size, to carry it around/keep it in my truck, I needed a concealed weapons permit.

I've been letting that marinate for a while, and fast forward to tonight, another friend of mine calls me panicked asking me to meet her on Abercorn. I ask her where she is, and she says that she's driving and will be passing my house in about 5 minutes. I tell her to stop by, and she says "I'm not stopping.. there are people behind me and Eric and they've been shooting at us. We don't want them to pass us because we're scared they'll shoot us so we need you to get their tag number... we're passing by you in 5 minutes" So I scramble out to my truck and literally am turning onto Abercorn as she flies by, followed pretty closely by a beat up big car (lincoln/big chevy type). I put on my flashers and chase behind, trying to see their tag, which is in their back window. Next thing I know, they're shooting at ME. I call 911 and luckily there's a cop patrolling a nearby neighborhood and he sees us and gives chase. I pull into a parking lot feeling like throwing up. A few minutes later my friend calls to say that they pulled the guys over and arrested them and are getting her and Eric's information.

Just a pleasant reminder of how much this city ****ing SUCKS.

So anyway, now I'm even more scared, since according to Eric, the cop told them that because there's no video evidence or anything, he probably won't be able to hold them more than a few hours before they are either released or post bail if they end up being charged, which hopefully they will be.

Fast forward to now... My truck (and Eric's scion) are both pretty easily recognizable around town. I've seen one other white scion around town, and have never seen another ranger 4x4 that looks like mine (it has racing stripes on the hood... I dunno if the people saw them or not, but between that and the cracked windshield and some other trademark things, it's not hard to spot). I work graveyard shift, and to be honest, I'm not looking forward to spending this weekend working alone in that store. So that "marinating" thought about a firearm license is now at the front of my mind.

I'm comfortable around guns, hell I grew up around them, but the thought of actually carrying never really went through my head til now. My dad owns guns, and he has two that we all say are "mine" and I shoot them on our private property and a local range from time to time, but I don't actually have a license, and I've never carried one with me... my two stay in the safe. My friend Lindsey swears by carrying and has a pair of 9mm's with her at all times. I keep having the recurring thought of "If you're gonna carry a gun, you need to be prepared to use it", and though I have a level head under crisis situations, I just don't know...

... help me sort out my damn thoughts, please. I get nervous just walking down the steps of my apartment and getting in my truck... I ****ing hate this city.