In response to Kathy Walker’s letter “Peace, goodwill and guns” (BDN, Dec. 1): People are assuming that I carry a gun with me for the wrong reason. The people who use their handguns to commit crimes are not the ones that take the time to acquire a concealed weapons permit. I carry a gun to protect myself as well as the other people around me. This is my constitutional right as an American citizen.

Did she not see all the stories about people getting shot or robbed waiting for their Playstation 3’s just one week before black Friday? The local police came to Best Buy twice while I was there because of conflicts between tired consumers, therefore you can’t ignore that the threat is real.

If I did use my gun in the way Ms. Walker described, wouldn’t that story end with me sitting in a jail cell thinking about the TV that I wouldn’t have? The truth is I never brought my handgun in the store and had it there for my personal protection. Obviously, I would not use the gun if someone took my place in line or beat me to an item I wanted to purchase.

I will admit Ms. Walker is right about one thing: I’m not the only person to carry a gun. Handguns are also concealed in purses carried by women at the same grocery where she shops.

But don’t worry about those of us with a permit misusing our handguns. Be worried about the people concealing them illegally – they are the real threat.

To thieves, Christmas is the biggest moneymaking opportunity of the year. Who knows, maybe criminals will think twice about robbing shoppers waiting patiently in line after reading the original article, “The early bird gets the holiday deals” (BDN, Nov. 25-26).

Clint Parsons

Etna