We’re Not the Villains in Your Headline

A Response from Right To Bear  

A recent national news story called people like you and me something ugly.

Not out loud, of course. Not in so many words.

But the implication was clear: that if you carry a gun—and worse, if you have legal protection in place—you must be preparing to do harm.

That you’re dangerous.

That you’re looking for trouble.

At Right To Bear, we’re used to criticism. We know what people think when they see a gun on a belt or in a glovebox.

But what we won’t accept is this growing effort to smear responsible gun owners—mothers, veterans, pastors, volunteers, and everyday Americans—simply for choosing to be prepared.

That’s what this article got wrong.

And that’s why we’re writing this.

If you didn’t read the article, as much as I hate to give this new outlet more eyeballs and traffic you can read it here. It lumped everyone who carries under one label. It blurred the line between legal protection and encouragement of violence. It suggested, without saying it outright, that planning ahead legally is somehow immoral.

It used terms meant to provoke, not inform.

It quoted critics, but not carriers.

And worst of all—it never asked the people who actually live this life.

If the author had picked up the phone and talked to our members, they’d have heard a different story.

They might’ve talked to the mother of two who signed up after a carjacking two blocks from her home.

Or the Army veteran who served his country overseas and now serves in his church’s safety team.

Or the retired firefighter who just wanted peace of mind in his old age.

They might’ve learned that most of the people we protect are more cautious, more trained, and more legally informed than the average gun owner.

That we don’t cover criminals. We cover good people who don’t want to go to jail for doing the right thing.

That our members hope they never have to use their gun—but if they do, they don’t want to face the legal system alone.

Here’s the truth: even in a clean self-defense case, you can still be arrested, charged, sued, or financially ruined. 

It happens. We’ve seen it. That’s why we exist. 

Calling that "murder insurance" is like calling your homeowner’s policy “arson coverage.” 

It’s cheap rhetoric—and it distracts from what matters. 

We don’t glorify violence. 

We don’t encourage confrontation. 

And we don’t romanticize carrying a gun. 

We promote readiness. Clarity. Restraint. Legal education. 

That’s not dangerous. That’s responsible.

If the goal of the article was to scare people away from legal protection, it didn’t work. 

If anything, it reminded us why we’re here in the first place. 

Because there are still headlines that treat the Second Amendment like a threat. 

There are still prosecutors who see every self-defense case as an opportunity. 

And there are still too many good people who think doing the right thing will protect them from the system. 

We know better. 

We train smarter. 

We carry legally.

And when the worst-case scenario unfolds, we call Right To Bear—because no one should face it alone.  

To our members, partners, and the broader 2A community: don’t let the headlines rattle you. Let them remind you of why we prepare. 

And to the writer of that story—if you ever want to sit down and hear the real version, we’ll make time.

But next time, start with the truth.