Three Holidays. One Mistake That Could Cost a Gun Owner Everything.

Three Holidays. One Question Every Gun Owner Should Ask.

This week is unusual.

In just a few days, we move from Valentine’s Day to Presidents’ Day to Mardi Gras.

On the surface, they have nothing in common.

One is about love.
One is about leadership.
One is about celebration.

But if you carry a firearm, or even just own one for home defense, there is a thread running through all three.

It comes down to one simple question:

Are you acting with intention… or just reacting?

Let me explain.

Valentine’s Day – Love Is Responsibility

Valentine’s Day is about love.

Not chocolate.
Not flowers.
Not social media posts.

Love means you protect what matters.

If you have a spouse…
If you have children…
If you have parents who depend on you…

Then you already understand something important.

Love is not just a feeling.
Love is a decision.

And ownership of a firearm should come from that same place.

Not fear.
Not ego.
Not anger.

Responsibility.

When I teach concealed carry classes here in Arizona, I tell people this:

Owning a gun does not make you powerful.
Owning a gun makes you accountable.

If you love your family, you do three things:

• You learn the law.

• You practice safely.

• You think through decisions before you ever need to make them.

That is real love.

Because in a crisis, you will not rise to the occasion.

You will fall to your level of preparation.

And the people you love will live with the results.

Presidents’ Day – Leadership Starts With You

Presidents’ Day honors leaders like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

Whether you agree with every decision they made or not, they understood something most people forget:

Leadership is not a title.
It is a burden.

As a gun owner, you are a leader whether you like it or not.

Why?

Because the moment you carry concealed, you are choosing to step into responsibility for your environment.

You are saying:

“I will be calm.”
“I will be disciplined.”
“I will not escalate situations.”

That is leadership.

Leadership means:

• You do not look for fights.

• You avoid stupid places at stupid times with stupid people.

• You understand that every bullet has a lawyer attached to it.

That last line is not a joke.

It is reality.

If you ever have to defend yourself, the question will not be:

“Were you scared?”

The question will be:

“Were you reasonable?”

That is the standard.

Not emotion.
Not intention.
Not what you felt in the moment.

Reasonableness.

That requires maturity.

It requires self-control.

It requires thinking like a statesman, not a hothead.

Mardi Gras – Freedom Without Discipline Is Chaos

Mardi Gras is a celebration.

Parades.
Music.
Crowds.
Energy.

In places like New Orleans, it draws massive gatherings.

Celebration itself is not wrong.

But here is the truth most people ignore:

Freedom without discipline becomes chaos.

Crowds increase risk.
Alcohol lowers judgment.
Emotions run high.

As a gun owner, you must ask yourself:

Is this the right environment to carry?
Is this the right environment for my family?
Is this the right environment for me?

Carrying a firearm is not about proving something.

It is about calculating risk.

Sometimes the most responsible decision is to avoid the situation entirely.

You do not win points for being in the middle of chaos.

You win by getting home safely.

The Pattern Behind All Three

Let’s connect the dots.

Valentine’s Day asks:
Who do you love enough to protect?

Presidents’ Day asks:
Will you lead with discipline and wisdom?

Mardi Gras asks:
Can you handle freedom without losing control?

All three holidays circle one idea.

Character.

Not gear.
Not caliber.
Not brand.
Not bravado.

Character.

And here is the part that matters most.

You cannot borrow character in a crisis.

You build it now.

In quiet moments.
In daily habits.
In training.
In study.

That is why education matters.

That is why understanding Arizona law matters.

That is why mindset matters more than marksmanship.

Because the firearm is only a tool.

You are the weapon system.

A Simple Test

Let me ask you something directly.

If something happened tomorrow…

Would your actions reflect:

• Love?

• Leadership?

• Discipline?

Or would they reflect impulse?

That is not a judgment.

It is a checkpoint.

Most people never pause to ask themselves that question.

They assume they will “figure it out” if something happens.

That is gambling with too much at stake.

This Week, Do One Thing

You do not need to overhaul your life.

Just do one thing.

• Review your safe storage.

• Revisit the law.

• Talk to your spouse about emergency plans.

• Schedule training if you have never taken a proper class.

Small decisions compound.

And over time, they create something powerful:

Confidence grounded in reality.

Not fantasy.

Not internet bravado.

Reality.

Final Thought

Holidays come and go.

Chocolate gets eaten.
Parades end.
Speeches are forgotten.

But your responsibility as a gun owner does not take a day off.

This week, while everyone else is focused on celebration, ask yourself the deeper question:

Am I living like someone who understands the weight of what I carry?

If the answer is yes, stay sharp.

If the answer is not yet, that is okay.

Awareness is the first step toward strength.

And strength, when guided by love and discipline, protects what matters most.

Owning a firearm is not about reacting in the moment.

It is about preparation long before the moment arrives.

In my book, Arizona Guide for Gun Owners, I break down Arizona’s self-defense laws in plain English. No legal jargon. No confusion. Just clear explanations of what you can do, when you can do it, and how prosecutors evaluate your decisions.

You will learn:

• When force is legally justified

• What “reasonable” actually means in court

• How to avoid the legal mistakes most gun owners never see coming

• Why mindset matters more than gear

If you carry in Arizona, or even keep a firearm at home, this is not optional knowledge.

Get your copy of Arizona Guide for Gun Owners and make sure your decisions are grounded in law, not assumptions.

Because when seconds matter, confusion is expensive.