Sadly, in addition to celebrating the birth of Jesus, it's the season to get shot by terrorists.
I've made it clear, and reiterate that in the modern era of crime generally and terrorism particularly, we all should be armed; an armed society being a polite society notwithstanding.
The point of this post is simple. And it can save your life.
Typically, we're going to a great many locations that shooters would tend to go... otherwise known as "soft targets."
There isn't enough security available to provide armed guards for them all.
If you react to the criminal activities of this era, then you're already armed.
You're not going to be wandering around with a locked and loaded M4 rifle. But you likely may have a handgun that you've practiced with, understand the function of, and can take off "safe" (if you carry with it in safe mode) and can operate in pitch darkness, without looking.
You're generally aware of cover and concealment that's available. You're generally aware of the people around you and ABSOLUTELY aware of where your family members in the soft target environment are at all times.
Which brings us to the point of this post.
Put yourself/family in situations like those of the recent shootings.
What.
Do.
YOU.
DO?
(The Bondi Beach massacre should put to rest the insane idea that either
voluntary or involuntary DISARMAMENT somehow protects you OR society. See, the
criminals/terrorists killing us really DON'T care about your anti-gun laws that
we typically don't enforce regardless.)
The time to ponder these issues is NOT once the bullets start flying.
NOW is the time.
In a "negative shooting environment," there's only so many things you (or anyone else) CAN do.
My priorities are to protect my family and protect the innocents around me.
But what would you do to achieve that goal?
As it turns out, the massacre by Muslim terrorist shooters saw at least 3 heroes who disregarded their own safety in confronting and attempting to disarm those murdering unarmed people in a soft
target environment.
All 3 were shot. Two of them were killed.
The most successful was shot twice but ultimately disarmed one of the shooters.
And it is of note that this man, Ahmed Ahmed, is a Muslim as well.
But these people didn't go through a checklist of religion or race before they acted.
They acted. They may not have thought through their efforts first.
But for the couple who wound up dead, their math was relatively simple: these guys
are likely going to kill us anyway, so let’s go down swinging. And their
effort, their sacrifice was as noble as that of any heroic figure who put the
lives of the innocent ahead of their own.
The video of Ahmed indicates something different.
Unarmed, he had both cover AND concealment. Had he continued covered and
concealed, he likely would have survived this shooting.
His math was different.
He instantly made the decision to likely risk/end his own life to stop the
threat. He picked his spot.
And he acted.
And he nearly died in that process.
What would I have done in the same circumstance? What would you have done? What
would you have your family do?
Well, if you’re armed, you can do a hell of a lot more than become a target.
I would like to believe that 8 years in combat arms provided me with the
programming and abilities I would need, particularly since I would be armed and
most shooters are NOT prepared for returned fire.
The situations go far beyond the “if only” phase post mortems once the smoke
clears.
I’m not going to tell you what to do or not do. YOU have to find out on your
own.
*I* know what *I* would do. And that would include defending your life with my
own.
But that’s my PERSONAL decision, made not in the heat of the moment, but after
a great deal of consideration, a great deal of training, a great deal and a
great deal of studying the actions of those others pulling the triggers to make
their political/religious/societal point.
NOW is the time to plan. NOW is the time to determine what you would or would
not do. NOW is the time to discuss this with your family in an age-appropriate
way. NOW is the time to, perhaps, introduce them to the reality of the world we
live in today.
Since, if you find yourself in the midst of one of these situations, it’s way
too late.