I'm writing this because of a conversation I had with a co-worker who made it plain that she is anti-gun, 'guns kill people', yada yada. She doesn't know that my gun is on me everyday, within just feet of her during the day, she still doesn't. I'm writing this because I have seen a trait that's common to the anti-gun crowd, and it's a scary one. I find that they are usually the least prepared mentally for a potential confrontation, or, and I hate to say it, naive, ignorant of their surroundings.
This gal jogs alone on a running path for miles at a time, with headphones on, therefore has no idea what's going on around her when she's out there, plus she takes no phone with her. I won't do that with a gun on me. . .come on!! Does everyone know that, in most locations, if you call 911 from your cel phone (with the exception of some pre-paid phones) that through your phone's GPS your location can be tracked within feet? Does everyone know that if you set your phone's GPS setting to 'location on'--not just the 911 setting--that your phone can be located even if you don't call 911?
A cop friend of mine attended a law enforcement training class on the 'new' terrorism. In a nutshell: Where will domestic and foreign terrorists next strike? At your child's school. There is the potential for kids to be picked off one by one by snipers when they are led outside for a fire drill. . .on the playground. . .by bombs in the classrooms or during assemblies.
He was disturbed by one question asked of the class of officers: How much ammo do you carry? They all gave generally the same number in answer. The response from instructors? It's not nearly enough. And if the police are concerned about not carrying enough ammo, what shape is the public in?
New training and thinking is based now on what happened at the elementary school in Beslan--now delightfully referred to as the Beslan Massacre where 1200 hostages were taken and 334 were killed, plus 400 hundred more children adults left maimed and disabled. 30 terrorists, men and women, committed this act.
Here's my point, and this is the most affecting quote I've read about this incident: "After returning to Moscow, Putin ordered a two-day period of national mourning for Sept 6 and 7, 2004. In his televised speech he paraphrased Joseph Stalin, saying: 'We have shown weakness. The weak ones get beaten.' "
You may not agree with me for carrying a gun, or with us for having guns at every corner of our home, between the cushions of the sofa in the living room, or for that time you opened the utility drawer in my kitchen when you were looking for silverware and were stunned to meet my 'kitchen drawer gun'; you may be completely anti-gun. That's fine, just do this one thing, do it for yourself only. Take self-defense classes, talk with law-enforcement to learn how victims are being picked, take a gun class--there are people there who are security conscious, you'll learn from them and you won't have to ever handle a gun. Learn how to be an alert citizen, to not be a target.
The lessons: Know what's going on around you. Be a little suspicious. The weak ones get beaten. If your life or that of a family member is threatened, fight for all you're worth. Go in with that mindset and you can win.
Hugs to all.
hope4others