My Answer

[X-Rap]

Those around me though, are thinking I am not so paranoid after all.

It is funny isn't it. I don't claim to be a prophet but things I've said in the past have people wondering if they should pay better attention rather than rolling their eyes.
Like I said, you don't need to be prophet to see the future if you can pay attention and carry things to their logical conclusion.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

A backup plan in the vehicle is OK, but I agree with hso, what you actually have with you is the most important thing.

This ^^^^^^^ Just carry on

In the event of an actual terrorist attack, let the police do their job, since they are armed and trained to deal with bad situations, and focus on getting you and your loved ones to safety. If that means returning fire with a pistol to distract the assailants while your family get's away, so be it.

Otherwise, stay out of it, and don't have unrealistic expectations of yourself saving the day. We aren't vigilantes.

 

[Uncle Nubbs]

I like this comment a great deal. Seems to cover the situation in my opinion.

Thank you, kindly.

I'll add one more thing to this which is something I posted on another thread. I've also contacted my state rep and senators regarding legislation which promotes federal recognition and reciprocity between states of CHL. Much like drivers licenses.

 

[Driftertank]

I have said for years that the difference between preparation and paranoia, is experience. I've lived through a few rough experiences in my life, sometimes due to bad decisions, sometimes bad luck. I've been mocked or snubbed by people for having or doing things that they find excessive. Things like having food and medical supplies stocked at home, wearing sturdy protective gear when riding my motorcycle, always keeping my car's gas tank more than half full in the wintertime, and carrying a pocketknife, flashlight, and gun on my person whenever possible.

Amazing how those who judge others for being overly prepared, will suddenly seek the advice of those they've judged when they realize their own vulnerability.

 

[Panzerschwein]

I have said for years that the difference between preparation and paranoia, is experience. I've lived through a few rough experiences in my life, sometimes due to bad decisions, sometimes bad luck. I've been mocked or snubbed by people for having or doing things that they find excessive. Things like having food and medical supplies stocked at home, wearing sturdy protective gear when riding my motorcycle, always keeping my car's gas tank more than half full in the wintertime, and carrying a pocketknife, flashlight, and gun on my person whenever possible.

Amazing how those who judge others for being overly prepared, will suddenly seek the advice of those they've judged when they realize their own vulnerability.

I agree completely.

 

[AK103K]

I just got this in an email from Suarez, and I think he has the most realistic outlook and approach on this, something that seems to be heavily frowned upon on in a lot of these types of discussions in the various forums.

Like it or not, I do believe he has a better grasp on reality than those who recommend/demand this is only about "defense". Its not.

There is nothing defensive about any of this, nor should there be in your response.

Here's the email.......



"Look at the image above. A harsh image filled with blood and the dead. It has been all over the news and we know all about the "who, why, and how". We also know that it is only a matter of time before we have a similar party here in the USA. In fact, president is giving them a free airplane ride - some 10,000 of them - and a place to live right in your town.

Recently Shepard Smith mentioned that we could not "change who we are" with regards to these people and with reference to welcoming them and giving them refuge. Well Shepard, I think it is high time we change who we are before it kills us.

To the readers, I think the following will not be new, but it is what we have been saying now for several years.

1). The authorities cannot really protect you. Not because they are inept, but simply because of the sheer numbers involved and because it is impossible to know a man or small group's intentions if they do not share it.

2). You have a group of people, united by a religious-political ideology, that stands in complete opposition to any modernity, or liberty, and that has proven its adherents can kill easily and without remorse, that has openly said they hate you and plan to kill you. I know the president thinks they are kidding, but do you think they are kidding?

3). The enemy has shown and learned that it is far easier to use conventional weapons (firearms) rather than dirty bombs, or large scale explosives.

4). At the end of the discussion, it might be you who is there at ground zero. Probably by happenstance. It is simple. If you are armed, you have a chance. If you are not armed, not so much. So I want to discuss the ethos of this type of shooting. Hopefully to get our collective minds right about this ASAP. Today may be your day.

First off, I can't emphasize enough that THIS IS NOT A DEFENSIVE SHOOTING. This is premeditated, proactive killing of a terrorist, hopefully by surprise and unannounced, and preferably in the back of the head.

In reactive situations your first priority is not getting shot, with shooting the adversary as a secondary concern. This involves moving dynamically. Drawing and shooting while doing so. Less thought to precision accuracy or to after event liability, and more focus on "I AM NOT GOING TO DIE HERE...****!!!!"

It may be that way, but it may not be if you have not been directly engaged by the terrorists. In that case what we are referring to is vastly different.

Proactive situations have two aspects. Marksmanship and the will to kill. Will you be excited? Sure but it won't be the reactive-terrified "defense outside the home situation that 99% of US gun training focuses on. If you have hunted...or better, poached, you understand the concept. Position yourself so you have the advantage. Don't allow the animal to see you. Stillness with tension selectively...like a spring. Weapon is up...sights aligned...steady...steady...trigger.

So...leave the sissy pocket pistol at home and carry a full size fighting pistol with several magazines. Ignore the sign that says you shouldn't carry it. Live your life and enjoy it...but know this - there are people out there who hate you and will do their best to kill you and anyone with you simply because you are an American or a Christian. The best defense is not defense, it is a brutal and violent counter attack. If you take a defensive attitude into this fight, you will fail and you will die.

Transmission ends."

Feel free to comment on this at Warriortalk.

http://www.warriortalk.com/forum.php?

 

[RaceM]

Can I get an AMEN?

 

[Green_Giant]

Certainly,

AMEN.

 

[Warp]

I see no reason to change anything I do as a result of a terror attack in France. Maybe if it happened in my 'neighborhood' and there was reason to suspect there may be some on the loose I would change what I do, but otherwise I don't see how anything has changed.

 

[ku4hx]

The other day, a friend of mine commented to me that he was becoming as paranoid as I was. I reminded him of the source of my personal paranoia and of recent world events. Then one of my favorite lines just popped out, "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out get you".

Next he asked me to recommend a handgun. It was all I could do to keep from laughing in his face but, after all, his concern was real so I directed him to a local shooting range that rents guns. That was followed by another favorite of mine: shoot many; buy one.

My answer? Remain vigilant and ready, have a plan, have a backup plan, prepare for the worse as best I can but continue to hope for the best. Hope is not a plan, but we all need it.

 

[psyopspec]

In fact, president is giving them a free airplane ride - some 10,000 of them - and a place to live right in your town.

That's not fact. It's not been substantiated that any of the attackers were refugees. And hell, they even carried fake passports to make us think that. To have a knee-jerk reaction in lieu of facts is to have the exact reaction the Daeshbags would hope for.

I respect Mr. Suarez a great deal, and look forward to the privilege of training with him one day. I agree with his conclusion on toolset. But I also disagree with the priorities he mentions and believe that escape, with others if reasonably possible, should also be a priority. I disagree with the optimistic notions of choreography in a gunfight, and have a deeply held sense of what pistol vs automatic rifle feels like. Even with more training than most in the military, even with a 20 round Mec-Gar magazines and laser grips, a duty pistol feels like a water gun when 7.62 is cracking overhead.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

That's not fact. It's not been substantiated that any of the attackers were refugees. And hell, they even carried fake passports to make us think that. To have a knee-jerk reaction in lieu of facts is to have the exact reaction the Daeshbags would hope for.

I respect Mr. Suarez a great deal, and look forward to the privilege of training with him one day. I agree with his conclusion on toolset. But I also disagree with the priorities he mentions and believe that escape, with others if reasonably possible, should also be a priority. I disagree with the optimistic notions of choreography in a gunfight, and have a deeply held sense of what pistol vs automatic rifle feels like. Even with more training than most in the military, even with a 20 round Mec-Gar magazines and laser grips, a duty pistol feels like a water gun when 7.62 is cracking overhead.

Very well said, and while I do not have the experience you have, I agree with you completely. The Suarez post above has been bothering me since I read it a few days ago.

Vigilance is important. Preparedness is important, and a willingness to pull a trigger on a gun you are carrying is important, and as citizens we need to keep our eyes open and if a bad situation arises, be opportunistic about keeping ourselves and others safe, and possibly stopping a threat if we have the chance.

If folks want to keep a semiauto rifle, in their vehicle as a contingency plan, I have no problem with that. You never know, it may come in handy. But I think we need to be realistic about what gun we will actually have on our person when trouble pops up, and how effective we will be with it against a full auto wielding, bomb belt wearing lunatic.

 

[G.E. Lee]

" A carry gun on you trumps anything stuck in a trunk."

Well...Unless it is a dead Jihadi...

 

[Driftertank]

I've always felt that part of my commitment to carry lays in my sense of social responsibility. I know i am a little more idealistic than many on this board, but i feel that, were i confronted with a mass-shooting incident, i suspect escape would be less of a priority than opposition, to me. It stems from my belief that use of a deadly weapon should be reserved for instances where the consequences of its use are less important than failing to use it. And for me, that means my mindset is, "I have a weapon, and taking a life with it, or risking imprisonment or death myself, are secondary concerns to trying to prevent loss of life for someone who doesn't deserve to die."

So, confronted with a hypothetical attack, outnumbered and outgunned, i'd like to think i would try to find cover and return fire, hopefully effectively. I might be killed myself, i'd almost certainly experience partial loss of bowel control, and i might not even stop my target from pressing their attack. But if my resistance buys time for innocent would-be victims to reach safety, if only by distracting the attacker, than it would be worth the effort, i think.

But I'll be honest, I've never been shot at by a rifle wielding assailant before. Maybe i'd really just crap myself and turn into a blubbering pile of uselessness. Or run away. Odds are, I'll never have to find out. But i was a Boy Scout once, and still hold to the motto.

(As an aside, while i haven't been shot at, i have stared down a man with a knife to my throat, avoided engaging a man on drugs who wanted to start a fight with me, had someone try to force their way into my home, and been hit by a car, so i have a little frame of reference for life's little terrifying moments...)

 

[X-Rap]

hopefully by surprise and unannounced, and preferably in the back of the head.

In reactive situations your first priority is not getting shot, with shooting the adversary as a secondary concern.

If you have hunted...or better, poached, you understand the concept. Position yourself so you have the advantage. Don't allow the animal to see you. Stillness with tension selectively...like a spring. Weapon is up...sights aligned...steady...steady...trigger.

I am a fan of Suarez and his mindset and the above quotes say it all to me. I realize his view is not celebrated here but he is seeing things from a viewpoint that is advanced from the typical personal defense situation IMO.
The tactics are solid and simple but the stakes are very high.
The hunting reference will hopefully ring true to those who practice it and while man is the most intelligent beast he is by far the most sensitive to the stalk.

 

[boom boom]

My wife and I both work in GFZ's by state law. Education has been a target for spree killers for awhile so much of what we have talked, planned, and practiced for them also works for the jihadi goblins.

We have focused and talked about her classroom security and how to improve it. For her, escape and evasion--she has exterior windows to get out of the building along with her students. She also has heavy bookcases and furniture on sliders by the door to barricade it. We have tried it and it works. Next, buy a large capacity fire extinguisher--those things can squirt a long way and are an ideal blunt instrument. We have talked about acquiring those ballistic panels for her bags she uses to carry stuff to the classroom.

I can have firearms in my car in a secured vault by law but given how far away I have to park-it is not a serious option. I also move from room to room and building during the day which makes it difficult to have much beyond what I can carry--flashlight, leatherman, etc. I plan on also acquiring and keeping a fire extinguisher in my office as well--exit from a 5th floor office window about 80 ft up is not an option. I am also interested in acquiring ballistic panels for my backpack.

I also urge that people consider lobbying their state legislatures going into session soon to repeal and limit gun free zones to places that already have heavy security such as prisons, nuclear power plants, etc. Costs very little and has minimal downsides as states that have done so demonstrate.

 

[X-Rap]

I'd consider large canisters of bear spray as well for GFZ life. Some way to immobilize, impact and cut. The bear spray shoots a long way.

 

[Warp]

I'd consider large canisters of bear spray as well for GFZ life. Some way to immobilize, impact and cut. The bear spray shoots a long way.

Do you realize how large and conspicuous those things are?

 

[X-Rap]

I've carried one on my motorcycle for a couple years. I'm not suggesting that they carry on their belt but more like in a messenger bag or the type I've seen teachers carry homework in.

 

[The Alaskan]

Can I get an AMEN?

Amen and Amen.

That's not fact. It's not been substantiated that any of the attackers were refugees.

De Nile is not just a river in Egypt is it?

 

[CajunBass]

I figure I'll load everything into my assault wheelbarrow and duct tape some 3/8" boiler plate to my back....

 

[Al Thompson]

This one is done.