Archive | Why We Train

Most serious shooters today have Jeff Cooper’s weapons safety rules engrained into their minds. These rules are simple to learn, cover nearly every training and real life situation, and have stood the test of time. When properly implemented they can nearly ensure the safe operation of any given weapons system.

America has largely evolved into a populous urban and suburban landscape. If a deadly force situation occurs it is likely going to take place in this setting. This means that being “sure of your target and what’s beyond it” should be of as much importance to the shooter as stopping the threat. The military maybe able to factor in “collateral damage” but you, the private citizen/LEO, will be held accountable to a high standard for any defensive action with a firearm.

After surviving a deadly force encounter, nothing would be worse than learning that your actions caused a life changing accident. No one wants to live with that kind of guilt or go through the slaughterhouse of civil court, where you’ve already lost even if you ultimately win (attorney fees and court costs = losing in my book). As a cop, I’ve seen the aftermath of dozens of shootings that terrified, wounded, and sometimes even killed people who just happened to be nearby or live in the area. The careless criminals who wreak this kind of havoc are rarely held properly accountable in our current (failing) system of justice.

Recently, a man in TN successfully defended his life during a robbery attempt in an apartment complex by a violent felon. Unfortunately, one of his rounds missed the target and went into an apartment with multiple children inside. Thankfully, no one in the apartment was injured and the threat was successfully stopped. I am in no way trying to “Monday morning quarterback” this situation as anyone who has been there knows how fast and chaotic these types of incidents are. Regardless, the incident is a stark lesson and warning to anyone that lawfully carries a gun for duty or protection as the results could have easily been tragic.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last five years, you’re probably well aware of the fragile state of the economy of the United States and the rest of the world. I am not an economist, but the fact that we’re in big trouble is becoming more and more apparent. Anyone who at least takes a regular perusal through the daily news is probably well aware of how thin the veneer of our civilization is and how quickly it could be peeled away. If sudden economic turmoil were to grip our nation, I think it’s safe to assume that widespread disruptions to many basic services could occur quickly. If this were to happen, it could wreak havoc in large metropolitan areas.

My purpose here is not to tell you how to prepare for the possibility of tough times down the road, but to motivate you to reach out to those close to you and maximize your ability to help each other. If you need some motivation to spur you along, then look no farther than this amazingly well done five minute video. This is a problem that has no achievable political solution and runs deep and wide across party lines. Why else would a sitting US Senator feel the need to warn of a financial meltdown in 2-5 years? The bottom line seems to be that things which can’t last forever, won’t.

The sky is not falling… yet. If you haven’t done so, it seems the time is ripe to take an inventory of your personal situation. The good news is that wise and carefully measured preparations will not waste any resources. Hopefully you will find that any steps taken to improve your situation will not only provide peace of mind but will also deepen relationships and enhance your quality of life, regardless of circumstances.

I recently came across an article written by a deputy sheriff in Louisiana who posted on Jim Rawles’ excellent site, SurivalBlog.com. If you have never checked out his site, I highly recommend poking around over there as he’s compiled a lot of excellent information and updates daily. Your first reaction to the story maybe something like, “Well, how come I didn’t hear about that on the news?!” I never realized how selective news reporting was in terms of crime until I became a police officer and had the opportunity to be on many scenes that received, or should have received, news coverage.

Today more than ever everything is politics. Local politicians are under increasing scrutiny to “do something” about terribly high crime levels in many urban areas. Often, part of that “doing something” means downplaying crime issues and working hard to re-classify crimes so that fewer incidents make it into the hard stats that get turned into the FBI annually. Big sports towns are especially susceptible as local politicians court teams and work hand in hand with local media to cultivate a positive image of a particular city.

I’m not crying conspiracy here, but as is often the case real truth must be searched for and you can’t depend on anybody to spoon feed it to you. Want to really know what goes on in your area? Befriend a local cop and you might get the straight scoop even though sometimes cops are punished for telling people the truth about their neighborhoods.

Anyway, I digress back to the point.  Read the following description of how fast near anarchy broke out almost immediately after a local power outage. Are you ready to deal with a protracted situation like this? Is it time to start heeding the warning signs and make that move to another location that you’ve been delaying? There are also some good preparedness suggestions at the end of the article.

Check out the full article SurvivalBlog.com.