By John Farnam : Opinion
Ft Collins, CO –-(Ammoland.com)- “A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance, when the need for illusion is deep.” ~ Saul Bellow
It represents enormous conceit to believe that police can do anything to stop crime, particularly violent crime. What we do is deter/displace it. We discourage it at a particular moment, and thus move it to other places.
That’s about it!
There is nothing we can do to “make people obey the law.” All we can do is make them wish they had. In most of Western Civilization, our tools for accomplishing the latter are extremely limited and largely ineffective, and becoming less effective all the time!
As individual Operators, we can make ourselves, our routine, and our personal environment, as invisible and unattractive as we are able, to both conventional criminals and violent leftist political ideologues. There is little we can do to influence world events, which are currently more than a little frightening and ominous.
Something every Infantry Officer learns early in his career:
“Any position can be taken, when the attacker is willing to pay the price”
Thus, sufficient determination and commitment will overcome all “access controls.” When VCAs (violent criminal actors) must be physically stopped, you will have no choice but to personally, decisively effect the “stopping” You’ll get dirty, maybe wet!
“Proactive security” is mostly myth. Some still insist that people with evil, violent intent can somehow be “detected” shortly before they carry out their terrible crimes. Mostly wishful thinking, and “false positives” create all kinds of civil-rights issues!
The only reliable predictor of individual future behavior is individual past behavior. Best advice is to have nothing to do with people who have displayed toxic behavior in the past. Get away from them, and get them out of your life!
To reiterate:
1) The only authentic “first responders” to precipitous, violent criminal acts, are prospective victims directly at the scene, at the critical moment. Even then, they are effective in preventing/limiting carnage only when armed, trained, alert, and pivotally decisive.
2) Imagining that it is possible to predict/prevent spasmodic, violent criminal acts through “scientific preemptive measures” represents a fatal fantasy. Don’t bet you life on it!
3) Imagining that “access control,” no matter how sophisticated nor formidable, will suffice to protect you from harm, represents another fatal fantasy.
4) Imagining that police/security personnel will arrive “in the nick of time” represents yet another fatal fantasy!
5) Imagining that is somehow “immoral” to effectively defend oneself, including the precise application of deadly force, is a foolish concession to naive liberals/leftists. Liberals are only too anxious to “sacrifice” the lives of others (but never their own), in order to “preserve their sensibilities”
6) Only the well-armed, well-trained, aware, and otherwise well-prepared have any chance of living through a violent attack by traditional VCAs, or as we’re seeing in increasing numbers, violent leftist ideologues.
“There are only two kinds of men in this world: Honest men and dishonest men. Any man who says the world owes him a living is dishonest. The same God who made you and me made this Earth. And, He planned it so that it would yield every single thing that people on it need. But, He was careful to plan it so that it would yield up its wealth only in exchange for honest labor. Who insist on sharing that wealth, while contributing nothing, are dishonest.” ~ Ralph Moody
/John
About John Farnam & Defense Training International, Inc
As a defensive weapons and tactics instructor John Farnam will urge you, based on your own beliefs, to make up your mind in advance as to what you would do when faced with an imminent and unlawful lethal threat. You should, of course, also decide what preparations you should make in advance, if any. Defense Training International wants to make sure that their students fully understand the physical, legal, psychological, and societal consequences of their actions or inactions.
It is our duty to make you aware of certain unpleasant physical realities intrinsic to the Planet Earth. Mr Farnam is happy to be your counselor and advisor. Visit: www.defense-training.com
Sounds like a lot of bull, Wild Bill – OK, I just couldn’t resist it – you set yourself up perfectly!!!
“The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” -Edmund Burke
Indeed fantasy where you fantasize about a violent criminal bursting into your home where you only recourse was to shoot him dead. Hence “The Simpsons” got it right again.
Birch Barlow: Mayor Quimby, you are well known for your lenient stance on crime, but suppose for a second that your house was ransacked by thugs, your family was tied up in the basement with socks in their mouths, you try to open the door but there’s too much blood on the knob….
Mayor Quimby: What is your, ah, question? Birch
Barlow: My question is about the budget, sir.
So what would YOU do to a violent criminal who burst into YOUR home? Tickle him to death? THINK before you post.
Clark, I believe Gil is like Graham in the XTC song “No Thugs in Our House”. He’s afraid that he’ll encounter someone willing to defend him/herself and end his dream of being able to do just what he wanted to. That also helps explain all the odd hours he posts, and his anti-self-defense stance; it’s not only firearms he fears, but any self-defense.
I have it on good Authority that Criminals prefer unarmed victims
@ Richard L. Ahh, outlaws for inlaws.
Wild Bill, there has been some…That’s my story and I am sticking to it.
@Richard, Yes, a wise policy.
You are absolutely correct. Violent convicted felons were interviewed while in prison on this very subject. They were asked,” would you have mugged, killed, injured, your victim had you known that they were armed?” They all said, NO.
Nah, we’ll hear of more stories of family members being shot mistaken for intruders from self-styled heroes.
Gil, still haven’t heard that yet, but that is a recurring theme in your fantasies.
It’s kinda funny you should mention that gil. In our home there are all clear words the family uses and words to let the rest of the family know there’s an intruder so they need to hide and stay safe so the defenders can take care of the intruder. Whichever defender is home doesn’t just shoot when they see someone, kinda like hunting, BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET. I know a lot of SAFE families like ours, I take it yours isn’t one of them?
The guy who shot dead his son when he mistook for an intruder? The man who shot dead a woman wanting to change lanes? They’re more likely than justified shooting of violent criminals. And don’t forget about the popcorn-throwing guy . . .
@Jimbo, It is a typical tactic of the leftists to give examples of minor occurrences, or mere potentialities, and try to convince the uninformed that their examples are the norm. Playing fast and loose with the truth so as to get their way is standard practice for the socialist/progressive/freedom destroyers.
Yes unjustified shootings are more common because only dumb criminals put themselves in a position where they can be legally shot dead. On the other hand, there’s no limit to getting emotional and assuming you can shoot at someone and assume wrongly the law will be on your side.
Gil, cogent arguments are not your strong suit. If criminals are legally shot, then the person doing the shooting is justified. No matter how many times and different ways your post your ignorant, baseless tripe, unlike the theoretical monkeys at a keyboard, you are unable to get anything right. You should get a monkey to type your posts, it would probably at less post something more coherent than what you come up with.
To Gil
I hope that there aren’t any Home invasion types reading your post because you exemplify a really GOOD VICTIM with no guts or any Idea of how to protect you and yours…. Sorry, Sorry, Sorry ….. Good By Gil
Oldmarine
I really can not add to Farnams comments, nor detract from them. I would like to share one (I think unique) security device that I utilize. Without giving away too much op. sec. My first responders are canine and bovine. I recently installed a remote opening farm gate on the Brangus bull’s paddock. I keep the remote in a sandwich bag in my shirt pocket so that I will not accidentally press the switch. Should any opposing forces actually find the entrance to the ranch, and be foolish enough to enter the farmstead, all I need do is fire the… Read more »
Like the man said any position can be taken, that is why having surprises is important. The opfors come prepared for something standard and are instead confronted by something that they are not prepared for. Maintaining surprise is why opsec is so important. Oh, I call him Dewy as in Dewy gore ya or Dewy stomp ya into a bloody mud hole.