Texas – -(AmmoLand.com)- One of the best ways we can best defend the Second Amendment is to learn from the mistakes of the past. The lessons that we can learn came at a great cost to those who didn’t get it right, and they paid dearly for it. Some people paid in blood for those mistakes, other people paid for their errors in lost liberty.
The fact is, when people are carrying arms – either openly or concealed – they are carrying the power to end someone’s life. The right to keep and bear arms comes with a great responsibility – and Second Amendment supporters have to keep that in mind. With this in mind, we shall take a look at two incidents in Texas that recently hit the news. Learn from the mistakes made here to not only keep yourselves safe, but to also help preserve our Second Amendment rights.
The first was the verdict in the trial of a police officer who went to the wrong apartment and shot the resident there dead, believing she was facing an intruder in her apartment. That officer was recently convicted of murder and sentenced to ten years in prison. It’s a nightmare for all concerned. What can Second Amendment supporters learn from this?
The big lesson from this is, there are times when one shouldn’t be exercising the right to keep and bear arms. When you are feeling the effects of alcohol, fatigue, illness, or medication to the point it impairs your judgement or your awareness of your surroundings is one of those times. It should go without saying, but in this case, there is a tragic reminder.
The second big lesson is to be aware of your surroundings. If something seems off, take the time to stop and assess things before continuing. It may save your life. There is no shame in backing away if something seems off, and just calling for help. A hassle is far better than a tragedy.
The other Texas case involved a homeowner who confronted a burglar and fired shots. The burglar fled and was later found dead. In this case, we have a classic example of stupidity displayed by a lack of proper previous planning and preparation. The homeowner reportedly went back to bed, and only after he realized he had hit the suspect did he call 911. He’s now facing charges.
If you are going to be exercising your Second Amendment rights for the purposes of personal protection, you need to have a plan and be prepared for the aftermath. Get the proper training so you have the knowledge of what to do. Practice at the range – be sure you know your self-protection equipment.
Sign up for USCCA, NRA Carry Guard, or both so that you will be able to not just get training to survive the encounter, but to also obtain solid representation from an attorney who specializes in self-defense law, and to make sure that you don’t get bankrupted by legal fees should you have to exercise your Second Amendment rights for personal protection. The relatively small investments in time and money could save your life, liberty, and financial future down the road.
You must also have a plan for the aftermath of when you have to actually use your Second Amendment rights for personal protection. NRA Carry Guard offers a free guide for the aftermath of a self-defense encounter, with no obligation to purchase anything. If you own firearms for personal protection, reading this is part of responsibly exercising your Second Amendment rights.
Self-protection is a core purpose behind the Second Amendment. That said, with the right to keep and bear arms comes the responsibility to ensure that we are exercising our Second Amendment rights in a reasonable and prudent manner. One of the best defenses for the Second Amendment is to show by example the responsible exercising of our right to keep and bear arms. Part of that responsibility is learning from others’ tragic mistakes so that they are not repeated.
About Harold Hutchison
Writer Harold Hutchison has more than a dozen years of experience covering military affairs, international events, U.S. politics and Second Amendment issues. Harold was consulting senior editor at Soldier of Fortune magazine and is the author of the novel Strike Group Reagan. He has also written for the Daily Caller, National Review, Patriot Post, Strategypage.com, and other national websites.
Harold Hutchison, NRA Carry Guard is a Web site. That’s it! NRA Carry Guard Insurance is dead. NRA Carry Guard Training is dead too. Both are prime examples of the NRA leadership’s mismanagement, incompetence and corruption. Both were huge financial and legal losses.
The NRA threw the USCCA out of the 2017 NRA Annual Meeting and has not been invited back since. The NRA tried to copy the USCCA’s successful business model and not only failed spectacularly, but also created legal blowback for the USCCA and other self defense insurances.
TEXAS INCICENT?…Did anyone ever think that a white police officer (woman or not), that shot a black person in his own apartment, would ever get off? ..The case should have been a LOCAL news story only.. The only reason that case was brought forward was to Gin up hatred against police officers and white people in general…The moronic officer should have pled the case out and never took it to trial.. The district attorney even overcharged the female officer to make a bigger spectacle out of it …That low life democrat prosecutor even brought out so-called racist text messages to… Read more »
It’s truly sad, the situation we have with OUR NRA. Forged out of the lessons and travails of the Civil War by true patriots, the NRA, for almost two hundred years, has stood at the forefront as the preeminent and largest civil rights, member-supported organization in the world. I have been one of those priveleged to have seen the NRA evolve into the power-house it has become today. Unfortunately, this means I have also seen NRA’s more recent plunge into a pool of corruption. Formerly led by respected people from business and politics, the NRA appears now to have almost… Read more »
A lot of misinformation in this article, so much so I think it should be removed.
I am certainly at a loss to understand what statute the Homeowner is in violation of. If I were his council I would make that point repeatedly, vigorously , vociferously. Both to the Court and to the Public. One the Criminal was not a Burglar.. he is a Home Invader.. People were present in the residence he attempted to Invade ( to what degree is not specified in the article). The deceased engaged in a criminal act, the homeowner responded and the police have already tacitly acknowledged that… The right against self incrimination completely insulates holding the victim/homeowner responsible for… Read more »
Harold,
You need to rethink the core purpose of the second amendment. Self defense is no where near why it was written in the bill of rights.
I have Texas Law Shield. Reasonably priced, and they are really there for you. I was going to be travelling to several states so I called and asked questions about current reciprocity. A lawyer from each state I listed called me personally. Hint – Don’t come from Texas and concealed (or open) carry in Minnesota!
Does anyone else get the impression that Harold was told what to do his entire life, and so now that he has an audience via Ammoland, he tends to impart that undertone back on his readers? I’m always left feeling as if he’s talking down to and projecting a sort of “listen to me” superiority, in most all the articles I’ve read anyway. One can seemingly always tell a Harold article after just a few sentences, or at most, a paragraph, from his authoritarian writing style. They always seem to be talking at us, instead of with us, so to… Read more »
Another lesson to be learned is in an open carry state why did nobody engage/stop/shoot the murderer? Were there “no firearms allowed” signs at Wall Mart? Was there really nobody else armed in time of need? In Texas? Really? There once was a shooter up in a tower at U.T. He shot MANY people, innocent people. There were LOTS of Texans shooting back at him, trying to put a stop to the murders and the Police were HAPPY for the help. They keep the guy pinned down until the cops could go up there and stop him. Back then it… Read more »
Speaking of insurance I have been seriously thinking about getting some. I get emails from the USCCA and it all sounds good but before I give anyone my money I’m curious how many of you have insurance and who you use and trust to protect you should you need it someday.