There is no such thing as a free lunch. Despite the fact we live in one of the most prosperous countries in the world it doesn’t mean we as a society are as “enlightened” as some may want.
Live in the real world
If you lived in a world where crime didn’t exist you are probably living in the after world. The idea of a crime free Utopia just doesn’t exist, folks need to move past the idea of “can’t we all get along” or “we need to empathize with our assailants” and realize at the end of the day your greatest responsibility is your own personal safety and the safety of your loved ones. Seat belts are a great example, they have saved thousands of lives since their invention. However, despite the fact there is a law in place requiring all occupants of a vehicle to wear them, many people still don’t wear them accounting for a huge statistic of motorist killed on our highways.
Logical progression
I view laws as manmade and as such they are not exempt from failure. Laws are in place to create a civil society, yet look at the over population of our jails and prisons. That should be a clear message our laws only work if people follow them. Since by definition a criminal is someone who commits a crime and committing a crime is breaking the law and laws are created by man therefore laws are not failsafe. What I mean by all this is your safety is your responsibility.
Surprises abound
Last year I asked several students the frequency they carried concealed. Granted it was informal, but it gave me some great insight. I asked those to use these words to best describe their frequency; habitually, often, occasionally and seldom. Habitually was almost always, often was with a high frequency, occasionally was sporadic and seldom was almost never. I had to discount those who lived in such repressive states that it would affect the outcome, but what was interesting and the point I wanted to make was in the most oppressive states we usually were speaking with active law enforcement. I was surprised to hear a high majority picked occasionally. It seemed given their status as active LE they would take advantage of it and carry often if not habitually.
Submit or resist, you choose
Just a friendly reminder that most criminal acts are surprises or ambushes. Very few criminal acts that are telegraphed in advanced are successful, particularly to the prepared. It behooves most everyone to be prepared, being prepared means having the tools necessary for the task at hand and the mental conditioning to go with them. Under the “flight or fight” conditions typical of a high stress event it is reasonable to expect either a mindset that is more submittal for those ill prepared versus one of resistance for those who are prepared. Just because you carry a tool doesn’t mean you are out of the woods, you have the means to resist is what it boils down to in a high stress event. The intent is a different story.
Peace of mind
I am not a big fan of insurance, I feel as though it is a scam. However, having an insurance policy does give most of us peace of mind. Wearing your seatbelt accomplishes the same thing, it gives you peace of mind. You don’t leave your home expecting to get into an accident, but you are at least mitigating the risks of death by wearing your seatbelt. The same can be said about practicing carrying concealed on a daily basis. You don’t expect to find yourself in harms way, but if you do you are better prepared. By the same token, just because you carry concealed doesn’t exempt you from being smart, staying alert or listening to your instinct.
We are living in some rough times these days. Personal safety is an individual responsibility, even those who where a uniform.
Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win. Sun Tzu, Chinese Military General & Philosopher
