Why Carry 24-7

[BigDan]

That was by far the scariest thing I've seen in quite some time. If someone values their life so poorly, it's no wonder they value others' lives the same way. That's where situational awareness is so key.

The second person could have lived if they have been more alert, if the one w/ the CHL was carrying and had responded to them as if they were a threat. Stay in the fight even if you've been shot. If you have breath left in you, continue to fight until you cannot fight anymore. God bless them and keep them.

Keep your heads on a swivel, check your 6, always be prepared, and never let your guard down.

[03Lightningrocks]

I was just talking to my son about this. I mentioned to him that it has gotten to the point that if anyone even aproaches us, we have to tell them to back off. Stuff like this is so random. I try to imagine what I would do in that situation. I know my instincts would tell me they were a threat. But if they did nothing threatening, would I pull the gun just in case? The BG in this situation was already prepared to kill. He may have even already had his hand on the gun. I have to wonder...could I have pulled the gun and then recognized I would have to shoot quick enough to get the drop on him? My son had a good point, he mentioned that normal everyday GG's don't aproach you asking for a ride or bumming a cigerette. I don't know...but I can tell you this. Two thug looking black dudes walk up to me now, I am going to be real tempted to pull the gun first and ask questions second.

[longtooth]

What about 2 thug looking white dudes??

How about 2 thug looking dudes.

[03Lightningrocks]

What about 2 thug looking white dudes??

How about 2 thug looking dudes.

Truth is...and the truth hurts at times...I don't get to see near as many thug looking white dudes as I do thug looking black dudes. But the answer is the same. You just can't be to careful these days.

[DoubleJ]

In the slum I live, I see as many ScumBags that are white, brown, or yellow as I do black.
the uniform may be different, but the occupation is the same.

[03Lightningrocks]

In the slum I live, I see as many ScumBags that are white, brown, or yellow as I do black.
the uniform may be different, but the occupation is the same.

Wow...were do you live?

[Excaliber]

Two thug looking black dudes walk up to me now, I am going to be real tempted to pull the gun first and ask questions second.

I understand how frightening the ruthlessness so clearly shown in the videos is to someone who's never met folks like that before. It was a true public service for the media to post this where folks could see it and understand this isn't the movies - these types of people are for real. Most folks never get to see this side of humanity unless they're unfortunate enough to be looking at it around a pistol muzzle aimed at them. However, you don't need me to tell you that you'd quickly run afoul of the law if you drew a sidearm every time two strangers walked toward you, with clearly undesirable consequences.

Yes, there are some (read quite a few) extremely violent individuals out there like the two in the Garland double homicide who present a very high level of danger to anyone they target. If they mount an attack on you, no amount of niceness, pleading, or compliance is going to help you survive. However, they have a process they go through to verify that a potential victim is in fact a "good" victim (one who won't kill them), and to set up for the moment of attack. There are multiple points in this process where you can recognize, avoid, evade, and challenge to make it clear that your not the type of victim they're looking for, and to either escape with no more holes in your skin than you woke up with that morning, or convince them to break off their approach and look for an easier target. If you don't recognize trouble coming at these stages, by the time they get close enough to launch a physical attack the odds are overwhelmingly not in favor of the victim, no matter what you're carrying or how good you are with it.

One of the best resources I've seen for gaining the knowledge you need is the No Nonsense Self Defense web site. Their Five Stages of Violent Crime explanation of how crimes are set up and executed is simple, accurate, easily understandable, and readily usable in the real world. Check it out at:

http://nononsenseselfdefense.com/five_stages.html

Their discussion of defensive mindset is also quite worthwhile:

http://nononsenseselfdefense.com/mental_preparation.htm

While you're at it, look around the rest of the website for resources on the differing mindsets of folks who commit different types of crimes, and the most successful ways to manage encounters with them. There's lots of good material there that can help you to prepare to react decisively when you must, but not overreact and get yourself in trouble when there's no real danger present.

Integrating this material into the way you move through the world will help you recognize trouble before it recognizes you and avoid it, or, in the worst case, place yourself in the best possible position to use resources at hand to achieve a successful outcome when necessary.

[03Lightningrocks]

Thanks for the info Excaliber. The point of my post is that in normal everyday life, if a couple guys walk up to you, it would feel a bit odd just arbitrarily screaming get back. The two men who were killed had no way of knowing these two individuals were about to take their lives. The two thugs probably never gave an indication of violence until it was too late for an apropriate response. I bet the victims were scared, but didn't want to over react. Heck...quite frankly...I am not sure I wouldn't have been just as dead as they are. I guess the question I am beginning to ponder is...at what point would I say get back? To act this way to soon might just be jumping the gun a bit. I will read some of those links you posted. Thanks again.

[Rex B]

I have not looked at the video or links yet, but will when I get home.
I would just like to point out that there are ways to indicate you are carrying if the BG is checking you out, without a full presentation.
Look alert, hand on your weapon, perhaps in hand and partially drawn. I think Ayoob covers this.

[TexasComputerDude]

What about 2 thug looking white dudes??

How about 2 thug looking dudes.

Truth is...and the truth hurts at times...I don't get to see near as many thug looking white dudes as I do thug looking black dudes. But the answer is the same. You just can't be to careful these days.

The white kids are getting into the thug lifestyle too now. Once my brother gets out of trial, I will post more on what happened to my family in the deep woods of East Texas, but Teens (used loosely) today are becoming pure EVIL. Its not safe anywhere anymore.

We are installing surveillance cameras at our houses and places of business now.

[longtooth]

I guess the question I am beginning to ponder is...at what point would I say get back? To act this way to soon might just be jumping the gun a bit. I will read some of those links you posted. Thanks again.

At the beginning. Parking lots, late night. ....... It is alright to say in a socially polite but firm voice. That is close enough friend, We dont know each other.

If at all possible you should never have to ask someone to get back. That is already too close.

[Excaliber]

The two thugs probably never gave an indication of violence until it was too late for an appropriate response.

I guess the question I am beginning to ponder is...at what point would I say get back?

There are always indicators. The tricks are in knowing what to look for, and in how willing we are to listen to the little voice that's screaming "something's not right." Too many of us feel it, but then tell ourselves that it's just our imaginations and either let danger approach us, or walk right into it ourselves. It's not our imaginations in most cases - it's our unconscious processing information that we aren't consciously looking at and giving us a warning.

Look at the videos again, and look at the offenders' eyes and body language. If folks you've never met before who have hard, predatory looks in their eyes like these guys do, approach you in an alley after midnight, there's no doubt you're going to be attacked if you don't do something right quick. The victims in this case may well have felt it too, but couldn't figure out how to get away before the attack began.

Folks who live by their wits on the street (LEO's, bad guys, and folks whose circumstances don't let them get out of bad neighborhoods) develop this sensitivity to a very high level. BG's can feel the presence of an LEO, and an LEO can sense a real bad guy at 50 yards - just about every time. It's a combination of looking at circumstances and people and picking up on eyes, posture, body language, gait, and when something is out of the normal rhythms of how things work and how people behave. There's an excellent book on this "sixth sense" called "The Gift of Fear" by Gavin deBecker, who specializes in protective operations for high profile celebrities. It is an outstanding collection of excellent information about how people can use the senses they now ignore to protect themselves, and how to know when your fear is based in reality and when you're allowing yourself to be startled by shadows. You'll probably want to ignore his opinion that folks shouldn't consider the armed option for self defense. It doesn't make a lot of sense in the real world, but that opinion appears to be based on an emotional reaction to a devastating incident he witnessed as a child as described at the beginning of the book. Give him a charitable pass on that one. The rest of the book is outstanding.

To return to your question of how do you know when danger is approaching, one very clear indicator is if someone keys his attention on you and moves in response to your movements or closes with you in an isolated location, you've been targeted - no ifs, ands, or buts. When he starts to close distance, that's your opportunity to challenge. Don't hesitate to move to a good position (near or behind an object of solid cover) and challenge with something like, "Stop there and state your business." Someone on legitimate business will explain himself or back away, but won't push it by insisting on approaching you. A bad guy could go either way - abort the approach at this point or press the closing maneuver. If he presses, you have articulable confirmation that he's up to no good. It'll go one way or the other very clearly at that point while you still have some options and maneuvering room.

If you wait until a BG closes to within 5 or 6 feet, you're gonna have a very bad day. As you pointed out, if you had been in that alley in Garland when the BG's made their final approach and asked for the cigarette, more likely than not, you (or I) wouldn't have made it out alive. At that point the BG has stacked too many factors in his favor and against yours. In a spot with no really good options, a move behind cover and use of one of the techniques Rex B mentions before the BG's weapon presentation move began was probably the only available route to a favorable outcome, and even so it would not have been a slam dunk. The earlier it was implemented, the more likely it would have been to have succeeded.

I do practice what I preach, and have used my senses and active intervention to come out okay from a number of circumstances where I or my wife was targeted as civilians but took action in time before the final approach was completed. None of those involved firing a weapon or inflicting injury.

The trick is to recognize the situation while it's still developing and before the BG has made his final commitment to attack. It's a learned skill, and it's not especially difficult if you're alert and integrate good info on what to look for into your everyday awareness of the world around you. The resources I've mentioned here are a pretty good place to start.

[longtooth]

Good job excaliber.

[mr.72]

That blog entry was a good read. I dig that blog, my kind of person.

I know lots of people with CHLs who don't carry except occasionally, if ever. I kind of don't see the point in having a CHL if you aren't going to carry. Unfortunately there are circumstances that make it, at the very least, a pain for some people (like myself) to carry, like a major inconvenience. But it's still worth it.

[jlangton]

Good job excaliber.

I agree-very good post on the topic.
JL