Situational Awareness with Children

I got a question a month or so ago asking how to maintain situational awareness while out with young children.

I haven't been ignoring the question - I've been mulling it over.  I have a few ideas, which I'll share, but we're a pretty good community of shooters and I have no doubt that some of you will have some input as well, so please feel free to add your input in the comment section.

My kids ranged from toddler to pre-school aged when we were being "hunted" (their phrase, not mine), so I can easily envision how difficult it would have been if they had been any younger. 

The transitional areas would be of most concern to me: loading and unloading the kids from the car.  It takes a lot of concentration to get kids wrangled up and strapped into car seats - your focus tends to be on them and not on what's going on around you.

Add in the fact that often your hands are literally full, when your kids are infants, and it can be overwhelming.

One of the first things I would do would be to lighten up.  Literally.  You probably don't need the eighty pound diaper bag with everything but the kitchen sink in it.  When my kids were babies, I literally only carried an extra diaper or two, some wipes, and a spare bottle.  Let me amend that...once I had more than one baby, I pared it down to the above.  A small diaper bag was plenty.  Would it have been nice to have toys, teething rings, and books?  Maybe, but they weren't necessary.  Food and diapers were.  Without an enormous diaper bag, you'll be better able to fight if you have too.  Yes, a heavy bag could be a weapon, but would you really be able to swing it with enough force to do any damage?  You can really wing a small diaper bag around if you have to, plus the weight (or lack thereof) won't throw you off balance.

While we're talking about weight - what about those very nice, very expensive, and very heavy convertable strollers?  Are they comfortable for your child?  Probably.  But are they really necessary?  I watch parents struggle with those all of the time.  If your focus is on breaking down and storing your stroller, can you be aware of what is going on around you?  I would suggest an umbrella stroller.  I know those are so decades ago, but they're sturdy enough to haul your babies and toddlers around and you can break them down one-handed.  They're also light enough that you can swing them at an attacker like a baseball bat if you have to (empty, of course).

Before your kids are old enough to strap themselves into their car seats, you've got to be the one to do it, so how do you keep track of what is going on while you're focused on untangling straps and feeding limbs through the appropriate places?  I would expand your "bubble".  Take a scan of the area before unlocking the car door, make note of who is around and what they are doing.  Think about how big your "bubble" is when you're alone and double it when you've got your kids with you.

After unlocking the car doors, scan again.  Put the baby or toddler in the car seat and scan again before you start with the straps.  If it feels like it's taking longer than usual to strap your child in, scan again.  It's very important to identify a potential threat and that means being aware.  You can't be aware if you're not looking around.  Make it a habit to look around you every few seconds.

As your kids get older, start playing games with them.  "I Spy" is a good one to have them start looking around and noticing what is going on around them. They don't have to know that you're teaching them to notice the world around them - they just think it's fun.

One of the games we used to play was to people watch and make up stories about the people around us.  If the kids came up with a statement like, "that man is mad", I made them explain it to me.  You'd be astounded at how intuitive kids are and how good they are at reading body language.

I am NOT a believer in "stranger danger"; I think kids need to learn to trust their instincts instead of making them afraid of everyone.  I think their intuition needs to be nurtured.  Gavin de Becker's book PROTECTING THE GIFT really helped me out in this sense.  It's an amazing book with real-life, not make-believe, tips to help us keep our kids safe.  There are some gunnies out there who knock him for being an anti-gunner, but I think that's not true.  Here's why I have a hard time believing he's a true anti-gunner: he runs one of the most well-respected, elite Protective Security Services in the world.

We've got lots of parents who are readers, what are some of your tips for situational awareness with kids?  What worked for you?  What didn't?

FEMA Active Shooter Training

I've just completed the Active Shooter Training for a second time; we're required to do it at least annually.

While a lot of the information covered in the training is not new to me, I thought I'd share the link if anyone is interested in taking the training.  It's a free training and at the end, after you pass the final exam, you get a certificate.

Essentially, employees are being trained to evacuate, hide, and fight, in that order.  While some of us might immediately want to jump right to the third step - fight - it might not be wise.  Our primary role in an active shooter situation is to save our own bacon (and our families' if they are with us).

I still take issue with the hide thing - that's how so many children get killed in classrooms.  I understand (sort of) the logistics of evacuating lots of scared children, but my stomach churns at the thought of locking them in a classroom and awaiting their slaughter.  My belief is that schools do the lock-down thing because they're afraid of getting sued if a child gets lost during an evacuation.  Not lost, as in dead, but lost as in they run away panicked.  I've written about it before - that my children were always instructed to leave the building, to not allow themselves to be locked in a classroom.  It's a lot harder to shoot a child running away from the building than it is to shoot children huddled in a corner.  The one thing that my kids worried about was getting in trouble with the principal.  I was not very politically correct with them, as I told my kids to f*ck the principal, I would deal with him/her after the incident had occurred.  I almost wrote we were "lucky, an incident never occurred while they were in school", but that's not actually luck.  Statistically, our kids are super safe at school.  School shootings garner a lot of headlines, but when you look at the total number of public schools in the US and compare it to the handful of school shootings we've had, luck has nothing to do with it. 

Anygetoffthesoapbox, if we've done a good job with Situational Awareness, evacuation shouldn't be a problem, because we should have already evaluated the escape routes and kept an eye on what is going on around us.  The problems that can arise during evacuation are the two-legged kind.  The people who don't think evil can happen to them and go from Condition White (where they live their whole lives) to Condition Black (freeze or panic in the face of danger) can be our biggest obstacles.

Since I'm kind of preaching to the choir here, I'd like to encourage all of you to share this link with people who aren't of a like mind.  I don't want you to share to change their stance on gun control, and don't expect them to open their eyes to the world around them, but simply to maybe arm them with something they can feel they are in control of.

Some Thoughts from Mrs Mom

 **This was originally posted on my other blog, Oh HorseFeathers.
~MM


This post is probably not going to be what most of you were expecting from me.

I am not going to fire away on the increasingly heated debates flying back and forth over our Second Amendment Rights. For those of you who understand the phrase, MOLON LABE and know what the three percenters are, you already know my stance. No further words need be spoken.

I am not going to dabble in the ever deepening waters of the conspiracy theorists either.

I am not going to ask why the incident in CT happened. Nor the one in Portland, nor any of the other events spaced over the years. 

I am going to TRY to provide you with some education. Note the *try* part there please, as one will only learn what one wishes to.

I am going to point out some facts.

And I am going to try and help you understand how to protect yourself and your loved ones. And no, I am not going to jump up and down screaming that you need to run right out and purchase a firearm- that is a decision that only YOU can make for yourself.

For your initial consideration, I'd like to point out that Cain slew Abel with a rock.

Yes- once again I have brought up religion. I know- horrible, isn't it?

The point though, is that Evil Resides In The Heart Of Man. Not an inanimate object. It takes the hand of man to make the inanimate object perform his desired task. If Man has designs to hurt, maim or kill you, he will. End of discussion. We do not, nor do I think we ever will, know or understand what drives some people to cause such drastic, horrible harm to others. Dwelling on that seems to be an exercise in futility. Instead, grieve for those we have lost in recent times and times gone by. Pray for those affected by this latest tragic act.

Next on the list for your consideration, I offer this:
Pertaining to the CT incident ONLY:
- Glock is NOT an assault weapon. It is not an automatic. They do not offer an automatic option, nor do they make a rifle platform.
- Sig-Saur is not an assault weapon. It is also not an automatic, and they also do not offer a rifle platform.
- The .223 caliber round is a small round, generally intended for hunting small game.  The Bushmaster used was not an assault weapon.
 It is also NOT an automatic. 


An automatic firearm- in layman's terms- is one that when you press the trigger, the firearm will continue to fire until you either run out of rounds or you remove your finger from the trigger.

A semi-automatic firearm requires the trigger be pressed for each shot.

The amount of screaming by people I have witnessed recently classifying all of the above as "assault weapons" and automatic weapons is sickening. Yes, yes, you most surely do have the right to express yourself-- but please, you might wish to educate yourself before spouting off. (The worst offenders? Politicians. Of course.)

The next bit is a question that is being asked over and over. I have been asked countless times in the past several days- that being, "What do we DO if something DOES happen?"

The answer, for the most part, is simple. 
Run.
Hide.
Fight.
(A video can be found here: Run. Hide. Fight. It is a bit cheesy, but you will get the point.)

Look, not everyone out there has the Sheepdog mentality.
Not everyone is willing to carry a firearm, and some that do carry are not willing to use it.
But I don't know very many people who wish to stand like a deer in the spotlight and be handed up for the slaughter.
Which is where RUN, HIDE, FIGHT comes into play.

Your responsibility is to stay safe and protect your loved ones. Parents, when you are out with your children, your duty, in MY opinion, is to keep them safe. Period. The kids MUST Be Safe.

If you are out, and if an incident occurs where you know there is an active shooter, RUN. Haul ass and get out of the danger zone. Once you are clear, and you and those with you are safe, call for help. 

If you can not run, you HIDE. 

If you can not run and are discovered where you have hidden, DO NOT GO GENTLY INTO THAT GREAT NIGHT.
You Fight.
Fight for all you are worth. Throw things, use a pocket knife, use a pen, use anything and everything in reach- but you FIGHT. Never give up.



This post could have gone in any number of directions- but its intent was to teach. If you wish to discuss things further in a different vein, please feel free to email me.

Until next time, when hopefully my heart will be lighter and we can move back to discussing horses and happy times like Christmas, I say to you:

MOLON LABE.

~Mrs Mom

What *Is* The Answer? Part I

I've spent the weekend thinking about what happened on Friday, reading a lot of what has been posted, taking into consideration the sources.  I've also gone back to sources that I absolutely trust and respect.  I've tried to tune out the rhetoric - and Lord knows there's a lot of it out there right now.

My heart is breaking for the families, friends and community of Conneticut.  It's a terrible tragedy that can't easily be solved.

From the antis, we're hearing, "Ban Guns!"

From the pro-gunners, we're hearing, "Arm Teachers!"

For what seems like the first time ever (or at least since I've been a shooter), the antis and the pros agree on one thing: Mental Health availability needs an overhaul. (Now, if we could just get the politicians to effing listen to us!)

Teachers, neighbors, even parents (who aren't in denial) are able to pick out children who are going to be a problem.  Not "oh, little Johnny's a handful" problem, but "oh, this kid's going to grow up to be a mass-murderer" problem.  However, even if those children are identified, there is nothing as teachers that can be done about it.  Parents have no resources to help them.

Fifty years ago, when children like this were identified, they were institutionalized.  However, in our kinder, gentler society we want to do everything we can for our children, which I completely understand, having three of my own.  But there are some members of our society - juveniles - who are just "wrong" and "dangerous".  As a society we acknowledge them, sort of.  Otherwise there wouldn't be the TV show "Killer Kids" on Biography, or "Kids Who Kill" on the Crime and Investigation (History) channel.

On one hand, we're fascinated by them and say, "wow, I'm so glad my kids aren't like that!".  On the other hand, how many people actually think, "oh shit, we need to do something!"?

Until we figure out what to do with the kids who are identified as dangerous, and start offering support to the families who are trying to deal with these children on their own, nothing is going to change.

Nothing.

You can take guns away from law-abiding citizens (hypothetically, let's not get crazy here).

You can arm teachers.

But until we address the root of the problem, we're not going to see any change.  We're still going to have mass killings.

If it means locking up dangerous children, then by God, DO IT! This namby-pamby, touchy-feely stuff is killing innocent children.  I know people are afraid of locking up a child who might not be dangerous, but, honestly, I'd rather take that chance than have to see another massacre like we had Friday.

Even if we don't go so far as institutionalizing dangerous children, we need to have resources available for teachers and parents.  Something other than a patronizing pat on the head by the mental health professionals and a script for yet another medication.

There Are Times...

When I just shake my head.

On Facebook today, I saw a picture of a "toothed female condom" being circulated.  The device is called Rape-aXe and was designed by a doctor in South Africa, who, unfortunately, has had to treat far too many victims of rape.  One of her patients apparently said, "if only I had teeth down there".

Now, in South Africa, where rape is apparently the national sport, a condom embedded with "teeth" might be a woman's only defense.  However, here in the US, we have lots and lots of options for self-defense, the first being SITUATIONAL AWARENESS.  I know we talk about it a lot, but I think it bears repeating, especially after reading some of the comments on the FB link.

Photo cred: Google images

Overwhelmingly, the women who were commenting (and there were thousands) thought that this was a good idea and a great way to prevent rape.  In fact, several women commented that if a woman felt uncomfortable in a situation, she could just slip away and insert the Rape-aXe and she would be protected.

God, there are so many things wrong with this type of thinking, I'm not even sure where to start.

First, rape is not a sexual crime! It is a commonly accepted belief by those in the criminal justice system that rape is not a sexual crime.  Rape is all about power and dominance and has absolutely nothing to do with sexual drive, which is why chemical castration of rapists doesn't work.  Those bastards just use a "substitute" phallus.  However, the touchy-feely psychologist types will tell you it's all about sexual gratification. That might be true with date rape, but it is absolutely not true with regard to stranger rape.

Second, let's take a look at the "prevention" of rape by this product.  Rape has been defined as forceful penetration of an orifice (that's a newer definition, the old one was forceful penetration of a vagina, but didn't take into account rectal penetration).  So, if you think of rape as a forceful penetration, the condom doesn't stop the actual rape, it just keeps the perpetrator from "finishing".

But my first two points really don't matter when we look at SITUATIONAL AWARENESS.  When I first read the Facebook post, I kind of snickered and went on with my day.  The attitudes of the commenters who said that if a woman was uncomfortable, she could just insert it and be protected continued to eat away at me.

If a woman felt uncomfortable enough that she felt the need to "slip away" to insert the device, she should slip away and go home! Or some other place.  Why, oh why, would she go back to a situation like that?

I'll tell you why - because as a society, we've raised our girls to be idiots.  We teach them to be nice and not to listen to their instincts.  We teach them that "someone" or "something" will protect them and that it's not their responsibility to take care of themselves.

I'm a firm believer - as you know - in listening to instinct, and I've taught my daughter to do the same.  I have always allowed her to avoid people she felt were "creepers", even if I didn't feel the same way.  In order for her to learn to trust her instincts, I had to show her that I trusted her instincts.  Her reality is different from mine; I can't tell her what to do in any given situation.  I can guide her, I can give suggestions, but we're two different people, with two different lives' worth of experience (mine just happens to be 21 years longer than hers).  A situation that makes her uncomfortable might not have the same impact on me.

There are two things* that I hope I've instilled in my daughter: 1) listen to her gut, if it feels wrong, get out, and 2) pay attention to what is going on around you.  Both of those play into situational awareness.  If you don't know what's going on around you, how does your gut know what's right or wrong?

It's my hope that she knows, deep in her soul, that it is her responsibility to attend to her safety, that waiting for "someone" or "something" to protect her can cost her her life.  Situational awareness, in addition to the wherewithal to remove herself from the situation if it develops around her, can and will save her life.  Not some stupid "toothed condom" that requires her to be raped to work.

*There are actually more than two things I hope she's learned.

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Help A Survivor and Help Yourself

Northern Colorado, as a general rule, is a warm, welcoming area.  The people who live there are generous, as evidenced by the MAKE IT RAIN BENEFIT CONCERT that raised tens of thousands of dollars to help the survivors of the Highland Park Fire.

Now, we have the opportunity to help out another survivor.

In July of 2011, Lydia Tillman was attacked and violently raped. In order to save herself, she jumped from her second story apartment to save herself after her attacker set it on fire.

This didn't happen in a "big city", this happened in Fort Collins, Colorado. Yes, Fort Collins is much bigger than it was thirty years ago, but it still has the small town "safe" feel. For years, it has been ranked one of the best places in the nation to live over and over again. Part of the draw is that it has a fairly low crime rate compared to other cities in the state.

Two businesses have teamed up to offer a free self-defense class and fundraiser to help Lydia cope with the medical expenses.  My friend, an instructor with Xodus Group, forwarded this information to me.

FORT COLLINS, CO—Trybz Martial Arts is hosting a free women's self-defense class on Sunday, November 11, 2012 from 2:00 to 4:00 PM, in honor of Colorado rape victim, Lydia Tillman. The event, co-sponsored by Centerra Rock Bottom Brewery and Trybz Martial Arts, hopes to raise awareness and financial support for Lydia Tillman, following her violent attack last year.

Thirty-year-old Tillman was brutally raped on July 5, 2011, and then was forced to jump out of her second story apartment building to survive being burned alive by her attacker. Her attacker was subsequently caught and sentenced, but the injuries Tillman incurred as a result of the attack were catastrophic, as were the expenses related to her treatment.

Trybz Martial Arts is offering its staff and facilities to train women in self-defense techniques, and promote awareness to help them avoid becoming victims of violent crimes.  Trybz Martial Arts and Centerra Rock Bottom Brewery hope the event will draw a large number of participants and donors alike to both empower women and support Tillman's cause.

For more than 25 years, Trybz Martial Arts has been offering students instruction in the original martial arts of Japan, China, and Southeast Asia, and Indonesia. Trybz staff includes two of the highest ranked black belts in Colorado, as well as four Masters in Martial Arts, a Champion MMA fighter, a Muay Thai Champion, and a World Pancrase Champion. Trybz Martial Arts is located at 1128 West Elizabeth St., Fort Collins, CO 80521. For more information contact Trybz Martial Arts at (970) 443-9425 or on the web at trybzma.com.

How Secure Is Your Home?

A couple of months ago, I locked myself out of the house.  On one hand, it was a bad thing.  On the other, however, it was a very good thing.

I'm not advocating locking yourself out of your house to see how secure it is, but if that's what it takes to identify any security weaknesses...*shrugs*... okay, maybe I am advocating locking yourself out of the house.

Our zombie-proof apartment

Fortunately, we live on the second floor.  Our bedroom windows face a street with a streetlight on a busy intersection.  The only way to break into our bedroom windows would be to use a 30 foot ladder that would extend into the street.

The living room window, which you can see in the picture, is almost inaccessible.  I say "almost" because someone taller and stronger than me might be able to leap from the stairs to the sill, pull themselves up and get into the apartment.  The locks on the window are good, so it might be more difficult than it's worth.

Our door, which would be an obvious entry point, is unbelievably secure.  I should know.  I tried jimmying the lock and I tried flat-out breaking the doorknob.  No go.  The door is metal and both the primary lock AND the deadbolt are securely anchored into the door jamb.  Someone might be able to kick the door in, but it would take a lot more effort than most bad guys want to expend.

The weak point in our security is the window above the door.  Yes, someone could reach it to crawl through.  In theory.  However, the window doesn't open.  The storm window is completely sealed and the inside window is sealed from the inside.  Could someone get in through it?  Yep.  If they wanted to badly enough.  But it seems like an awful lot of work.  Especially considering the apartments below us on the ground level are much easier to get into.

Also, we've got two security lights; one at the first landing of the stairs and one next to the front door. Anyone wanting to break in after dark will be well illuminated.

Though I felt like a complete idiot for being locked out of the apartment in my pajamas for a great deal of the day, I actually came away from experience feeling much better about the security of our apartment. Not that I really doubted it, but it is reassuring.

Maybe you should give it a try. Or pretend to lock yourself out.  Spend some time walking around your house/apartment and look for entry points.  Use your imagination - in this case, you can't think like a good guy, you've got to think like bad guys.  Try to get yourself into your house.  If you can do so easily, so can someone else. 

Don't fall into the "it can't happen to me", especially if you have guns in your house.  The last thing you want to do is arm a bad guy with your well cared-for, hard-earned guns.

I'd love to hear from you - what was the outcome of this little exercise?  What changes did you make?  Do you feel good about how secure your home is when you're away from it?

Speaking of Situational Awareness...

...Do you have a plan for things like the Aurora movie theater shooting?

Yesterday, I talked about not avoiding bad situations, or not escalating them.  But what do you do when a bad situation comes to you like it did last night?

Before I get to that, though...I have to get something off of my chest.  What is wrong with parents?  If they had kept their kids at home or not allowed them out for the opening of the movie, we'd have a lot fewer injured children.  Why the hell were there infants and elementary-aged kids at a movie at midnight?  Don't you people believe in bedtimes?  Really?!

Back to our regularly scheduled post:

What do you do when the situation comes to you?  That was the question.

The movie theaters in Colorado, as a general rule, are gun-free zones.  Most CCW-permit holders I know are law- and rule-abiding citizens - if they weren't they wouldn't be issued a CCW.  Essentially what happened early this morning was a perfect example of what disarming citizens will do to our country.  The law-abiding will not have guns, the bad guys will.  Who wins?

We must have a way to protect ourselves from the wolves in society.  The theater was full of sheep (now, remember, being sheep isn't necessarily a bad thing according to Lt. Col. Grossman, but it's their choice to be sheep) and left without the protection of a Sheepdog, because the Sheepdog was stripped of his/her tools to properly execute the job.  When the wolf came a'calling, the Sheepdog couldn't match force.

So...you're a law-abiding citizen going for a nice premier of a movie, and though you usually carry, you're following the rules and left your gun in the car or at home.  A bad situation comes to you.  What now?

First - make sure you know where all of the emergency exits are so you can get out and direct people how to get out. In this instance, the bad guy came in the emergency exit.  How?  I don't know.  He might have bought a ticket, left the theater through the exit, rigged it so he could re-enter, and gone to his car to "suit up".  Or he might have had an accomplice.  We don't know yet.  What we do know is that the emergency exit wasn't an option, but the other two doors entering the theater were certainly available.

Second - don't lose your combat mindset.  This is probably the most important thing to keep in mind. Keep aware of your surroundings at all times.  Know that just because you might get shot doesn't mean you're dead.  Lt. Col. Grossman has compiled scores of documented scenarios where a person was shot and continued fighting until they won.  If you're not already, become a follower of Sheepdog tip of the day on Facebook.

Third - if you can't get out - FIGHT!  Remember Tara's post?  Fight to the death.  The bad guy has a gun, yes.  The movie theater probably held three hundred people.  If only a tenth of the theater had fought the bad guy, he would have quickly been out-numbered.  Remember my previous point: just because you're shot doesn't mean you're dead.  Keep fighting.

Last night shooting was a tragedy and my heart goes out to all affected by it, but we must not allow the anti-gunners to turn this into another reason why we should all be stripped of our basic right to protect ourselves.  If there had been just one other person in the theater with a gun - one "good guy" - the outcome would have been drastically changed.

Does anyone else have anything to add to the list?  What are your suggestions/comments/thoughts?

Here's a link to a post Mr. Mrs. Mom wrote for us after the Gabby Giffords shooting - might be worth a look-see again.

Situational Awareness - It's Not Just For Girls

My youngest son, Monster, got jumped yesterday.  We got to spend an entire afternoon in Urgent Care getting CT scanned and X-rayed.

We preach situational awareness on this blog.  Being aware of your surroundings gives you the opportunity to avoid bad situations.  But, I think I've been guilty of preaching it more to females than males.  Obviously, I did it with my own kids.

I told Ashinator, from the time she was little, to listen to her gut.  If something doesn't feel right, it's not, and to get away or don't enter the situation.

I must have missed giving that speech to Monster, because not only did he enter the situation, but he escalated it.  He was cutting through a field from his grandma's house to 7-11, there were a couple of older kids (18-19 years old) in the field who started yelling and taunting him.  At this point, I would have turned around and gone home or given them a wide berth.  But that's me and I'm old and I don't really want to fight anyone unless I have to.  Monster, on the other hand, wouldn't take getting yelled at and taunted, he yelled back.  They approached each other and he got the ever-loving shit kicked out of him - hit in the face with a skateboard, knocked out, kicked a couple of times in the gut, got his left hand stomped on (the swelling on that was impressive) and had his $20 "jacked" (<-- that's teenager-speak for stolen).

I failed on two accounts with him: I didn't impress the importance of avoiding situations like that, nor did I get it through his thick skull that maybe he shouldn't anger so easily, which escalated the situation.  So they called him names, so what?  They didn't know him, how on earth could he take it personally?  But, at 17, I guess you take it personally.

It could have been so much worse than it was - nothing was broken (except my bank account when the bills come due) and really the only thing injured was his pride.  The bruises will go away, but I hope that he learned a lesson about being aware of his surroundings and not escalating a situation.  Just walk away, or better yet, don't get into a situation like that.

And I hope, by sharing this, that it will be a reminder that we need to teach our children, of both genders, about situational awareness.  They need to know to be aware of what is going on around them at all times - this is getting harder and harder with kids, because they're always plugged into their phones or their iPods.  They form a little coccoon around themselves and block out what's going on around them - a very dangerous situation.

Sheepdog Tip of the Day

If you have not "liked" Sheepdog Tip of the Day on Facebook, you really need to.

Each day, there is a pearl of wisdom from Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, of On Sheep, Wolves, and Sheepdog fame.

We've talked about mindset in the past, and I would venture to say all of us are Sheepdogs - we're out to protect the sheep, whether we like it or not.  It's our nature.  It's who we are, even if we didn't become soldiers or LEOs.

Sheepdogs

I try to cycle this through my blogs at least once a year.  It's an article by Lt. Dave Grossman and highly regarded by both the military and law enforcement.  Please take the time to read it.  Even if you don't agree with the message, it will give you a better understanding of why sheepdogs do what they do.

Practice, Practice, Practice Part II

Last week, after I had an abysmal day at the range, I put up a post about practice.

Friday, my friend Tara (aka GunDiva II) and I went to the range for some of that desperately needed practice. 

She has a little five-shot revolver that she now carries in her purse and we decided that she needed practice drawing and firing from her purse.  While I'm a big proponent of strapping your gun to your side, so that you always have control over it, there are a lot of women who are much more comfortable carrying in their purse.  That's fine as long as you spend the time learning how to draw and fire from your purse, just like you do learning to draw and fire from a holster.  You can't buy a gun (or take the one your well-meaning significant other gives you), throw it in your purse and expect to be able to find and use it when the feces hits the air circulating device.

The first thing we did was take a look at how she normally carries her purse.  She carries it over her left shoulder, hanging straight down.  She's a right-handed shooter, so in order for her to draw from her purse, she had to perform a cross draw.  Luckily, the zipper on her purse had two pulls, so we arranged them so that one pull was secured to her strap and only the other pull would work to open her purse.

Once we had it arranged the way we thought we wanted it, she practiced holding her front strap with her right hand, while pulling open the zipper with her left.  With her left hand out of the way, and her purse open, she then slipped her right hand into her purse and grasped her gun.  She was careful to never cross herself with the muzzle of the gun while she drew from her purse.

Now this is where attitude comes in.  Without even realizing it, the moment her hand closed over her gun, her whole demeanor changed.  She took a step forward as she presented her gun and continued to move forward as she squeezed off all five rounds.  No matter how big you are; if you're a predator hunting what looks like easy prey and that prey attacks back, you're going to re-think your choice.

Over and over, Tara practiced presenting from her purse and dry-firing at the target until she felt comfortable to go live.  Her first run-through from beginning to end took less than three seconds.  That's three seconds to secure and unzip her purse, get a good grip on the gun, present and squeeze off all five rounds while moving forward.  Were all five rounds in a nice half-inch circle?  Nope.  Were all five rounds in center mass?  You betcha.

Next week when we go to the range, I'll be sure to take my video camera.  Until then, keep on practicing.

Call Me Paranoid If You Want.... But At Least I'm Not Shot

We all like to think that we're *safe* when we are at home. We can kick back, relax, get nekkid, and just veg out on the couch watching Stupid Movie Saturday on the tube. Or we can crash in bed after working a long, tough twenty four hour shift.

Paramedic Pru thought she was safe at home on Thursday night, too. She lived in a "safe" part of town, where there had not been any "crime" to speak of in over twenty years. No break ins, no car theft, no shootings, no stabbings, no drug dealers on the corner.. nothing. In many ways, the neighborhood appeared to be a Haven.

Looks can be deceiving, folks.

Paramedic Pru was resting up, after her long shift. She heard the doorbell ring several times, and got up to answer it. Apparently, who ever was on the other side had no clue Pru was home, as he reflexively shot her- in the face- as he was fleeing. Lucky for Pru, the bullet went in one cheek, broke her jaw and took out all of her top teeth, and exited the other cheek.

Paramedic Pru will heal physically. She's tough as nails. Got balls made of titanium. But that did not stop some jagoff from shooting her.


Home invasion. Be aware folks. Don't get complacent. Don't "assume" that you are "safe" just because you live in a "safe" area. Look before you open the door. If you don't know who it is, back off and make a plan. Don't just open the door anymore. Have your phone in reach, in your hand, in a pocket, somewhere, and have your WITS about you. LISTEN to your gut. A gun in hand would not have saved Pru, unless she was willing to shoot first and ask questions later. (Which by the way-- Castle Doctrine would apply [in our state] had the Bad Guy broken into Pru's home. Then she sure could have smeared him all over Kingdom Come. KNOW YOUR STATE LAWS-- not just for carry-- but for home defense!)

So the next time someone sneers at me, and asks why I feel the need to carry, or if I'm a badass, or any of their other little snide remarks, my answer will be thus:
"Why? You got a problem with a woman who is ready, willing, and ABLE to defend herself using deadly force? Seems kind of odd to me- what are YOU planning?"

SA so you can CYA, y'all.
~MM

What Would You Do.....?

The other day ago, a very dear friend of mine related a story to me that was humorous, because I know her, but also fairly alarming to me.

She had gone to WallyWorld (Oh Boy! It's our favorite place for scary encounters!!) to fill a prescription for her young daughter. There was to be a substantial wait, during which time Gramma offered to take Daughter to the truck so she could rest. Upon asking- again- when the script would be ready, my friend decided to go and gather other supplies at another store, and return in an hour to get the medication.

Now, let me describe my friend to you. She is six feet tall, lean, strong as an ox, and known to be incredibly creative, determined, and take NO crap from ANYONE. She walked on out of the store, into the parking lot- with an expression of determination/ stress/ tiredness/ etc on her face.

And some crazy dude (he had to be crazy. Who in their RIGHT MIND would approach a six foot tall woman who looked pissed off?) accosted her- stepped directly in her path of travel, got all too close to her, and asked, "Are you a Democrat or a Republican?"

Remember when I said my friend was creative?
Her reply to Crazy Man was, "I'm a convicted felon." She also slid her hand into her purse, as if putting a hand on her pistol.

Now after I got done busting a gut laughing at her convicted felon line, (she isn't,) I thought about the story some more and found a few things to be quite alarming.

1) If someone is THAT DETERMINED to approach you, He Has A Purpose and May Not Be Operating Alone. A quick check of your surroundings is well in order.

2) She was unarmed. I am quite uncomfortable with a bluff. This time, that and her answer and physical bearing served her well to back the Creepy Determined Man off. But what if she had been a 5' 4" tall, soft looking blonde, who also tried the bluff and it didn't work?

3) Purse Carry. I. Hate. It. If you are going to carry, carry it ON you. Where you can get your gun with speed. (But to be fair, I also detest purses and refuse to carry one.)

(Again- WalMart corporate policy is allow carry, but prefer it concealed.)

I know what *I'd* have done in this instance-- but I'd like to see a bit of discussion from readers on YOUR plan of action.

-Would you stop? Keep going? Go faster?
-Do you look around?
-Have cell phone in hand to speed dial 911?
-Go back to the store and request an escort?
-Tell the encroaching potential threat to f*ck off?
-Report to management that there is a nut in the parking lot accosting shoppers?
-Wait for the "security" car to drive by?

(I SO have issue with the "security" patrols provided here. Don't know about the rest of the Wallyworld shopping populace, but if someone is providing SECURITY, please--- do not be 300#. Do not sit in vehicle, with windows rolled up, BluTooth thing jammed in your ear, radio going, driving about looking as if you were Lost In Space. Do I feel "secure" with you chumbawumbas "protecting" me? HELL NO! Which would be why I choose to protect MYSELF.)

Come on folks- let's hear what YOUR plan would be. Let's get a good educational discussion going.