What makes sense for a every day carry gun?
By Guy Auxer, November 20, 2011

This is a question I often hear and there are a ton of articles and opinions on the gun forums from the many keyboard warriors. Opinions are like assholes and internet forums seem to have a lot, every one has an opinion but the best I have found come from those who do the deed, the professional firearms instructors who carry daily. Often when I am asked these questions from my students I want to just blurt out my thoughts but realize they will come to a better conclusion if I ask them the right questions, so we are going to in this direction.

The history of concealed carry laws is sketchy, prior to 1986 there was not a lot of information available and many states had no laws against concealed carry so it was legal prior to the shall-issue statutes. Where I grew up, everyone carried something, usually a hand me down shotgun or small caliber rifle, often in a rack on the back window of your pick up truck. I know it will strike some as odd but I can remember in high school I thought it odd to see a truck in the school parking lot without a rifle rack . . . we had to be 18 to own a handgun but, most LEOs knew your parents or extended family so it was kind of like having a bunch of uncles out there keeping you from doing stupid stuff.

I started carrying regularly in 1985, starting with a S&W 357 Model 60 Combat Magnum and occasionally a S&W Model 3914 in 9mm . . . the revolver in my truck, the 3914 behind my back if I was going some place I felt had a higher degree of risk. Keep in mind this was in Colorado, the only real risk at that time was downtown Denver after dark. I always wore a cover garment and the guns were carried in a OWB leather holster. Honestly, the majority of the time the gun was in the truck.

Today, I live in South Sacramento, there are over 100 different gangs in the city and I live on the edge of some fairly high crime neighborhoods. According to Sacramento County Sheriffs Dept estimates there are over 10,000 gang members, and that number does not include the wanna-be's and those looking to get into a gang. To get into many of these gangs part of the initiation is to commit a crime of violence witnessed by existing members. So in Sacto we have 10,000 with a certain number joining each year, committing acts of violence on the citizenry . . . . that is the scenario today, in 2006 there were almost 11,000 VIOLENT crimes per 100,000 people in the county. Now since then, those numbers have gone down, but the randomness and level of violence has gone up remarkably.

Now think about that for moment, almost 10% of the people in the county will be the victim of a violent crime . . . so today, I put my gun on when I dress in the morning, and I take it off when I undress at night because . . . I refuse to be one of the 10%.

So questions?? Why do I carry should be pretty obvious at this point but there are the more pertinent ones, the point of this article.

If you were to be attacked in a violent manner do you want the odds in your favor that will help you survive? What will it take to accomplish that?

For me that means I am going to carry a gun I am intimately familiar with. One that I have a lot of rounds down range with in real life scenarios. One that I can operate accurately, clear any possible malfunctions and reload without thinking about it. One that when I do live fire practice I score 100% with because in the real world I am not going to be 100%. I want that first round on target every single time I squeeze the trigger.

For me that means I will carry a gun of a caliber that has been proven to stop a violent encounter in the fastest way possible. Regardless of what the keyboard experts will tell you, I will not go into a possible violent situation with something that begins with less than a .4 . . . while certainly every caliber has a record of having stopped a violent encounter, when the real shooting begins the objective is to incapacitate in a 100% reliable manner the perpetrator . . . .40 S&W and .45 ACP are really the only two calibers that can accomplish that.

For me this means I am going to practice regularly, and I mean at least once a week, getting that gun out of it's holster and on target fast . . . I mean really FAST. For those who know me, it means lots of bathroom time, trying to see if I can get the gun on that guy in the mirror faster than he can get his gun on me.

The impetus of writing this was the latest issue of Handgun Buyers Guide, while looking at what they offered as concealed carry pistols.

So what works? I want a gun that will function flawlessly every single time I squeeze that trigger. For me that list is pretty small. There are a lot of really good gun makers out there, some really good revolver companies, some really great rifle companies . . . but only a handful of those make 100% fool proof handguns. I refuse to get onto the bleeding edge of manufacturers. I want a gun that has a history in real life gunfights without any failures. When I have student show up with the latest and greatest teeny tiny gun, that cannot function flawlessly through a 60 round CoF, well, that maker is off my list of recommended guns pretty much forever. My short list is; Sig Sauer, Colt 1911's, Glocks, Berettas and now Kahrs . . . beyond that I am skeptical, not certain I want to bet my life they will work when needed.

I have to have that thing on my body when I need it. This is often the argument used by those who believe they cannot carry a gun of appropriate size, that is better to have a small gun of suspect reliability and caliber than to have no gun at all . . . that if it is uncomfortable, you won't carry it. I will tell you, when there is a will, there is a way . . . you will not see me carrying a tiny gun of suspect caliber and reliability because they are easier to carry. And the same holds true of women, if they really want to, they will carry a gun that will assuredly get the job done.

So what about comfort? I like thin, single stacks, work best for me, revolvers are not as thin as single stacks . . . SA, SA/DA or DAO . . . well when I jerk that thing out I do not want to have to do anything other than rotate to target and squeeze . . . that's not to say that I do not love the ease of a single action trigger, I just don't want to be on the business end of a failed manipulation of a 1911 safety . . . nor do I want to be fumbling for a safety while the bad guy is plunging a knife into my arm. As for the DAO, well why go through that when you can do a DA first shot and then enjoy the speed and accuracy of the SA from the DA/SA . . . so here we are. I have a Sig P229 in .40 of course that I have over 70,000 rounds through . . . I know that gun more intimately than perhaps anything else . . . and guess what, all Sigs work the same . . . my primary EDC is a P239 with a SRT in .40 S&W . . . my sort of backup is a Kahr K40 for when I wear suits or sports coats, it is a bit shorter and thinner than my Sig.

Each person will have to determine their own choices to the best of their ability. If you have several thousand rounds through a five shot revolver and you can get 10 rounds on target at 21 feet in under two seconds, then by all means carry that little beater . . . but if you cannot, you might consider something else . . . if you just bought the latest and greatest little toy from Ruger and on round 45 the trigger quits, you might want to consider something else . . . if you are deadly accurate and fast with that super tricked out full size 1911 yet never have it with you, then by all means consider something else . . . if you have one of those little tiny FAT plastic framed guns that you cannot hit the broadside of the barn with and REFUSE to practice with it because it hurts your hand you might want to consider something else . . . and finally, if you cannot consistently improve, consider not carrying because if you miss and the soccer mom down the street takes your screw up in the head . . . well not only will her family own everything you ever had or ever will have, and you will never sleep well the rest of your life . . . so bottom line,

get a gun and practice, a lot . . .
get a gun in a caliber that will incapacitate the threat ASAP
get a gun that is thin but heavy so it will be comfortable to shoot a lot
and practice . . . you have accepted a new lifestyle, you now carry a gun . . . and with that comes a higher level of responsibility in society.

guy@LibertyFirearmsTraining.com
Join LFT on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/Liberty.Firearms.Training

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Support waning for new gun laws
By RICHARD S. DUNHAM WASHINGTON BUREAU May 5, 2009, 11:00PM

WASHINGTON — Amid a wave of publicity about drug-related gun violence along the Mexican border and police killings in U.S. cities, more Americans than ever oppose new government efforts to regulate guns.

Recent polls show shrinking support for new gun control measures and strong public sentiment for enforcing existing laws instead. So strong is the shift in public opinion that a proposed assault-weapons ban — once backed by three in four Americans — now rates barely one in two.

Frank Newport, editor in chief of the Gallup Poll, told reporters Tuesday that “every bit of data is showing us that Americans are getting more conservative about gun control.”

A CNN poll conducted in April found that 39 percent of Americans wanted stricter gun control laws, down from 50 percent in 2000. Another 46 percent said the gun laws should stay as they are, while 15 percent said they should be loosened — up from 9 percent in 2000.

Andrew Arulanandam, a spokesman for the National Rifle Association, said the latest polls only confirm what his gun-rights group has been saying all along.

“The NRA has always been on the right side of this issue,” Arulanandam said. “There’s a realization that over 20,000 gun laws that are on the books are meaningless unless they are enforced. We have adequate gun laws on the books to address every situation.”

Even an assault-weapon ban is not the political “sure thing” it once was. An April poll by NBC News and the Wall Street Journal found that support for curbing the sale of assault weapons and semiautomatic rifles has dropped from 75 percent in 1991 to 53 percent today.

Elected officials in California and Pennsylvania have responded to the killings of four police officers in Oakland, Calif., and three in Pittsburgh by calling for restoration of the decade-long ban, which was law from 1994 to 2004. Gun control advocates also have pushed to revive the ban as a way to stem the flow of firearms smuggled from the U.S. into the hands of Mexican drug cartels.

Rep. John Culberson, R-Houston, called diminished public support for gun control measures “a good thing.” He said the recent poll findings would help lawmakers “resist pressure from this administration to pass more gun control legislation.”

Gallup’s Newport said the growing opposition to gun control is “counterintuitive” because of the heavy media focus on the use of assault weapons to kill police officers and students, as well as coverage of cartel lawlessness.

“The NRA is in a pretty good position, public-opinion-wise,” Newport said.

richard.dunham@chron.com

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The Fallacy of Gun Control by Just John

Guns are to crime as gasoline is to drunk driving. Both are elements in equations with many variables. Gasoline does not cause drunk driving. This fact is undisputed. Guns do not cause crime. This fact is not undisputed. Why? Are we ignorant enough to believe that there was no crime before the advent of firearms? Are we foolish enough to believe that the invention of firearms caused a spike in crime? Apparently so. The anti-gun crowd would have us believe that guns are the root of all evil. As much as the emotionally motivated folks on the left would love to believe this, it simply isn't true. Guns don't cause crime any more than gasoline causes drunk driving. The array of anti-gun laws has done nothing to reduce crime. Enforcing existing laws would do much more to curb crime than enacting new anti-gun laws would. The bills-du-jour of the far left would only inhibit law-abiding citizens. How deadly are these evil guns that the far left wants to ban?

In 2003 there were a total of 17,096 homicides (by all methods), and a total of 752 accidental deaths by firearms. That adds up to 17,848 deaths that could possibly be the result of firearms (this does not include suicides, as that is simply an asinine figure in this discussion). (Bureau of Census, 2005) In comparison, deaths from cancer of the colon, rectum and anus registered at 55,616. In other words, you were more likely to be killed by your own rear end than by a gun in 2003. If that's not enough, pneumonia killed 63,241 in 2003. Alzheimer's killed 63,343, and heart disease killed 901,753. (Bureau of Census, 2005) Mother Nature kills far more humans in America than guns do. In addition, since 1993, gun deaths have been on a steady decline. Why is the far left so adamant about their hatred of firearms? If they succeeded in repealing the Second Amendment, and confiscating the firearms of every law-abiding citizen in America, what would be the result?

Enthusiastic gun owners are fond of saying that if guns were outlawed, only outlaws would own guns. As cliché as that may sound, it's entirely true. It is already illegal for convicted felons to possess a firearm in America, yet many still do. Many violent criminals are repeat offenders. Many violent criminals also obtain firearms in ways that are already illegal. If they disregard current laws, why would they abide by additional laws? Banning firearms would not affect criminals. Only those that choose to obey the law would turn over their firearms. What would have happened in the late 1700's if colonists had surrendered their firearms to the British? We would still be ruled from London. Why can the anti-gun enthusiasts not understand the very clearly worded Second Amendment?

The Second Amendment clearly states, "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." (U.S. Constitution, 1997) Some would say that a "militia" is a military body. Upon forming that militia, it would indeed be a military body. What would be the makeup of a militia? Would it be ordinary citizens? It was in 1776. Let us take a peek at what the Oxford English Dictionary has to say about a militia: "The name of various military units and forces, raised locally (and usually for the purpose of local defence) from the civilian population of an area, and distinguished from professional standing armies as the latter developed." (Oxford English Dictionary, 2002) That's pretty clear-cut. A militia is made of the civilian population. In order to assemble a militia, that population would need to be armed. This is simple common sense. Yet another indication that opponents of the Second Amendment are motivated by emotion, vice logic. Various anti-gun bills have been proposed over the past several years. For some reason, the authors of the bills chose to label them as "crime bills."

One of the most infamous "crime bills" to date is the Assault Weapons Ban, or AWB, included in the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. That sounds like a great bill. Unfortunately, it only created a definition of assault weapons based on mostly cosmetic features, such as bayonet lugs, folding stocks, and flash suppressors. (Caldwell, 2003) Let us dissect the impact of this law, one bit at a time. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, rifles and shotguns (the targets of the bill) were used in less than 10% of crimes in 2000. Handguns were the weapons of choice by criminals. (BATF, 2002) In addition, the Department of Justice also concluded that "the ban's impact on gun violence is likely to be small at best, and perhaps too small for reliable measurement." (Wikipedia, 2007) Assault weapons are scary looking.(If we outlaw scary looking guns we should also outlaw scary looking politicians - ga) Perhaps that's the motivation for the left to condemn them. I will say from personal experience as a U.S. Marine, that I would much rather have a good hunting rifle if I were seeking to kill humans. Most assault rifles are inferior in both design and caliber of ammunition. They may allow the user to fire many shots, but they lack the accuracy and punch of a good hunting rifle. Still, Carolyn McCarthy decries assault rifles as "weapons of mass destruction" in an essay that emotionally claims that they increase the threat of gun violence. (McCarthy, 2006) Banning things has not worked in the past, and it will not work now.

Banning alcohol didn't work. Prohibition created even more crime. Illegal drugs are a problem, and they continue to flourish. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, 23.7% of high school seniors report that they used marijuana in the past month. (Bruner, 1998) If banning drugs and alcohol don't work, why would banning guns work? They would still flourish, but only in the hands of the criminal element. Would any of us want to live in a nation where the criminal element is well armed, and we are not? We could certainly rely on the responsiveness of various law enforcement agencies, but that would only result in a thorough investigation after the fact. Police forces are very skilled at investigating crimes, once they've been committed. Cops don't materialize out of thin air when violent criminals confront us. During the 1990's, Americans used firearms to defend themselves from criminals at least 764,000 times a year. (Ruoco, 2005) Gun laws don't protect us. Guns do.

Vermont has the most lax gun laws in the nation. In fact, the Brady Campaign gives Vermont a "D-" on "laws shielding families from gun violence." (Brady, 2005) Vermont must be rampant with violent crime! On the contrary, Vermont had a murder rate of 1.3 per 100,000 in 2005. (FBI, 2006) In comparison, Washington D.C., which has some of the strictest gun "control" laws in the nation, had a murder rate of 35.4 per 100,000 in 2005. (FBI, 2006) In 1976, Washington D.C. enacted a virtual ban on handguns. Between 1976 and 1991, Washington's homicide rate rose 200%, while the U.S. rate rose 12%. (Ruoco, 2005) Restrictive firearm laws don't reduce crime. The idea of potential victims being armed reduces crime. Vermont demonstrates that fact.

Infringing on gun rights doesn't reduce crime. Doing so simply takes firearms away from law-abiding citizens, and potential victims of violent crime. Supporters of anti-gun legislation have shown themselves to be more emotional than logical, and they cannot produce evidence that gun "control" reduces crime. States that have the least restrictive gun laws have lower violent crime rates than those that have the most restrictive gun laws. In the face of this logic, the far left continues to rabidly cry foul over our right to keep and bear arms. This is disturbing, to say the least. If the far left is this adamant about abolishing the Constitutional right to keep and bear arms, what other Constitutional rights will they attack next?

full article - The Fallacy of Gun Control by Just John, USMC - "Marines Always Welcome, Relatives By Appointment"

Thanks John, for the article and your service to our country.

Human beings only have two ways to deal with one another: reason and force. If you want me to do something for you, you have a choice of either convincing me via argument, or force me to do your bidding under threat of force. Every human interaction falls into one of those two categories, without exception. Reason or force, that's it.

"God created men equal, Col. Colt made them equal... ". The only logical reason for gun control is to be able to deal with us by force.

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Homeowner Opens Fire On Thieves, Authorities Continue To Search For 4 Men

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies said they responded to the scene of a home invasion where the home owner opened fire on the thieves.

http://www.kcra.com/news/19184363/detail.html#

Criminals Fear Armed Citizens more than they do the Police and related legislation
(compiled and commented on by ga)

California is an interesting example of the deeply confused minds of those who assume they know more about how YOU should live your life than you do. I am of course referring to many of the politicians in Sacramento.

After years of trying to regulate California criminals with a never ending stream of gun control laws they have still not given up with the belief that if they make something a crime that criminals will miraculously start obeying the law.

In a survey of criminals(read that as FELONS IN PRISON), Professors James D. Wright and Peter Rossi of the Social and Demographic Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts conducted a study in 1982 and 1983 paid for by the U.S. Department of Justice. (Professor Rossi was a former President of the American Sociological Association.) The researchers interviewed 1,874 imprisoned felons in ten states.

88% of the criminals surveyed by Wright and Rossi agreed with the statement that, “A criminal who wants a handgun is going to get one.”(read this to mean that these felons are not obeying the gun laws and the Legislature cannot figure this out)

Wright and Rossi reported that:
81% of interviewees agreed that a “smart criminal” will try to determine if a potential victim is armed.

74% indicated that burglars avoided occupied dwellings, because of fear of being shot.

57% said that most criminals feared armed citizens more than the police.

40% of the felons said that they had been deterred from committing a particular crime, because they believed that the potential victim was armed.

57% of the felons who had used guns themselves said that they had encountered potential victims who were armed.

34% of the criminal respondents said that they had been scared off, shot at, wounded, or captured by an armed citizen.

Based on this government-funded research by Wright and Rossi, it would appear to a reasonable and prudent man that armed citizens do have a deterrent effect on crime. from the Defense Mechanism

I would be willing to guess that the majority of the State Legislature has never read this study and would add that there are far too many that would refuse to read anything that challenged their anti-gun mindset.

It has been said that men have but two ways of dealing with each other; reason or force. Also it has been said that God made Man but Sam Colt made men equal. Given those two statements being true, it makes you wonder why some in the Legislature are so intent on preventing free citizens from defending themselves. Could it be that those people may be tired of trying to reason with us and would prefer to force their beliefs on us?

"Trust the people: The Case Against Gun Control"
"Men by their constitutions are naturally divided into two parties: 1) Those who fear and distrust the people . . . . 2) Those who identify themselves with the people, have confidence in them, cherish and consider them as the most honest and safe . . . depository of the public interest." -- Thomas Jefferson

There is currently some legislation in the Assembly that you should be aware of and take appropriate action in terms of letting your non-representing representatives know how you feel on these issues.

AB 357 Concealed Firearms License
AB 1167 Reciprocity
AB 225 Concealed Firearms License
AB 373 Used Handguns

and finally from one of those who believes that you do not live your life correctly and wants to tell you how you should/will live
AB 962 Ammo Restrictions

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ATF says Mexican gangs NOT getting guns from US

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Thirteen year old author explains Americans rights


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2ND AMENDMENT ALERT! BLAIR HOLT GUN CONTROL BILL
by Patriot on Tuesday, February 17, 2009
www.americanintelligence.us

To many gun owners, it's the tsunami of gun control legislation, the mother of all efforts to restrict private gun ownership and the guarantees of the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

To others, it's just the latest anti-gun agitation, a formerly defeated proposal dredged back up for another try in this time of shifting political winds.

"It" is H.R. 45: Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009. This bill was introduced in the 111th Congress by U. S. Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL) on Jan. 6, 2009. Failing to attract any co-sponsors, it was referred for consideration to the House Committee on the Judiciary, where it now rests awaiting further action.

This bill is sweeping in its gun control proposals. Its summary description reads, "To provide for the implementation of a system for licensing for purchasers of certain firearms and for a record of sale system for those firearms, and for other purposes."

If enacted, this bill would prohibit anyone from owning any type of handgun without obtaining a license for such ownership. The same would be true for any semiautomatic firearm that can accept any detachable ammunition-feeding device.

Further, all sales of these firearms would have to go through a licensed dealer. The bill also directs the Attorney General to establish and run a federal record-of-sale system. And it would make it a criminal act not to register as an owner of a firearm.

"This bill validates the concerns of sportsmen and gun owners about what the new congress and administration portend for Second Amendment rights," says Lawrence G. Keane, Senior Vice-President/General Counsel for the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF).

Keane continues, "The U.S. Supreme Court definitively said in District of Columbia vs. Heller (2008) that the Second Amendment provides individual civil rights to law-abiding Americans to keep and bear arms. (They don't have to be in a militia to own and keep guns.) This bill, however, would treat those citizens who exercise their civil liberties like criminals."

Thus, another gun control struggle may be looming. Pro-gun advocates see the Blair Holt bill as a direct assault on their constitutional rights and freedom. Anti-gun activists feel the time might be ripe for "change" promised by the Obama administration to include this comprehensive gun control legislation.

Blair Holt, the bill's namesake, was a 16-year old honor student in Chicago who was murdered in May, 2007 when another teenager began firing a handgun on a public bus in a gang-related attack. Acting heroically, Holt moved to shield a female rider from the bullets, and he was struck in the abdomen and died.

At his funeral, Rep. Bobby Rush pledged to introduce a strong new gun tracking bill in the 110th Congress in Holt's memory. Rush's Blair Holt Bill Licensing and Record of Sale Bill of 2007 failed to make it out of the House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security. Rush's new bill in the current 111th Congress is a rehash of this previous effort.

Toure Muhammad, communications director for Rep. Rush, says while the Blair Holt bill would set up a system for tracking guns, it would not an infringement of Second Amendment rights. He explains, "This is not an attempt to ban guns. It is not intended in any way to impede the constitutional right to own or carry a gun.

"Instead, it would simply set up a system for registration of the type guns specified in the bill," Muhammad continues. "It would provide a way for police to track a gun that is used illegally back to its owner. It would be similar to the system we have for registering and titling automobiles."

Muhammad says in 2008, an average of 45 people were killed each day in the U.S. with guns. He says, "The urban cultural dynamic can't be ignored here. In the cities, people are killed daily by other people with guns. Rep. Rush's bill is an effort to curb this violence."

The National Rifle Association (NRA) has another take on the Blair Holt bill. This pro-gun lobby feels it is flawed in that it focuses on the instruments of crime rather than on the criminals who use the instruments. And further, the NRA believes the Blair Hold bill would turn law-abiding citizens into violators of the law.

NRA spokesperson Rachel Parsons explains, "Several provisions in this bill would make compliance nearly impossible. For instance, the bill spells out that if a firearms license holder fails to notify the Attorney General of an address change within 60 days, that person would be subject to a 5 year prison term and a fine of up to $250,000."

Parsons continues, "This bill goes against the core of what the NRA works for. Any kind of bill that would require photographing and fingerprinting for simple possession of a firearm is fundamentally different in opinion from that which the NRA holds. Any law should target the criminal element, but this law would simply further burden law-abiding people."

So, how likely is the Blair Holt bill's chance for passage? Pro-gun activists are vigilant but don't seem overly worried about it. They point out that the bill's failure to attract co-sponsors is an indication of a lack of enthusiasm for it among other congressmen. They feel it is too far-reaching and repressive of gun owners' rights to merit serious consideration by a majority of Congress.

Lawrence Keane of the NSSF states, "If this bill passes, Democrats would likely lose (control of) their chamber in upcoming mid-term elections (2010). The leadership in the House knows that." Keane says some 80 million-plus U.S. citizens own firearms, representing nearly half the households in the nation. He believes that House Democrats will allow the Blair Holt bill to die in subcommittee rather than risk the ire of so many pro-gun voters.

Rachel Parsons of the NRA says, "I think our members and other gun owners need to be aware of what's going on, and they should contact their elected representatives about the Blair Holt bill and similar bills. We want to see to it that bills like this that trample on Second Amendment rights never reach the House (of Representatives) floor.

"This bill has gotten people pretty fired up," Parsons concludes. "They see it as a threat to their constitutional right to keep and bear arms."

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Gun sales soar with new president
By Erin Tracy
Times-Standard, Eureka, CA
etracy@times-standard.com
Published: January 22, 2009

Months of preparation and planning went into Tuesday's inauguration; but Second Amendment activists, gun enthusiasts, and first-time gun owners have been anticipating this moment even prior to Election Day.

"Because of our new government's position on guns, people start taking an interest," said Grundman's Sporting Goods owner Fred Grundman, adding that every time Democrats take control of the office, a similar situation ensues.

While retail sales have declined in almost every other trade, gun sales have increased by 50 percent at the Pro Sports Center according to Manager John Corbett.

On the national level, FBI statistics show there were 12.7 million background checks on prospective gun buyers last year, compared with 11.2 million the year before. The number of background checks spiked sharply at the end of 2008, with figures showing a 27 percent increase in the last three months compared to the previous year.

Those involved in the industry said many people are worried that President Barack Obama's administration will impose stricter gun regulation including re-implementing a ban on assault weapons -- such as semiautomatic rifles, pistols and shotguns -- and limiting the sale of firearms on a national level to one per person per month.

The one-firearm-per-month law already stands in California, where some of the nation's strictest gun laws are in place. Other tight regulations include a 10-day waiting period to purchase firearms, during which the California Department of Justice conducts a thorough background check using the customer's license and thumb print.

Corbett said the potential for a ban on semi-automatic weapons has been the driving force for gun sales at the Pro Sport Center. A ban would prevent people from buying the firearms, not owning them, he said.

"It's almost like advertising for the government to come out with anti-gun regulation," said Grundman. "All of a sudden people are worried about their Second Amendment rights."

The semi-automatic weapons are commonly used for home defense. They have been given the name "black guns" within the industry because of their menacing look and frequency of showing up in black markets.

Corbett said the inflated demand for firearms has made it increasingly difficult for him to purchase guns for the store.

"Demand is so high on firearms like Glock handguns, they are on back order," said Corbett. "I have to get my name on a list and then it's a first-come, first-serve basis."

There are significant restrictions on the types of guns retailers are able to sell. When going to a gun show or meeting with a manufacturer, Corbett said only about five out of 50 guns are California legal.

No gun sold in California can have a magazine capacity greater than 10 rounds. Also, any new model introduced to the state must withstand a California drop test. The manufacturer sends 1,600 rounds of ammunition and two guns to the DOJ to be dropped without the use of the safety. If a round is discharged or the weapon jams, it fails the test. Corbett said it costs $6,000, leading manufacturers to send only their most popular models to California.

If new gun restrictions make it to Congress, another hike in gun sales may result. Grundman said in Humboldt County, residents are living by the motto, "Be prepared."

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Safe or Panic Rooms and Home Invasions
Surely you have seen or heard about the movie "Panic Room" where Jodie Fosters home was invaded and she and her daughter secured themselves in an internal vault in the home. Although the idea for safe rooms is new for most homeowners, it has been in use for many years by the rich and famous, corporate executives, and powerful political figures around the world.

The frightening thing about home invasion is that it is often motivated by a variety of criminal intentions. Usually the intention is robbery.

In a worst case scenario the intention is rape, kidnapping, torture or terrorism. In these situations, an armed invader takes the victim by surprise simply by kicking in the door or bursting through a window. Sometimes the invasion is motivated by the desire to procure normally private information from you such as your credit card or bank account number that can later be sold or used for fraudulent purposes.

Exact statistics about the number of home invasions that take place every year are not available however, it is estimated that every year that this variant of robbery accounts for 11% of incidents of theft that take place in the United States.

Most experts use the term Safe Room rather than Panic Room to describe the concept of having a secure location within a residence. The concept is simple really, prepare a room within the home where you can safely retreat during a home invasion or other threat and summon help.

The room in the movie would withstand a military attack and I believe you have to assess your threat level potential to determine if you need this level of security or if something that will prevent an intruder/home invader from reaching you until help arrives. Even though most believe their home is safe and drop their guard while there, home invasions are increasing every year. Your panic room can act as a place of refuge against dangers such as trespassers and intruders if you can make it inside in time. The FBI reports that a forcible rape takes place every five minutes in this country, a high percentage of these occuring inside the home. Even worse is that out of these, many are committed by people you know or live with.

An economical version of this room can be created within your home that will provide a place of safety until help can arrive. An interior bedroom for instance that does not have first floor windows can be used, even your own bedroom. The door is the first place that needs to be hardened, i.e. replace the hollow core door with a solid core door. Replace the standard door set with a keyed lockset. For added security install a bar on the inside of the door that can be locked in place. This bar must be adequately secured to the frame work of the wall to prevent it from being forced loose. One manufacturer, Katy Bar makes an attractive mechanism that is secure up to 1,500 pounds of pressure, is attractive and secures the door rapidly.

A simple effort such as this can provide you with a place of safety while you wait for help to arrive. Add a cell phone and a personal defense gun and you have dramatically improved the odds of surviving an attack on your person inside your home. Total investment $600, the cost to your peace of mind, Priceless.

Many other features can be added and should be considered when you begin to harden your home, or what the criminal considers to be his target. A hardened target is often enough to send the criminal to another location. After all these people don't break the law because they like hard work.

Home invaders explain that in addition to the rush they often experience while committing these crimes, homes are less likely than businesses to have people arrive during the robbery. And while police will often visit convenience stores, they seldom unexpectedly visit homes.

Residences are usually less "hardened" than business buildings. These days most businesses are protected by silent alarms and surveillance cameras and as little cash as possible is kept even in retail businesses. Homes are often softer targets.

A home invasion is one of the most dangerous and terrifying of crimes that can be experienced by an individual or a family. It can leave victims traumatized for a long time.

Make your home a hard target, make it univiting to crime. Get advice on home invasion prevention or crime prevention here.

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AWARENESS
The COLOR CODE of Levels of Awareness:

1. CONDITION WHITE- Unaware/un-alert. Oblivious to your surroundings. This is the condition most people operate in daily, and that is not a good thing. You should only be in Condition White at home or in the safest of known, controlled environments, among people you know and trust.

2. CONDITION YELLOW- General relaxed alertness. You are aware of your surroundings, the people in it, and what they are doing. It would be difficult for someone to approach you without your knowledge. When you are "out and about", you should always be in Condition Yellow.

3. CONDITION ORANGE- Alertness to a specific situation or possible threat that you perceive or that is developing, and you are thinking about your options and responses. You are preparing to go to Condition Red if necessary.

4. CONDITION RED- Fight or flight.danger is imminent. You are prepared to enact self-defense measures as appropriate to the situation, or retreat from the threat if it is possible to do so safely. You would consider the need to use your legally-carried firearm or other weapon at this time, to save your life or the lives of others. Knowledge of your state and local laws and attitudes on self-defense is valuable.

I refuse to be a victim and I do not have a safe room so I live essentially in condition yellow all the time. I do not consider this weird but intelligent. I refuse to be a victim and instead opt to be a sheepdog. - Guy

ON SHEEP, WOLVES, AND SHEEPDOGS
From the book, On Combat By Lt. Col (ret) Dave Grossman,
US Army Ranger, Former West Point Psychology Professor
from Little Green Footballs, September 2006

Honor never grows old, and honor rejoices the heart of age. It does so because honor is, finally, about defending those noble and worthy things that deserve defending, even if it comes at a high cost. In our time, that may mean social disapproval, public scorn, hardship, persecution, or as always, even death itself.

The question remains: What is worth defending? What is worth dying for? What is worth living for? - William J. Bennett - in a lecture to the United State s Naval Academy November 24, 1997

One Vietnam veteran, an old retired colonel, once said this to me: "Most of the people in our society are sheep. They are kind, gentle, productive creatures who can only hurt one another by accident." This is true.

Remember, the murder rate is six per 100,000 per year, and the aggravated assault rate is four per 1,000 per year. What this means is that the vast majority of Americans are not inclined to hurt one another.

Some estimates say that two million Americans are victims of violent crimes every year, a tragic, staggering number, perhaps an all-time record rate of violent crime. But there are almost 300 million Americans, which means that the odds of being a victim of violent crime is considerably less than one in a hundred on any given year. Furthermore, since many violent crimes are committed by repeat offenders, the actual number of violent citizens is considerably less than two million.

Thus there is a paradox, and we must grasp both ends of the situation: We may well be in the most violent times in history, but violence is still remarkably rare. This is because most citizens are kind, decent people who are not capable of hurting each other, except by accident or under extreme provocation. They are sheep.

I mean nothing negative by calling them sheep. To me, it is like the pretty, blue robin's egg. Inside it is soft and gooey but someday it will grow into something wonderful. But the egg cannot survive without its hard blue shell.

Police officers, soldiers, and other warriors are like that shell, and someday the civilization they protect will grow into something wonderful.

For now, though, they need warriors to protect them from the predators.

"Then there are the wolves," the old war veteran said, "and the wolves feed on the sheep without mercy." Do you believe there are wolves out there who will feed on the flock without mercy? You better believe it. There are evil men in this world and they are capable of evil deeds. The moment you forget that or pretend it is not so, you become a sheep. There is no safety in denial.

"Then there are the sheepdogs," he went on, "and I'm a sheepdog. I live to protect the flock and confront the wolf." If you have no capacity for violence then you are a healthy productive citizen, a sheep.

If you have a capacity for violence and no empathy for your fellow citizens, then you have defined an aggressive sociopath, a wolf.

But what if you have a capacity for violence, and a deep love for your fellow citizens? What do you have then? A sheepdog, a warrior, someone who is walking the hero's path. Someone who can walk into the heart of darkness, into the universal human phobia, and walk out unscathed.

Let me expand on this old soldier's excellent model of the sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs. We know that the sheep live in denial that is what makes them sheep. They do not want to believe that there is evil in the world. They can accept the fact that fires can happen, which is why they want fire extinguishers, fire sprinklers, fire alarms and fire exits throughout their kids' schools.

But many of them are outraged at the idea of putting an armed police officer in their kid's school. Our children are thousands of times more likely to be killed or seriously injured by school violence than fire, but the sheep's only response to the possibility of violence is denial. The idea of someone coming to kill or harm their child is just too hard, and so they chose the path of denial.

The sheep generally do not like the sheepdog. He looks a lot like the wolf.

He has fangs and the capacity for violence. The difference, though, is that the sheepdog must not, cannot and will not ever harm the sheep. Any sheep dog that intentionally harms the lowliest little lamb will be punished and removed. The world cannot work any other way, at least not in a representative democracy or a republic such as ours.

Still, the sheepdog disturbs the sheep. He is a constant reminder that there are wolves in the land. They would prefer that he didn't tell them where to go, or give them traffic tickets, or stand at the ready in our airports, in camouflage fatigues, holding an M-16. The sheep would much rather have the sheepdog cash in his fangs, spray paint himself white, and go, "Baa" until the wolf shows up. Then the entire flock tries desperately to hide behind one lonely sheepdog.

The students, the victims, at Columbine High School were big, tough high school students, and under ordinary circumstances they would not have had the time of day for a police officer. They were not bad kids; they just had nothing to say to a cop. When the school was under attack, however, and SWAT teams were clearing the rooms and hallways, the officers had to physically peel those clinging, sobbing kids off of them. This is how the little lambs feel about their sheepdog when the wolf is at the door.

Look at what happened after September 11, 2001 when the wolf pounded hard on the door. Remember how America, more than ever before, felt differently about their law enforcement officers and military personnel? Remember how many times you heard the word hero?

Understand that there is nothing morally superior about being a sheepdog; it is just what you choose to be. Also understand that a sheepdog is a funny critter: He is always sniffing around out on the perimeter, checking the breeze, barking at things that go bump in the night, and yearning for a righteous battle. That is, the young sheepdogs yearn for a righteous battle.

The old sheepdogs are a little older and wiser, but they move to the sound of the guns when needed, right along with the young ones.

Here is how the sheep and the sheepdog think differently. The sheep pretend the wolf will never come, but the sheepdog lives for that day. After the attacks on September 11, 2001, most of the sheep, that is, most citizens in America said, "Thank God I wasn't on one of those planes." The sheepdogs, the warriors, said, "Dear God, I wish I could have been on one of those planes. Maybe I could have made a difference." When you are truly transformed into a warrior and have truly invested yourself into warriorhood, you want to be there. You want to be able to make a difference.

There is nothing morally superior about the sheepdog, the warrior, but he does have one real advantage. Only one. And that is that he is able to survive and thrive in an environment that destroys 98 percent of the population.

There was research conducted a few years ago with individuals convicted of violent crimes. These cons were in prison for serious, predatory crimes of violence: assaults, murders and killing law enforcement officers.

The vast majority said that they specifically targeted victims by body language: Slumped walk, passive behavior and lack of awareness. They chose their victims like big cats do in Africa, when they select one out of the herd that is least able to protect itself.

Some people may be destined to be sheep and others might be genetically primed to be wolves or sheepdogs. But I believe that most people can choose which one they want to be, and I'm proud to say that more and more Americans are choosing to become sheepdogs.

Seven months after the attack on September 11, 2001, Todd Beamer was honored in his hometown of Cranbury, New Jersey. Todd, as you recall, was the man on Flight 93 over Pennsylvania who called on his cell phone to alert an operator from United Airlines about the hijacking. When he learned of the other three passenger planes that had been used as weapons, Todd dropped his phone and uttered the words, "Let's roll," which authorities believe was a signal to the other passengers to confront the terrorist hijackers. In one hour, a transformation occurred among the passengers - athletes, business people and parents. - from sheep to sheepdogs and together they fought the wolves, ultimately saving an unknown number of lives on the ground.

There is no safety for honest men except by believing all possible evil of evil men. - Edmund Burke

Here is the point I like to emphasize, especially to the thousands of police officers and soldiers I speak to each year. In nature the sheep, real sheep, are born as sheep. Sheepdogs are born that way, and so are wolves. They didn't have a choice. But you are not a critter. As a human being, you can be whatever you want to be. It is a conscious, moral decision.

If you want to be a sheep, then you can be a sheep and that is okay, but you must understand the price you pay. When the wolf comes, you and your loved ones are going to die if there is not a sheepdog there to protect you. If you want to be a wolf, you can be one, but the sheepdogs are going to hunt you down and you will never have rest, safety, trust or love. But if you want to be a sheepdog and walk the warrior's path, then you must make a conscious and moral decision every day to dedicate, equip and prepare yourself to thrive in that toxic, corrosive moment when the wolf comes knocking at the door.

For example, many officers carry their weapons in church. They are well concealed in ankle holsters, shoulder holsters or inside-the-belt holsters tucked into the small of their backs. Anytime you go to some form of religious service, there is a very good chance that a police officer in your congregation is carrying. You will never know if there is such an individual in your place of worship, until the wolf appears to massacre you and your loved ones.

I was training a group of police officers in Texas, and during the break, one officer asked his friend if he carried his weapon in church. The other cop replied, "I will never be caught without my gun in church." I asked why he felt so strongly about this, and he told me about a cop he knew who was at a church massacre in Ft. Worth, Texas in 1999. In that incident, a mentally deranged individual came into the church and opened fire, gunning down fourteen people. He said that officer believed he could have saved every life that day if he had been carrying his gun. His own son was shot, and all he could do was throw himself on the boy's body and wait to die.

That cop looked me in the eye and said, "Do you have any idea how hard it would be to live with yourself after that?"

Some individuals would be horrified if they knew this police officer was carrying a weapon in church. They might call him paranoid and would probably scorn him. Yet these same individuals would be enraged and would call for "heads to roll" if they found out that the airbags in their cars were defective, or that the fire extinguisher and fire sprinklers in their kids' school did not work. They can accept the fact that fires and traffic accidents can happen and that there must be safeguards against them.

Their only response to the wolf, though, is denial, and all too often their response to the sheepdog is scorn and disdain. But the sheepdog quietly asks himself, "Do you have any idea how hard it would be to live with yourself if your loved ones were attacked and killed and you had to stand there helplessly because you were unprepared for that day?"

It is denial that turns people into sheep. Sheep are psychologically destroyed by combat because their only defense is denial, which is counterproductive and destructive, resulting in fear, helplessness and horror when the wolf shows up.

Denial kills you twice. It kills you once, at your moment of truth when you are not physically prepared: you didn't bring your gun, you didn't train.

Your only defense was wishful thinking. Hope is not a strategy. Denial kills you a second time because even if you do physically survive, you are psychologically shattered by your fear, helplessness and horror at your moment of truth.

Gavin de Becker puts it like this in "Fear Less", his superb post-9/11 book, which should be required reading for anyone trying to come to terms with our current world situation: ".denial can be seductive, but it has an insidious side effect. For all the peace of mind deniers think they get by saying it isn't so, the fall they take when faced with new violence is all the more unsettling."

Denial is a save-now-pay-later scheme, a contract written entirely in small print, for in the long run, the denying person knows the truth on some level. And so the warrior must strive to confront denial in all aspects of his life, and prepare himself for the day when evil comes.

If you are a warrior who is legally authorized to carry a weapon and you step outside without that weapon, then you become a sheep, pretending that the bad man will not come today. No one can be "on" 24/7, for a lifetime.

Everyone needs down time. But if you are authorized to carry a weapon, and you walk outside without it, just take a deep breath, and say this to yourself."Baa."

This business of being a sheep or a sheep dog is not a yes-no dichotomy. It is not an all-or-nothing, either-or choice. It is a matter of degrees, a continuum. On one end is an abject, head-in-the-sand-sheep and on the other end is the ultimate warrior. Few people exist completely on one end or the other.

Most of us live somewhere in between. Since 9-11 almost everyone in America took a step up that continuum, away from denial. The sheep took a few steps toward accepting and appreciating their warriors and the warriors started taking their job more seriously. The degree to which you move up that continuum, away from sheephood and denial, is the degree to which you and your loved ones will survive, physically and psychologically at your moment of truth.

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Robberies target Asian women
By Kim Minugh
kminugh@sacbee.com
Published: Thursday, Sep. 25, 2008 | Page 1B

Parked in the driveway of her south Sacramento home, Nai Saechao was confused to hear a strange man's voice yelling at her, then terrified to see a handgun pointing in her direction.

She said she was distracted – talking on her cell phone and fussing with groceries – when she pulled up to her house on Ring Drive that July night. She failed to see the two men who would flee seconds later with her purse, her roommate's medications and her sense of security.

She didn't know it at the time, but she had become the first in a series of 13 reported armed robberies targeting Asians, primarily women, exiting their cars between 9 p.m. and midnight.

The attacks, some of which have involved minor injury to the victim, have played out in driveways across the city's southern end.

Sacramento police have launched a campaign to warn the Asian community to be on the alert when getting out of their cars at night, even when they might think they're in the safety of their own driveway.

"We want to prevent this community from being victimized further," said Officer Konrad Von Schoech, a department spokesman.

Though the number of assailants has varied between one and three, all have been described the same way: African American men in their early 20s, wearing ski masks and armed with a handgun, Von Schoech said.

They have fled on foot, on bike or in a car.

Saechao was the first known victim, robbed July 29. The most recent attacks occurred Saturday, a half-hour and two miles from each other. In some cases, police believe the victims were followed home.

On Tuesday, three men beat and robbed an elderly Asian couple inside their Rock Creek Way home, just a block from Saechao's. On the way to their getaway car, they swiped a 78-year-old Asian woman's purse.

Police do not believe those suspects are responsible for the driveway robberies. But their crimes could be part of a larger trend of violence aimed at the Asian community in south Sacramento, officials said.

"We really don't know (why they're being targeted) and that's another concern," Von Schoech said. "Maybe they feel that the Asian women are more vulnerable and less resisting."

Sgt. Norm Leong, who supervises a team of officers focusing on these crimes, said police are reaching out to churches and other fixtures in the Asian community for help in spreading awareness. Fliers are being produced in several Asian languages and will be distributed soon, he said.

On Tuesday night, Leong's team worked a south Sacramento intersection with a two-fold mission: Citing errant drivers and telling the lawful ones to be aware of their surroundings.

Leong encouraged residents to call police when they notice suspicious activity in their neighborhoods, especially at night.

"If they feel somebody might be following them, keep driving and call the police," Leong said.

Pan Her, a 23-year-old employee of the Longchang Market on Franklin Boulevard, was alarmed to hear of the series for the first time Wednesday.

She said she already tries to be careful when out at night because "south Sacramento is prone to crime."

"I always have my key out" for protection, Her said.

Some of Mai Xiong's friends had warned her of the robberies, and the 36-year-old south Sacramento resident said it was a good reminder to stay vigilant when coming home in the dark.

"When I pull in, I always watch both ways," Xiong said. "I don't know who's going to be out there."

More than a month has passed since Saechao's ordeal, and the petite Hmong immigrant can now recall it with a big smile and a shy giggle.

But she said she remains shaken and fearful.

News of Tuesday's attack on Rock Creek Way – within eyesight of Saechao's home – has heightened her feeling of vulnerability, she said.

Saechao said she turns the other way when she sees men who remind her of those behind the gun that night.

She worries that her street doesn't have enough lights and tries to get home before dark.

When she can't, she relies on her car's high beams for security.

"When I come home and it's dark, I turn on the high lights," Saechao said.

"I see everything before I come out."

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Creating a Safety Perimeter
By Brian Willis
Winning Mind Training Inc.

There are two simple words to describe what you need to do to create a Safety Perimeter - Target Harden. Target hardening is a term often used to refer to physical security measures in a home or business. It is about taking steps to making your home or business (the target) as uninviting as possible to a potential burglar. The reality is that most criminals are opportunists. They are seeking easy targets. Therefore, taking appropriate measures to harden the target means the burglar will have to work far too hard to break in. It also means there is a significantly increased likelihood of detection and apprehension. Their goal is to conduct their business undetected and to avoid apprehension. Therefore, the harder the target, the more likely they will move on to another target.

In order to create a Safety Perimeter you must expand this thinking to make yourself and your family the focus of your Target Hardening strategies. In doing this you will also address your home and business in your assessment and action phases.

There are three fundamental steps to effective Target Hardening:
     1. Accept Responsibility.
     2. Think like your enemy.
     3. Take action.

Accept Responsibility:
The first step in creating a Safety Perimeter is to accepting responsibility for your own safety. Too many people abdicate the responsibility for their safety to other people such as the courts and the police. While the courts and the police play a role in the safety of society as a whole, they cannot 'protect' you unless you are in protective custody. In order for you to take control of your life you must first accept this reality - Your safety begins and ends with you. In his book Fear Less Gavin DeBecker states "Others can choose to make you a target; only you can choose to be a victim." In this powerful quote DeBecker captures the difference in mindset between Victor and Victim. A Victim abdicates responsibility for their safety, has an external locus of control and feels they are powerless to stop whatever is going to happen to them. As a result they give up their power and control to others. Their lives are filled with worry, anxiety and fear. A Victor accepts personal responsibility and takes action to make themselves and their loved ones 'Hard Targets'. They have an internal locus of control and understand that they have the power and they are in control. The 'Victor' mentality not only makes you safer, it allows you to live a life a filled with awareness, confidence, fulfillment and empowerment.

Think Like Your Enemy:
Anyone who is going to threaten you or your family in any way is your enemy. This builds on the themes of acceptance and appropriate mindset. The best way to defeat an enemy is to think like them. It does not mean you become like them, but rather that you learn to think like them. In The Art of War, written 2300 years ago Sun Tzu talked about accepting responsibility and knowing your enemy when he said:

Knowing the other and knowing yourself,
In one hundred battles no danger.
Not knowing the other and knowing yourself,
One victory for one loss.
Not knowing the other and not knowing oneself,
In every battle certain defeat.

If you were the subject looking to break into your home, or attack you how would you do it? Where is your home most vulnerable? Where are you and your family most vulnerable? This is about preparation, not paranoia. Target Hardening starts with the proper mindset.

Take Action:
Once you have accepted responsibility and begun to think like the enemy you must take action to Target Harden your life. This means taking the necessary steps to ensure you are mentally and physically prepared. First, accept that worry is never productive. It is a waste of valuable time and energy. Make worry a call to action. Assess the situation, determine what causes you concern and take action to change the things within your control.

Personal Target Hardening Strategies include:
♦ Mindset - In my opinion, mindset and mental attitude is the greatest element of any personal Target Hardening strategy. Accept these realities:
You not only have the right to protect yourself and your family, you have an obligation and a responsibility.
In any confrontation you are either the predator, or the prey (the victor or the victim). Phil Messina an international recognized trainer and expert on interpersonal human aggression states "Being a predator isn't always comfortable but the only other option is to be prey. That is not an acceptable option." Decide right now that you are the predator; that you are the victor. Make it your reality from this moment on and feel the power of that decision. Sometimes to be victorious you may need to use violence. Understand that winning isn't always pretty, but it always beats the alternative.
♦ Situational Awareness - Develop an awareness of the world around you. Too many people meander through life with their hands in the pockets, their eyes looking down and their mind full of noise, clutter and distractions. They are unaware of the people, vehicles and happenings around them. They wander through life as potential prey. Then there are those that walk with their heads held high, they have wide vision and an awareness of all that is going on around them. One is the walk of the prey; the potential victim. One is the walk of the predator; the victor. You choose which path you will walk.
♦ Personal Protection Training - This is often referred to as self defense training. Keeping with the theme of being the predator, I prefer the term Self Offense training. Regardless of what you call it, the bottom line is that once you have made the personal commitment to be the predator the next step is to learn physical skills that will allow you to defeat an attacker. The training must provide you with simple, realistic, and effective strategies that will work in the real world and not just in the training room. These strategies must be effective regardless of your size and strength. Check out the credentials and experience of the people conducting the training. A great resource is The American Women's Self Defense Association (AWSDA) at www.awsda.org. AWSDA is an international, non-profit, educational organization, made up of women and men who are dedicated to ending violence against women by providing training programs for instructors and services for women, designed to increase their awareness of self defense and rape prevention. AWSDA runs a fantastic annual conference, and publishes a regular newsletter for their members.

Target hardening strategies for your home and/or business include:
♦ Adequate external lighting including motion sensor lights strategically placed on the exterior of your home.
♦ Adequate locks and security measures on all access points. This includes good quality deadbolts with sufficient throw in the bolt to avoid the door being easily forced open. Proper locks on all windows and security bars on all basement windows. It also includes have a quality alarm system installed in your home that allows for the arming of the doors and windows but also has motion sensor capability.
♦ Eliminating potential hiding places or blind spots on the exterior of the premise. Walk around your home both in daylight and low light conditions and become aware of hiding spots or blind spots created by trees, bushes, hedges sheds, vehicles, etc.
♦ Network with neighbors so that they know you and the members of your family. If there is a specific threat make them aware of potential persons or vehicles to be on the lookout for.
♦ Network with the law enforcement personnel in you area. Let them know about specific threats, people and vehicles. Most law enforcement agencies have people within their agencies that can help with security assessment of your home and/or business.

You have many choices in life. Choose to take control of your life. Choose to empower yourself. Choose to prepare. Choose to take action. Choose to be the predator. Choose to be the Victor. Choose to live your life to the fullest.

This article comes from the book - The Dandelion Spirit by ML Gallagher
The Dandelion Spirit tells one woman's courageous journey away from abuse and into her one true self. Layer by layer M.L. Gallagher peels away Prince Charming's façade to reveal the terror of his lies and her descent into hell. With aching honesty, she illuminates her path back to life and leaves a trail for others to follow. One step at a time.

Available through The Dandelion Spirit

Brian Willis Winning
Mind Training Inc.
www.winningmindtraining.com

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Defensive Pistol Ammunition           The Best

Ammunition manufactured in the United States is among the finest in the world. For intended defensive uses, the gun owner will not go wrong in selecting ammunition produced by the most widely recognized manufacturers. These include CCI/Speer, Cor-Bon, Federal, Remington, and Winchester.

Allow no margin for error in protecting one's life. Avoid potentially unreliable ammunition that is hand loaded, re-loaded, or of dubious quality foreign manufacture when choosing defensive rounds.
In a self defense situation, the application of superior force on your part to dissipate a life threatening encounter with a criminal aggressor will require use of a gun ideally chambered for a round that possesses the following characteristics:

• As an absolute minimum, be capable of penetrating at least six to eight inches of bodily tissue.
• As a preferred minimum, be capable of penetrating at least ten to twelve inches of bodily tissue.
• As an absolute maximum, be capable of penetrating no more than eighteen inches of bodily tissue.

As a generality, it appears as though two distinct schools of thought exist: cartridge performance preference based on real world shooting data ("one shot stop" statistics) and cartridge performance preference based on bullet penetration data (derived from shooting into ballistic gelatin, used to simulate human tissue).

JHP - Jacketed Hollow Point. The bullet is constructed of a soft lead core enclosed in a hard metal jacket. The top of the bullet has an opening in the jacket, exposing a hollow lead core. Upon impact, the bullet is forced to open up and expand. This results in less penetration, but greater tissue damage due to the larger diameter of the now expanded bullet.

Recommendations: Handgun ammunition for self defense

.22 LR (Long Rifle) Caliber One Shot Stopping Success: 21-34% (Actual) Self Defense Rating: Poor

.25 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol) Caliber One Shot Stopping Success: 22-25% (Actual) Self Defense Rating : Very Poor

.32 ACP Caliber One Shot Stopping Success: 50-63% (Actual) Self Defense Rating: Fair

.380 ACP Caliber (9 mm Short, 9 x 17 mm, 9 mm Kurz) One Shot Stopping Success: 51-70% (Actual) Self Defense Rating: Good

Recommended Cartridges:	Bullet	Stopping %
Cor-Bon +P	JHP 90 grains	70%
Federal "Hydra-Shok"	JHP 90 grains	69%

9 mm Parabellum Caliber (9 mm Lugar, 9 mm NATO, 9 x 19 mm, 9 mm) One Shot Stopping Success: 63-91% (Actual) Self Defense Rating: Better

Recommended Cartridges:	Bullet	Stopping %
Cor-Bon +P	JHP 115 grains	91%
Federal +P+	JHP 115 grains	90%
Winchester +P+	JHP 115 grains	90%
Remington +P+	JHP 115 grains	89%
Federal "Hydra-Shok" +P+	JHP 124 grains	86%

.357 SIG Caliber One Shot Stopping Success: 59-89% (Theoretical) Self Defense Rating: Better

Recommended Cartridges:	Bullet	Stopping %
Cor-Bon "Sierra"	JHP 115 grains	89%
Federal	JHP 125 grains	88%
Hornady "XTP"	JHP 124 grains	87%

.357 Magnum Caliber One Shot Stopping Success: 68-96% (Actual) Self Defense Rating: Better

Recommended Cartridges:	Bullet	Stopping %
Remington	JHP 125 grains	96%
Federal	JHP 125 grains	96%
CCI	JHP 125 grains	93%
Federal	JHP 125 grains	90%

.40 Smith & Wesson Caliber One Shot Stopping Success: 71-96% (Actual) Self Defense Rating: Best

Recommended Cartridges:	Bullet	Stopping %
Cor-Bon "Nosler"	JHP 135 grains	96%
Federal	JHP 155 grains	94%
Remington "Golden Saber"	JHP 165 grains	94%
Federal "Hydra-Shok"	JHP 155 grains	93%
Cor-Bon	JHP 150 grains	92%
Winchester "Silvertip"	JHP 155 grains	91%
Federal "Hydra-Shok"	JHP 180 grains	89%

.45 ACP Caliber One Shot Stopping Success: 63-94% (Actual) Self Defense Rating: Best

Recommended Cartridges:	Bullet	Stopping %
Federal "Hydra-Shok"	JHP 230 grains	94%
Remington "Golden Saber"	JHP 230 grains	93%
Cor-Bon	JHP 185 grains	92%
Remington +P	JHP 185 grains	91%

From Internet Armory

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