Recent tragedies should serve as a reminder to us all that there is no place where we are truly safe. Military installations, courthouses, schools, churches and just about every other place you can think of have been scenes of senseless violence. And to come home, lock the doors and think we are protected from all the bad things in the world is probably the most foolish idea of all.
It is critical to remember you are responsible for your own safety. Certainly, there are times when the police arrive in time to stop the violence before anyone gets hurt, but you just can't rely on that happening. To take the position: "I don't have to worry because there are armed cops around here," is a sign you just might be in Terminal Condition White. Terminal Condition White is my terminology, but I think Col. Cooper would have approved.
Wherever you might be, you must continually ask yourself some questions. Are there people around me who do not seem to fit in? Where is the closest cover that will stop bullets? Where are the closest exits? And, when I am forced to be unarmed by law or policy, what objects around me can serve as impromptu defensive tools?
We must be willing to continually modify our defensive plan to allow for new locations and new situations. We develop a realistic defensive plan by sharing ideas with others, by getting professional training geared toward fighting instead of target shooting and by being willing to think outside of the box.
Do you have such a plan? How flexible is it? After all, it's just your life and the lives of your loved ones that depend on it.
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