srt 10 jimbo
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Someone Breaks into my home, I'll shoot first and ask questions later. Got Wife and 2 kids.
Serious opinions only, please.
- Thread starter CarolinaSRT10
- Start date
Scrambler1 said:
Chances are Joe, that it will be your neighbor's 13 year old daughter looking for change so that she could buy a new Mylie Cyrus album...too bad I guess.
includemeout
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And most of the time you would be correct ol learned oneProf said:
and that makes 4000 posts..........back to work I go :argh:
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Voodoo
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Prof said:
u ever been shot at by someone with bad intentions out in public??? ever been stabbed while sitting in a drive threw??? well i have!!! every time it happened it was not by me starting shit but being just a bystander. think i am ever going to let it happen again??? people are to unpredictable. this is my house and if someone breaks in, i am a gun owner and i am predictable!!!
ohhh yea and the time i went to go buy some beer and the guys who where sitting on the back of my jeep who did not want to get off the back, sorry for not having a pistol with me when u pulled the knife but i bet the workout u had from running while i was chasing you around the parking lot in the jeep was well worth it.
Well now that you mention it yes...as a matter of fact I still have little pieces that hit the shower floor from time to time as they work their way to the surface.
The NMR this morning had them vibrating like crazy...kinda tickled.
The NMR this morning had them vibrating like crazy...kinda tickled.
The Groundwork Has Already Been Laid for Martial Law
By John W. Whitehead
3/4/2009
During his two terms in office, George W. Bush stepped outside the boundaries of the Constitution and assembled an amazing toolbox of powers that greatly increased the authority of the Executive branch and the reach of the federal government.
Bush expanded presidential power to, among other things, allow government agents to secretly open the private mail of American citizens; authorize government agents to secretly, and illegally, listen in on the phone calls of American citizens and read our e-mails; assume control of the federal government following a "catastrophic event"; and declare martial law.
Thus, the groundwork was laid for an imperial presidency and a potentially totalitarian government--a state of affairs that has not ended with Barack Obama's ascension to the Oval Office, despite hopes to the contrary that President Obama would fully restore the balance between government and its citizens to a pre-Bush status quo. As Charlie Savage reports in the New York Times, "Signs suggest that the administration's changes may turn out to be less sweeping than many had hoped or feared--prompting growing worry among civil liberties groups and a sense of vindication among supporters of Bush-era policies."
The fact is that the problem is bigger than Obama or any individual who occupies the White House. Indeed, once the government assumes expansive powers and crosses certain constitutional lines, it's almost impossible to pull back.
Just consider some of the lines that have already been crossed.
The local police have, in many regards, already evolved into de facto extensions of the military. Dressed like Darth Vader look-alikes, the police have opted for the SWAT-team dress formally adopted by the federal agencies. Congressional legislation allows the U.S. military, by way of the Pentagon, to train civilian police. The Pentagon has also provided local police with military equipment such as M-16 rifles, bayonets, boats, vehicles, surveillance equipment, chemical suits and flak jackets, among other items. Thus, they are armed to the teeth.
We already have a federal police force comprised of Secret Service agents who are authorized to "carry firearms; make arrests without a warrant for any offense against the United States committed in their presence." A recent incident demonstrates the increased and immediate involvement of federal agents in local matters with the assistance of local police. Chip Harrison, a construction worker in Oklahoma, was pulled over by local police because of an anti-Obama sign proclaiming "Abort Obama, not the unborn" in his pickup truck window. The sign was confiscated by local police, and Harrison was informed that the sign could be considered a threat to the president. The local police contacted the Secret Service, who, within a matter of hours, came to Harrison's home and investigated the matter. So much for the freedom of expression.
According to the Army Times, we now have at least 20,000 U.S. military troops deployed within our borders to "help with civil unrest and crowd control or to deal with potentially horrific scenarios such as massive poisoning and chaos in response to a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high-yield explosive, or CBRNE, attack." I am not alone in believing that we are just one incident--be it a terrorist attack, a major financial blowout or a widespread natural disaster--away from martial law being declared in this country. And once that happens, the Constitution and Bill of Rights will be suspended and what government officials believe and do, no matter how arbitrary, will become law.
Our methods of communication are already being monitored--and, in some instances, shut down, abetted by the telecommunications giants, which act as extensions of the government. Thus, not only does the government have the ability to open and read our mail, it can also listen in on our phone calls and jam our cell phone calls. As the Washington Post reports, federal authorities already have the ability to jam cell phones and other wireless devices. Unbeknownst to the nearly two million people who attended the Obama Inauguration festivities, federal authorities jammed cell phone signals at specific locations. Such disruptions simply appear to be a dropped call or lost signal. Of course, such jamming could be conducted on a more extensive basis nationwide. This would prevent citizens from being able to communicate with one another or make appeals to their government representatives. Although jamming is technically illegal for state and local agencies, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) plans to introduce legislation to allow local police to "selectively" jam cell phones.
We already live in a surveillance state. There was a time when people could flee when the government got out of control. Now, with our every movement monitored by cameras on sidewalks, streets, ATMs, and in shops, offices, schools and parks, there truly is nowhere to hide. Moreover, equipped with high-powered satellites and massive databases, the government can track us using our cell phones, cars, credit cards, driver's licenses and passports.
For those who have been paying attention, such as former war correspondent Chris Hedges in his Truthdig article, "Bad News From America's Top Spy," it's clear that the groundwork for a seamless transition into martial law under a totalitarian state of government has been laid. And local law enforcement, which has already been serving as a de facto military force, will be the key to maintaining martial law under a police state. Given the interconnectedness of our federal, state and local agencies, you can be sure that all of this will happen quickly.
All that is needed is another threat to national security--a so-called "catastrophic event." Under the Bush administration, the danger was terrorism. Under the Obama administration, the economy is being posed as the greatest threat to national security.
This danger was made clear in a U.S. Army War College report issued last fall. As Hedges reports, "The military must be prepared, the document warned, for a 'violent, strategic dislocation inside the United States,' which could be provoked by 'unforeseen economic collapse,' 'purposeful domestic resistance,' 'pervasive public health emergencies' or 'loss of functioning political and legal order.' The 'widespread civil violence,' the document said, 'would force the defense establishment to reorient priorities in extremis to defend basic domestic order and human security.'"
What does all this mean for you and me, the average citizen? When and if martial law is declared, freedom, as we have known it, will be obsolete. And don't expect much in the way of warning or help from the corporate media. As the war in Iraq showed, they are all too willing to be co-opted by the military for the sake of access and ratings. And there will be many Americans who won't know what's happening. They'll be too busy watching the latest entertainment spectacle and trying to guess the next American Idol.
Thankfully, we have not yet reached the point of no hope. But it must be acknowledged that the average American simply does not have the ability to withstand a totalitarian government.
Right now, all we can do is sound the alarm. Become educated. Form local citizens groups in your community. Educate your neighbors on their rights and inform them about the grave possibilities we face in the event of a government-declared emergency. Keep in almost near-constant contact with your representatives in Congress and voice your discontent. Most of all, stay informed and exercise your right to redress your grievances with the government while you still can.
As abolitionist Wendell Phillips once proclaimed:
Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty--power is ever stealing from the many to the few.... The hand entrusted with power becomes ... the necessary enemy of the people. Only by continual oversight can the democrat in office be prevented from hardening into a despot.
Here's the Link:http://www.rutherford.org/articles_db/commentary.asp?record_id=581
By John W. Whitehead
3/4/2009
During his two terms in office, George W. Bush stepped outside the boundaries of the Constitution and assembled an amazing toolbox of powers that greatly increased the authority of the Executive branch and the reach of the federal government.
Bush expanded presidential power to, among other things, allow government agents to secretly open the private mail of American citizens; authorize government agents to secretly, and illegally, listen in on the phone calls of American citizens and read our e-mails; assume control of the federal government following a "catastrophic event"; and declare martial law.
Thus, the groundwork was laid for an imperial presidency and a potentially totalitarian government--a state of affairs that has not ended with Barack Obama's ascension to the Oval Office, despite hopes to the contrary that President Obama would fully restore the balance between government and its citizens to a pre-Bush status quo. As Charlie Savage reports in the New York Times, "Signs suggest that the administration's changes may turn out to be less sweeping than many had hoped or feared--prompting growing worry among civil liberties groups and a sense of vindication among supporters of Bush-era policies."
The fact is that the problem is bigger than Obama or any individual who occupies the White House. Indeed, once the government assumes expansive powers and crosses certain constitutional lines, it's almost impossible to pull back.
Just consider some of the lines that have already been crossed.
The local police have, in many regards, already evolved into de facto extensions of the military. Dressed like Darth Vader look-alikes, the police have opted for the SWAT-team dress formally adopted by the federal agencies. Congressional legislation allows the U.S. military, by way of the Pentagon, to train civilian police. The Pentagon has also provided local police with military equipment such as M-16 rifles, bayonets, boats, vehicles, surveillance equipment, chemical suits and flak jackets, among other items. Thus, they are armed to the teeth.
We already have a federal police force comprised of Secret Service agents who are authorized to "carry firearms; make arrests without a warrant for any offense against the United States committed in their presence." A recent incident demonstrates the increased and immediate involvement of federal agents in local matters with the assistance of local police. Chip Harrison, a construction worker in Oklahoma, was pulled over by local police because of an anti-Obama sign proclaiming "Abort Obama, not the unborn" in his pickup truck window. The sign was confiscated by local police, and Harrison was informed that the sign could be considered a threat to the president. The local police contacted the Secret Service, who, within a matter of hours, came to Harrison's home and investigated the matter. So much for the freedom of expression.
According to the Army Times, we now have at least 20,000 U.S. military troops deployed within our borders to "help with civil unrest and crowd control or to deal with potentially horrific scenarios such as massive poisoning and chaos in response to a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high-yield explosive, or CBRNE, attack." I am not alone in believing that we are just one incident--be it a terrorist attack, a major financial blowout or a widespread natural disaster--away from martial law being declared in this country. And once that happens, the Constitution and Bill of Rights will be suspended and what government officials believe and do, no matter how arbitrary, will become law.
Our methods of communication are already being monitored--and, in some instances, shut down, abetted by the telecommunications giants, which act as extensions of the government. Thus, not only does the government have the ability to open and read our mail, it can also listen in on our phone calls and jam our cell phone calls. As the Washington Post reports, federal authorities already have the ability to jam cell phones and other wireless devices. Unbeknownst to the nearly two million people who attended the Obama Inauguration festivities, federal authorities jammed cell phone signals at specific locations. Such disruptions simply appear to be a dropped call or lost signal. Of course, such jamming could be conducted on a more extensive basis nationwide. This would prevent citizens from being able to communicate with one another or make appeals to their government representatives. Although jamming is technically illegal for state and local agencies, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) plans to introduce legislation to allow local police to "selectively" jam cell phones.
We already live in a surveillance state. There was a time when people could flee when the government got out of control. Now, with our every movement monitored by cameras on sidewalks, streets, ATMs, and in shops, offices, schools and parks, there truly is nowhere to hide. Moreover, equipped with high-powered satellites and massive databases, the government can track us using our cell phones, cars, credit cards, driver's licenses and passports.
For those who have been paying attention, such as former war correspondent Chris Hedges in his Truthdig article, "Bad News From America's Top Spy," it's clear that the groundwork for a seamless transition into martial law under a totalitarian state of government has been laid. And local law enforcement, which has already been serving as a de facto military force, will be the key to maintaining martial law under a police state. Given the interconnectedness of our federal, state and local agencies, you can be sure that all of this will happen quickly.
All that is needed is another threat to national security--a so-called "catastrophic event." Under the Bush administration, the danger was terrorism. Under the Obama administration, the economy is being posed as the greatest threat to national security.
This danger was made clear in a U.S. Army War College report issued last fall. As Hedges reports, "The military must be prepared, the document warned, for a 'violent, strategic dislocation inside the United States,' which could be provoked by 'unforeseen economic collapse,' 'purposeful domestic resistance,' 'pervasive public health emergencies' or 'loss of functioning political and legal order.' The 'widespread civil violence,' the document said, 'would force the defense establishment to reorient priorities in extremis to defend basic domestic order and human security.'"
What does all this mean for you and me, the average citizen? When and if martial law is declared, freedom, as we have known it, will be obsolete. And don't expect much in the way of warning or help from the corporate media. As the war in Iraq showed, they are all too willing to be co-opted by the military for the sake of access and ratings. And there will be many Americans who won't know what's happening. They'll be too busy watching the latest entertainment spectacle and trying to guess the next American Idol.
Thankfully, we have not yet reached the point of no hope. But it must be acknowledged that the average American simply does not have the ability to withstand a totalitarian government.
Right now, all we can do is sound the alarm. Become educated. Form local citizens groups in your community. Educate your neighbors on their rights and inform them about the grave possibilities we face in the event of a government-declared emergency. Keep in almost near-constant contact with your representatives in Congress and voice your discontent. Most of all, stay informed and exercise your right to redress your grievances with the government while you still can.
As abolitionist Wendell Phillips once proclaimed:
Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty--power is ever stealing from the many to the few.... The hand entrusted with power becomes ... the necessary enemy of the people. Only by continual oversight can the democrat in office be prevented from hardening into a despot.
Here's the Link:http://www.rutherford.org/articles_db/commentary.asp?record_id=581
andrew heywood
Full Access Member
Thanks Dawg, it is a shame about sep 11, that was the pivotal point for W to enact all this crazy crap, man that read is enlighting, I hope we never see it come to martial law in the U.S............I like how they stipulate to use your local congressman ....................again very informative read, our poor constitution .............long may she wave.
George Bush and his people destroyed a lot of what it took 200 years to build. All due to fear. I hope there is a road back...
Not with Obama.Prof said:
andrew heywood
Full Access Member
What blows my mind is how they got away with dismanteling the structure of it.Prof said:
It was more then just bush it was also bubba, but this is precisley the point we just try and shift the blame from one party to the other when neither of them really gives 2 shits, That is a sign of Government growing to big. We are here to protect the Constitution and the USA not the assholes we elected from the lies that proceded forth from there mouth. Now it is up to us to fix what they have been Messing up for 20yrs and taking away more of are liberties and we let it happen. For us vets remember the part of our oath that said we must protect our country from enemies foriegn and domestic, well I never understood the domestic part until the past few years.Just some thought.
Black1
Full Access Member
andrew heywood
Full Access Member
I hope there is a lot military that share this view with you:congrats:DevilDawg3097 said:
andrew heywood
Full Access Member
Wonder what direction it will take jake, it is good to be prepared :rock:Black1 said:
:rock:
supercar1of1
Full Access Member
DevilDawg3097 said:
Yep! Several of Ga's legislators were found to have not paid or filed a tax return for several years.
Another (repub) introduced legislation today that made it mandatory for Ga., politicians pay their taxes, but the bill was voted down.
It's time folks.
.
supercar1of1
Full Access Member
andrew heywood said:
There is, and LEO's too.:rock: :marchmellow: :marchmellow: :marchmellow:
.
Well that depends on if they love the country or love there partyandrew heywood said:
I do know one thing the Fortress will be hard to infiltrate:marchmellow: Another thing people forget they say how can we go up against the US military like they did in the Revolution, very easy 1. we know how they operate 2. we know what it takes to beat there systems since we where the ones at one point using them. With that said I hope I am not around to see that day because violence should always be the last resort not the first, but If I am, I will give my life for this country as I did when I was in. But until that day you can not worry about it or it will make you sick. Plus like I said early if a meteor or asteroid hits us all this shit is irrelevant:marchmellow:
Black1
Full Access Member
andrew heywood said:Wonder what direction it will take jake, it is good to be prepared :rock:
Who knows what direction this current climate will take us.... My crystal ball is broken. :dontknow: Any conjecture on the subject of what "could" happen is almost pointless, IMO, because even if we knew it would already be too late.
If you are really serious about protecting yourself and your family, there are many courses and many books you could read. The best action towards being prepared is getting TRAINING. A gun won't do you a damn bit of good if you can't hit the broad side of a barn with it..... or if you don't have a plan in place before hand. The absolute WORST time to train with a firearm is after you hear glass breaking in your hallway at 3am.
Take a class.... it WILL save your life. Here are a few highly acclaimed training facilities:
http://www.thunderranchinc.com/
http://www.defenseassociates.com/index.html
http://www.sigsaueracademy.com/
http://www.gunsite.com/
http://www.usshootingacademy.com/
These aren't some backwoods "militia boys" places, either.... They are professional training facilities. Most train government units, and police departments.... along with civilians.
Black1
Full Access Member
Shadow Figures: Assessing Criminal Threats
Bill Oliver
In the early 1980s I set about to look the devil in the eye, to learn all I could about dangerous criminal behavior. After a twenty year odyssey of working with the most dangerous inmate-patients that the state of California had incarcerated, I learned some lessons that might aid the concealed license holder in understanding the mindset, motives, and methods of the "shadow figures" we are defending ourselves against.
The first twelve years of this odyssey was at Atascadero State Hospital, which houses violent, mentally ill offenders. Then the odyssey led to a supermax prison, Pelican Bay State Prison in northern California, where I helped to open and operate the Psychiatric Services Unit (PSU) for five years. Before retirement, the road led back to Atascadero State hospital to work for four years with Sexually Violent Predators (SVP.) After thousands of hours of discussions with inmate-patients, studying the nature of the criminal mentality, I found a lot of valuable information about how victims are picked and the criminal's mindset at the moments leading up to, and during a violent assault.
The very first piece of knowledge to pass on is that the devil never looks like the devil; he looks very ordinary in most respects. An effective predator will be a chameleon and fit into the environment he is hunting. Visualize the mentality a deer hunter must use to stalk prey, and realize that to some individuals, you are the prey.
Violence is not personal
To you and me, the idea of being targeted for victimization is very personal and life altering. But to the violent predator, you are an object to be moved out of the way to get his need met. He has spent a lifetime rationalizing his actions, and you are simply the means to an end. More often than not, the violent predator will be under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or psychological desensitization, which makes it much easier to do anything to you. To the criminal, violence or simply taking what they want by any means is a way of life. They are often victims of violence themselves, and they see it as a perfectly normal behavior.
How often have you heard that it is safer to comply with the orders of a violent offender? "Give them what they want." My experience tells me that this is sound advice only for a short period of time in order to deceive the violent offender into giving you the opportunity to decisively turn the tables. The violent predator already perceives you as an object. The more compliant you appear to be, the more contempt for you he will overtly display.
A multiple-murderer named J.A typified the motive of a lot of violent predators. He was robbing a convenience store in Texas and the woman teller complied with his orders promptly and offered no resistance of any kind. When asked why he shot her in the head if she was doing everything he told her to do, he replied in a cold, matter of fact way, "I killed her because I could; why leave a witness?" The fact that this woman had several children meant nothing to him. Most crimes are done because the criminal believes he can do it and get away with it. The overwhelming reason comes down to, "I killed because I could!"
Violent criminals will commit crimes and generally see it as your fault that you made yourself vulnerable to them by letting your guard down. It would be great if all violent offenders pulled knives or guns and yelled from a hundred feet away as they ran at you, but that is not the case. Usually violent offenders have a history behind bars, and in prison it is a deadly mistake to telegraph your intent to be violent, so they learn that the best way to launch an attack is by being casual, smiling, and not drawing attention before the attack. This often means engaging in conversation or other interaction before a violent attack.
In a conversation with Charles Manson, while he was housed at Pelican Bay, he talked about how he entered the unlocked home of the LaBianca family and was smiling and non-threatening as he let it be known that he was there to rob them. He was by his own words, "kind and even joked and reassured Mr. LaBianca" that his intent was not violent as he tied up Mr. Labianca. Mr. LaBianca was deceived by his inability to imagine his own victimization beyond being robbed.
In his closing statements during Charles Manson's trial, Vincent Bugliosi recalled the testimony of Linda Kasabian, who testified that she had heard Manson say that he had tied the LaBianca's hands and told them not to be afraid, that he was not going to hurt them. He went on to say:
"In addition to those instructions, ladies and gentlemen, Linda also recalls hearing Manson telling Tex, Katie, and Leslie not to cause fear and panic to the people … She testified: "It keeps ringing in my head that he said, 'Don't let them know you are going to kill them.'" Now, wasn't that considerate, wasn't that considerate of Charles Manson?
"Since Manson was able to leave Mr. and Mrs. LaBianca in their home all by themselves while he walked back to the car, we can assume that Mr. and Mrs. LaBianca believed Charles Manson when he told them that everything was going to be all right and he was not going to hurt them. If they didn't believe him, right after he left, it seems to me that one thing they could have done would be to run out of the house, to get help. There is evidence that Leno's wrists were tied. There is no evidence that Leno and Rosemary had their feet tied. So if they did not fall for Charles Manson's lies when he left the house, they could have ran out of the house for help, or they could have locked the door. … Manson probably left them still alive with pillowcases over their heads, and they probably thought he was just some freaked-out hippie, and if they did everything he told them to do and did not resist him, no harm would come to them. To fool the LaBiancas, ladies and gentlemen, Charles Manson had to wear the same mask that he is wearing in this court, just a peace-loving individual. In assuring them everything was going to be all right, and not to be afraid, obviously Manson had to talk to Mr. and Mrs. LaBianca. Can't you just picture the scene, ladies and gentlemen, Leno and Rosemary with pillowcases over their heads, Manson saying to them: 'You two piggies just stay put, now, and everything is going to be all right.'
"And then silently snaking, snaking out of that residence to go down and get his bloodthirsty robots. Mr. and Mrs. LaBianca had no way of knowing that Charles Manson and his soft voice, his soft demeanor, was preparing them for their horrible death."[1]
It is a common occurrence for a violent offender to use deception to mentally disarm a potential victim. Serial killer Ted Bundy would pretend to have a broken arm and be in need of assistance, knowing full well that people tend to see injured people as being harmless. He then used the cast on his hand as a weapon. The theme of needing assistance is used often to get close to and mentally disarm a potential victim.
Using a woman or child to distract you and have you let your guard down is not that uncommon. I worked with one individual who would use his wife and child as bait to abduct women whom he imprisoned in his basement. He would rape and kill these women in his private torture chamber while his wife was fully aware, but complied out of fear for herself and child. Some predators manipulate women or young teenagers to become willing partners in the crime. Take nothing at face value too quickly.
While working with the Treasury Department in the mid 1970s, I heard about a woman who was carjacked and abducted. The abductor forced her to drive out into the country. She realized she had to do something to prevent being raped and probably murdered. She decided to fake a seizure. She flopped her head into the abductor's lap and began shaking and trying to throw up on the guy, spitting and gagging. The abductor became distracted with trying to control the steering wheel as the car was free wheeling down the road. The abductor got control of the car and stopped it on the shoulder, then jumped out of the car to see if she had thrown up on him. The woman slammed the door and quickly drove away while the abductor stood on the side of the road, totally rattled. The woman used deception to take control of the situation and used her wits.
It is perfectly all right to pretend to comply with a violent offender until such time as you can distract, deceive, or get distance from him, prior to using anything at your disposal to turn the tables, and if required, use a lethal response. His violence is not personal, and your response must also not be personal--but it must be decisive.
Actual danger or paranoia?
We have numerous unexpected interactions; rarely will an interaction be of any danger to anyone. But not all interactions are as they seem. Being aware of all possibilities, even the extreme ones, will give you more mental tools to assess all possible situations. Even some potentially dangerous interactions do not require the use of a lethal response. I carry two wallets so that if some mugger is foolish enough to want to rob me, I may give him the wallet in my right pocket which carries nothing of real value. The other wallet carries those things I hold more valuable. The reasoning is that if I determine that a mugger is not interested in anything but money, I may well give him my fake wallet rather than resort to lethal force. To fake compliance will tend to disarm him mentally and give me the advantage no matter what my decision is. Being a big, ugly, biker type, I seem to rarely attract aggressiveness but it might well be worth giving a foolish mugger a worthless wallet rather than deal with the issues involved with use of lethal force, if it is not absolutely required.
A killer's mindset once the tables turn
So what do you do when you have no doubt that you are being confronted with a violent assault and you have bought yourself, by accurate assessment of a criminal's dangerous intent, a few seconds to react? The predator will not be looking for a fair fight. He will be vulnerable by believing that he has caught you unprepared. He will not be debating the right or wrong of taking your life, and he will not be slowed down by any moral conflict. He has committed himself to making you his victim. The predator will not be concerned about what some paper will write tomorrow or what some lawyer will say. The situation has moved to the absolute here and now, with no yesterday or tomorrow that needs to be considered.
I have talked with people who express some doubt about being able to shoot another human being, and it is good that they have empathy for others. However, when I ask them how long they would hesitate to shoot someone who was killing their child, or mother, or husband, there's no hesitation and doubt at all. Most people would hesitate out of denial that their own life was at risk, but they would not hesitate to shoot to save the life of a loved one who was in the exact same situation.
Train for motor skill, train to improve speed, and train to improve your ability with a gun or other weapon. But more vital: train your mind to realize that you are learning to shoot so that your family is protected from the violent predator that would destroy the lives of all who love you by causing harm to you. To save the life of your child, wife, husband, mother or father you must find that which will momentarily bring out the killer instinct in every sheep dog. The article is called Shadow Figures because the violent predator has little more in common with a real human being than the silhouette target you use to practice.
Your handgun is the final argument in a life and death altercation. Do not rely on it before you use the weapons of your wits, observation ability, and creative thinking to assess and avoid if at all possible, danger in any situation.
Bill Oliver
In the early 1980s I set about to look the devil in the eye, to learn all I could about dangerous criminal behavior. After a twenty year odyssey of working with the most dangerous inmate-patients that the state of California had incarcerated, I learned some lessons that might aid the concealed license holder in understanding the mindset, motives, and methods of the "shadow figures" we are defending ourselves against.
The first twelve years of this odyssey was at Atascadero State Hospital, which houses violent, mentally ill offenders. Then the odyssey led to a supermax prison, Pelican Bay State Prison in northern California, where I helped to open and operate the Psychiatric Services Unit (PSU) for five years. Before retirement, the road led back to Atascadero State hospital to work for four years with Sexually Violent Predators (SVP.) After thousands of hours of discussions with inmate-patients, studying the nature of the criminal mentality, I found a lot of valuable information about how victims are picked and the criminal's mindset at the moments leading up to, and during a violent assault.
The very first piece of knowledge to pass on is that the devil never looks like the devil; he looks very ordinary in most respects. An effective predator will be a chameleon and fit into the environment he is hunting. Visualize the mentality a deer hunter must use to stalk prey, and realize that to some individuals, you are the prey.
Violence is not personal
To you and me, the idea of being targeted for victimization is very personal and life altering. But to the violent predator, you are an object to be moved out of the way to get his need met. He has spent a lifetime rationalizing his actions, and you are simply the means to an end. More often than not, the violent predator will be under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or psychological desensitization, which makes it much easier to do anything to you. To the criminal, violence or simply taking what they want by any means is a way of life. They are often victims of violence themselves, and they see it as a perfectly normal behavior.
How often have you heard that it is safer to comply with the orders of a violent offender? "Give them what they want." My experience tells me that this is sound advice only for a short period of time in order to deceive the violent offender into giving you the opportunity to decisively turn the tables. The violent predator already perceives you as an object. The more compliant you appear to be, the more contempt for you he will overtly display.
A multiple-murderer named J.A typified the motive of a lot of violent predators. He was robbing a convenience store in Texas and the woman teller complied with his orders promptly and offered no resistance of any kind. When asked why he shot her in the head if she was doing everything he told her to do, he replied in a cold, matter of fact way, "I killed her because I could; why leave a witness?" The fact that this woman had several children meant nothing to him. Most crimes are done because the criminal believes he can do it and get away with it. The overwhelming reason comes down to, "I killed because I could!"
Violent criminals will commit crimes and generally see it as your fault that you made yourself vulnerable to them by letting your guard down. It would be great if all violent offenders pulled knives or guns and yelled from a hundred feet away as they ran at you, but that is not the case. Usually violent offenders have a history behind bars, and in prison it is a deadly mistake to telegraph your intent to be violent, so they learn that the best way to launch an attack is by being casual, smiling, and not drawing attention before the attack. This often means engaging in conversation or other interaction before a violent attack.
In a conversation with Charles Manson, while he was housed at Pelican Bay, he talked about how he entered the unlocked home of the LaBianca family and was smiling and non-threatening as he let it be known that he was there to rob them. He was by his own words, "kind and even joked and reassured Mr. LaBianca" that his intent was not violent as he tied up Mr. Labianca. Mr. LaBianca was deceived by his inability to imagine his own victimization beyond being robbed.
In his closing statements during Charles Manson's trial, Vincent Bugliosi recalled the testimony of Linda Kasabian, who testified that she had heard Manson say that he had tied the LaBianca's hands and told them not to be afraid, that he was not going to hurt them. He went on to say:
"In addition to those instructions, ladies and gentlemen, Linda also recalls hearing Manson telling Tex, Katie, and Leslie not to cause fear and panic to the people … She testified: "It keeps ringing in my head that he said, 'Don't let them know you are going to kill them.'" Now, wasn't that considerate, wasn't that considerate of Charles Manson?
"Since Manson was able to leave Mr. and Mrs. LaBianca in their home all by themselves while he walked back to the car, we can assume that Mr. and Mrs. LaBianca believed Charles Manson when he told them that everything was going to be all right and he was not going to hurt them. If they didn't believe him, right after he left, it seems to me that one thing they could have done would be to run out of the house, to get help. There is evidence that Leno's wrists were tied. There is no evidence that Leno and Rosemary had their feet tied. So if they did not fall for Charles Manson's lies when he left the house, they could have ran out of the house for help, or they could have locked the door. … Manson probably left them still alive with pillowcases over their heads, and they probably thought he was just some freaked-out hippie, and if they did everything he told them to do and did not resist him, no harm would come to them. To fool the LaBiancas, ladies and gentlemen, Charles Manson had to wear the same mask that he is wearing in this court, just a peace-loving individual. In assuring them everything was going to be all right, and not to be afraid, obviously Manson had to talk to Mr. and Mrs. LaBianca. Can't you just picture the scene, ladies and gentlemen, Leno and Rosemary with pillowcases over their heads, Manson saying to them: 'You two piggies just stay put, now, and everything is going to be all right.'
"And then silently snaking, snaking out of that residence to go down and get his bloodthirsty robots. Mr. and Mrs. LaBianca had no way of knowing that Charles Manson and his soft voice, his soft demeanor, was preparing them for their horrible death."[1]
It is a common occurrence for a violent offender to use deception to mentally disarm a potential victim. Serial killer Ted Bundy would pretend to have a broken arm and be in need of assistance, knowing full well that people tend to see injured people as being harmless. He then used the cast on his hand as a weapon. The theme of needing assistance is used often to get close to and mentally disarm a potential victim.
Using a woman or child to distract you and have you let your guard down is not that uncommon. I worked with one individual who would use his wife and child as bait to abduct women whom he imprisoned in his basement. He would rape and kill these women in his private torture chamber while his wife was fully aware, but complied out of fear for herself and child. Some predators manipulate women or young teenagers to become willing partners in the crime. Take nothing at face value too quickly.
While working with the Treasury Department in the mid 1970s, I heard about a woman who was carjacked and abducted. The abductor forced her to drive out into the country. She realized she had to do something to prevent being raped and probably murdered. She decided to fake a seizure. She flopped her head into the abductor's lap and began shaking and trying to throw up on the guy, spitting and gagging. The abductor became distracted with trying to control the steering wheel as the car was free wheeling down the road. The abductor got control of the car and stopped it on the shoulder, then jumped out of the car to see if she had thrown up on him. The woman slammed the door and quickly drove away while the abductor stood on the side of the road, totally rattled. The woman used deception to take control of the situation and used her wits.
It is perfectly all right to pretend to comply with a violent offender until such time as you can distract, deceive, or get distance from him, prior to using anything at your disposal to turn the tables, and if required, use a lethal response. His violence is not personal, and your response must also not be personal--but it must be decisive.
Actual danger or paranoia?
We have numerous unexpected interactions; rarely will an interaction be of any danger to anyone. But not all interactions are as they seem. Being aware of all possibilities, even the extreme ones, will give you more mental tools to assess all possible situations. Even some potentially dangerous interactions do not require the use of a lethal response. I carry two wallets so that if some mugger is foolish enough to want to rob me, I may give him the wallet in my right pocket which carries nothing of real value. The other wallet carries those things I hold more valuable. The reasoning is that if I determine that a mugger is not interested in anything but money, I may well give him my fake wallet rather than resort to lethal force. To fake compliance will tend to disarm him mentally and give me the advantage no matter what my decision is. Being a big, ugly, biker type, I seem to rarely attract aggressiveness but it might well be worth giving a foolish mugger a worthless wallet rather than deal with the issues involved with use of lethal force, if it is not absolutely required.
A killer's mindset once the tables turn
So what do you do when you have no doubt that you are being confronted with a violent assault and you have bought yourself, by accurate assessment of a criminal's dangerous intent, a few seconds to react? The predator will not be looking for a fair fight. He will be vulnerable by believing that he has caught you unprepared. He will not be debating the right or wrong of taking your life, and he will not be slowed down by any moral conflict. He has committed himself to making you his victim. The predator will not be concerned about what some paper will write tomorrow or what some lawyer will say. The situation has moved to the absolute here and now, with no yesterday or tomorrow that needs to be considered.
I have talked with people who express some doubt about being able to shoot another human being, and it is good that they have empathy for others. However, when I ask them how long they would hesitate to shoot someone who was killing their child, or mother, or husband, there's no hesitation and doubt at all. Most people would hesitate out of denial that their own life was at risk, but they would not hesitate to shoot to save the life of a loved one who was in the exact same situation.
Train for motor skill, train to improve speed, and train to improve your ability with a gun or other weapon. But more vital: train your mind to realize that you are learning to shoot so that your family is protected from the violent predator that would destroy the lives of all who love you by causing harm to you. To save the life of your child, wife, husband, mother or father you must find that which will momentarily bring out the killer instinct in every sheep dog. The article is called Shadow Figures because the violent predator has little more in common with a real human being than the silhouette target you use to practice.
Your handgun is the final argument in a life and death altercation. Do not rely on it before you use the weapons of your wits, observation ability, and creative thinking to assess and avoid if at all possible, danger in any situation.
andrew heywood
Full Access Member
Learned to shoot useing a peep scope, the new fangeld jobs make it that much easier, course my magnum research 50 cal took the better part of a day, to put 2 rounds threw the same hole, this is a damn good thread,gotta go read that long post of yoursBlack1 said:Who knows what direction this current climate will take us.... My crystal ball is broken. :dontknow: Any conjecture on the subject of what "could" happen is almost pointless, IMO, because even if we knew it would already be too late.
If you are really serious about protecting yourself and your family, there are many courses and many books you could read. The best action towards being prepared is getting TRAINING. A gun won't do you a damn bit of good if you can't hit the broad side of a barn with it..... or if you don't have a plan in place before hand. The absolute WORST time to train with a firearm is after you hear glass breaking in your hallway at 3am.
Here are a few highly acclaimed training facilities:
http://www.thunderranchinc.com/
http://www.defenseassociates.com/index.html
http://www.sigsaueracademy.com/
http://www.gunsite.com/
http://www.usshootingacademy.com/
These aren't some backwoods "militia boys" places, either.... They are professional training facilities. Most train government units, and police departments.... along with civilians.
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