What should a free man do?

It matters

A few days ago, I was exchanging emails with a woman on certain security matters.  In part, she wrote the following:

On another note - eight women were together on Saturday at a retreat (including me) - Carol, one of the Mom's related the story of a muslim foreign exchange student who, after spending the year with the family, said at leaving - "when I return for jihad, I will kill you first and then your children" - several of the Mom's were shocked - this was their first exposure to islam.

Only the name has been changed.

It matters what this student/jihadi said to this woman and her family.  From my perspective, it matters most that he might have been serious.

I suggested to the woman I was chatting with that she advise her friend as follows:

• Report the threat to the local police and to the FBI
• Include sworn written statemenst from any/all other witnesses
• Send pictures of the student and any/all associates to the cops/FBI... but keep the originals
• If the man is seen again, immediately report his return to the cops/FBI

If this ever happens to you, do the same.

Carry on, unerschrocken.

Protection

I was recently asked to send "security" advice to someone who's been threatened by some Muslims. Edited here is basically what I wrote in the emails I sent.

First of all, security is when you lock the door behind you.  Protection is when there's a threat of you being injured or killed by someone else and you decide to do someting about it.  That's how I define it, anyway.

This all assumes you live in the city. Start at the curb, going in:

• If you have security at the door and think they're inadequate or incompetent, contact the company and complain until you get the guards you want.
• If you're approaching the door to your place, whether on foot or in a cab, and you don't see the usual guard or doorman, look to see if there is someone else in his or her place. When he sees you, does he give some sort of hand or head signal to someone watching out of your sight, does he look over his shoulder and nod or make a cell phone call as you're approaching?  If so, don't go in.  Call to see if the family inside the house are okay.
• You have to plan and rehearse all potential scenarios with your family, if you have one.  If you're a target, don't be an easy one.  
• If there is a guard or doorman you trust, you might consider setting up visual duress signals so he can let you know of danger close, before it gets too close. Consider whether it would be wise to give this guard your cell phone number as a second method of communication. You should have the phone numbers for the security desk and cell phone numbers so you can call before you arrive to see if everything's okay. Guard should have verbal duress codes to use to alert you of danger, such as: Your car is ready for pick-up.  
• If you live in an apartment of condo, depending upon the floor you live on, you shouldn't take either the stairs or the elevator all the time. Alternate stairs/elevator every day and mix it up.  For example: one day walk up to the 3rd floor and then get on the elevator going up to 12, then walk up to 15 and then catch the elevator down to your floor on 7. Or whatever.  Next day, take the elevator to 6 and then walk up to 9, ride down to 7. Don't be predictable. 
• If you're catching a lift in the lobby and there's someone already in the elevator when the doors open and he/she doesn't get out, don't get in that car. Step away from the door and move to the side.
• If you're in an elevator and some suspicious person steps in, push all the floor buttons, that way the car will be stopping every 5-10 seconds giving you a chance to step off or for help to get on.
• Ideally, you should be living between the 4th and 7th floors ~ too high for bad-guys to jump to, but low enough for fire ladders and SWAT teams.
• Use all available exit/entry doors.  Don't be predictable.
• Be looking for unusual things/people near your front door, something close enough blow you up when you stop to unlock your door or someone close enough to rush you when you open it. If you see that, keep walking by as though you don't live there.  If your family is inside, call and make sure they're okay. Consider duress codes you can use in case they're being listened to. Call the police and ask them to help you, in this case, or security if they're competent.
• Buy and install the best deadbolt locks you can afford for the exterior doors. Chain-locks don't help. Check out these products here.
• Once inside, announce to everyone that you're home and make it SOP that they respond to you verbally when you call to them.  You're taking a head-count, getting them to tell you they're okay.
• I'll talk about handguns later but immediately consider buying a shotgun, if you don't have one already. 

Just remember this; for now: if anyone approaches or attacks you in the city streets and seems to be trying to take you from that spot, fight them then and there. You'll have a much better chance of getting help there at that spot than at the spot they're trying to take you... and kill you. When you fight, don't shout Help! Nobody will come.  Shout FIRE!
 
Inside the house, some thoughts:

• You need to have a plan for what you will do if this happens or that happens, whatever bad thing that might come through the door or be waiting for you on the other side of one. The plan(s) has to be simple, easy to remember and practice and needs to be rehearsed once a month at least.
• The plan(s) needs to take into account your current self-protection profile: armed or un. But if you get a shotgun or pistol, redo the plan to take the weapons into account, but keep the unarmed plan too.
• An armed response plan needs to take into consideration where you might be shooting from ~ is it cover and will stop a bullet or just concealment that will hide you ~ and where you'll be shooting to ~ is the wall over there thick enough to stop a 12 ga shotgun round or a 9mm pistol round. Etc.
• Can you set up a safe-room in the house? Needs good lock, reinforced door and frame, comms such as a charged extra cell phone, first aid, some sort of weapon; if no gun, then a sword. Yea, a sword.
• Such as this: this one, shown below, which is definitely sharpened for combat.

• Or this one below, which might be sharpened for combat, I can't tell for sure. If this one isn't sharpened, I'd still buy at least two, maybe one for each room, and get then sharpened to combat quality.

• One of my favorites is here, shown below.  Very simple.  Um, you might have to click on a couple links to find this one, once you get to this knife's site.

• Another good one is right here.  

• A good thing about these is they're easy to find and buy, and can be sharpened very easily. Too, you can cut a broom handle or something to the same length of the sword and have a great practice tool.
• If you buy one/some of these, have them sharpened so that they cut meat easily. Depending on the threat at your place, don't have them in their sheaths. Have them hanging unsheathed at about knee level so you can grab it as you run by it or reach it from the floor. The hooks should be strong enough to hold the weapon but not so strong that you can't pull the whole thing out of the wall if you need to do so. The backs of doors is often a good spot.
• Of course, these mounting suggestions have to take into consideration house guests and the general decor of your place.
• As for knives you can carry on your person, go to an outdoor gear store and handle knives, don't buy online. You want one with a stud/bolt on both sides of the blade so you can open it one-handed with either hand, which is something you will practice faithfully, right?  Studs/bolts are different size/locations on the blade, some don't have a stud/bolt but a large hole. Find what feels best in your hands, which one opens easiest for you. But at least two. You can get good ones for around $20.  You don't need the super-priced ones. Get them sharpened up real good.  One goes in your coat pocket dedicated to just that knife.  There's no business cards or gum or anything in that easily-reached/opened pocket but that knife.  Oh, yea, it should have a belt clip on it too.  

Knife attacks 

• Here is a very good practice video for Krav Maga, defense against knife attack. 
• Here is one on taking a gun from someone about to shoot you in the head. 
• As for when you might have to use a knife as a defensive weapon, remember your best defense will be a good offense. When shooting, the best place to aim is the Center of Mass (CM) of your attacker, usually in the chest area, because this is the easiest to hit and there are vital organs there.
• CM for you in a knife attack, when it's you with the knife, is the neck and throat area, especially the side and front. This includes the shoulders, sloping down from the neck.
• In the center/front of the neck is the trachea.  If you plunge a knife in there, it will disrupt his breathing, he'll sputter on some blood but still be able to fight you for a while. So, if you have to stab him in the throat from the front, you need to jerk the knife to the left and right so that you can sever the trachea and possibly get to a carotid artery.
• The carotid arteries on both sides of the neck are not far under the skin. Then can be lacerated with a cutting motion or punctured with a stabbing motion.
• Directly under the collarbone on both sides of the neck is the sub-clavian artery. That can be cut with a downward stab to either shoulder, from the front, but you must hit this one hard as the clavicle might need breaking for you to get to the artery below. 
• You might need to twist the knife in the wound to do maximum damage.  That's true of any wounds you inflict with a knife.
• You must strike with as much force as you can when defending yourself this way. In doing so, you just might cut yourself.  Remember that in any fight, if you are hurt and you stop to tend your wounds, you will lose the fight and probably die. You must fight on despite the wound and get treatment, or treat yourself, ASAP after the attacker is stopped.
• The longer any type of fight goes on, the more likely that you'll be hurt. So, you need to fight fast and furious. You need to train this way as well.  Upper body, arms, legs, hands must all be worked in quick reps and sets to get an aerobic effect. You need to work up a good sweat and be breathing heavy at every workout in order to train your body for a fight.
• Item last: the best place to win a fight is on the ground, grappling, not dancin' around like some martial arts princess.  Look at the cage matches. Most are won when somebody gets taken to the floor. So, take a good look at the Krav Maga training videos on that subject and practice, practice, practice.

Let' s make sure we all understand fully that I'm not telling anyone to do any of this. But if a bad situation develops and you're faced with defending yourself with a knife, it won't be at all like the little playground "sword" fights you had with twigs when you were a kid.
I'll leave you for now with this: this from Saving Private Ryan.
 
Don't be the scared guy. And don't be the dead guy... keep fighting.

From the front step to the street:

• When you're preparing to leave a building, slow down to take a look for suspicious situations/people. Look out the windows if you can, obviously, but also take time to look across the street at windows there to see if they reflect a suspicious someone or something out of view on your side of the street. Report your suspicions to security if they're there, or the cops.
• While you're walking in the city, remember to look to the side and behind you from time to time to see if you're being followed. Use windows on the opposite side of the street to see who slows down when you do. Every now and then just turn on a dime and see if anyone does the same thing. Anyone who does is probably following you.
• Your choices then are to loudly confront them: Hey, why the hell are you following me? This might scare them off. Try taking a picture of them with your cell-phone, if you can. That creates a record of what you saw. Save the pics on your computer. Or you can lead them to the nearest cop. Whatever you do, don't go into a secluded spot when you think you're being followed and never go home; maybe they don't know where you live yet.
• The most likely abduction/attack location will be close to somewhere you often/usually go. Most likely abduction scenario on the street: you're walking along and ahead of you is a man close to the buildings ~ loitering, leaning, pretending to be busy. Opposite him across the sidewalk is a van with the door open and someone in the driver's seat. The van is parked strangely: sticking out in traffic a bit, too much room between it and the car parked in front of it, driver taking a look back over his shoulder at the loiterer or at you ~ he's set-up for a quick get-away. As soon as you get between the loiterer and the van door, the loiterer will force you into the van. This is where you start fighting, kicking, biting, punching, Glasgow-kissing', screaming. Someone inside the rear compartment of the van will shut the door as the driver speeds away. If a car is used, the rear door will be open and there will be someone sitting behind the driver to pull you to the floor when the loiterer shoves you in and then jumps on you. If you spot this in advance, turn back, do not continue forward into the "danger zone".
• If they want to just kill you, they'll do it there and not drag you into the vehicle. If they try to get you into a vehicle, it's an abduction and they're still gonna kill you, they're just going to take their time in doing it. So you have to run like hell or fight like hell. Right there. Don't let them take you.
• If you had a bodyguard, he would be responsible for doing the advance work on your moves.  But you have to be your own bodyguard. You might consider introducing yourself to people who work in buildings opposite or next to buildings to which you often go.  Get their phone numbers on speed-dial and call them about 5 minutes before you arrive to find out if they see something suspicious being set-up before you arrive there. Maybe set up a duress signal with those people as a secondary signal: if there's trouble, they stand at the curb and scratch their head.
• No matter where you are/going, know the way to the nearest hospitals, police station, safe places. And safe restrooms.
• If you're driving or in a cab, get out if someone you don't know gets in.  Don't ask questions or bitch about it ~ get out immediately.
• Never say yes if someone asks to share a fare. Too many bad scenarios spin from that.
• If you're driving and a vehicle blocks your way, slow down to about 10MPH to look like you're stopping. Depending on where the most get-away room is to the front or rear of the blocking vehicle, accelerate to about 15-20MPH and hit the blocking car in the front or rear wheel and then keep up the acceleration to drive through the blockade. If there are two, slow down again and then punch it to 15-20MPH pointing the center of your cart to where the two blocking cars meet and then accelerate through them and away. Do not stop. Unless you drive a "smart car, the impact won't damage your vehicle to the point that it's not drivable. But expect an air bag to deploy.
• If people are out of vehicles or blocking you in some other way and you determine to a reasonable certainty that they mean to harm you and/or those with you, run them over.  Lean toward the center of the car to duck any incoming bullets, but keep an eye up so you can drive straight. Aim for the bad guy(s) and run them over. And then keep on going. My guess is that the cops would like to kow what happened and it's usually the first story told that gets believed the longest, so you might want to report the "accident."
• Whether it's in a school, theater, restaurant, hospital, synagogue; the best thing to do when a terrorist attack begins, like at Beslan, is to run to get out of the building. Hiding is the second best option. Staying inside, surrendering to the terrorists is not an option.  This goes for you and those with you, whether you're at a crowded venue or at a private affair.

A shotgun... is not a bowling ball.

• Keep it available, not in a bag under the bed. I'd lean it, muzzle down, in the corner of the closet so it can be reached easily by the grip. Or in the corner of your bedroom/next to the bed farthest away from the door. Keep a round in the chamber, and use the safety. The sound of you racking a round is cool, but it's not good tactically. Need to understand what a powerful weapon you have. And you need to not fear it.
• For use in a dwelling, #4 Buckshot is recommended over the famous #00 Buckshot
• Here's some good #4 buckshot at a good price.
• You need to shoot several different brands (Federal/Winchester/Remington) from your gun to find out which shot shoots best from your gun, which has the tightest pattern of pellets at about 25'.
• This is the only slug really recommended for dwellings: Brenneke Home Defense Slugs.
• Know your state ammo purchase laws.

Forgot to mention earlier: When you're out walking, stay at least an arms length away from walls and doorways.  Too easy to grab you if you're that close.
 
Below you'll find some items I suggest you put on your shotgun. I looked for all the items at one place so, if you order them, you can make just one order.  CheaperThanDirt is the lowest price you can find on the www for these items. These axccessories are for a Remington 870 12 ga pump shotgun. All the accessories are also available at CTD for most other self-defense shotguns.

• I'm not sure of your size and upper-body strength but you want to be able to shoot the your gun comfortably and to handle it well, so you might need a collapsing stock.
• Because you'll be using this at home, maybe, and you don't walk around with ammo pouches in your pants, you need to have as much ammo in and on the gun as you can get. This handy shotshell holder is part of the collapsing stock.
• This shotshell holder affixes to the left side of the  receiver. 
• In order to quickly, fully, and comfortably actuate the pump action, you might need a little help.  Failure to fully pump/cycle the action is the main cause of shotgun misfires, so you might need this pistol-grip forend.
• The little tiny bead sight on the some shotguns is inadequate for the type of shooting you might need to do. Buy one with installed ghost-ring sights or have a local gunsmith install a good strongt set.
• Remember what I said about having as many rounds in and on the gun as you can get? You might try a 7  or 8 round magazine extension.
• You need to go to a range and shoot the heck out of that gun, to get familiar with it and to see how devastating it can be. But you also need to practice dry-firing at home.  These snap-caps help you practice without killing anyone or blowing holes in closet doors.  They come two in a pack, buy six packs so you can practice firing and reloading.
• Light for your gun? That's a personal decision.  Yes, light helps you see bad-guys in the dark.  But it also lets them see exactly where you are. It may be best to arrange ambient light to your tactical advantage and use furniture/accessories to guide bad-guys into your subtly lit field of fire.

Now that we have all that paraphernalia out of the way, you need to think about some tactics.  I don't know the lay of your home, you do. As stated earlier, you need to have a plan for what you're going to do based on how the house is laid out and what and whom is where and when. You might want to move some things around to get things to your tactical advantage. But, while it's true that you can set up your place to your tactical advantage, circumstances as they develop in front of you might require a change in tactics. 
 
Some possible scenarios and some suggestions, totally your choice:

Scenario 1: Someone breaks in the house and the bad-guy is still down the hall way, not yet to the bedrooms.  

• Take up a position with your shotgun that covers the hallway.
• If he's taking the TV, let him have the freakin' TV.
• If he starts coming down the hall toward the bedrooms, give him one verbal warning, if you want: Get the hell out of here now or I'll shoot you where you stand.  Be very loud. You are not required to give a warning of any kind.
• Not a good idea to fire a warning shot.  Hopefully, he'll leave when he hears he might get shot if he hangs around. 
• Once he leaves, then call the cops.
• If he doesn't turn around and leave after your warning, maintain your position of cover and if he continues down the hall toward you, shoot him in the CM, Center of Mass, his chest.  Twice might be good.
• Don't let him get closer than 20' from any room in which there are people. That's enough space for him to get in the room before you can shoot.
• If you shoot him, immediately rack another round into your gun and stay covered. 
• Listen.  Is he making noise that indicates he's alive? Wounded? Just pissed off?
• Can someone in the house call the cops now? Tell them to do so. 
• Keep the guy, whether dead or not, covered with your shotgun until the cops arrive. 
• If the bad-guy gets up and moves to leave, I guess you should let him go. Don't go near him.
• Get a good description of him for the arriving cops: Uh, yea, and I think his left arm has suddenly gone missing... that might be it over there on the floor. Can I have his watch? 
• If he gets up and continues to be a threat to you and your guests, shoot him more carefully this time to stop his action. 
• Remember this: never say, I don't want to shoot you, or Don't make me shoot you. This tells the bad-guy you're probably afraid and will hesitate if he makes an aggressive move toward you, which will give him an extra second or two to take your gun.
• Also, don't say: If you move, I'll kill you. You're not trying to kill him, you're trying to stop his aggressive, illegal actions and if he dies because you shoot him, it's his fault for being there in the first place. Also, if he lives, the first question from his atty in the civil case he'll bring against you will be: Why did you want to kill my client? 
   

Scenario 2: A guest/family member screams from a bedroom. 

• Without going into the room, yell, Are you okay?
• If no answer or another scream, call 911 on a land-line and get an open channel to the cops but don't spend any time chatting with the operator, let her figure it out. Use the land-line if possible because your location shows up on their dispatch screens.
• Since there might be bad-guys close to/holding your guest, I'd shoot a slug if I have to shoot, not buckshot.
• Carefully, come around the corner into the room with shotgun at high-ready ~ prepared to shoot, just looking down the barrel for your target.
• Target might not be too big, he might be holding your loved-one or guest around the neck and the head-shot you want isn't available.
• If you don't do something, he might kill the guest and then come after you.  Or try to leave with the guest  Neither of those are options I'd permit and neither would you, I imagine. 
• So, this is what I'd do, if I can get a shot off.  Remember the scene from Speed with Keanu Reeves where he shoots his partner in the leg so he can get a clear shot at Dennis Hopper? Don't do that unless it's the absolute only option. I'd shoot the bad-guy in the feet. The steel pellets pounding into many sensitive feet bones will cause a ton of pain and he'll react to that by dropping to the floor, if he's standing.  While he's falling, I'd rack another round and go straight to his head, maybe moving a bit closer as I fire, to be sure, and I'd put one in his head. If you're shooting buckshot, you're probably going to hit your guest with some of the pellets. You can train your family to drop/pull away from the bad-guy as soon as you take your first shot, because you're looking for a second shot and you don't want them in the way. Your guests won't have this training so you'll have to tell them what to do. Tell them. Clearly. Don't ask. If you're shooting slugs, you'll have to aim a little better for his feet/leg and for his head, but the chances of hitting your family member/guest is lessened. No matter where you shoot this guy, you must know he might react with what's called a sympathetic reaction in his gun hand ~ when his muscles tense up in pain after you shoot him, his trigger finger muscles might tighten too. If he's got the safety on, the gun probably won't go boom.  Safety off... I don't know.  Holding a knife?  If your family members watches the Krav Maga video, they can know how to escape that blade.  This is a worst-case scenario and you'll have to pre-plan your response and rehearse it. Yea, really. Bed-guys are gonna rehearse. Why not you?

 
Variation of Scenario 2: Bad-guy says: Put down the gun or the girl get it (he's got a gun or knife) 

• Watch the movie Taken.  Scene where Liam Neeson has the sheikh at gunpoint in the boat bedroom. 
• He's acquired his target but remains silent.
• The sheikh begins to speak: We can nego... and then Neeson shoots him in the head.  Whoever did the advising on that movie knew his stuff. 
• If the situation develops where there's a stand-off, you don't have to talk. 
• Acquire your target.
• When he starts to talk, he'll do it thinking, Oh, he hasn't shot me yet and he's not screaming at me... maybe I can talk my way out of this. 
• If he's talking, he can't be planning to pull his trigger at the same time. 
• So shoot him in the head while he is talking. 
• That's what I'd do. 

Scenario 3: Bad-guy(s) come in shooting/slashing. 

• Yell to your kin/guests: "Stay down, call the cops..."
• Return fire using #4.
• Don't shoot unless you see them, no blind firing.
• Between shots, ask if the guests/family members are okay.

Item last: Handgun
 
It's up to you totally. If you decide to buy a handgun, I'd recommend the Glock in 9mm. I carry a full-size Browning Hi-Power myself so I can't be a cheer-leader for Glocks, but they're fine guns.  If you fire the right 9mm bullets, it will do the job without bouncing around in your hand like larger calibers.  Plus, you can buy cool 30-round magazines for it. Go to a pistol range and fire one if you can.  That's all I have to say about that.
 
All of these Protection emails I've written are offered as general advice and no matter how you heed it or practice it, the situation may develop where you're thinking, Oh, what do I do now? You're busy so you probably can't fit in a few months of intense combat training, so you have to have a combat mindset available, if you don't stay in that mental zone.  You have to be able to switch from loving father/mother/sister/brother to thoat-cutting warrior in less than a second because if it happens, that's how fast it'll happen. 
 
No matter what, never stop fighting. If you're hurt, keep fighting or you will die.
 
Remember, no matter what occurs, never lie to the cops. Never, even if you think you were wrong in some aspect of what you did or didn't do. If you lie, they will discover it and you'll be in serious trouble.
 

 

The Perfect Day

The Perfect Day in the terrorist lexicon describes a series of simultaneous attacks on American schools.

I've seen that when people look in on these Beslan pages, they usually tend to spend a minute or so on each page. Yup, my blog stats tell me that. To me that suggests most readers are not paying the proper amount of attention to the issue. What's the issue?  Terrorists killing American school kids.

At other blogs you'll find a yearly tribute to the slain and that has a certain usefullness.  But if the only "lesson learned" is that is that there are bad people out there and that we have to protect our kids, that's not a lesson ~ that's barely a reminder.  If the "lesson learned" is that when we give terrorists "respect" they'll leave us all alone, then that's not a lesson either ~ that's a canard.

Here at this blog, I take an objective look at Beslan and suggest some very easily-done tasks you can and should undertake in order to protect your kids.  Our kids.  So, turn up your compassion if you're the cold-hearted sort. Or perhaps what you really need to do is just once turn down your smug self-assuredness that those nasty terrorists are merely misunderstood freedom-fighters and mean us, and you, no harm.  Once disabused of that dangerous illusion, take the time to read carefully. Comment if you'd like, pass the link on if that suits you. But don't scan this stuff and then go back to some stupid reality show.  I mean, hey; you don't really watch that crap, do you?

If you've read this stuff before and haven't done anything yet... what are you waiting for?

If not you... whom? If not now... when?

Anyway; where were we?

Intel gathered from interrogations of captured terrorists a/o physical evidence strongly suggests men and women with holy warrior inclinations will consider news of the attacks to be a signal to kill the nearest unbeliever. For example, a taxi driver with passengers he believes to be of a religion other than his hears of the attacks on the radio and so drives his vehicle into a wall at high speed in order to kill them.

More info here.

Terrorists have publicly bragged that they have the right to kill 2 million American children. After several deadly attacks involving children in Russia, Osama bin Laden said he would inflict far worse death and destruction on America; presumably on children given the context of that particular remark.

Where do you find kids in bunches? Schools. Have you seen the video of terrorists training in building and room entry tactics and hostage control? It's a good depiction of their intentions and commitment, but you never hear the audio, do you? If you could crank up the volume, you'd hear them shouting control commands.  In English.

School emergency plans have been found in the possession of people who have no need to know that information. Schools across the country have been under purposeful recon for quite a while. Terrorists are taking these, and other, preparation steps every day in America.

Some believe American law enforcement agencies are responsible for defending our schools and students. But courts have decided no police agency is required to protect you, the individual citizen, from any enemy foreign or domestic; their only mandate is to protect 'society' in general. So, if you call them to come save you from a criminal or terrorist act and they're late on scene, guess what; there's nothing you can do about it. You cannot sue them. Certainly, they will do their best to respond to any threat. But if they can't get to the schools fast enough or in sufficient force, a lot of people are SOL, in view of the generally sorry state of security preparation in most American schools.

Listen up.

In reality the first line of defense is parents, staff and faculty, coaches, students with formal a/o informal leadership roles, contracted or proprietary security officers. If the cops get there on time, that's a bonus. Bottom line, it's up to you to protect yourself and those you love. So, it's important to have a good plan in place to make sure Murphy and his kin don't show up.

According to the plan, if/when that day comes, attacks will be perpetrated simultaneously at several schools across the country, probably all in the same time zone. The schools will probably not be in large cities where police SWAT can get there in a hurry but in towns where terrain, distance, and manpower issues create significant police response lag time. On the other hand, they might pull it off in a large city by creating a diversion to draw police tactical assets away from the attack site. Either way, terrorists will show up out of nowhere at grade schools where the kids, especially the boys, are too small to resist.

Following their Beslan model, they will come in hard and fast and loud and violent, probably herding everyone to the gymnasium or cafeteria, or multiple areas in the building. They will be trying to frighten everyone into complete, instant obedience. If they find males big enough to fight back, those men and boys will be summarily executed, perhaps in front of the rest of the students and staff. These murders will be committed while terrorists are hurrying people into the building, or once they have everyone under control there. Anytime after that; once they're sure they have control of their hostages and the perimeter, girls will be repeatedly raped and sodomized in front of everyone. Older girls and women might be taken to separate rooms and raped and sodomized there. Boys might be sodomized, too. Anyone who resists will be killed on the spot.

Sorry if this shakes you, but this is what they did to innocent boys and girls, men and women in Beslan. And, maybe you need shaking.

Explosives will be emplaced and charged to destroy the building. Terrorists will cover a/o booby-trap every door and window, preventing entry and exit. Nobody gets in and nobody gets out.

Will they negotiate? Who knows? If terrorists don't kill anyone in the take-over, there could be a slight chance their intentions are to negotiate for something. But if there is killing right away, and there probably will be, it's a pretty good bet their intention is to kill as many of the students and staff as they can.

Why?

With these attacks, terrorists hope to create a horrible revulsion here that will stir Americans to strike back against anyone who may follow Islam. When "moderate" Muslims all over the world see their co-religionists attacked by marauding Yankee infidels, it is believed the "radical "ranks will swell immediately. From this wildfire they hope will reemerge The Twelfth Imam who will lead Islam back to power and, under Muslim law and rule, the world will finally know justice and peace.

Alrightythen. Any questions?

To translate the double-speak of many Muslim secular and religious leaders, this ascension back to running the world will come only after 'terrible and unprecedented calamities, when persecution and injustice engulf the earth'. They want to kill our kids to push us to the point that we lash out violently in retribution. Then they can shout 'American persecution and injustice has engulfed the earth' and POOF... The Twelfth Imam pops out of the bottle.

I had a previous post viz Beslan. Maybe you should refresh your memory on that massacre if you think it can't happen here. If 19 men can plan and carry out 9-11, another group can pull this caper. They only have to be lucky once. Some believe political leaders are obliged to protect us from this potential horror. If that's true, then why did no government employee get fired for mistakes they made which permitted 9-11?

Yes, it is the right of parents of school children to petition various government agencies for help in enhancing the security profile of the school their child attends. But it is not the duty of any politician to get money for any particular school.  So, where does that obligation reside?

In your living room.

Okay, who wants to be unerschrocken now?

Time for you to read the rest of the Perfect Day posts, even if you read them before: 

School kill zones 

More of The Perfect Day

Adjunct to The Perfect Day

Perfect Day Recon

Lockdown

More Perfect Day

Rifqa Bary

Brief post here to let you know that, if you'd like to help spread the word about Rifqa's situation, I have a brochure available that you can print out and spread around as much as you want.

I had Robert Spencer at JihadWatch take a look at it and he's given it a green light. So, if you want it, for free, email me at freemendo@hotmail.com and I'll send it right over.

Recon 101

Over the years we’ve been told to report anything suspicious.  While that general advice is certainly good, it would be better to have some concrete clues for which to be alert.  Remember; suspicious means something that is unusual or suspicious to you, not necessarily anyone else. We all have an innate sensitivity to danger, which gives us intuitive warning signs. These subtle, inner red flags can help us discover terror attacks in the preparation phase.

If you remember nothing else, remember to be aware of your surroundings no matter where you are or when.

If you see something unusual, evaluate it.  After evaluating for a short time, if the totality of circumstances still has you wonderin' what's going on, or if you think a threat may exist, notify law enforcement ASAP. That means right away, not when you get around to it.

Terrorists will usually conduct some sort of surveillance prior to an attack.  This pre-attack activity is actually an important part of the attack to come later.  Surveillance may be a quick drive-by, just moments before an attack; or a prolonged, comprehensive assessment of a target’s vulnerabilities.

Here are some basic indicators from the FBI on how pre-attack surveillance might look.

• Discrete use of still cameras, video-recorders, or note-taking at non-tourist type locations.
• Prolonged static surveillance, using operatives disguised as panhandlers, demonstrators, shoe-shiners, food or flower vendors, news agents, or street sweepers not previously seen in the area.
• Unusual or prolonged interest in security or access control personnel, entry points and access controls, or perimeter barriers such as fences or walls.
• Unusual behavior such as staring or quickly looking away from the personnel or vehicles entering or leaving designated facilities or parking areas.
• Observation of security reaction drills and procedures.
• Increase in anonymous telephone or e-mail threats to facilities in conjunction with suspected surveillance incidents, indicating possible surveillance of threat-reaction procedures.
• Foot surveillance involving two or three individuals working together.
• Mobile surveillance using bicycles, scooters, motorcycles, cars, trucks, sport-utility vehicles, boats, and small aircraft.
• Use of multiple sets of clothing, identifications, or the use of sketching materials (paper, pencils).
• Questioning of security or facility personnel.

Stay tuned, unerschrocken.

Does anybody really know what time it is?

In case you're not up to speed on the latest news viz the terrorists living and plotting among us,  read this, and follow the links there for the full story.

Take a good look here for further insight as to why you need to be more than just aware of your surroundings, but always alert and proactive in your daily life, no matter where you go, no matter with whom you spend your time or  call a friend.

With a crisp salute to Daniel Pipes, here are some ways to recognize sleepers.

... ways do exist to distinguish the likely sleepers from other Muslims. To begin with, all known sleepers until now have been young men. (The only women arrested for Al-Qaeda activities were two Algerians producing fake credit cards and passports in Leicester, England.) Perhaps the militant Islamic networks will one day go beyond this self-imposed limitation, but for now it appears to be one way of winnowing down the pool of potential suspects.

It is hard for sleepers to maintain a perfect cover. Connections to foreign countries offer one set of warning signals:

• Arrival from countries where violent militant Islamic groups (such as Al-Qaeda) are known to operate;
• Long, unexplained absences; or absences for vague purposes of religious education, charity work, or pilgrimage;
• Travel to hot spots where Muslims are fighting non-Muslims (Bosnia, Chechnya, Lebanon, Kashmir);
• Travel to countries where militant Islam rules (Sudan, Iran, Afghanistan).

Sleepers much prepare themselves for their operations, and this can leave telltale indications:

• Study of technical subjects (such as electrical engineering or computer sciences) that would help pull off an operation.
• Collecting information on subjects (e.g., crop-dusting planes) that could help in carrying out an operation.
• Working in an area (such as import/export) that serves as a cover for preparing for an operation.
• Engaging in para- or military training, perhaps under guise of preparing to do security work (e.g., serving as a bodyguard).
• Physical training.
• Possession of such artifacts as detonators and a protective suit against chemical and biological weapons.
• Purchase of chemicals and other dual-use materials.
• Scouting out military bases, government buildings, and other potential targets; practicing routines; and otherwise rehearsing for an operation.
• Possession of instructions for conducting of either a spiritual nature (how to prepare for one's suicide death) or a practical nature (how to smuggle detonators).

Some attitudes raise red flags:

• Support for militant Islamic groups and fronts.
• Outspoken support of Muslims in combat against non-Muslims.
• Excusing violence against Americans on the grounds that American actions provoked the problem.
• Disparagement of Western civilization in favor of Islamic civilization.
• Fury at the West, for reasons ranging from the personal (unemployment) to the global (policy toward Iraq).
• Bigoted statements against non-Muslims in general ("infidels") or specifically against Jews, Christians, or Hindus.
• Seeing moderate Muslims as apostates from Islam.
• Conspiracy theories about Westerners (e.g., the CIA arranged for the 2001 attack on the World Trade Center to boost its funding levels).
• Accusing the West of trying to destroy Islam.
• Hoping to apply Islamic law in the United States.
• Disregard for the U.S. legal system where it prohibits something permitted by Islamic societies (such as polygamy or the "honor" killing of women).

Problems having to do with identity are a further indication:

• Fraudulent personal identities, sometimes with inconsistencies. (Zacarias Moussaoui presented himself as French, but when spoken to in French not only could not reply but became belligerent.)
• A cover story that does not ring true. (A young Arab, recently arrived in Spain, wants to buy a watch repair shop and the owner agrees to sell, but something seems not right—"He had fat fingers, so how was he going to fix watches?")
• Evasive about his background ("I'm from the Middle East" rather than giving a country name).
• Losing passports or other documentation so as to get new ones.
• Acquisition of multiple identities and their careful use. ("The only time [the shoe-bomber, Richard] Reid appears to have used his real name is when flying.")

Social activities can offer clues:

• Membership in militant Islamic groups or front organizations.
• Financial support for those groups or fronts.
• Active involvement at mosques known for their militant Islamic orientation.
• Close friendships or family ties with other suspects.
• Immersion in a purely Muslim environment.
• Avoiding contact with the larger society: "friendly but standoffish," in the words of a former assistant U.S. attorney. "Say 'hello' but don't talk. Let people see you, but don't bring attention to yourself," in the words of an Al-Qaeda advisory.

Other miscellaneous pointers to look for include:

• Choosing to live in areas where many cultures are represented and an easygoing attitude toward different customs is evident (northern New Jersey, southern Florida, Leicester or Bradford in England, Hamburg in Germany).
• Sending or receiving large amounts of money.
• A preference for cash transactions.
• Criminal activity, especially reliance on counterfeited money and smuggling.
• A promising career that failed, descent into drugs and alcohol, then redemption through Islam.
• An offer to work for the enemy's intelligence services.
• Enrolling in university studies in the liberal arts, then switching to engineering or the sciences.

These are admittedly imprecise indicators; a Muslim who exercises and makes anti-Hindu statements cannot automatically be suspected of planning a suicide operation. Rather, the above signals must be seen in the context of a whole personality and a wider pattern of behavior. Precisely because the legitimate search for sleepers is open to abuse, it requires an unusual degree of common sense, sensitivity, and restraint.

Good stuff, huh?  Remember to report your suspicions to law enforcement as quickly as you can. Be thorough in the information you provide and make sure you get the name of the person to whom you give the information, and a reference number of the report, if there is one. Follow up on your initial report to see what's being done and if you come across more information.

Get tough, unerschrocken; it's not over and it's gonna get worse before it gets better.

When the roll is called up yonder

I've been thinking the past few days about soft targets.  We've discussed them here before.  If you missed that, then you need to look  'round here and get up to speed.

Soft targets are generally these: schools, shopping malls, churches, mass transit vehicles such as buses and trains, hotels/resorts/family vacation spots. Some would define soft as a target having no security personnel on site.  As you may have noticed, having a security "force" does not in any way suggest anything or anybody there is secure or safe. 

By whatever terms we define soft, it's just a darn good thing we never go to or even near any of these targets and that there are so very few of them in this country.  Eh?

Fer sher.

Softest of all targets might be churches, especially those with community out-reach programs such as a Free Store or weekly free hot meals. I've thought it through and have in mind very particular details as to what I'd look for if I were a terrorist looking to explode a church, but I won't list the details here.  In fact, I can think of exactly which churches I'd hit here in town if I was of such a mind.

It really can happen here, don't you see.  The lady in this story blew up her own kind and her own kid because she believed it would please her god.  You think there are no true believers in the US? As this shows clearly, we've got American-born and educated people willing and able to attack churches.  Why wouldn't a misunderstanding immigrant?

I wrote here a while back about the potential dangers we face from the hapless homeless and it's self-evident from what you can read here that terrorists know how to play on the good-will of people, even their own. 

Soon state-side civilians will be targets.  You and me.  You and those you love.

You.

Under the "leadership" of the current, enlightened administration, there will be much less proactive, preemptive counterterrorism action taken against potential terrorist plots and plotters than there was with President Bush. We will see a switch back to the Clinton days of pursuing terrorists as violators of the law and not as enemy combatants, as people trying to kill us and destroy our way of life.  The results of this stupid policy switch will be horrific.  Soon.

I actually wrote the paragraph above several days ago, as a draft, so there was no real evidence that the FBI would be put back in charge as the lead agency in counterterrorism.  But here you can read... it's official.

Be that as it may, let's get back on track: there is absolutely no reason to believe terrorists already here or soon to come won't try to soften up the "compassionate" and trick them to their deaths.

Churches are already high on target lists. Here's how a terrorist might try to fool you and turn as many of you as possible into pink mist:

A very pregnant woman comes to the weekly free lunch at your church.  She speaks pretty good English, and isn't in dire straits financially, but will be soon. Sez she. She might be dressed in Western clothes or in the long robes worn in other parts of the world.  She takes time to meet a couple workers or church members who are there serving the food or in some other capacity. She might mention a growing desire to convert to Christianity but express a vague hesitancy, even a fear. She'll come back to the free meal deal the next week and say hello to those she met the time before, building the "friendship" a bit more.  She will explain that she's still interested in leaving her religion but is a bit scared now since men and women from her local "church" have found out about her desire to convert and are making not-so-veiled threats to kill her if she does.  This makes the protective urge even stronger in your church folk.  She will try to keep her contacts to just the women at your church, staying away from the naturally more suspicious men. After a couple visits, she might come back one more time the following week, trying to stir just a little more concern and compassion in your ladies.  Somewhere during the second or third visit, she will ask when your Sunday services are and tell you she'll be there next Sunday.

Once she shows up for Sunday service, she's got her foot in the door. A level of trust will grow and any doubting members will be hushed by the more "spiritually sensitive." The bomber will make some new friends that first Sunday she attends and promise to attend the next Sunday, because she's nearing decision-time viz a conversion experience.  Sez she.

The next Sunday, she'll show up looking neat and clean in whatever she's wearing, probably something appropriate for hiding the bomb she's carrying.  When the altar call is given, this still obviously "pregnant" woman will go forward for prayer and to get "saved". Once she's been led through the "sinner's prayer", she'll rise, probably in tears, and turn around to look for her new found lady friends in the congregation.  She'll motion them forward and give them warm, teary hugs when they join her.  The congregation will be focused on this "miracle" and some may even move forward to welcome her to the family of God.

When the "convert" has the most people around her that she thinks she can get, she'll detonate her belly bomb. 

I don't know what this woman will look like in terms of ethnicity or race.  And it doesn't matter. Whoever she is, whatever she looks like, here's what you do:

You're looking for wires that hang or protrude from whatever she's wearing.  You might also see wire printing under her clothes ~ like panty-lines under tight jeans ~ you can see what appear to be wires under taut clothing. 

Where do the wires go?  From the wrist, up the sleeve to the armpit, then down the side and over to her belly? And does the wire hang out from the end of her sleeve with a button switch attached?  Ouch.  That's going to be a bomb.  Pretty much for sure, I'm thinking.  But she won't be wearing tight clothing.  Depending on the weight of the bomb, her shoulders might droop lower than normal for a pregnant woman, and what should be bra straps might actually appear to be straps for a back-pack, about 1"-2" wide and maybe padded.

As she rises from her "salvation experience", she might keep one hand beneath her clothing, or reach there and not withdraw her hand.  Is she holding the detonator switch?  I don't know.

If I saw this scene and knew the woman met most or all of the characteristics I listed above, I'd have to conclude that she had murder on her mind, not living forever with Jesus.

If you're going to go on defense at that moment; be sure to yell to the congregation to get down as you are assuming the position.  What's the position?  Face down with something that will stop shrapnel between you and the bomber lady.  If you can't find cover, then get down flat with your feet pointing away from said bomber lady because, as we all know, the leather on the bottom of your shoes stops flyin' bomb stuff better than the gel in your hair.

You decide what you're going to do, not me.  If after all the moral wrangling you decide to go on offense and you have taken the time and care to be sure you're within all the legal parameters set up by your jurisdiction, then you might want to consider taking a look at this and further deciding for yourself what you're willing to do.

I have no axe to grind with you, whatever it is you might decide; here and now or there and then.

I don't have anything like a premonition or an impression or a revelation of any sort that this type of attack might be attempted.  It just occurred to me several days ago that such an attack would be relatively easy to pull off.  If someone is out there planning this mayhem, I'd feel sorta strongly that we should not let that person succeed.

But that's just me.  And I could be wrong: maybe she really is just responding to the love of Jesus she sees in your baby-blue eyes.

Here are some additional thoughts.  Hey, let's be careful out there.

When push comes to shove

Take a good listen and look at this video of a gay man being taunted by Somali Muslims in Minneapolis.  But what's wrong with this picture, other than the obvious fact that these yoots feel enabled and protected enough that they literally chase down a public street someone they hate, because he defies the constraints of their religion... merely by living his life the way he wants to live it.  I think there was supposed to be a question mark in there somewhere, don't you?

The gay guy ~ let's call him Bruce ~ literally laughs the entire episode off, saying over his shoulder that's he's not afraid. Believe me, he was scared. If he wasn't, then he's just stupid.

Whatever his mental state at the time, the point is that he walked on, willing to take shit from those maggots without a word of protest. 

Bullshit!  In most jurisdictions the little song and dance perpetrated by those punky ass-hats is called Breach of Peace.  It's a crime.  A crime for which those barbarians-in-waiting can be arrested. And prosecuted. And punished.

One more thing wrong with this picture appears about 59 seconds in, as what turns out to be a security officer walks by.  Initially I thought he was a cop and had committed a gross error in not at least admonishing the gang. Believing this, I sent a brief but curt email to the Chief of Police in Minneapolis... aaaaand an apology when I realized I was wrong.  Ouch.

Anyway, the security guard there had no legal duty to act ~ even if the thugs were beating poor Bruce to death, he could have stood there watching and no action could be taken against him ~ unless Bruce was beaten to death on property the guard was paid to protect.  In that case, there could have been civil charges of Inadequate Security a/o Inadequate Supervision made against the officer a/o the company he represented. 

Still, the guard could have made a citizen's arrest of any participants in the crime he was witnessing, the dirtbags he observed as being most guilty of the charge of Breach of Peace. But he didn't.  Why?

• Because he didn't know he can. 
• Because he knows he can when on duty but thinks that authority is limited to on-the-job activity.
• Because he doesn't know the elements of proof of the crimes committed in his presence. 
• Because he believes he will be fired if he does anything other than observe and report.
• Because he doesn't care. 
• Because he doesn't have any fuckin' idea that an innocent, harmless gay man being pursued, taunted and assaulted by a gang of loud, pissy, arrogant thugs is in deep shit.
• Any or all of the above.

As a private citizen who just happened to be dressed at the time as a security guard, he could have asked the gang what they were up to or asked Bruce if he was okay, if he wanted the police to be called. Asking questions like that while in a security uniform, or while dressed as Wyatt-fuckin'-Earp for that matter, does not necessarily constitute an act committed under the color of authority.  The guard had a right to be where he was at the time.  The fact that he was an armed guard in full uniform does not mean he purposely represented himself to be a police officer.  If he asks a question or offers a benign statement such as, I think you need to knock that shit off right now, and the thugs do so because they think he's a cop, then there is no legal harm done.

But you and me and any civilian who observed the taunting and rock-throwing, a clear breach of peace and possibly an assault, could have done a citizen's arrest as well. Just so you know.

Check here for some good, basic advice on making a citizen's arrest. And, here is some more info.

Of course the situation was just some "kids" teasing a some gay fella. This time.  This is what could have happened, and, I predict, will happen with more andmore frequency here in the US, as it's becoming commonplace in the EU ~  young men taking out their hateful aggression on targets of opportunity. (Undaunted note: I have no knowledge as to the religious beliefs of the attackers in the video depicted at the link in this paragraph.)

Here is another example of thugs, who evidently appear to be Muslims, threatening and assaulting people who are clearly within their constitutional rights to peaceably assemble.  Cops told the Christian guy he could shoot some video at the festival, no restrictions according to US law.  But... non-Christian security guards said they had no right to even be in the area.  Michigan law requires that security agencies be licensed and that each guard be licensed through their employing security company. I don't know what happened when the video stopped rolling but the local cops should have questioned the guards and demanded to see their individual licenses, company license, and all training records. They might have been able to plainly see or even conjure up some probable cause whereby they could see if any of the festival guards were carrying weapons, such as firearms, and determined if they were properly licensed and insured. These thugs were clearly outside the boundaries of legal security work and the state of Michigan needs to shut them down, pronto.

To the thin blue line: Being kind to strangers from other lands is not a suicide pact.  You guys need to be alert for this kind of mini-mayhem and maybe kick a little ass when it shows its ugly ahead around you.  If you don't, we might feel compelled to act in our own defense.  We don't have to turn the other cheek.  When shit like this happens, when our safety and lives are threatened, then we are the first responders, not you.

Okay, another thought and then I gotta take off; if you're going to fight back, the most effective way is probably Krav Maga.  Take a look here to find instructors near you.  

More coming this evening: How to push back when they shove.

Okay, where were we? Ah, yes... shoving back.

When you're in a potentially dangerous conversation, you need to be on defense, but fully ready to strike preemptively as well. Here's how you do that:

In any chat that might go south, remember not to stand there with your feet close together or your legs crossed like you gotta take a leak. You should be in a subtle fighters stance, your feet spread about 12" apart, right foot dropped back so the toes are about even with the left heel.  Reverse that if you're left handed.

When you're talking with someone who appears to be friendly or neutral, keep your hands about waist level, palms up, moving slightly with no sudden motions.  If possible, try to stay outside the reach of his or her legs so it will be harder to strike you with fist/foot.  If the person moves inside that safe zone, be careful.  It might be preparatory to an attack.  When they step or slither close enough to touch you in a way that you consider to be threatening, raise your hands to just below your chest level, palms facing the person, as though you're getting ready to push him away.  Continue to speak but more loudly so the aggressor and bystanders can hear what's going on, with your hands moving calmly and slowly back and forth, up and down, as you speak.  You're letting the guy get used to seeing your hands moving so if you have to strike, it won't be a sudden move but will flow from arms and hands already in motion and not seen as a threat by your potential attacker. Yet.  In that middle position your hands can also come up quickly to block punches and begin to grapple and break holds.

By the way, during the chat you're having with this person, be as careful as you want to be in terms of intentionally provoking him or her. 

When some dipshit behaves in a manner that makes you, an entirely reasonable person, believe you're about to be attacked, then raise your hands up into a fighter position, about neck-level, but don't clench your fists. Continue to try to talk to the person through your up-raised hands. Speak more loudly than before so there's no doubt as to what you're saying, unless of course you only want the bad guy to hear what you're saying. Hands in that up position, with palms facing out, tend to show a defensive intent, rather than the offensive pose indicated by clenched fists. But, lucky you, it's still possible to slap the shit out of a deserving someone with an open hand.

Here is a good demonstration of the neutral stance and a fighting stance. Although it doesn't exactly fit what I just wrote above, it helps you get the idea. In the conversational setting we're discussing, you wouldn't bend your knees until you're about to slap or punch or block incoming blows.

I won't discuss punches or fighting now.  I've written a little bit on that at other posts here and you're free to search those posts out if you'd like. If you're serious, I believe it would be better for you to check out the Krav Maga link above and go from there. If you can't do that, then check out the many other Krav Maga demonstration training video clips shown here again.  You can google Krav Maga and come up with several free video training courses.  That's the nice thing about Israeli Krav Maga; they don't care if you come to their gym to learn it for a fee, they just want you to learn it ~ though taking the training with a qualified instructor is best. 

A few thoughts on slappin' the shit out of someone; when they've got it comin', of course.

Your hands are up in the I'm-a-reasonable-person-and-I-believe-that-asshole-right-in-front-of-me-is -going-to-assault-me defensive position. Keeping your hands moving as you're talking, step forward quickly and drive your strong hand up and into his neck, squeezing a little as you make contact so he doesn't slip away. Keep pushing out with your hand, don't bend your elbow, as your feet drive forward. The guy will be off balance and with that you can push him down to the ground, kinda like what the Las Vegas police sergeant does in this clip. Notice the right hand of the sergeant.  Masterful. That stupid white-boy got his ass beat by a tactically smarter man and then hauled off to jail, no doubt.  If you do that to ssomeone, your choices then are to run away or get on top of him and try to restrain him, which might look like you're beating the shit out of him.  You should be yelling for the cops the whole time. Perhaps you can tell him you're placing him under citizen's arrest and will be detaining him until the police arrive.  Good luck with that one.

Another basic move is to just slap the bad-guy across the nose.  Hard. His hands are low enough so you can strike, so swing whichever open hand is best for you right across his or her face, striking the nose from the side.  Hit hard and the nose will start bleeding.  Most people will stop to assess the damage and to wonder aloud Did you see what that mother-fucker just did? Oh. My. God. 

While he's doing that, you get the hell outta Dodge. And then call the cops, if someone hasn't already.

As always, these thoughts are just that: things that I've come to know through my training and experience that I choose to share with you.  I'm not saying you should do any of these things. Ever. What you do is entirely your decision and you bear the consequences for your actions.

I do know this: I'm not going to let anybody of any religion push me or anyone else around the way the Muslims did in the Minnesota and Michigan clips. I have no idea as to the religious persuasion of the stomp-killers.

These fuckers want holy war?  They can have it

The Stoning of Soraya M.

I want you to check out this movie trailer.   

 

Make plans on seeing the movie yourself, with those you know and love.

Spread the word among your circle of friends.  It doesn't matter if you're a man or a woman. 

Honor killings must be stopped. Awareness is the first step.  Be part of the solution.

 

Make it an outing for your club, your youth group, your Sunday school class.

Beginning 26 June 2009.

Spread the word, unerschrocken.  Be there.

Be that guy

Take a look at the story here about some fellas shooting up a party.  It may not have been sudden jihad syndrome, but it can be instructive as to how some young men might feel about following the infidel law.

More evidence of this type of brutality can be seen in this video.

Take a look at this article about the recruitment into terror gangs that is happening in prisons.

About the four Babtists-turned-Muslim arrested after getting hosed by the FBI, NYPD Chief Ray Kelly says here they were not connected to other terrorist groups.  Sorry, Chief; you're wrong.  The nose-on-your-face nexus, the elephant-in-the-room connection is Islam.

Do young men of other religions commit horrible crimes?  Sure.  My point is that, if you look at what's happening in Europe, young Muslim men are more and more becoming wickedly violent... at the slightest provocation. There are no other religions displaying and even encouraging what appears to be a sense of untouchability as they vent their whimsical rage at any and all who don't and won't believe as they do.

More mayhem in Europe.  More blatant, in-your-face disobedience here.  More recruitment into state-side terror groups.

What're you going to do, cupcake?

Let's look at the shot-up party scenario.  From a purely defensive standpoint, as soon as the bullets start buh-zinging through the walls and windows, drop to the floor.  Take your drink with you on the way down, don't worry about setting it on a coaster or the napkin your lovely hostess gave you.  Once on the floor, crawl on your belly toward the center of the structure if the gunfire is coming from more than one direction, and away from the gunfire if shots are only coming in one way. 

Why, Undaunted?  Because you want as much stuff as possible between you and the shooters. 

Why, Undaunted? Stuff stops bullets before they get to you.

Stuff: walls, coffee tables, comfy chairs, fridges, footstools, books on shelves, shelves, carpets, magazine racks, clothes hanging on the back of the door or strewn accross your messy kid-brother's bedroom, shoes tossed on the floor, pipes, stashes, your TV, towels and sheets in the hallway closet, bedframes and matresses and pillows, dressers full of socks and undies.  Etcetera. Etcetera. Etcetera.

If it's a drive-by shooting,  it won't last long; probably just long enough for the shooters to empty a couple magagines into the house and then scat before the cops show up or fire is returned by any of the party-goers. More on that later.

If the shooters don't drive away after what seems to be enough time for them to empty a couple mags into your posse, (30 seconds, give or take?) but they continue to reload and fire into the house, stay put. Stay down. They may be trying the classic hammer/anvil tactic: initial shooters, the hammer, force you into more shooters waiting in the alley, the anvil. And you get crushed in the hail of bullets.

Stay down and stay calm.  Tell the screamers to shut up because they're just part of the problem. If you're not going to counter-attack, you need to know what the shooters are going to do next.  Will you hear them dismount their vehicles, shouting taunts and continuing to fire as they get closer and closer to you?  Will they yell instructions back and forth? Hey, Smitty; run down the side of the house and shoot into it on the way back to Abdul in the alley. The rest o' you knuckleheads follow me in as soon as he's in back.

How you gonna hear all that with all the screamin' goin' on? 

And how're your people gonna hear you when you tell 'em what to do.  Cuz you're that guy. The one who didn't panic, the one who saved the day.

Molotov cocktails: they'll ignite and burn for a few minutes where the accelerant landed  before the fire begins to spread on the floor.  If the accelerant lands on fabric like furniture and curtains, they'll burn more quickly. Pull down burning curtains if you can do so without getting shot, and flip a coffee table over on them, or a rubber-backed area rug, or a pan full of those teentsy little Vienna Sausages.  That might smother the fire.  If you haven't spilled your drink yet, maybe a little gin and tonic will help extinguish the blaze.  Hey, you never know. 

Flip burning furniture and push it toward the outer walls. There, it will be away from you because you're holing up near the center, remember?  Too, fire-fighters will be able to get to fires burning at the outer walls easier than fires burning further back into the structure.  Stay down in a crawl position while you're doing this.

Probably the best thing to do is to sit tight and wait for the cops to arrive.  But, you might not have that option. The world's not fair.

If you're in this situation and the only one who brought a firearm, and it looks like the shooters are going to try to enter the structure and finish off as many infidels as possible, you need to find a spot with some concealment, and maybe even some cover, from which you can see the main entry points at the same time. Good luck with that.  If you can't find that spot, then find the one spot that covers the single most likely entry point.

Cops coming in to save the day will make all sorts of loud announcements that they're on the way in.  They will most likely not come through the door shooting wildly and screaming that all you infidels are gonna die right now.  So, in this situation, if you hear the shooting subside and then loud pronouncements such as, Police, we're coming in.  Don't shoot.  Put your weapons on the floor... it might be okay to do it. That would be my guess. More likely, you'll hear a voice over a PA system telling you to leave your weapons on the floor and come outside with your hands in the air, walking backwards. And that is exactly what you should do. 

If, however, you hear a lull in the shooting and then a rumble of footsteps on your front porch just before the screen door is crashed through by someone screaming about chopping off your head and then eating your heart raw, you'll probably need to shoot that motherfucker.

Since you don't know how many zombies are behind him, put two in his chest and two in the chest of anyone behind him and two in the chest of anyone behind him.  That empties that silly revolver you bought down the street, right?  You should have bought a better gun.

And, of course anyone you shoot you shot only after coming to a reasonable conclusion that they presented a clear and present danger to your health/life a/o the health/life of those around you. Right? Right.

If you did buy a better gun, and the hi-caps to go with it, then put at least 4 in the wheel-house of the first guy, and then 4 into the guy following him, un so weiter.  Do a quick combat reload and see who's still coming and who wants more.  I don't know.  This might not work.  You may be outnumbered and outgunned and get your ass shot up and bleed out before anybody comes to help.  You do the legal and moral math and make your own decision.  Then plan and train and mentally prepare.

If you got shooters coming through the front and back doors, then the guy first through the main entry point will probably be the leader.  You need to put his lights out ASAP so all the others can see.  Maybe, just maybe, that will be enough to turn the others away, when they see their hero bite it.  I don't know, but it's better, seems to me, than curling into a ball and begging them not to cap your weezy ass too bad.

I'm tempted to write on how to counter-attack but I think I'll leave that alone, at least for now. No battles were ever won on defense.  Somebody had to attack sometime in order to take the ground and kill the enemy so somebody could win.  But this scenario seems like the kind where you hold your ground until the cavalry arrives... and pray to God they don't shoot you by mistake when they do.

How do you not get your shit blown away by the cops?  Very simple: do what they say, when they say it.  It's okay for you to explain very loudly and clearly to them as they approach and give you commands that you're a friendly, but it's not okay for you to not obey them.

In every horrible situation there's at least the potential for one person to be that guy ~  the one who knew what to do, or figured out something and gave it his best shot ~ or hers.  That guy we all talk about.  Sometimes, like on Flight 93, there are several of those guys. 

Whatever occurs, you can be that guy.  Even if it means all you did was calmly call the right people at the right time so all the good-guys in the world could show up and save the day.

Be that guy, underschrocken.

Know the law in your jurisdiction and, if you decide to act, be sure you act within the limits of that law.