Only What Hits Close to Home

I find it entirely absurd how, since the election of a particular individual, a significant amount of people from the left-leaning political spectrum are now arming themselves, and even suggesting that their political peers arm themselves, in order to protect their own lives from the alt-right Nazis who are apparently getting all uppity since said election.  Were these not the same folks who did their best to disarm everyone during the eight previous years of utopia under President Obama?  I am confused.  These people who are now afraid of racism are apparently embracing self-sufficiency for a change.  Of course, these folks can’t figure out that they still remain far more likely to be accosted by a crackhead named Cricket in a parking lot than by a band of guys wearing KKK hoods.   Oh, the irony.  I suppose if it gets them to arm themselves then there is at least that, which might be a good thing.

The reality is that too many people are responsible for this sort of thought process regardless of their voting preferences.  Even within our community of people who do embrace self-sufficiency to at least some extent we find that the only motivation for many is what hits close to home.  For example, look how much attention active shooter situations garner.  I am all for the focus that the tactical and self-defense communities put on this because it is such a complicated and dangerous situation that being prepared and never needing the preparation is better than needing it only once and not having it.  However, I find that a lot of the same folks who talk a good game about smoking an active shooter don’t carry a gun while walking to their mailbox.

Do you carry while walking to the mailbox?  A lot more people are assaulted within their own yard or on their own sidewalk every year than are killed by active shooters or terrorist attacks.   The idea of carrying a handgun and other weaponry is to be ready for what might happen but hopefully never will.  Many, however, carry only at certain times they deem higher-than-usual risk.  So, since there has been a few mass killer attacks at malls lately some folks will carry when at the mall, but will stroll out to their neighborhood park with the kids without wearing their gun.  Perhaps they live in a supposedly safe neighborhood that never has seen an assault at the park, but they will carry when being around the riff raff that packs the mall.  Folks, it does not work like that.  Murphy’s Law is always in play.  You will need it when you least expect, for what you least expect.  Carry your gun all the time and train for all of the contingencies, whether that be a mass killer, a bunch of dudes wearing KKK hoods, or much more likely, Cricket the crackhead.