Flabergasted

...that's me.

After reading this editorial that popped up in my Google News alerts this am.

The whole thing made sense, until the last paragraph, where Ms. Lu Ann Maciulla McNabb decides to pose her question. The bills all look good, look like they will extend gun rights, and treat gun owners the way they should be treated. What makes a church so special that someone with a valid permit to carry shouldn't be allowed to do so? I know of several instances right here in IN where guns were carried to church and no mass shootings happened.

There are also cases of legally carried weapons in churches STOPPING a mass shooting.

But that's not what I want to talk about is right here:

My question has been and continues to be, how can Virginia, the place where the worst mass tragedy in American history occurred, and which loses over 800 people every year to gun violence, continue to ignore the loss of life and create policies that leave families and communities devastated.

I'm going to assume she means the attack at Virginia Tech, where 32 people lost their lives, and I'll grant that VT was a tragedy (a tragedy that some of the laws now being proposed might have prevented...entirely possibly). However, there is no way in HELL that the massacre at VT was the worst mass tragedy in American history.

• September 11th, 2001 ring a bell. The city of New York lost more EMTs / Paramedics in one day then VT lost in students. FDNY lost 10 times as many firefighters at Ground Zero as students were lost at VT. Nearly 100 times as many innocent civilians died at Ground Zero alone.
• December 7th, 1941, a day which will live in infamy. Japanese warplanes bomb and torpedo the ships at anchor at Pearl Harbor, leading the US into WWII. 2400 citizens of this county were killed.
• July 1-3, 1863, the Battle of Gettysburg, 46,000 Service men of this country, fighting one another lost their lives over a three day period.

In the face of these things, the attack at VT pales in comparison based on pure carnage. Don't try and use emotion, especially fake emotion to get your feel good nanny state laws passed!

--Jim

Gun School Bleg

Does anyone have any info on Force Options Tactical Training? They are offering a class near me at the beginning of October that I'm considering taking, and I'm wondering if it's worth the time and money.

Input is appreciated.

Home Defense Thoughts..

Brigid shares her thoughts on home defense.

Work has a prohibition against firearms while working, it also has a prohibition against firearms in personal vehicles while parked on company property. That being said, as soon as I'm in the door after a shift, I'm out of uniform, and wearing at least some kind of firearm around with me. My general thinking goes like this: When the chips are down, I am going to KNOW where my gun is, 100% of the time.

Will you?

My house has an alarm, and we're good about keeping the house locked even when we are home. The dog is only 40lbs, but she sounds real menacing when she needs to. That all being said, the true protection in the house comes from me always having a firearm ready to go, and within easy reach. It's such second nature anymore, that I feel naked when it's not the case.

Always...

...carry a gun!

It's a lighter burden then regret...

and remember, the life you save may in fact be your own.

M.W.A.G. Fireworks Festival

Took in the annual fireworks display on the Riverfront in Downtown Evansville on Saturday night. The show itself was nice, the music score not so much.

As is my custom, was carrying concealed. In this case, Kimber TLE II/RL with a Surefire X300 attached, as well as Ruger LCP in the pocket.

No problems, no funny looks from police, or anybody else. All's well!

North Texas Tactical Training Combat Handgun 1

Sorry for keeping everyone waiting on this review.

On 2/28 I took the Combat Handgun class with Hany Mahmoud and the guys at North Texas tactical. The class was held on the grounds of the Texas Tactical training area, just a few miles north of Weatherford TX.

The class started with some classroom stuff, before we all moved out to the range. We talked about being aware of your surroundings, and how the vast majority of people exist totally in condition white. We also talked about the fact that the proper mindset is condition yellow, which will blend in and out of orange as the day passes. Hany also emphasized that there are times when condition white is necessary for everyone's mental health. As an example, Hany mentions that he goes into condition white when he's relaxing at home, a pistol within easy reach. The key to doing the condition white safely is to have layered defenses (all the doors and windows locked, the alarm set, the dog ready to pounce, etc.) We also covered OODA loops and actions that could possibly disrupt your opponents OODA loop.

During the classroom section of the day, we covered range safety with a quick review of the four rules of firearm safety. Hany had an additional rule for us throughout the course of the day. From the time we stepped onto the range and went hot, until the time we were finished for the day pistols were to be either holsterd, or indexed on the targets. After all of this, we moved out to the range and started loading magazines and preparing for the range part of the day.

Range exercises started with some non-firing drills. We reviewed stance, grip, sites, trigger control, etc. From there we moved into live fire drills. I honestly don't remember all of the drills we did, but they were excellent, and were varied. We covered the draw in 4 easy steps, and then we removed the numbers from each of the steps and did it as a fluid motion. Then we added a lateral step to the mix, so that it became natural to take a step to the left or the right (disrupt the opponents OODA loop) while drawing the pistol. We did reloads, and then we added reloads with a lateral step.

One thing that particulary stood out to me was the use of multiple different target setups. Every couple of drills, the targets would get changed out. I don't mean that new targets were put up, I mean that a whole different style of target was put up. Hany pointed out that he uses multiple targets because there are only two things he CAN'T tell us about an encounter with a bad guy: When the encounter will occur, and what the bad guy will look like.

Overall an excellent class, and I'm hoping to take at least one more class with the guys at North Texas Tactical before I leave TX! Maybe next time I'll remember the camera and get some photos!

Sad News

One of the prettiest ladies on TV is in the hospital, apparently for the third time since December.

Here's wishing her a speedy recovery.  And she carries a gun on TV (just to keep this all on topic.)

North Texas Tactical Combat Handgun 1

So, all finished with class, and safe and sound back at my residence in TX.  I'll give a detailed account of what we covered in the next few days, but for now, a general list of comments.

-What the hell happened to the 80 degree day we had yesterday.

-Pay Up. And as a reward, he's a legal liability waiver...

-Awareness Color Chart

-OODA loop (no, not the loop de loop)

-Carry a gun regularly = 90% of your waking hours :)

-Things may not always be as they appear.  People standing around with hands in their pockets, be careful, they may just have a plan to kill you (which could very well include having a J-frame snubby in that pocket)

-Pistol will either be indexed down range, or holstered.

-Front site. Press.  Front Site.  Press. 

-Draw.

-Failure to stop drills DNE 2 to the COM and 1 to the head.  Address the body, and then address the head.

-Wait, you want me to do what now?  Sit down and shoot the target with my ass on the ground? OK.

-Now laying flat on my back!?!?!?  OK, we can try that too.

-You shouldn't see shoeleather when you're looking through the sites.

-1,2,3,4,5,6 drill.

-Move and Shoot!

-SCAN!

-FINGER!

-Walrus story (which I'll tell you is kind of cool, but you have to attend a class to find out what it is!)

All in all, a very very worthwhile day, and if you can possibly make it up to see these guys, well worth the time and effort!

PSH taken to new heights....

My head fairly exploded this afternoon when I read this account of how John Wahlberg was rousted by the campus police after giving an oral presentation in his Communication 140 class.  Apparently his discussion of concealed carry on campus was so threatening that the professor filed a complaint against him.

Mr. Wahlberg gave an oral presentation as part of a class assignment, the topic of that presentation was school violence.  It is undeniable fact that a concealed handgun on a victim's person is the best and most effecient way of stopping a mass shooting.  The only way to stop the psycopath is to force him to stop, and if he's got a gun, you better hope you've got one as well.

Mentioning such a topic as part of a communication class is not a threat, no matter the audience.  If the mere mention of concealed carry on cmapus  is enough to inflame Ms. Anderson to report the student, then she is definitely a hoplophobe.  To report the young man to the police for the matter is simply inexcusible.  Not only should Ms. Anderson apologize to John immediately, she should be fired, and barred from ever teaching again, if only to protect the children! 

--Jim

(H/T kahr40)

Weekend Plans...

So I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I was considering going up to take a class with these guys. I am in fact planning on attending the session that they are having on Saturday morning, but prior to that, I'm planning on attending the TSRA dinner. My plan for the weekend at this point looks like this:

I'm ducking out of work a little bit early tomorrow afternoon, and driving up to Mesquite TX tomorrow afternoon. A short trip to the hotel I'm staying at will take care of a quick shower, and a set of clean clothes. I'll attend the dinner (hopefully get some pictures, but I'm not sure.)

I'll go back to the hotel and crash for the night, before getting up (probably around 5:30ish) to drive across Dallas to meet up in Weatherford TX. A full day in the classroom and on the range (been told to bring 400 rounds, I think I have 500 packed...) and then driving back to Franklin.

I'm planning on attending the class and using an XD45 Service in a Blackhawk Serpa holster, with Blackhawk mag carriers. I had a leather snap holster ordered, and it was supposed to arrive this week, but it doesn't look like it will arrive in time. Plastic it is. I'm also taking my Glock 19 as a backup in case I run into problems with the XD while we are shooting.

Anyone want to meet up in the Dallas area, shoot me an email, I know it is short notice.

--Jim

February 15, 2009

Op-Ed Contributor

The Coming Swarm

By JOHN ARQUILLA

Monterey, Calif.

WITH three Afghan government ministries in Kabul hit by simultaneous suicide attacks this week, by a total of just eight terrorists, it seems that a new “Mumbai model” of swarming, smaller-scale terrorist violence is emerging.

The basic concept is that hitting several targets at once, even with just a few fighters at each site, can cause fits for elite counterterrorist forces that are often manpower-heavy, far away and organized to deal with only one crisis at a time. This approach
certainly worked in Mumbai, India, last November, where five two-man teams of Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives held the city hostage for two days, killing 179 people. The Indian security forces, many of which had to be flown in from New Delhi, simply had little ability to strike back at more than one site at a time.

While it’s true that the assaults in Kabul seem to be echoes of Mumbai, the fact is that Al Qaeda and its affiliates have been using these sorts of swarm tactics for several years. Jemaah Islamiyah — the group responsible for the Bali nightclub attack that killed 202 people in 2002 — mounted simultaneous attacks on 16 Christian churches in Indonesia on Christmas Eve in 2000, befuddling security forces.

Even 9/11 itself had swarm-like characteristics, as four small teams of Qaeda operatives simultaneously seized commercial aircraft and turned them into missiles, flummoxing all our defensive responses. In the years since, Al Qaeda has coordinated swarm attacks in Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Turkey, Yemen and elsewhere. And at the height of the insurgency in Iraq, terrorists repeatedly used swarms on targets as small as truck convoys and as large as whole cities.

This pattern suggests that Americans should brace for a coming swarm. Right now, most of our cities would be as hard-pressed as Mumbai was to deal with several simultaneous attacks. Our elite federal and military counterterrorist units would most likely find their responses slowed, to varying degrees, by distance and the need to clarify jurisdiction.

While the specifics of the federal counterterrorism strategy are classified, what is in the public record indicates that the plan contemplates having to deal with as many as three sites being simultaneously hit and using “overwhelming force” against the terrorists, which probably means mustering as many as 3,000 ground troops to the site. If that’s an accurate picture, it doesn’t bode well. We would most likely have far too few such elite units for dealing with a large number of small terrorist teams carrying out simultaneous attacks across a region or even a single city.

Nightmare possibilities include synchronized assaults on several shopping malls, high-rise office buildings or other places that have lots of people and relatively few exits. Another option would be to set loose half a dozen two-man sniper teams in some metropolitan area — you only have to recall the havoc caused by the Washington sniper in 2002 to imagine how huge a panic a slightly larger version of that form of terrorism would cause.

So how are swarms to be countered? The simplest way is to create many more units able to respond to simultaneous, small-scale attacks and spread them around the country. This means jettisoning the idea of overwhelming force in favor of small units that are not “elite” but rather “good enough” to tangle with terrorist teams. In dealing with swarms, economizing on force is essential.

We’ve actually had a good test case in Iraq over the past two years. Instead of responding to insurgent attacks by sending out large numbers of troops from distant operating bases, the military strategy is now based on hundreds of smaller outposts in which 40 or 50 American troops are permanently stationed and prepared to act swiftly against attackers. Indeed, their very presence in Iraqi communities is a big
deterrent. It’s small surprise that overall violence across Iraq has dropped by about 80 percent in that period.

For the defense of American cities against terrorist swarms, the key would be to use local police officers as the first line of defense instead of relying on the military. The first step would be to create lots of small counterterrorism posts throughout urban areas instead of keeping police officers in large, centralized precinct houses. This is
consistent with existing notions of community-based policing, and could even include an element of outreach to residents similar to that undertaken in the Sunni areas of Iraq — even if it were to mean taking the paradoxical turn of negotiating with gangs about security.

At the federal level, we should stop thinking in terms of moving thousands of troops across the country and instead distribute small response units far more widely. Cities, states and Washington should work out clear rules in advance for using military forces in a counterterrorist role, to avoid any bickering or delay during a crisis. Reserve and National Guard units should train and field many more units able to take on small teams of terrorist gunmen and bombers. Think of them as latter-day Minutemen.

Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Turkey and Yemen all responded to Qaeda attacks with similar “packetizing” initiatives involving the police and armed forces; and while that hasn’t eliminated swarm attacks, the terrorists have been far less effective and many lives have been saved.

As for Afghanistan, where the swarm has just arrived, there is still time to realize the merits of forming lots of small units and sprinkling them about in a countrywide network of outposts. As President Obama looks to send more troops to that war, let’s make sure the Pentagon does it the right way.

Yes, the swarm will be heading our way, too. We need to get smaller, closer and quicker. The sooner the better.

To quote Tam: Carry your damned guns people!"

Article seen here.

Gun Sign I'll Support

Post it where you'd like. I think I'm going to give one to my favorite shop owner.

Make sure you visit the owners website. I might pick up a copy of his book.

(H/T Shooting the Messenger)

Feelings instead of Facts... Again...

Dana Parsons, a columnist at the LA times wrote an editorial a couple of weeks ago in support of Sandra Hutchens, the new Sheriff of Orange County. Sheriff Hutchens has changed the requirements in regards to getting a concealed carry permit in Orange County. Many of the people who currently have a valid permit will not be able to renew their permits, becuase they do not have "suffecient need."

Forget for a second that Sandra Hutchens doesn't know jack shit about any particular individuals "need" to carry a firearm (open or conealed.) Forget for a second that she is infringing on that right which "shall not be infringed." Forget for a second that she's out of lockstep with what the county commisioners (or whatever the governing body is) want, and is out of step with what her employees (at least some of them) want.

Dana admits, in an editorial this week, that when he opened his mouth in support of Sandra Hutches, he "knew there'd be hell to pay." Only the reaction wasn't what he thought it was. Apparently not everyone who chooses to carry a firearm for self defense is a cousin humping redneck who spits 'bacco. Dana goes on to say that he got dozens of emails, and the vast majority of them did not fit into the stereotype of "gun nuts." They zeroed in on the points that Dana had made, and argued their cases on merits.

So the Pro Rights crowd argued their case on the merits, but then Dana falls back on feelings, sharing the following:

As I suggested in the last column, I get the argument. I really do.

How can anyone dispute that if confronted on the street by a criminal intent on mayhem, it's much preferable to have a way to defend yourself?

But I and other pointy-headed people just can't extend that argument as far as the other side does. Bottom line: I wouldn't feel safer knowing that untold numbers of private citizens that I pass on the street -- yes, even salt-of-the-earth types who have been trained -- are packing guns.

Dana, I'm truly sorry that you feel less safe walking down the street knowing that good people might have guns. Now I have some bad news for you, the criminals that would prey upon the good people of this country, they don't go through the trouble of getting carry permits, and they're going to carry their firearms anyway. That means that by tightening the requirements on issuance of CCW permits, you're guaranteeing that the only guns around are the ones in the hands of the bad guys. That makes no sense at all dude.

Less gun control, more criminal control.

My Everlasting Shame

Via SayUncle, I stumbled across Gun Free Kids, a group opposed to allowing valid concealed carry permit holders to carry onto a college campus.

To my eternal shame, I clicked over to their list of schools that support the measure, and found that my alma mater* is the ONLY school in the communist state of NJ that has signed up.

A letter will be sent to the President of the University before this day is out.

--Jim

*There was a murder on campus since I left in May 2006, so it's not that safe of an area.

Daily Carry Gear

So Breda was nice enough to throw up a post about the stuff she carries each and every day. I also remember seeing a meme that floated around the blogsphere a couple of months back about what gets carried every day, so I figured I'd participate.

First of all, this is a picture of the stuff I carry each and every day when I'm at work (this stuff is carried all day, every day on the jobsite.) Unfortunately, work prohibits the carrying of firearms on the jobsite.

Starting from the bottom left:

Cell Phone (Palm Treo - Verizon Wireless)
Texas Key Ring (has the keys to my apartment, and office at work)
Cell Phone Case
Camera Case
Truck Keys
Digital Camera (Nikon CoolPix)
Small Notebook
Pen
Surefire E1b
Leatherman Multitool
Emerson CQC-7B w/ Wave
Wallet

When I'm not at work, I have the following stuff:


From the bottom Left:

Cell Phone
Wallet
Cell Phone Case
Texas Keys
Truck Keys
Leatherman Multitool
Small Notebook
Pen
Springfield XD45 Service (in a Brommeland Max-Con V)
Backup Mag
Emerson CQC-7B
Surefire E1b

--Jim

30 Days - Gun Nation

Xavier led me in the direction of this episode of 30 days, where a citizen disarmament advocate spends 30 days living in the home of a gun nut.

I remember hearing about this show when it first aired, but didn't get a chance to watch it on TV originally. I'm glad Xavier pointed the show out to me, and led me to where it could be viewed online.

The show is about 40 minutes long, and it's amazing to see the changes in Pia's attitude as it goes on.

I didn't grow up in a house with firearms, and my mother was extremely opposed to me having any in the house. As a matter of fact, when I purchased my first two pistols, I had to store them at a good friend's house, who had firearms of his own.

I started reading about the gun rights movement, and attempting to make an informed decision long before I bought my first two guns. I became interested in firearms and shooting while I was still in high school, and practiced with a mentor at work whenever he had the time and inclination. I knew long before I got to college that I would purchase my first pistols as soon after passing 21 I would.

I don't know that I've changed the minds of anyone, but I have definitely taken a bunch of people to the range who have never been before. Much of it happened when I was in college, had a nice range close by, and a huge pool of people to draw from. I've continued the tradition of introducing new people to the range and gun ownership whenever possible.

I even bought my girlfriend her first pistol for Christmas, and have taken her shooting several times since then. More on that at a later day.

To me, the single greatest thing that we can do to help ensure the future of Second Amendment rights to to introduce new people to the shooting sports, and get them to enjoy it.

I'll share my personal opinions on how to introduce someone to the shooting sports for the first time later :)

I am not...

a fan of snakes...

and coming face to face with a snake like this would require me changing my pants I'm sure!

I'm not sure even my trusty .45, or even my AR-15 would take care of that particular problem!

Creepy!

--Jim

Why I Carry A Gun

This particular comment has been discussed around the blogsphere many times. The answer always varies slightly from blogger to blogger, and I'm hoping to share my opinion on the matter.

Simply put, I carry a firearm for the defense of myself ands my loved ones. I don't want to take the place of the police, but I think that part of a citizens responsibilities is to have the ability to protect him/herself from a violent offender until the police arrive.

As far as how I carry, I usually carry on my right hip either IWB or OWB. Usually it's a leather holster, although I do occasionally use a kydex holster. I always carry at least one backup mag, due to the fact the something like 90% of semi-auto pistol failures are due to a magazine failure. The backup mag is carried on my left side behind my cell phone holder.

Other stuff I have with me whenever I leave the house includes a cell phone (obviously). I also carry two knives, a tactical folder and a Leatherman multitool. Finally, I have a minimum of at least one Surefire flashlight. There is usually a second Surefire not very far away. I use all of this stuff almost every single day in my day to day working.

Now, for the good stuff: meaning what firearms do I carry. When I first started carrying in IN, I was carrying an HK USPc in .40, carried in a CTAC holster. I've moved on to an XD45 carried in a Brommeland Max-Con V or a Glock 19 carried in a Brommeland Max-Con V or Def-Con V. I also have a Ruger LCP for times when I simply can't conceal a larger pistol.

Later, I'll talk about the mentality that goes with carrying a firearm on a day to day basis.

Line of Duty Death

I was cruising around the blogsphere today, and happened across this post over at Medic Three.

It appears that Mark Davis was shot and killed by a patient while on an emergency run. The worst part is, according to the news reports that I've read about the incident since, it appears that EMT Davis and the rest of his crew were doing everything they were supposed to, at least according to the book.

I've never agreed with the prohibitions of firearms in relation to emergency services, although the people who develop the policies think they are sound. I'm not sure that having a firearm would have helped in this case, but it would have offered other options to the crew...

Mr. Davis, RIP, and thank you for your service. Your life was ended far too soon. May God welcome you into Heaven's Brigade.

HEAVEN'S BRIGADE

Did you know there's a Fire Department in Heaven?
I heard Cap tell that sorrowful lad.
The young boy stared, working over the words he'd just been given.
Cap, do you think God's got a spot on the truck for my dad?
Cap smiled, even though you could tell his heart was heavy, and said,
You bet son, as he roughed the hair on the boy's head.
Timmy looked up, his sadness, for now, gone.
Cap went on, holding back the tears that were trying to fall.
They've got the biggest, reddest fire trucks you ever saw,
And they keep them all cleaned and ready,
Just in case they get a call.
Of course they don't get many,
Bein' in Heaven and all.
But God knew this, so right next to them He made,
A great big tree, that puts out a lot of shade.
And each day they have at least one run,
Down the streets of Heaven, leading the afternoon parade.
That's been years ago now,
And in that time, things have changed alot.
Cap, he's been retired, and I some how, made it to Chief.
And Timmy, He's just Tim now, down at station two,
And, I must say, one of the finest Captains on my crew.
The day came, the worst of any other,
When we have to say farewell to a fallen brother.
I watched, as Tim walked over to that hero's son,
And share some words, just as my Cap and Tim had once done...
Did you know there's a Fire Department in Heaven?............

New Idea...

I do most of my reading of blog posts through Google Reader, and that definitely has some advantages.  However, it also has some disadvantages.  I followed a link tonight from Murdoc over at GunPundit to the Armed Canadian.  When I first opened up the page, I noticed the header that AC has on the top of his page regarding taking people to the gun range for their first ever visit.

I want to make the same offer, and I'm going to put a similar message on the header of my blog.  Just wanted to say thanks to AC for giving me the idea!