The Highlander and Kurgan may have respected holy ground, but criminals do not.

Recently, Rangemaster instructors Tom Givens, Cecil Booker, and Steve Palmer attended a full day seminar for church security teams from around the country. There were some very interesting blocks of instruction from various law enforcement and church organizations.

One of the points that really stood out was how little public awareness exists of this problem. As one of the pastors of a large church stated, many churches refuse to report crimes against them, or try hard to keep them quiet for fear of scaring the members from attending services and other church functions. Despite this, reported serious incidents at churches have increased by 200% in just the past five years.

According to a spokesman from the Sheriff’s Department’s Homeland Security office, since January 1999 there have been 473 major incidents in US churches, resulting in over 200 fatalities. These range from mentally ill persons assaulting or killing pastors to religion-based hate crimes. Robbery accounted for 27% of the serious incidents, since churches are known to have cash on hand, especially during services. In those 473 incidents, 596 people were killed or seriously injured.

This serves as a reminder that violence can occur wherever there are people. Thinking one is “safe” just because one is in a house of worship is naïve. You are safe where you make yourself safe, and nowhere else. Discretely conceal your personal emergency safety equipment and have it on you at all times. That is really the only way to actually have it when the need suddenly arises.

From the October 2011 Rangemaster Newsletter.

Mob violence is on the rise.

Watch this video of mob attack at a Dallas convenience store. This happened just a couple of days ago.

So what would you do if you were caught up in this? If you were in the store buying a soda… if you were at the pump filling gas… if you just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

What would you do?

And consider not just the mob itself, but consider this store clerk getting attacked. Would you intervene to try to save him?

Consider as well… even if you carry a gun, consider the sheer number of people involved. Consider as well that some of these choir boys are likely packing a gun too.

It’s ugly all around.

What would you do?

Fewer women than men in the U.S. hold concealed handgun licenses and women who do carry them do so for self-defense and a need to feel empowered, according to a study by sociology graduate student Angela Stroud.

Stroud said her study, which involved 15 interviews with women who hold concealed handgun licenses, found that women seek the license to feel as powerful as men in a culture where women are taught to feel vulnerable.

Full story here. Including some quotes from local CHL instructor, Robert Greene.

I’m not sure how 15 interviews constitutes a representative sample, but here we are.

The main reason I wanted to comment on this article was this:

Starr-Renee Corbin, a manager for the Applied Research Laboratories who works with the Center for Women’s and Gender studies, said she carries her concealed handgun for self-defense, but does not carry it all the time.

“I leave the gun at home on a day-to-day basis and only bring it with me if I’m going on long drives through the state or feel there is an immediate threat,” Corbin said. “I wouldn’t agree that it gives you a sense of empowerment in every situation. It’s just something to have around just in case.”

But does not carry all the time. She only carries if she feels there’s a threat or on long drives.

You know, if we’re going to talk studies, data, and research… then she needs to carry her gun at all times… unless she has superpowers and can see the future. Data shows that most attacks happen in parking lots, going to/from your car to/from buildings (e.g. office, shopping mall, etc.). parking garages, etc.. Any time of day, not just in the middle of the night. These are your day-to-day activities! Why are you leaving yourself vulnerable during those very situations that have the higher likelihood of an attack occurring? Are you looking for an opportunity to say “damn, I really wish I had my gun right now!!”, or would you rather say “I’m so glad I had my gun on me!”? If you’d rather say the latter, the only way you can ensure it is to always carry.

I’m happy that Ms. Corbin has her CHL, I just wish she would carry it… always.

A man who broke into a home in Johnson City early Monday was in critical condition Tuesday after being shot in the chest, police said.

Johnson City police say Christopher Ricketts, 23, entered an unlocked home near the intersection of Avenue G and Ash Street about 1:30 a.m. Monday and woke the homeowner while rummaging around.

Courtesy of PTM

As you read the rest of the article, it seems evident the case is clear-cut: Ricketts had burglary tools, he was inside someone else’s home rummaging around, the homeowner defended himself and his property.

A couple of key points worth mentioning:

First, the homeowner worked to stop the threat. He didn’t “shoot to kill”, he didn’t keep shooting after the threat had ceased. Seems 1 from a 9mm was enough to get the job done.

Second, the words “entered an unlocked home” jumped out at me. The homeowner was home but their doors/windows were unlocked. I have to wonder if this could have been avoided entirely if the homeowner had simply locked their doors. Predators look for easy prey. If a criminal didn’t mind working hard, they’d have an honest job.

I had some mixed reactions after reading the following article and felt it’d make a good blog post.

To note a bit of context, KRGV is in the Texas Rio Grande Valley, which is basically the southern-most tip of Texas, right on the border with Mexico.

Crime and spillover violence is forcing some people to take safety into their own hands. They are carrying weapons out of fear. Law enforcement says arming themselves for protection doesn’t guarantee safety.

[…]

Armed robberies, carjackings, home invasions, violence from across the border spilling into our back yards, [concealed handgun license instructor, Roy] Balli says a lot of the people he deals with feel like they need to protect themselves.

Understandable. Good people wish to live their lives unharmed. To be at the mercy of evil people is no way to live your life.

“There are so many responsibilities that come with a person being armed,” says Hidalgo police Chief Vernon Rosser.

This is true. However, the statement sounds like it’s about to be followed by a “but…”.

Rosser says he’s not against people arming themselves. It’s their right, but he worries about the implications.

“What my fear is is that if a person sees something or hears something, rather than pick up the phone and call us so that we can be on our way that they may feel like. I will just get my gun and go check it out. I don’t know that they would have the training. I don’t know that they would be mentally prepared of what to do in a situation if it became confrontational,” says Rosser.

This gives me mixed emotions.

I will agree that if there is a potential for danger, should you go walking into it? Generally no, but circumstances will dictate. If I hear my child screaming, I’m not going to dial 911 and wait. If I heard the sound of my back door being kicked in, I’d be more wont to hunker down, arm myself, dial 911, and start shouting commands. It takes too long for the police to arrive. In a city like Austin, 5 minute response time is about the best you could hope for (if you’re lucky), and a lot can happen in 5 minutes.

Nevertheless, I do agree with Chief Rosser. A gun is not a talisman that will ward off evil. It is a tool, and like any tool you need to know how to use it properly. This necessitates education and training.

The chief says if you carry a gun, you better be prepared to use it. That weapon could cause more harm than protection.

“You always have to be faced with one thing. What am I gonna do when it comes time to do it?” says Rosser.

It goes beyond simple marksmanship. Yes, being able to hit your target is fundamental, but you must move beyond that level. You need to be able to shoot under pressure. You need to be able to shoot one-handed. You need to be able to shoot targets at a distance greater than you are comfortable with. But again, we’re still talking marksmanship. After laying this foundation, it’s important to learn about greater skills towards keeping you safe: mental skills, mindset, tactics. Classes that emphasize use of your brain more than your fists or gun, that’s what you ultimately should seek. These are the sorts of things that could keep you out of a dangerous situation in the first place, to recognize it before it happens. The sooner you can bail out, the better for you.

Police do have their place, and there are times when calling them is the best response. But the police cannot always be there and cannot protect us at at moment’s notice. Ultimately self-preservation is your personal responsibility.