Sitting Duck Policy

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Around 1:30 AM on May 5th, 2009, residents of a Midvale, Utah apartment we victims of a home invasion.

Someone tried to gain entry into the apartment, but one of the occupants attempted to block the door. The occupant was stabbed in the hand, which allowed several invaders access into the apartment.

One of the invaders hit a female. Her boyfriend came to her defense, fighting one of the suspects, and getting a hold of the invader’s gun, fatally shooting him.

Shots were fired by other invaders, but no one in the apartment was injured (apart for the initial stabbing).

Approximately eight of the home invaders fled and are currently at large. The deceased home invader has not yet been identified but police hope that they are able to do so using his tattoo’s to aid in identification. He was found armed with two knives, a gun, and wearing latex gloves.

Motive for the invasion and attack is not known.

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Source: http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=6380253

I’ve finally gotten to the point where I have to call on the carpet not only those that want to further restrict lawful firearms, but those who advocate against those restrictions as well.

We need to re-evaluate the semantics we use when talking about guns so they accurately reflect what they’re supposed to, not a vague, mass media definition.

It’s not “Gun Control,” it’s “Firearm Restriction”

Don’t use the term “gun control.” It’s not about controlling guns, it’s about restricting access to firearms by various members of the People: those who are mentally deficient and those with (felonious) criminal tendencies. The correct term is “Firearm Restriction” or “Firearm Access Restriction.”

It’s not an “Assault Rifle,” it’s a “Rifle”

The only time an rifle is an “assault rifle” is when it is being used to assault someone or something. The rest of the time it’s just a “rifle.”

Just because a gun “looks” scary, or shoots a “high caliber”

A black-powder musket is a type of rifle, but it can be used to assault someone. Is it an “assault rifle?” Of course not. An M-16 “Machine Gun” can be used to assault someone, is it an “assault rifle?” Again, no. It’s just a rifle.

It’s not a “high-caliber rifle,” it’s a “rifle”

People talk about caliber all the time. When the word is used correctly it simply means the diameter of the bullet (the part that comes out of the end of the gun).

Caliber is sometimes used to describe the power behind the bullet. That’s not right, that’s described in charts and statistics called its “ballistic capability.”

The round used by the military is a .223 or a 5.56, it’s not much bigger in caliber than the .22 that your great grandpa used to shoot at ground squirrels back on the homestead. It’s a very, very light caliber. In fact, pellet guns use a .177 (that’s just 0.023 inches in diameter smaller than the .22), but it’s far less powerful than a .22, which is far less powerful than a .223 (which is only 0.003 inches diameter bigger).

“High-caliber” has never been used correctly. It’s just the “caliber” and it really doesn’t tell the whole ballistics story. Unless you’re willing to describe grains, powder loads, pressure, muzzle-fps, penetration, etc., just call it a “rifle” and not a “high-caliber rifle.”

It’s not a “Machine Gun,” it’s a “Fully Automatic Rifle” or “Belt-Fed Rifle”

According to Princeton.edu, a machine is “any mechanical or electrical device that transmits or modifies energy to perform or assist in the performance of human tasks” and a gun is “a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel).”

By definition, ANY gun is a “machine” gun because it’s a mechanical device that modifies energy (a trigger squeeze) to perform a task (discharging a bullet).

What’s meant by the term “machine gun” is a gun that is designed to fire more that one round per trigger pull. The better term is “Fully Automatic Rifle.”

It’s not a “high-capacity magazine,” it’s just a “magazine”

The term “high-capacity magazine” when used in the mass-media usually means any magazine capable of holding more than ten rounds. Ten seems to be the magic number here, ever since the “Assault Weapon’s Ban” from years ago that banned the sale of magazines that held more than ten rounds. Ironically, the average number of rounds held in the average firearm before the ban was 7.2. After the ban every gun maker found some way to make a 10-round magazine, increasing the number of rounds from 7.2 to 10. Smart.

The full-frame Glock’s held around 13-15 rounds of ammunition before the ban. Those are “standard capacity” magazines. They come standard with the firearm. Sure, you can buy 25 or 33 round magazines, but these are “extended capacity" magazines.”

A chain fed rifle (like the military uses) have thousands of rounds per box. That sounds much more like “high capacity” than 15 rounds does.

Please, call it a “standard capacity magazine” or just a “magazine.”

There is no “Gun Show Loophole”

There are gun shows, but there is no “gun show loophole.” It’s a fabrication by the media to demonize gun shows. Have you ever been to a gun show? Every show I’ve been to I’ve been surrounded by the friendliest, most polite people I’ve ever met. Ever.

When a federally licensed firearms dealer sells someone a firearm there is a boatload of paperwork to go through, including a background check of the purchaser. Go down to any gun store and try to buy a gun without giving them your name and id. Good luck. But gun shows are different, right? Can a gun dealer sell you a gun at a gun show? You betcha, yes. Can that gun dealer bypass the federally mandated background check? Nope, not without committing a felony.

If your friend or relative owns a firearm and you want to buy it, guess what? In most cases you can! And since the seller is a private citizen, and not encumbered by the restrictions that wrap around every sale a federally licensed firearms dealer, they don’t have to abide by those regulations, they’re not required to do so.

Look at your local newspaper’s classified ads. See anyone selling a gun? Ah-ha! There’s a classified ads loophole!

Does your Uncle Bob have an extra hunting rifle that he’s trying to sell? Ah-ha! There’s an Uncle Bob loophole!

Private sales have never been banned, whether from Uncle Bob, the classified ads, or from some guy at a gun show.

It’s not a “Gun-Free Zone,” it’s a “Sitting Duck Zone”

Virginia Tech was supposedly a “gun-free zone,” Trolley Square was supposedly a “gun-free zone,” Washington D.C. was supposedly a “gun-free zone,” Columbine was supposedly a “gun-free zone.”

What do all of these places have in common? They all prohibit (or severely restrict) responsible, law-abiding citizens from taking self-defense sidearms into those places. They did not prevent criminals from bringing weapons into the “zone” and committing atrocities. The individuals responsible for the assault on Columbine broke more than 19 Federal Firearms laws to carry out their assault.

All the “gun-free zone” policies did was prevent the law-abiding people in them from being able to effectively defend themselves.

Maybe the enactment of these “zones” has done one thing: they’ve advertised to criminals where to find easy pickings, making these zones more dangerous and at higher risk of criminal attack.

It’s not a “gun-free zone,” it’s a “Sitting Duck Zone.”

Summary

Make sure that in your conversations you’re using the correct words, and that you’re using your words correctly.

No, this isn’t an article about race, or even about how much sun you’ve gotten recently. This post has to do with your levels of awareness and your readiness to defend yourself.

Lieutenant Colonel John Dean "Jeff" Cooper (May 10, 1920 – September 25, 2006) of the U.S. Marine Corps felt that the most important means of surviving a lethal confrontation isn’t a weapon or fighting skills; the primary tool is the combat mindset.

Safety is something that happens between your ears, not something you hold in your hands.

One chapter in his book, Principles of Personal Defense, Cooper talks about awareness and presents an adaptation of the Marine Corps system to differentiate states of readiness.

This color code has nothing to do with military tactical situations or alertness levels, rather it was all about one’s state of mind. (Based loosely on Wikipedia and the Cooper Color Code.)

Condition White: Unaware and unprepared

If attacked or threatened in Condition White, the only thing that may save you is the ineptitude of your attacker – or sheer luck. When confronted by this type of threat your reaction will probably be “Oh no! This can’t be happening to me!”

Condition White is also known as “head in the clouds,” and means you’re generally unaware of what’s going on in your immediate surroundings. This is the worst condition to be in, and the condition that most would-be attackers hope to find their victims in. The element of surprise is on their side in this condition – not yours.

Some have said that the only time you should be in Condition White is when you’re asleep.

Condition Yellow: Relaxed alert

In Condition Yellow there is no specific threat situation. You use your eyes and ears, and every sense available to you to be aware of your surroundings. You are “taking in” surrounding information in a relaxed but alert manner, like a continuous 360 degree radar sweep.

You are aware that the world is a potentially unfriendly place and that you are prepared to defend yourself, if necessary.

Your mindset is that “today could be the day I may have to defend myself.” Further, you are mentally prepared to defend yourself (taser, pepper spray, throwing defensive punches, or even shooting and potentially killing someone).

You can remain in Condition Yellow for long periods of time.

You should always be in Condition Yellow whenever you are in unfamiliar surroundings or among unfamiliar people.

If a threat presented itself, what are your avenues of retreat? Where could you take cover? How will you get your spouse and children to safety?

You don’t have to be armed in this state, but if you are armed you should be in Condition Yellow.

Again, if you are armed with any weapon (including, but not limited to a firearm) you should be in Condition Yellow.

Condition Orange: Specific alert

You feel that something is “not quite right” and has gotten your attention. Your radar has picked up what may be specific alert and you consciously elevate from Condition Yellow to Condition Orange.

There may not be an actual threat, but you’ve picked up on something that warrants more attention and a higher level of alertness.

You shift your primary focus to determine if there is a threat (but you maintain your 360 degree sweep in case what has alerted you is a distraction). Your mindset shifts to “I may have to shoot him today.”

In Condition Orange, you set a mental trigger: “If that person does ‘x’, I will need to stop him.” Where “x” could be pulling a weapon and coming at you, etc.

Your weapon should remain holstered in this state.

At this point you should be recalling your training about acceptable and appropriate use of force. Is your life in danger or are you at risk of permanent bodily harm? Is retreat an option? If you do need to draw your weapon, is the area behind your target clear, or will you need to move to another position to do this?

Staying in Condition Orange can be a bit of a mental strain, but you need to stay in it for as long as you need to.

If the threat proves to be nothing, you shift back to Condition Yellow.

If the threat proves to be valid, you shift to Condition Red.

Condition Red: Condition Red is fight

Your mental trigger (established back in Condition Orange) has been tripped. “X” has happened and you have to stop that person or become a victim.

In Condition Red your primary focus turns to the threat, but you still want be aware of your surroundings: this might not be your only threat, if you discharge a weapon who might be in the line of fire, what cover is available. Hopefully you’ve already answered most of those questions in Conditions Yellow and Orange.

As soon as your mental trigger has been tripped you draw and make-ready your defense weapon. At this point you are committed to a course of action that may include taking a human life in defense of your own, or someone else’s.

Once you have presented your defensive weapon the threat may give up, may run away (did they get retreat to obtain reinforcements), or may continue to attack. You should plan for each of these scenarios.

When you are in the moment, higher-thinking stops and instinct kicks in. Replace instinct with training.

Once you have stopped the threat you will likely drop back to Condition Orange or Yellow, depending on the outcome of the confrontation.

Summary

This isn’t a training article, or what to do in specific situations. This article is about being aware of your surroundings and knowing what level of alertness you should exercise in each level.

The old adage “stop and smell the roses” takes on a new meaning in this context.

• Be aware of your surroundings including everything and everyone around you.
• Be ready to investigate further when circumstances dictate.
• Be ready to respond to a threat if the scenario arises.
• Be safe and refuse to be a victim.

Related Quotes

• The police cannot protect the citizen at this stage of our development, and they cannot even protect themselves in many cases. It is up to the private citizen to protect himself and his family, and this is not only acceptable, but mandatory.
• The will to survive is not as important as the will to prevail… the answer to criminal aggression is retaliation.
• Safety is something that happens between your ears, not something you hold in your hands.
• The purpose of the pistol is to stop a fight that somebody else has started, almost always at very short range.
• Let us reflect upon the fact that a man who covers his face shows reason to be ashamed of what he is doing.