Man tries to carjack MS family, gets shot by victim

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Little Rock police said that the man found shot in the River Market parking deck on Memorial Day attacked a Mississippi family before he was injured.

According to the Little Rock Police Department, one of the victims told officers that a man came up from behind and hit him several times as the victim was loading a wagon onto the roof of the vehicle.

Another victim, who was in the passenger’s seat of the car, told officers that the suspect got into the front seat of the vehicle and hit her in the face with his fist. The report said she told police that she pulled out her pistol and shot toward the suspect, striking him in the head and neck area.

Once the suspect fell to the ground, the report said that woman in the car called 911.

Officers said that two children were in the vehicle at the time of the attempted carjacking and shooting.

Once officers arrived at the scene and made sure the victims were safe, they began first aid on the suspect until medical personnel arrived.

Police said Wednesday that the suspect is still in the hospital.

No one NO ONE, who has attained this high status is this naïve. So, he’s a stooge, nothing more than a Godless communist in disguise who is pushing the disarmament agenda. So, the following applies:

BLUF:
“The voluntary self-restraint that I am calling for will not solve the problem of gun violence all by itself, but it can help us change our culture from one that is obsessively focused on individuals’ rights to a society dedicated to ensuring the common good,”

Newark cardinal asks Americans to voluntarily forgo right to guns

NEW YORK – Amid a mounting debate in America over the constitutionality of gun control, Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark has entered the fray with a different argument: That people should voluntarily forgo their Second Amendment rights for the betterment of society.

“I honestly believe it is the best thing we can do to change the culture of violence that threatens us today,” Tobin said.

“Let’s voluntarily set aside our rights in order to witness the truth that only peace and never violence, is the way to build a free society that is lived concretely in our homes, our neighborhoods, our communities, our nation and our world,” he said.

Tobin made the plea in a recent letter, “Pray for an end to all instances of violence,” where he calls on community leaders and Catholic bishops, himself included, to call for a “synodal effort” to actively resist gun violence. He proposed a threefold process that includes prayer and work, advocacy, and voluntary self-restraint from the Second Amendment.

The letter, published May 26, is the latest call to action amid a spate of mass shootings in recent months. May 30 marked the 150th day of 2023, over which time there have been 263 mass shootings – incidents with four or more people shot – that have led to 327 deaths.

Continue reading “”

Building Defenders for Our Schools and Churches

Ask someone if they can shoot a gun and you are sure to get memorable answers. You hear about their relatives or their family friends who taught them. Ask them if they passed any shooting qualification tests and you’ll find that most have not, at least not recently. Last week I watched a group of volunteer defenders in Arizona train and test to become the emergency first responders for their schools and churches. They learned to stop the threat and treat the injured victims until police and EMTs arrive. These volunteers are not your average Joe or your average Jane.

It is true that almost half of us live with a gun in our home. About 17 million of us go on to get a concealed carry permit and carry a personal firearm in public. Fewer of us learn armed defense and practice the required skills so our responses are subconscious. Said another way, few people drive their gun as automatically as they drive their car.

Like driving a car, we are describing both mental and physical skills. Frequent review lets you easily recognize a lethal threat when you see it. Making those physical skills feel routine lets you present your firearm without looking for your holster. Just like driving your car, everyone thinks they shoot well until we actually measure their performance.

The defenders in this class looked to refine every movement with their firearm. Rather than saying, “But that is the way I’ve always done it,” they had the humility and willingness to learn. They asked how to improve time after time. They showed an inspiring eagerness to change and grow.

It helps to know your limits. How accurately can you shoot if accuracy is all that matters? How fast can you go before you become erratic? It takes both speed and precision to be a good defender. They need both without sacrificing too much of either. These volunteer first responders learned better techniques in a day, but it takes patient practice to make those new refinements smooth, consistent, and routine.

Continue reading “”

Man charged after fatally shooting suspect who allegedly tried to rob him in Queens

KEW GARDENS, Queens (WABC) — A man in Queens has been charged after he shot and killed another person who was allegedly trying to rob him, police reported.

Officials say the shooting happened in a driveway on 82nd Avenue in Kew Gardens at around 2 a.m. Wednesday.

The 32-year-old was armed with a sharp object and attempted to rob a 65-year-old of money and cigarettes, authorities said.

The 65-year-old, identified as Charles Foehner, pulled a silver handgun and shot him as many as five times.

In surveillance video viewed by Eyewitness News, the assailant confronts Foehner from 40 feet. Foehner waves him off, raising his left hand, but the assailant continues to approach aggressively. With that, Foehner draws his gun from 20 feet. When the assailant waves an object and lunges, Foehner fires from 8 feet.

He then called 911, stating he was in a shooting and the gun was in his jacket pocket. He voluntarily surrendered to responding officers.

The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene and a pen was discovered in his right hand.

The 65-year-old was charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a firearm, according to a spokesperson for the Queens District Attorney’s Office.

The Queens district attorney will need to determine whether it was a case of self-defense.

The 32-year-old had many prior arrests for robbery, burglary, drug possession, and other related charges.

Several of Foehner’s neighbors told Eyewitness News they are sympathetic.

“He was protecting himself. So how can I blame him? You know, unfortunately, the guy had to lose his life. I don’t wish that on anybody. But this is the circumstances when you randomly just rob people. You never know what you’re going to get,” neighbor Vercelle Evans said.

In the minutes before the shooting, investigators believe the assailant went on a rampage, inexplicably smashing windows in two neighboring buildings. Foehner lives around the corner with his wife, where he is well-liked. Sources say he has an active NYPD firearms permit.

Angel Rodriguez lives down the hall.

“If video shows that, you know, he was acting in in self-defense and the guy was actually trying to harm him, then I you know, I believe we should be able to protect ourselves,” neighbor Rodriguez said.

Katz says the case is complicated.

“This is a complicated case and we’re going to review the evidence,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said before the charges came down. “We just went to the crime scene. I will have comments for you after we investigate it.”

2 charged in carjacking attempt near Ford City Mall where victim shot suspect

CHICAGO (WLS) — Two people have been charged after an attempted carjacking near Ford City Mall in which the victim shot and wounded one of the suspects, Chicago police said.

The incident occurred Sunday in the 7600-block of South Cicero Avenue.

Police said the 24-year-old victim was approach by the two suspects, one of whom produced a handgun and fired. The victim returned fire and shot one of the suspects in the thigh, police said.

Police said the victim is a valid FOID/CCL holder.

The two suspects were arrested in the 7400-block of South Cicero Avenue and the 2700-block of West 68th Street Sunday night, police said.

Tuesday morning, police said, 21-year-old Anton Cheeks and 18-year-old Travell Quadir Deal, have each been charged with attempted vehicular carjacking and are due in bond court Tuesday.

77-year-old Ann Arbor man saves himself from home intruder

ANN ARBOR, MI (WXYZ) — A man in Ann Arbor is safe this morning after scaring off an intruder during a terrifying home invasion. The 77-year-old man says he didn’t let fear keep him from defending his home.

The frightening incident unfolded at a home on Arbordale near West Stadium Boulevard.

“I don’t look for trouble,” Craig said. “It found me.”

Trouble may have found this 77-year-old man from Ann Arbor, but it didn’t stay long.

Craig lives alone so when he heard someone trying to open the screen door, he, “came out to investigate the noise…the guy had come over the kitchen window over the sink and was turned toward me about 15 feet,” he recalls.

Face to face with his intruder, he yelled and then pulled out his pistol.

“I got off one shot at him. I hope I scared him, but I missed him.”

The potential thief got the point and quickly left the same way he got in.

“He went out headfirst,” Craig said.

Thankfully, damage to Craig’s home is minimal. Just a broken window frame and a few dings, And the intruder didn’t get away with anything.

Craig says he has no regrets. “Cause he was younger than me. No doubt stronger than me. I am 77 years old and it was in my house and I defended myself and I’d do it again,” he said.

From an acquaintance. Keep sharp people……


Daughter went hiking yesterday, found dead bodies.
She and one of her friends went to McAfee Knob yesterday to go hiking. Hiking club. They are all mountain goats. Can hike straight up the side of a mountain without getting very tired at all.
Get to the parking lot, and what’s that? Some other cars there too.

Hmmm. They go over to take a looksee, and there are two dead bodies. One is an older dude, and the other is a middle-teens looking kid. A couple of the other hikers call the police.

And now my daughter finally knows why I always insist that she goes with someone else, and packs. She’s strapped, and the young man she likes to go with is jacked, strapped, and very tactically alert and wary. She said to me, “Dad, now I understand.”

Seems that several of the other folks were very nervous, but knowing that she and her friend had their own heat was very reassuring to her.

You never know what you’re going to see.


62-year-old man, juvenile found dead after apparent murder-suicide in McAfee Knob trail parking lot
Authorities say there is no danger to the public
Roanoke County Police are investigating what they say appears to be a murder-suicide in the parking lot of McAfee Knob Friday. Police said they responded to a call at approximately 6 a.m. Friday to the McAfee Knob trailhead parking lot on Catawba Road.

Arriving officers located two deceased males with gunshot wounds, one of them believed to be self-inflicted, according to police.

According to authorities, one of the deceased males is identified as Lewis Lambert Jr., 62, of Roanoke. We’re told the other male is a juvenile.

Police have not verified whether or not the two deceased males were related.

On Friday morning, crews responded to two house fires in Roanoke. We’re told a person of interest in these incidents was identified as one of the two found Friday morning at the McAfee Knob trailhead parking lot in Roanoke County.

ARMED & FEMALE II

Never an Easy Target

Millions of American women are buying guns for self-protection. If you are one of them, or plan to be, Paxton Quiqley urges you to arm yourself with information and train with experts so that you can safely defend yourself and your loved ones against any potential violence. Reading this book is the perfect place to start.

“Highly recommended reading, especially beginners, for those considering firearms training. Paxton addresses the essential factors related to choosing firearms as an option for protecting yourself and those you love.” -Mark Vinci, Director, Model Mugging Self Defense for Women

“Paxton Quigley-an expert on women, on home intrusion, and rape.” –Oprah Winfrey

“Paxton Quigley, a modern-day Annie Oakley who teaches women how to shoot in the name of empowerment.” -Caitlin Kelly, Blown Away, American Women and Guns

“If you’re a woman in the market for a gun to protect yourself, reading this book is a vital first step.” -David Patrick Columbia, newyorksocialdiary.com

“In the women’s gun movement, Paxton Quigley is the great persuader.” –60 Minutes

“15 million women are gun owners, and they’re finding a guru named Paxton Quigley. Her message is being heard.” –NBC Nightly News

My Armed & Female book series has been called “the bible of gun self-defense for women,” and although the first book has been available for many years, I realized that with all of the changes in laws and the new attitudes about guns, it was time to update the book. Numerous people asked me to revise it without losing its spirit and intent since it has helped many women make the decision to arm themselves safely and confidently.

Owning a firearm for self-defense is your right as an American, but with that right comes extreme responsibility and accountability. Gun ownership is not a Red State vs. Blue State issue. In a country with 120 guns for every 100 people, plenty of liberals are pro-gun, and many conservatives support some type of gun regulations. Even in a state like California, which has some of the strictest gun laws in the country, as well as a strong anti-gun political climate, many residents are buying and learning how to use firearms. All over America, women of all ages, religions, nationalities, and races have come to the realization that to protect themselves and their families against escalating violence – many feel that they cannot trust their local law enforcement – they need to own a firearm.

Many of these women report that they’ve left or are trying to leave violent relationships. Others just want to have some control over their own personal safety in a rapidly changing world. Many purchased handguns without knowing how to use them. It is for all the women who want to learn about the pros and cons of gun ownership, and about how to protect themselves safely and effectively with a firearm that I decided to write my newest book, Armed & Female II: Never An Easy Target.

Woman shoots crowbar-wielding man during road rage incident in University City

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Philadelphia police believe a woman who shot a crowbar-wielding man during a road rage incident in University City was acting in self-defense.

The incident began just before 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday at 30th and Chestnut streets.

“This was a road rage incident. This 22-year-old was operating a Chevy in the area of 30th and Chestnut and got into a road rage incident with a 27-year-old female who was driving her vehicle also at 30th and Chestnut,” said Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small.

At some point, police say the 22-year-old man got out of his vehicle and smashed the woman’s rear window with a crowbar.

In response, the woman shot the man one time in the groin.

Small says the man tried to drive himself to the hospital but fell out of his vehicle along 22nd and Market streets in Center City.

He was then transported to Penn Presbyterian Hospital with serious injuries.

Officials say the woman had a permit to carry and is cooperating with police in the investigation.

There is no word yet on the man’s identity.

Police also said another woman was riding passenger in the man’s car, but she fled on foot from the scene.

No arrests have been made.

Man fatally shot attacker in self-defense at South Austin Dairy Queen

Police say a man shot and killed another man in self-defense Monday night at a fast-food restaurant in South Austin. The incident occurred at the Dairy Queen situated on the southbound I-35 service road near the East Slaughter Lane intersection.

The Austin Police Department (APD) reports officers responded to a 911 call of a shooting at around 9 p.m. The caller, who was also the shooter, claimed he had shot a man who was dating the mother of his child after the man had attacked him.

When officers arrived, the man who had been shot was not at the scene. However, APD received a second 911 call reporting that 19-year-old Efrain Jaimes had been rushed to a local hospital with a gunshot wound. He later died at the hospital.

Following an investigation, APD determined that Jaimes had initiated an attack on a man known to him, resulting in his being shot in self-defense. The case has been referred to the Travis County District Attorney’s office, and no charges have been filed as of now.

Well, it’s really not all that hidden. It’s ‘Rules for thee, but not for me!

The Hidden Truth About Gun Control

I’ve debated gun-control lawyers. They said guns aren’t the answer for personal safety. I’ve come to a single conclusion when I look at the people who want us disarmed. Their actions speak so loud that I can barely hear their words. Some of the strongest and most consistent practitioners of armed defense are the people who espouse gun-control for the rest of us. That is the hidden truth in the gun-control debate.

We could talk about California Senator Diane Feinstein who had a concealed carry permit and told the rest of us to turn in our guns. We could talk about the celebrities who show up to a gun-control march in a limousine and are escorted down the street by their security detail. I’d rather talk about the Godfather of Gun-Control. Let’s look at billionaire and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Billionaire Bloomberg is the gun-control movement in the United States. He funds the anti-gun think tanks. He funds the AstroTurf organizations. During an election year, he funds the gun-control campaigns and political lobbying to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars a year.

You’d think that Bloomberg was against armed defense if you only listened to him. He sends another message if you watch what he does.

Mayor Bloomberg has an armed security detail with him all the time. He has armed security at his homes and as he moves to his private jets. He and his family have armed security where ever they go. Watch what he does, and even anti-gun politician Michael Bloomberg clearly thinks that guns save lives.

The Bloomberg family is surrounded by armed defenders every minute of their lives, but he wants our children left unprotected.

Bloomberg’s spokesmen say he only wants to save lives. After all, there are thousands of injuries and deaths from criminals using guns every year. Bloomberg doesn’t tell us about the thousands of times we use a firearm in armed defense every day. He is silent on the millions of times we use a firearm to defend ourselves every year.

“Millions” are much larger than “thousands.” Believe me when I say that billionaire Bloomberg can do the math. He believes that guns save lives for him.. but not for us.

While I still have a voice, I say I disagree. We don’t have a security detail of retired police officers. We are the thousands of honest citizens who will defend ourselves today. We are the one-out-of-a-dozen adults who are carrying concealed in public. Honest citizens like us are the defenders of our family, our friends, and our neighbors.

Just like Michael Bloomberg, they deserve protection too.

Poll: Majority of Adults Support ‘Stand Your Ground’ Laws, Sour on Need to Protect Gun Rights

A significant majority of the general public support robust legal protections for their public self-defense rights.

That’s according to a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll released Wednesday. Nearly six-in-ten U.S. adults said they support laws so-called stand-your-ground laws that “allow people who are in a public place and believe that their life or safety is in danger to kill or injure the person who they think is threatening them,”—up three percent since it last polled the question. More than 80 percent of Republicans and 57 percent of Independents said they agreed with the laws, while only 40 percent of Democrats said the same.

At the same time, the poll identified a broader trend of the public turning against the need to defend gun rights in favor of reducing gun violence. It found 60 percent of Americans now think controlling gun violence is more important, while just 38 percent say the opposite. That’s a significant change from 2013, the year the poll first began asking this question, when the public was evenly split between defending gun rights and curbing violence.

Continue reading “”

Live, Practice, and Compete from Concealment

There are over twenty million issued carry permits now in the United States, and bear in mind that this is in a nation that now has over half of the states honoring Constitutional Carry, thus requiring no permit at all to carry concealed. This is a good thing. On any given day, there are millions of American citizens carrying guns, and the majority of these guns are being carried concealed.

Despite these epic numbers, the amount of people who actually practice with their defensive firearm on a regular basis is depressingly small. Among even this small minority, the amount of people who practice from concealment, the way that most actually carry the gun, is even smaller. I have frequented many public ranges, and I rarely see anyone drawing from a holster, in general, even at ranges that allow it. And, while the unusual individual will be drawing from a holster, it is almost always an openly-worn holster rather than from concealment.

It is amazing that, while so many people have a carry permit, so few actually train with the gun from concealment. I realize that firearms are almost similar to automobiles in some regard; while most American adults drive a car, there are very few professional racecar drivers. At least with cars, most people actually drive, even if not at a high level. With firearms, it is far worse as even though a huge percentage of Americans not only own but carry a gun, few practice much with it, and far fewer practice realistically from concealment.

The ability to draw the gun from your concealed holster safely, efficiently, predictably, and quickly is the single most pressing skill directly related to using the gun itself in a defensive capacity, yet it is the skill least practiced by most concealed carriers. Those who take self-defense with a firearm seriously should devote considerable time to the craft of deploying the gun from a concealed holster, and there are a number of ways to maximize this proficiency within the limits of time that life imposes.

Continue reading “”

Armed Defense- They were Surprised, but they Responded and Saved Lives

Almost no one expects to be attacked. Yes, these honest gun owners were surprised, but they responded and saved lives.

These ordinary citizens faced a lethal threat. Again this week, these honest gun owners saved their lives and the lives of others.

The longer discussion of what we might want to do is on the Self Defense Gun Stories webpage. For now, here are the stories and the links to the original news sources. How will you protect the people you love?

Continue reading “”

Armed Defense of Vatican Highlights Church Hypocrisy on Guns

U.S.A. — “A car driven by someone with apparent psychiatric problems rushed through a Vatican gate Thursday evening and sped past Swiss Guards into a palace courtyard before the driver was apprehended by police, the Holy See said,” ABC News reports. “Vatican gendarmes fired a shot at the speeding car’s front tires after it rushed the gate, but the vehicle managed to continue on its way, the Vatican press office said in a statement late Thursday.”

Yes, of course, and that’s never been a secret. Established in 1506, the Pontifical Swiss Guard is one of the world’s oldest military units, with its work augmented by the Gendarmerie Corps of Vatican City State. And while tourists might find their historical plumed helmets and halberds picturesque and quaint, they’re the real deal, “lavishly equipped,” as colleague Kurt Hofmann has noted, “with some pretty hefty investments in Sig-Sauer, Heckler & Koch, Steyr Mannlicher, and Glock semi-automatic handguns, personal defense weapons, assault rifles, and submachine guns, not to mention whoever manufactures the swords, halberds, and other more traditional weapons carried by [the Pope’s] guards.”

Guns.com did a great piece on all their arms a few years back.

All this makes some official pronouncements by Pope Francis more problematic and hypocritical than infallible.

“Do we really want peace?” he asked. “Then let’s ban all weapons so we don’t have to live in fear of war.”

Responding “You first” hardly seems out of line here.

Continue reading “”

Four Reasons For The Crime Increase
Whenever Anyone Tells You Guns are the Reason for the Rise in Crime, Show Them This Article

Miss Swearer hits another home run

The entirety of the American system of government rests on two very simple yet profound premises—that every human being is endowed by our Creator with natural and unalienable rights, and that the only just end of government is to secure these rights for its citizens. Unfortunately, far too often, ill-considered progressive policies not only fail to adequately secure Americans’ natural rights from criminals who would undermine them, but actively worsen the problem by making it harder for peaceable citizens to defend themselves. Here are four specific policies that routinely make us all less safe and that, after crime rates predictably rise, are then used as excuses from gun-control proponents to further restrict our right to keep and bear arms.

Continue reading “”

Michigan boy who used slingshot to save sister says he ‘was just lucky’

Andrew Burns, left, Owen Burns, center, and Margaret Burns pose with a slingshot Owen used to thwart an alleged kidnapping attempt of his sister, on Wednesday, May 17, 2023, in Alpena Township, Mich. The 13-year-old Michigan boy who used a slingshot to save his 8-year-old sister from an attempted kidnapping on May 10 said he was “freaking out” and simply reached for something that could stop the attack.

Alpena Township, Mich. — A 13-year-old Michigan boy who used a slingshot to save his 8-year-old sister from an attempted kidnapping said he was “freaking out” and simply reached for something that could stop the attack.

“So I grab my slingshot and open the window and I grab two things — a marble and a gravel rock or something,” Owen Burns told WWTV/WWUP-TV in Cadillac in northern Michigan.

Police said Owen struck the 17-year-old assailant in the head and chest, and his sister was able to get away.

“I was just lucky. He’s just a big target because he’s not like one Pepsi can,” Owen said.

The attempted kidnapping occurred on May 10 outside the family’s home in Alpena Township. Owen’s sister was outside looking for mushrooms.

“I say, ‘OK, be careful.’ … And then, boom, something happens,” he recalled.

“So I looked out the window and saw her being abducted by a person and I’m like freaking out,” Owen said.

That’s when he grabbed his slingshot. Police caught the suspect and said he had visible wounds. The teen has been charged with attempted kidnapping and other crimes.

State police 1st Lt. John Grimshaw said Owen’s actions were “extraordinary.”

He said the boy saved his sister’s life or at least prevented “something seriously bad happening to her.”

Owen said he had to act.

“If I wasn’t out there and I didn’t hear her scream, then she was gone,” he said

Gun Control: MORE GUNS, Not Less.

So the powers that be have made you terrified of a piece of metal and plastic that goes boom? Have you ever seen a gun jump up and shoot somebody all by itself? Of course not. What we should really be concerned about is the wrong people having guns, not taking guns away from people who will use them safely, responsibly, legally, and lawfully.

Aside from all the anti-gun propaganda, let’s look at the reality of things. First of all, there are not enough police officers to protect you and arrive on time. There is clearly no guarantee. And because these things are so sporadic, there is a greater guarantee that they will not arrive in time. We see in active shooter incidents that the police arrive after people have been killed at least 90% of the time. And that is based on a review of over 300 active shooter incident in the last 20 years in the United States. You can check the FBI data for yourself.

But before I leave this point, I would be remiss not to mention that 90% or more of the active shooter incidents have one thing in common. Nobody seems to have any firearm to protect themselves, or at least nobody fires back at the murderous active shooter. Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude if people had firearms in such cases and they were trained to use them, the active shooters would not be able to do nearly as much damage.

Let’s look at another example. How many cases of police stations being robbed or shot up have you heard about? How many cases a police officers being car jacked have you heard about? Likely very few to none. But have you ever stopped to think about why that is? Let me tell you why. The primary reason is not because a criminal would be concerned about going to jail. The primary reason is because criminals know that police officers carry guns, and they are trained to use them. Therefore, a criminal attacking a police station has virtually no chance of getting out of there alive. That by itself is a huge deterrent to criminals.

Let’s look at another scenario. Out of incidents with 300 active shooters in America, less than 1/2 of one percent have happened on military bases in the United States. Why do you think that is? Partially because the military bases have tight security, especially entering the base. But a big reason for such low numbers of active shooter incidents on military bases is because these bases employ and house military personnel who are trained with weapons, and will not hesitate to use them to protect themselves and others. Armed and ready, or at least trained and prepared.

Let’s look at one more scenario before we get to the average citizen in America. Rewind back to the old west where at least practically every adult male capable of carrying a weapon did so in order to protect himself, his family and his home. Each man may not have been the fastest gun in the town, but maybe he was just fast enough in the right situation as he was prepared to protect his family. Or at least he was prepared to try.

Now let’s fast forward to today. Every major city in the United States from Miami to New York, Chicago to Atlanta, New Orleans to Dallas and so on has a severe shortage of law-enforcement officers on the streets. And even if these police departments were at full staff, there still would not be enough of them to protect anywhere near even 1/4 of the citizens, tourists and commuters.

Police officers, regardless of how much you hear “protect and serve”, are not bodyguards. As hard as many of them work, they are “law enforcement” officers, not public safety officers. And did you know that around 2008 the United States Supreme Court ruled by a majority vote that local law enforcement officers were not responsible for the individual safety of citizens unless you were in their custody or there were special arrangements that had been made? Furthermore, many of you have heroes (the good cops) confused with superheroes who always arrive on time. Police officers are neither Iron Man, nor Superman, nor Flash nor Wonder Woman. Thus they are not able to arrive on time, every time, all the time.

This brings us to the average citizen in the United States. Someone is walking toward you on the highway with a gun because they are a mental road rage case. This is a random incident and you were not even involved in the incident where he or she has the road rage. You have spoken out against guns and you don’t like them, so you don’t have one. What do you do? Clearly, the police cannot be expected to arrive in time unless they are sitting on the highway right near where you are and happen to see what is transpiring.

Someone is breaking into your house in broad daylight while you are home, a home invasion that the FBI says statistically happens more in broad daylight. They have just kicked in the door. But you are so afraid of guns that you don’t even have one. What do you do? You could dial 911 and then tell the home invader to leave because you have called the police, even though you don’t know when they will arrive. And the criminal invading your home just might turn around and walk out the door, but not likely. So what do you do?

You are in a department store bathroom when you hear gunshots and you see everybody running into the bathroom where you are. Terror on their faces. Fear and in their hearts. The gunman is coming to the bathroom as he shoots people. You are unarmed, so what do you do?

In each of these cases, you can pray and run, maybe duck and hide. But the only thing that will protect you from a gun in the hands of a maniac at that moment is you having a firearm to protect yourself and being trained to use it.

I don’t say these things just to promote guns. I say these things, because in a country full of crime, guns serve a purpose in you protecting yourself. I don’t say these things because I am a firearms instructor. I don’t see these things because I have guns, including …  I don’t say these things because I am a former detectiveexecutive protection agentsecurity expertcriminologist and retired Director of Public Safety. I say these things because they are true and once you realize that YOU have the PRIMARY responsibility to protect yourself, maybe you will start doing it.

Yes, there is a way to arm school teachers (selectively) without having incidents where Miss Mary left a loaded gun in her drawer and a student found it. I know because I wrote a plan on exactly how to do it. You may say that teachers are not the police. My response? First wake up to the world that we live in. And second, every day, millions upon millions of parents trust the teachers and the school with their children for education and safety. So let them provide both in a strategic, organized, responsible manner. It can be done, believe me.

The bottom line, whether you like guns or not, is that you and your family are the first line of defense in your safety. So it only makes sense that you are prepared to protect yourself, your family and your home. Especially when you don’t know what will happen, when or where. It’s time to wake up and stop being afraid of plastic and metal that can do nothing by itself.

A disarmed population is a population of sitting ducks just waiting for criminals to go duck hunting. And out of all the legislators and soccer moms and pastors and businesses that want to demonize and take the guns away, none of them are going to protect you and your family. It’s up to you. But if the criminal has a gun and you don’t, it’s up to them. And I don’t think they are going to do what is in your best interest.

He pulled a gun on a New Orleans store clerk. The clerk shot him in the chest.

Roderick Bennett got more than he bargained for when he pulled a gun on a clerk at a Central City retail store, judging from documents that New Orleans police filed in court.

Not only did the clerk also produce a firearm and shoot him, Bennett, in trying to drive to a hospital for treatment, crashed his car. And on Thursday, police arrested him on a charge of threatening the clerk in the first place.

They booked Bennett, 49, with aggravated assault with a gun and possession of a gun by a convicted felon.

Police said Bennett was arguing an item’s price April 11 with an employee at the Dollar General store in the 2800 block of South Claiborne Avenue. A witness told them that Bennett pointed a gun at the employee, prompting the employee to shoot him in the chest.

Bennett crawled to his car, but en route to a hospital, he crashed the vehicle, police wrote in documents filed in Criminal District Court. Someone picked him and drove him the rest of the way, and he was taken into surgery in critical condition, the documents say.

Six days later, detectives interviewed Bennett. He told them he didn’t remember anything, including the argument.

On April 26, police interviewed the store employee. He said Bennett started the argument and soon asked him to go outside to fight.

Surveillance video showed Bennett leaving the store by the front door, then pulling a gun and approaching the employee as they argued, police said. The employee, too, pulled out a gun and fired it, striking Bennett.

Magistrate Commissioner Jay Daniels set Bennett’s bail at $95,000 on Friday.