Category: Safety

Just my personal opinion, but I’d add that knowing how to use that strength and knowing how and when to proficiently use your preferred firearm(s) are more important than merely being strong.

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Training: You are the Operating System for Whatever Firearm You Choose to Use.

“Strength makes everything better.” Ryan “Matt” Reynolds said to the group of students gathered for the “Fight Strong” class in Camden, Tennessee at the Tactical Response headquarters. A couple of weeks prior, James Yeager had called me and said, “Matt Reynolds is coming up to do a strength class. You and Jarrad need to get your asses up here.” Having complete respect for James, I told him that we would be there.

At the time I was working out regularly in the gym that Jarrad and I were running in Biloxi, Mississippi. I would run on the treadmill, do heavy bag work, lift dumbbells, and even spar often, despite being well north of forty. I wondered, based upon my decades of exercise experience, if there was much I could learn in the class. Nonetheless, I parked my ego and made the trip. It would turn out not only to be truly beneficial, but it quite literally saved my life.

Strong People are Harder to Kill

The quote comes from Mark Rippetoe and was from an article he wrote for the Crossfit Journal, of all things. The full quote is, “Strong people are harder to kill than weak people, and more useful in general.”

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The Door Gun
Keep your friends close, and your defensive firearm closer.

When I was a kid just about every country home had what we called a “kitchen-door gun.”  That was an old .22 rifle or maybe a single-shot .410. It was used to dispatch unwanted critters from the porch or yard. Poisonous snakes would be a good example. Of course, the kitchen-door gun occasionally came into play when dealing with even more dangerous, and bigger, critters.

In today’s society, having a long gun safely stored near your external doors is really a good idea. Even though you may be wearing a defensive handgun, getting your hands on a long gun really increases your chances of surviving a criminal attack. In my own case, my door gun has evolved into a 12-gauge pump shotgun with an 18-inch barrel.

And I really don’t think the door gun has to be a shotgun. It should be whatever rifle or shotgun the individual handles best and feels most confident with. It might be a good idea to have a light attached to it and it is certainly a good idea to have extra ammunition attached. I also like the idea of the door gun being as short as legally possible in order to be more handy in working around a door or a confining foyer.

Living in the country, I have often thought that one of the modern coach guns would be an excellent idea. A short, double-barreled 12 gauge…or 20 gauge…with exposed hammers so that it can sit loaded without any springs being depressed. One barrel would hold a field load of #6 shot for little varmints and the other barrel would contain a full load of 00 buck for big varmints. Also, I’d want a butt cuff attached to hold some extra ammo.

Another good choice might be an AR with a collapsible butt stock because it is short and easy to handle in close confines. Again, a light and extra ammo carrier is a good idea.

The biggest challenge, should you decide to have door guns is finding a way to keep them out of sight and secure. The real challenge is to do that and still have them available on very short notice, while keeping them safe from unauthorized access. The individual will just have to study his own dwelling and situation to work out a solution. Of course, it is important that every family member authorized to use the door gun be trained in its safe operation and know how to handle it safely.

When properly thought out, the door gun is a country tradition that is just an awfully good idea regardless of where a person resides.

Tesla attacks and political unrest spark ‘self-defense’ gun sales

Political unrest urged by anti-Trump liberals, coupled with attacks on Tesla vehicles and dealerships due to founder Elon Musk’s close association with the president, appears to be pushing some people to buy guns for self-defense.

According to the marketing director for one of the nation’s largest gun sellers, customers are buying up smaller concealed carry firearms despite a slight drop in overall gun sales recorded by the FBI’s background check system.

“Economic pressure continues to affect our business, though we are still seeing steady sales of self-defense and concealed carry handguns,” said Justin Anderson, the marketing director for Hyatt Guns of Charlotte, North Carolina.

Dad spent nearly 2 years stationed on Guam between WW2 and the Korean War.

AG: Self-defense is ‘inherent right’

There are many scenarios that can justify the use of deadly force, for instance, a home invasion or a person carrying a machete while aggressively approaching you on your property. Both could be arguments for the castle doctrine law on Guam, but as Attorney General Douglas Moylan stressed, the facts must support that an imminent threat of death or serious injury was present.

On Saturday, the Francisco C. Chargualaf Gymnasium filled with residents of Malesso’ and the surrounding southern villages. All wanted to learn more about the laws in place that allow them to protect themselves and others through deadly force on their property and curtilage.

Moylan explained that through the castle doctrine, Guam law provides homeowners the right to use deadly force to defend their homes or vehicles with protection from prosecution when acting against threats such as home invaders and burglars.

“This isn’t just about firearms, OK? This is about any weapon that you use. The focus of the law is a right to self-defense and the right to use deadly force, and there is a presumption that if, in certain areas, that you’re threatened, you have a right to use deadly force. Whether you’re using a machete, a knife, a bow and arrow, anything that causes the potential injury or death to another person, that is what the castle doctrine speaks to,” Moylan told the audience in attendance.

Moylan referenced the recent amendment to the castle doctrine, which extends those “certain areas” to curtilage.

Curtilage legally refers to the immediate land and buildings surrounding a home. An example would be the yard between the front door and public easement, where children may play or an area where one can expect to have reasonable privacy from government intrusion, like a shed at the back of a home.

“There is an inherent right for everybody to be able to protect themselves and to protect their loved ones and to protect one another,” Moylan said.

Several southern residents who spoke presented scenarios like a homeowner catching a thief stealing a lawn mower as the suspect turns to get away. Or an individual trespassing on property and taking produce and firing a warning shot. They all questioned how to know if the requirements of the castle doctrine are met in different scenarios.

“No. 1 is, whenever you’re confronted with a situation, always try to think when is the last moment can I use deadly force? If you do that, and … if you have the presence of mind to be able to think, I’m not going to, for instance, if you have a gun, I’m not going to immediately shoot what I’m seeing in my house, which the castle doctrine, I think, was originally designed for. But I (the homeowner) want to figure out (how) not to harm somebody as much as possible until they become that clear and present danger to you. Because if you use that type of rule, you’re probably going to be able to get through our AG’s office analysis when the police come there and do the police report and then send it up to our office so that we don’t charge you,” Moylan said.

However, Moylan cautioned against pulling the trigger on a retreating culprit.

“And just to jump to the front of the line here, if you guys see the guy that came into your house at 2 o’clock at night, turn around and then try to get out of the house because he saw you, you guys made eye contact. Please don’t shoot him,” Moylan said.

While Moylan was not advocating for shooting another person, recognizing that many crimes committed in Guam are fueled by methamphetamine addiction, he did support the right to defend oneself as allowed in the castle doctrine law.

“You can use deadly force if the person is using a weapon against you. You have to use nondeadly force if the person is coming to just fight you,” Moylan said. “You can’t just pull out the firearm and shoot him in the street.”

Application of the castle doctrine law comes down to the “fact patterns” of the case and whether the AG green lights the prosecution.

“So, you literally can have somebody killed by you, the police officer would put together the report, what they’re seeing, different statements, and then it would come up to the AG’s office. My first group would be looking at it and, especially if it caught my attention, it would be brought to me, or they would have the sense of mind to bring it to me, and then I would sit down with them and then go over the facts on what happened,” Moylan said noting the need for the facts to justify the use of deadly force.

Moylan referenced the Dave Barber Shop shooting, where the shop owner shot a burglar in the leg as the suspect entered their private living quarters. He noted the shop owner was afforded criminal and civil protections of the castle doctrine law and not charged.

Moylan encouraged residents, if faced with the need to use deadly force against an aggressor at home or in a vehicle, to aim for the leg or fire a warning shot.

“When you shoot somebody, you don’t need to hit them between the eyes. You don’t need to hit them necessarily in the heart. You can hit him in the leg. You can hit him in the kneecap,” Moylan said.

Moylan repeatedly stressed that castle doctrine law does not protect one’s property from theft or damage. For the doctrine to apply, the threat of imminent loss of life or serious bodily injury must be present to respond with deadly force.

Always be nice. Until it’s time to not be nice.

Let’s dissect the word “no” and make sure that we are using the best tone and body language when it matters most, self-preservation.

I spent time in the Merriam-Webster dictionary and the word “no” can be a noun, an adjective, or an adverb.

• Nouns are the “subjects” of a sentence that refer to a person, place, thing, or idea. Example: “received a firm ‘no’ in reply.”
• Adjectives describe or modify a noun. What kind? How many? Example: “no disputing the decision.”
• Adverbs provide additional information about the verb. How? When? Where? Basically, action. Example: “shook his head no.”

I find this interesting because no matter what the category, “no” means roughly the same thing. Negative. Refusal. None. Denial. Never. Veto.

Think about all the different people you may say “no” to throughout the day. Now, think about some of the non-vigorous diverse ways to say “no.” Here are several examples listed below.

• I am afraid I can’t.
• Maybe next time.
• I am busy.
• I am not comfortable doing that.
• I don’t want to.
• Sounds great, but I cannot commit to it.
• I am honored but I can’t.
• I have another commitment.
• I will have to pass.
• I’m not interested.

There is a time and a place for everything, why not think of the word “no” in those terms? There are times to be polite, there are times to turn something down and give a reason, there are times to be direct with a simple “no”. The whole while needing time to consider the context and relationship when deciding how passive or firm you need to be.

Scenario: It is the middle of the day; you are at your favorite gas station filling up your tank and you see that a stranger has taken interest in you. He is about twenty-five feet from you, and you recognize that you have just been “targeted.” The bad man stares at you for over half a minute, gives you a charming smile and heads your way.

1. Do you politely say, “Maybe next time” and then turn your back on him?
2. Do you say, “I am honored that you have chosen me, but I’ll have to pass” and then offer him a dollar…which brings him closer to you?
3. Do you say “stop! I cannot help you” while preparing to take other actions?

If your answer was #1 or #2, then you may not fully understand how to use the word “NO!” when you need to stop someone in their tracks.

There are times when you need to say “no” in a forceful way. Your goal is to grab their attention and make them understand that you are not vulnerable. Here are a few tips:

• Your “No, go away” should be guttural and firm with a loud, commanding voice. It is a good idea to try to combine your “no” with simple instructions on what you want them to do, such as, “No, leave now”. Your goal is for them to leave without further confrontation.
• Maintain solid eye contact for a few seconds that says, “I am serious”. Please manage your eye contact timing so it does not become a challenging stare.
• Stand tall to show confidence, position your hands/arms in front of you to protect your head if things get nasty (plus it signals the universal “no”) and look around to see what direction you can quickly move to if necessary. Please make note that there is a difference between a confident posture and aggressive body language.
• While all the above is happening, deploy pepper spray and reposition yourself so your car, the pump, the trash can, etc. are in between you and the bad man. An obstacle can give you time and space to make decisions.
• If all of this does not stop him then maybe these steps have earned you the option to leave and avoid a potentially dangerous situation, or maybe it has put yourself in a position that you can use your pepper spray to stop him from doing bad things.

I highly recommend that you rehearse these steps, so they are fluid and feel second nature to you. The key to mastery is practice, practice, practice.