Reading some of the reports on the terrorist action that went down in Bombay/Mumbai last week, I had to shake my head in wonder. Then I started wondering.Some of the reports mentioned the photographer whose shot graced the pages of many world newspapers: the young terrorist, carbine in low carry, proudly waltzing through the corridors of the train station (I think it was train, anyway). Hiding beside the police, the photographer was screaming for them to shoot the attackers- yet all held their fire. Too, most of the SWAT people in attendance also did not fire when the opportunity arose.
My radar flicked on and I began to wonder about this situation, did some poking around and found a couple stats that surprised me.
Seventy percent of soldiers in combat will not fire their weapons at a human being.
Utterly astounding.
And it's even worse for police, who are not- theoretically- trained to kill folks, but to help.
Yet it goes along with another study I read where-in American Marines were asked if they'd fire upon other Americans. I forget the number, but the majority said they would not. I'm thinking it was along the lines of 60%+/- .
So, grinding the worn out gears in my head, I was/am more convinced than ever why there will be either: A) UN 'blue' helmets brought into the country, or B) a foreign nation will have troops 'smuggled' in country (such as China- I feel- is doing now as it controls some of our ports, especially in California); or C) our new fearless leader will be arming his Ghetto ACORNS, who have no fear or loathing to shoot anyone, or D) troops are now being amassed near our borders (recall the huge gun cache found in Mexico and everyone is thinking 'drug wars'? uh-huh...drug wars, all right), or possibly E) a combination of 'all the above'.
As I think of this, I smell 'conspiracy theory' rambling through my noggin.
Then I remember who our new Fearless (uh-huh, you bet) Leader will be next month. Maybe not so conspiratorial after all. At least, not on my part. (Shhhh...I can hear you laffin', so knock it off!)
Now, what has this to do with prepping? you hadda ask, din'tcha?
Consider those hordes of the Dark Lord's Gestapo tramping through the cornfield, taking whatever they want, killing whatever they want, imprisoning whomever they want.
Consider the Mad Max group of motorcycle Zombies coming to do even more damage- cuz they don't take prisoners. Well, male ones, anyway.
Now look in the mirror at that sweet, honest, hard-working American who wants only a few things: freedom and liberty, love and family, to be left alone to prosper or fail. Does that person you're looking at seem to be the kind who can actually shoot someone who's just stealing some food from the larder? Can that person looking back actually send a bullet at someone who's probably thinking of doing the same at you? More, does that face in the mirror look as though it can slip a knife into the ribs of someone who is attacking them? Will that sweet, kind, loving person be able to purposely throw a kick at someone's knee and smash it, crippling them for life? Or, after putting five bullets center-mass, will that person be able to lower the sights and put a final shot in the middle of the attacking abdomen? (No, not the head- it's a moving, small target too easy to miss under duress.)
In all the women's self defense classes I taught, I always had to ask the participants up-front if they believed they could hurt someone on purpose when that person was trying to hurt them? Then I got a bit down and dirty, wanting to know if they could poke someone in the eye while that someone was attempting to rape them. Or could they bite off an appendage that found its way to their mouth? What about grabbing a man's gonads and tearing them off if they had the opportunity. (The classes were gritty, trust me. And we didn't pull our punches.)
If anyone felt they would be unable to do it, I told them the class was not for them.
Reason being, if you can't see yourself protecting yourself, then you won't protect yourself. Simple. Sad, though sometimes it doesn't work that way in reality.
Same with pistol practice, or rifle. Is all you're shooting at a bullseye on a piece of paper? If so, the next time you're around town, check the number of people wearing bullseyes on their chest.
It's mental conditioning: you have to see yourself shooting a person (IF you have to) not a target. It's the same with military and law enforcement. They begin with weapons zeroing on targets, then quickly switch to human silhouettes. The smart ones sometimes even put clothes on the manikins to prevent training the eye to look for bullet holes instead of sighting for a second/follow-up shot.
Psychology in action.
And they fire thousands of rounds in practice knowing they're practicing to kill human beings.
Logically, the next question has to be: Are you going to be one of the 60-70% who can't shoot at another person?
Or are you going to fight to live another minute, a day, a week- until the next time?
It's going to take some hard, hard people if the SHTF the way some are imagining or intimating it's going to be. And quite possibly, as FerFal has pointed out in Argentina, life could get very, very bad, very fast in America.
A gun is only as good as the person operating it. It has no mind of its own to decide for us, to know when to and when to not shoot: it's all in the hands of the driver.
Next time you shave yourself, ask if that is the face of a man who will go to all lengths to protect those he loves.
The next time you put on your rouge, ask if that's the face of a woman who can do anything she has to that will save the lives of those she loves.
Tough questions. Tough choices. Tough lives ahead. Let's be tough enough to do what we need do.
Bless God, God bless- let us pray our lives never need those answers.
Shy
