PROTECTION
Challenge
A dangerous riot is underway in your community. Small groups of violent criminals have taken to the streets, looting houses and stores as well as assaulting families. How will you secure your home? Do you have the weapons and expertise necessary to protect your family?
There are numerous situations in which you might be required to protect yourself, your family, or your property. Most of these threats come from common criminals perpetrating violence on the innocent. Even under ideal conditions, police are unable to respond quickly enough to meet every threat. The reality is that sometimes you must take a stand and defend yourself.
During serious disaster situations, you may also be forced to protect your family when law and order breaks down due to widespread panic or chaos. Likewise, some events leave communities isolated with authorities unable to provide protection (e.g., perhaps due to high flood waters, impassable roadways, or widespread devastation). It is during these times of lawlessness that you and your fellow citizens must band together to establish order and security for your community.
Violent threats can generally be categorized into three groups:
• Good people who are driven to do bad things because of need
• Career criminals, or those who use disasters to commit crimes of opportunity
• Terrorists or other extremists whose intention is to cause harm
Otherwise good people can be driven to violence by desperation.
The first group could include your neighbors, people you might otherwise wave to while fetching the newspaper from your front yard. Under normal circumstances they pose no threat, and might even render assistance. However, when a serious situation arises, it may be these same people who find themselves hopelessly unprepared. Consider the actions you would be willing to take if your family was dying of dehydration and you believed your neighbor was hoarding a large stockpile of water. Desperate times can force people to take desperate measures. These people might convince themselves that you are being unfair and even rationalize that it is your duty to provide for them. If you fail to offer your supplies, they might resort to stealing or even taking your supplies by force. The best way to avoid this potential confrontation is to be discreet and not broadcast that you have stockpiles of supplies.
The second group of people are criminals, either traditional career offenders, or those exploiting the chaos of the situation. Sensing that they are less likely to be caught by the authorities, they perpetrate crimes of opportunity: robbery, rape, even murder. While these individuals invariably emerge during city riots, gangs of violent criminals are also prevalent after major natural disasters. A good example of this is the small bands of marauders who roamed the streets following Hurricane Katrina.
The third and final group is made up of people whose only intention is to cause death and destruction, perhaps due to their political or religious agenda. These people are the most dangerous because there is no room for negotiation or reason. There is no appeasing them, except through suffering and death. Terrorists often view human life as expendable for purposes of making a statement or progressing their cause. Many are willing to sacrifice their own life for these purposes.
Each of the three types of threats must be handled differently, but all should be recognized as very real dangers. Perhaps in the first scenario, you might assist those in need by providing training or helping to meet their most pressing needs. It is easy to argue that every citizen shares an obligation to help one another in times of need. However, that obligation should not extend to the point of endangering your own family.
Citizens share an obligation to one another, but that obligation only extends so far.
In the case of criminals, your goal is to avoid conflict while removing your family from harm's way. This may require nothing more than a show of force to indicate that you are not an easy target, or a little extra caution about where you travel. It is not your responsibility, neither is it particularly wise, to adopt the role of police officer. It is better to take care of your own backyard by pooling with others to establish a sense of order to your neighborhood and immediate community.
When dealing with terrorists or other extremists, there is little choice but to step outside your normal civilized behavior and operate with the mentality of a ruthless soldier fighting his enemy. There is no room for negotiation or restraint. Forgiving yourself later is easier than living with a lifetime of regret and sorrow. Terrorists’ actions are often designed to be widespread and horrific, so stopping them is in everyone's interest.
During large-scale disasters, local police may be unable to maintain law and order, leaving you to defend your family and property. This is in no way meant to suggest that you should give anything but your complete respect to those in uniform; only that you should be prepared for the authorities to be slow, or even completely unable, to respond to your calls for help.
Protect your family when no one else will
During widespread disasters, policemen have also been known to abandon their posts to care for their own families—certainly an understandable course of action. Those who remain are often tasked first with evacuating people in need. Crimes, both property and violent, are reluctantly tolerated by authorities until conditions improve. When faced with a breakdown in conventional law enforcement, citizens have been known to band together into small neighborhood militias to protect themselves from looters and gangs of violent criminals.
The United States has a proud history of protecting the rights of its law-abiding citizens to own weapons for the stated purposes of self- protection and maintaining a free state. The Second Amendment to the Constitution states:
“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
Exactly what this right guarantees is the subject of countless arguments and court decisions. What is clear, however, is that with only a few restrictions, Americans can legally own numerous types of firearms, including rifles, shotguns, and handguns. Militarized weaponry, such as automatic assault rifles and explosives, are more controlled, requiring special licenses for ownership.
Photo by Robert H. Boatman, Living with Glocks
As the head of a household, it is your responsibility to provide some measure of protection for your family. This is not to suggest that you must own a closet full of firearms. Protection comes in many forms, including having a strong support group willing to come to your aid should the need arise. Many people do, however, choose to own firearms for the purpose of home defense.
When taking protective measures, there is a temptation to go overboard and adopt the position that if a little is good, then a lot is better. Why stop at a handgun, when you can have an assault rifle with armor-piercing shells? This view is not only overkill, but it also transforms people who claim to be preparing for possible disasters into “paramilitary nuts” in the eyes of neighbors, friends, and the authorities. Once again, it is best to take reasonable, judicious measures when preparing.
In this country of personal freedoms, gun buffs and pacifists are to be equally respected.
Regardless of the moderation with which this topic is approached, there will undoubtedly be some people who are unwilling to consider owning weapons due to their strong aversion to violence. Likewise, there are adamant gun buffs who cherish their right to own a wide assortment of firearms. In our country of personal freedoms, both viewpoints are to be equally respected.
Irrespective of your position regarding firearms, recognize that we live in a world of guns—with roughly 200 million firearms in the United States alone.227 If you don't own a firearm, you will be at a distinct disadvantage if violence comes your way. You don't have to like guns, but you should at least recognize that they are highly effective weapons. Dating back to the nineteenth century, Samuel Colt's revolvers inspired the old saying: “God created man, Sam Colt made them equal.” The underlying message being that a firearm gives even the smallest person the ability to defend himself against the largest.
The three types of firearms to consider are: rifles, shotguns, and handguns. As outlined in Table 14-1, each type has distinct advantages and disadvantages when it comes to personal protection.
For most people, a handgun or shotgun is the best option for home defense. Handguns are easier to handle, and good for close range combat, whereas shotguns have considerably more stopping power, and can be very intimidating. When loaded with the correct ammunition, both weapons have limited penetration, making it less likely that the bullet will pass through the walls of your house to hit a family member or neighbor.
Table 14-1 Firearms Comparison
Weapon Type |
Advantages |
Disadvantages |
Rifles |
Excellent range and accuracy; small calibers can be easily handled by women; larger calibers have excellent stopping power |
Not concealable; small calibers have limited stopping power; high penetration; prone to be taken away |
Shotguns |
Excellent stopping power; less accuracy required; limited penetration; intimidating |
Not concealable; heavy ammunition; limited capacity; somewhat limited range; prone to be taken away |
Handguns |
Concealable; lightweight; easily handled by women; good for close range protection; good stopping power; large capacities available; not prone to be taken away |
Very limited range; requires skill to be accurate; low calibers have limited stopping power; automatics can jam |
People tend to have strong, differing opinions about which is better, an automatic or a revolver. Either is adequate in the hands of someone who knows how to use them. An automatic offers greater capacity, but a revolver is generally considered more reliable and easier to use. If you are experienced with handguns, then an automatic is a reasonable choice. Otherwise, a revolver would probably serve you better.
What is more important than choosing between a revolver and an automatic, is selecting the right caliber of handgun. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that bigger is better. A firearm is not only useless but also dangerous to innocent bystanders if you can't use it accurately. A .38 caliber handgun, which has a mild recoil, will serve you better than a supersized. 44 magnum if the kick and weight of the larger gun prevent you from hitting your target.
Automatic and revolver
To be a responsible gun owner, you must be diligent in practicing gun safety. At a minimum, this means keeping trigger or cable locks on every firearm, with the keys kept in a location inaccessible to children. Storing your firearms unloaded, with the ammunition in a separate location, adds another degree of safety. Additional safety can be had by locking the firearms and ammunition in a gun safe.
The argument is often made that if a gun is kept secured, then it will not be readily accessible, and thus be of limited value for fast-acting situations. This may well be true, but in households where children are present, safety should always trump readiness. On average, about 200 children die in the United States every year from accidental shootings, with about twenty times that number injured.227 If proper safety precautions are not taken, the chances are far greater that a child will be injured or killed in your home playing with your firearm than at the hands of an intruder. When it comes to guns, be safe above all else.
Trigger lock, by Homak Security
An often-cited statistic claims that having a firearm in your home leaves you forty-three times more likely to have it used for suicide, criminal homicide, or accidental shooting than for killing someone in self-defense.228 At first glance, this would lead any rational person to seriously question ever having a gun in the home. However, as pointed out by experts who analyzed the report, the data was not properly presented and the conclusions not fairly drawn.229 Most people would agree that it is not the number of dead intruders that should be tabulated when determining the effectiveness of having a gun in your home, but rather the comprehensive protective benefits, including how many lives were saved and injuries prevented.
Gun statistics are often interpreted to favor the reviewer's agenda.
This point is best made through a hypothetical example. Assume there are one thousand homeowners who don't have guns, and one thousand homeowners who do have guns. Of the homeowners who don't have guns, ten are murdered by intruders. Likewise, of the homeowners who do have guns, only one is murdered by intruders. One intruder is also killed by the homeowner, with the other intruders being scared away. Also, assume that there are four fatal gun accidents in the second group of homes.
The data could be presented with two very different but equally accurate statements:
• Anti-gun group: In homes where guns were present, four times as many innocent people were killed by guns than were intruders.
• Pro-gun group: Guns reduced the number of murders caused by home intruders by 90 percent.
You get the point. Data is often about how you present it. With the Rule of 43, one must consider what the data actually means. There may indeed be far more unintentional than intentional deaths in the home due to guns, but considering that less than 0.2 percent of defensive gun usages actually result in the death of a criminal, the Rule of 43 may not tell the entire story.230 Gun ownership is a family decision that requires careful consideration of much more than simple statistics.
Firearm training (courtesy of FBI)
If you own a firearm, take the training necessary to learn how to use it safely and effectively. Gun safety classes are offered from local firearm clubs, as well as the National Rifle Association (NRA) and Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP). In these classes you will learn about many gun-related topics, including:
• Handling a firearm
• Understanding how a gun operates
• Selecting the right ammunition
• Shooting safely and effectively
• Selecting, cleaning, and storing a firearm
Gun handling skills are essential to everyone in your family old enough to safely handle a firearm. You are strongly encouraged to gain expertise with firearms before bringing one into your home.
There are situations when you might want to defend yourself without resorting to using deadly force. Fortunately, there are many weapons that can deter an attacker without killing him. However, when dealing with “less lethal weapons,” it is important to realize that they can, and frequently do, kill people accidentally. Also, understand that the weapons mentioned in this section are not a replacement for firearms.
Taser X26
A list of less lethal weapons is given below:
• Taser—very effective; works through most clothing; range up to about 15 feet; commercial devices aren't as capable as those used by law enforcement; outlawed in some states.
• Chemical spray (tear gas, pepper spray)—safe to use on an attacker without risk of serious injury; not very effective; can help to escape from an attacker.
• Bludgeoning weapon (baton, bat, pipe)—effective; requires you to get fairly close; has the risk of causing serious injury or death to your opponent.
• Knife—often deadly; requires getting close; has a high risk of injury to self.
• Contact Stun Device—moderately effective; requires sustained direct contact; works through thin clothing; can easily injure self; requires you to be very close.
• Non-lethal Bullets—large rubber, bean bag, or plastic projectiles can be effective, but are only available to law enforcement personnel.
• Bare hands—can be effective with proper training, such as boxing or martial arts.
There will undoubtedly be some time in your life when you find yourself in a violent, physical altercation. To effectively handle the situation, it will be to your advantage to have three things: skill, courage, and physical prowess. These desired attributes are listed in order of importance. Countless competitions have demonstrated that skill can overcome physical disadvantages. Consider that no-holds-barred competitions are frequently won by smaller men (e.g., the Gracie family).
Real fights are brief, violent, and unpredictable.
Fights should be avoided for numerous reasons, not the least of which is that you might be injured or arrested. However, if you do have to fight, fight like hell. More fights are lost by being hesitant than for any other reason. Fights are usually brief, violent, and unpredictable. They do not resemble what you see in the movies. Nothing is choreographed, meaning that you must adapt and focus on winning rather than putting on a show.
If you want to become skilled at unarmed combat, you must train. Enroll in a good martial arts or boxing club to get some hands-on experience. Recognize that many martial arts studios are designed more for sport than for practical defense, so choose your school carefully.
Martial arts training (courtesy of U.S. Army)
Disasters can force law-abiding individuals to resort to violence in an effort to survive.
When the authorities are unable to keep order, criminals are more likely to commit crimes of opportunity, including looting, rape, theft, robbery, and vandalism.
Be discreet by not broadcasting your level of preparedness.
There are approximately 200 million guns in the United States. Without a firearm, you are at a distinct disadvantage when defending yourself.
Three types of firearms to consider are shotguns, handguns, and rifles. Each has its respective advantages and disadvantages. Handguns and shotguns are particularly suited to home defense.
Select a firearm you can comfortably handle. Accuracy takes priority over stopping power.
With children in the house, safety should always precede readiness. Safety methods include using trigger guards, separating weapons from ammunition, and storing weapons in a gun safe.
Gun safety statistics are open to interpretation. The bottom line is to be safe above all else.
If you own a firearm, take professional training in safety and proper handling techniques.
As an alternative to firearms, consider less lethal weapons, including tasers, chemical sprays, knives, stun guns, and bludgeoning instruments.
Lethal weapon