WHAT DO WE DO NEXT?

New York…Paris…San Bernardino.  Terrorism has always been something that happened somewhere else, a high profile target…a big city.  But San Bernardino is a wakeup call...terrorism can happen anywhere.

I’ve heard many people ask, “What is the world coming to?”  Evil has always existed, but never has there been a group of people more dedicated to destroying American freedom and the American way of life.  Many feel lost…many feel frightened.

We cannot give in to fear, because if we do, the terrorist win.

For several years, I have told me students that terrorist have gone about their craft wrong, hitting large symbolic targets… Instead fear will come when they target ordinary Americans, in everyday settings doing ordinary everyday activities.  After Paris and San Bernardino, it would seem they have figured this out too.

Our national leaders debate about the language of it all, they tell us they will make us safe…but, too often, by the time the national leaders get involved Americans are already dead.

We cannot give in to fear…we cannot rely on others…we must be prepared.

Each of us shares in this responsibility, to prepare ourselves, to protect ourselves, our families, and our neighbors.  We need to develop the confidence that we can take care of ourselves and that confidence comes from being prepared.

More important than all the weapons and tools in the world is a warrior attitude…a survivalist attitude.  The attitude that you can succeed and overcome incredible difficulty…because each of us can do more than we ever thought possible and the secret can be found in a winning attitude.

I believe that every honest American should own a gun, but with gun ownership comes responsibility.  A gun is worthless and even dangerous in the hands of someone who has not been trained…so if you are a gun owner or plan to be, you must engage in ongoing training to safely use that gun. However, I understand that not everyone is comfortable owning a gun and those who are not comfortable with guns should refrain from getting one.

Confidence also comes from knowing what to do in a crisis.  Learn how to use your surroundings to defend yourself.  Learn to recognize the plethora of non-lethal weapons available around you…nearly everything can be used as a weapon.  But the object is not for you to stand and fight alone, it is to escape, taking everyone you can with you, but escape and alert others.

Take a self-defense class, a first aid class, lose weight, develop your stamina, improve your muscle tone, take care of your health. Read books and articles to help you prepare for this or that situation. Take a CERT class.  Talk to your family and friends about what to do in a crisis…have a plan. Develop your psyche, practice in your mind what you would do if this or that happens.  Police officers play “what…if” games in their minds all the time, it is a way to prepare for a situation before actually facing the real thing.

Prayer and meditation are important to strengthen the mind too.

There is a difference between the tactical decision to delay for the right moment  and the decision to wait for someone else.  If you are ever faced with a challenge, then act and act quickly—with purpose.  If you wait for the police or someone else, then you are just waiting.

Victims wait…survivors act. 

Be a survivor, please.

---RAH