by Bradley J. Steiner
You need to be able to knock out, maim, and kill with your bare hands and also with various modern, personal weapons.
There is really no “nice way” of saying this effectively; especially so that decent, responsible, reasonable people like yourself get the message loud and clear. This is because people who are genuinely civilized and respectable humans are normally unfamiliar with street savagery, unprovoked criminal violence, and the modus operandi of subhuman, dangerous, ruthless predators.
But there’s more to self-defense than being able to use unarmed and armed force when necessary. Ideally, sane people should strive mightily to avoid any situations in which force may be necessary and keep whatever combatives skills they possess in reserve. Such skills should be regarded as the “big guns” to be brought forth and put into play only when unavoidably necessary. The implementation of simple yet important personal security procedures can greatly enhance the likelihood that you will avoid physically dangerous encounters.
One crucial step you must take in securing your and your family’s safety is that of either avoiding social media completely or of very, very carefully insuring that nothing gets on social media that in any way might compromise your and your loved ones’ security.
True story: Years ago, a married couple living in Puyallup, WA decided they were going to enjoy a nice vacation together. They had been married many years, raised children, and felt that a relaxed, recreational time together was something they needed and deserved.
The family was far from opulent. But they had a valuable diamond ring worth several thousand dollars. They decided to sell the ring and use the money for their vacation.
They placed an ad on social media. They described the ring and stated the price for which they were selling it. Shortly after posting the ad, they received a phone call from a young lady who wanted to come over and purchase the ring. They gave the young lady their address, and, at the expected time, the young lady knocked on their door.
When the couple opened their door, a group of armed, male savages burst into the home. Pointing guns and demanding that the ring be produced immediately and handed over to them, the savages shot and killed the husband (who attempted – futilely – to resist), reducing the wife and children to terrified, hysterical wrecks.
After stealing the ring and escaping (only, thank God, to be caught later on by the police) these scum left a family devastated forever.
When I read this story in the news, I remember feeling a combination of deep sadness and compassion for the victim family, combined with outrage and fury toward the rodents who carried out the crime. I also felt a sense of pointless, hopeless frustration… recognizing the naïveté with which the couple had used social media, oblivious to the fact that living scum routinely scour social media looking for victimizable people.
Do you use social media? Frankly, I’d suggest you don’t. If you must, please exercise great caution, including but not limited to:
- Using a false name,
- Do not, under any circumstances, publish your address or phone number or correct city where you live,
- If you must give out information about yourself, give out FALSE and
MISLEADING information.
People who let it be known when they will not be home during a certain time, after making public their address, have often returned home to find their premises burglarized. People who publish their phone numbers, places of employment, organizations/clubs/societies to which they belong, number and ages of children they have, etc., may be doing so because of their “friendly, outgoing nature.”
But friendly, outgoing natures constitute precisely what conscienceless psychopaths and thrill-seeking predatory bastards prey upon. For heaven’s sake (if not your own), be close-mouthed on social media about all of your private life and business concerns.
I am, of course, a strong advocate of our second amendment, and I believe that citizens should be well-armed and properly prepared, if and when they ever must, to defend themselves and to repel any house break-ins or home invasions.
But it is no less crucial, as I see it and advocate, to go to all possible lengths to avoid any situations in which trouble may appear. Security and protective measures go a long way in self-defense planning for the urban environment. I’ve got this thing about social media… and I say again: Unless for some reason that you feel you “need” it, stay off and away from social media completely.
People have a knack for allowing themselves to do foolish things. There have been instances when, while driving, a motorist experiences another driver blasting his or her horn and demanding to pass – while also shouting curses and/or displaying a very rude sign with one of their fingers. The victim motorist shouts back, displays his hand sign, and possibly even follows the rude driver! Dumb, dumb, dumb. Let it go. Just get out of the way of the crackpot motorist, ignore the cursing and hand signs, and be happy when they are gone.
If you are driving or walking through an area of your city and you see flashing lights, police cars, and an obvious situation unfolding, get the hell out of there! Don’t scurry up as close as possible to see what’s up. Bullets do not have a mind of their own, and one that has been directed elsewhere just might hit you. This surely could happen if shots are fired.
Always, always, always, always be polite to strangers no matter how rude, abrasive, crude, or insulting they may be. Disengage as soon as possible from anyone with a prickly attitude; if you must interact with the a-hole, do so with courtesy. Do not be a monitor and attempt to discipline or advise strangers, i.e., “you should be wearing a mask,” “don’t litter like that,” “could you make less noise?” etc.
Recently, a savage animal who was told to wear a mask when he entered an IHOP restaurant pulled a knife and slashed the “messenger.”
We are not living in civilized times, and urban America is no longer a civilized place. So, in addition to being always ready to defend yourself physically – and to do so with as much extreme force as may be needed – exercise good, common-sense security and protective habits and measures.
You cannot reason with today’s crop of bipedal garbage, so don’t try. Just be very careful, polite, distanced, private, and non-challenging, and deal with any morons around you as though they were sensitive six-year-olds. And while most of them have not risen even to that level, it will go a long way to keep you free of the need to physically deal with anyone.
“Self-defense” is that which protects you and saves you from harm. This is self-defense… no less so than striking a blow or pulling a trigger.