Protecting Our Children with School Carry - Ending Gun Free Zones

It seems as though the people of this Country may finally be coming to the realization that forcing our schools to continue the Gun Free Zone charade, is not the way to keep our children safe. 

Legislators in Wisconsin, Kentucky, South Carolina, Florida, Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, and Tennessee have filed Bills to allow school carry either by those legally allowed to carry or by Teachers.

There are 19 States that already allow school carry in some form;

• ·       Alabama (which bans possessing a weapon on school grounds only if the carrier has "intent to do bodily harm")
• ·       California (with approval of the superintendent)
• ·       Connecticut (with approval of "school officials")
• ·       Hawaii (no specific law)
• ·       Idaho (with school trustees' approval)
• ·       Iowa (with "authorization")
• ·       Kentucky (with school board approval)
• ·       Massachusetts (with approval of the school board or principal)
• ·       Michigan (concealed carry now allowed while open carry has been allowed)
• ·       Mississippi (with school board approval)
• ·       Montana (with school trustees' permission)
• ·       New Hampshire (ban applies only to pupils, not adults)
• ·       New Jersey (with approval from the school's "governing officer")
• ·       New York (with the school's approval)
• ·       Oregon (with school board approval)
• ·       Rhode Island (with a concealed weapons permit)
• ·       Texas (with school's permission)
• ·       Utah (with approval of the "responsible school administrator")
• ·       Wyoming (open carry only)

It's high-time.

Ask someone who is against guns to post their front yard with a sign that says - "This home is a gun free zone - no guns allowed!" - and see how many takers you have.   

Why wouldn't they - or anyone for that matter - want the sign?  Well, it would seem those hypocritical, self-righteous anti's don't want to advertise their home is unprotected! How can that be?  If it's good enough to protect the children in schools, shouldn't it be good enough to protect you at home?

Recently I watched a video of two anti-gun women having a conversation about gun control, how concealed carry is stupid while telling their viewers the whole "good guys with a gun" argument is a fallacy.  One of them said "good guys with guns don't stop mass shootings!"

All I could think of was this - All mass shootings are stopped by a good guy with a gun.   Every rampage / active shooter situation ends when the good guys with guns arrive.  Every. Single. One.  The good guys either shoot the maniac or the maniac shoots himself or the maniac gives up.   If a good guy with a gun

doesn't show up?  The maniac continues to kill at his leisure.

Truly, it isn't that hard to understand, is it?

I always come back to the children who have died needlessly, virtually killed by those who refuse to do everything in their power to keep them safe, murdered by those who ignore the facts of gun free zones due to their twisted, hoplophobic fear of an inanimate object, executed by those who feel morally superior when children are slaughtered by a maniac with a gun, rather than protected by a good guy with a gun.

For me it is beyond the scope of comprehension.

I remember thinking, when the news reports filtered down from Sandy Hook...

What would have happened that fateful day if Principle Dawn Hochsprung had run down that terror filled hallway towards a crazed gunman with something more than a fearless soul and a heart as big as all outdoors?

Stay Safe and Carry Responsibly

Hipshot

Getting Home Safe - Alert Your Spouse with a Safe Word or Phrase

It's late at night, you and your Spouse are walking through a heavy fog in the parking lot of the local Theater - the light standards providing nothing more than a feeble dull glow, its normally bright light unable to cut through the pea soup -  the quiet of the night is further muffled by the thick air, the only sound is the soft clicking of your shoes on the asphalt.

The movie you attended was the last one showing, and as you walk through the chill night air you become aware of the few cars still in the lot, scattered here and there like huge rocks in a barren desert.  Your antennae is up, reflecting Condition Yellow, as you make your way to the corner of the lot.

As you move within 50 yards of your car, you begin to see shadows moving in the foggy darkness beyond your car, several of them.  Due to a combination of the late hour, fog and remoteness of your vehicle in the parking lot, you move from Condition Yellow to Condition Orange, your focus now sharp, mind alert and ready as you assess the immediate area and the influx of new sensory information.

At 25 yards, the shadows are now a group of people - five or six - standing on the far side of your car, about 25 feet past your vehicle.  You do a quick 360° sweep and quickly refocus your attention on the people.

Still walking, you touch your Spouse's arm and say "Keep your eyes open and stay close to me."

"Why?" They ask, looking at you suspiciously.

"Just do what I say... please....stay close and be alert."

"Why?  What the heck is going on," and they pull on your arm, trying to stop you, to make you explain your intentions.

Your mind is working, assessing your surroundings, the possible threat, distance, who they are, what are they doing - and while you do this, you are whispering harshly to your Wife to be quiet and stay close.

Finally, at the last 10', keeping your car between you and the possible threat, you can hear some laughter, normal chatter, no threatening posturing, and as you get to your car, you catch the eye of one of the young men and nod, he returns the nod and you open the car door, let in your Spouse before coming round - still in Condition Orange - get in the car, start it up and motor away unscathed.


Your Spouse is now a chatterbox of questions, why, why and why?!

The drive home is a step by step explanation of what was happening, the possible threat and your own high alert and why you were asking them to just "... do what I ask without questions!"

"Safe Word"

 

A "safe word" is a code word - one word (or phrase) that explains you are on high alert - something you can say to your Spouse that should instantly make them aware there is a possible problem or threat and they should immediately be quiet, stay close and be ready to react to instructions.

When a Condition Orange situation arises, you want two things to happen;  One - Be able to focus completely on the possible threat, and Two, to focus on the possible threat without confused peripheral input from your Spouse.

I explained to my Wife we needed a word that would bring her to the same high alert as me, in an instant.  We decided on a phrase - "Hon, we have to get home and let the dog out."  We don't own a dog, so she will immediately know there is a problem.  No confusion.  It's also a phrase I can say while at a store standing an aisle or two over from where she is, without it sounding odd.  After settling on the phrase, we talked about what it is I would expect from her.

"Actions"

 

I explained to her that when I am with her, my only concern, my only thought, my only job, is to make sure she gets out safe.  That's it, nothing else matters to me.

But how do I accomplish this?  I told her that when I give the safe phrase, she should be quiet, open her eyes, get her head up and be aware of our surroundings - where we are, is there somewhere safe to go - and, if I say so, be ready to run.  

I explained I want her to stay a half-step back and go to my weak hand side.  Put her hand on my back (or grab my belt) and move when I move, where I move, without questions.

I'm not looking to pre-plan what to do in full on Condition Red - more of Condition Yellow / Orange.  "Hon, we have to get home to feed the dog" - and she will know immediately there is a potential problem.  To stay close, be quiet, eyes open and aware.

We all know you can't plan what to do in a gunfight - beyond the immediate reaction, a gunfight is a fluid and volatile situation - but you can make sure your spouse is not caught off guard.  I want my wife thinking along with me, seeing the problem and working to get home safe.  So I wanted something easy to remember, to keep her thinking and calm.

I wanted to break it down to something simple, so these are the Four Rules I wanted her to remember.

1) Quiet
2) Stay Close
3) Be Aware
4) Do exactly what I say - no questions asked.

"Condition Orange"

It's also important to note that these precautions are - for me-  used in "Condition Yellow / Orange".   The Safe Phrase is meant to bring her up to Condition Orange immediately and is an attempt to keep us out of the fray before the fray has a chance to begin.

"Have a back-up plan, because the first one won't work. "No battle plan ever survives 10 seconds past first contact with an enemy." Use cover or concealment as much as possible." 

Joe B. Fricks

 

The Safe Phrase or Word cannot protect you once you move to Condition Red and the fight has come - the chaos of such situations will put the pressure on your training and your ability to adjust, improvise and overcome -  But it can put you in the best position to get you and yours home safe before the shooting starts.

And in the end, isn't that what we all want?

Stay Safe and Carry Responsibly

Time to Lead the Gun Rights Fight From the Front

This morning I found myself - once again - commenting on another anti-gun article filled with half-truths, misinformation and outright lies, and I wondered why?  Why am I constantly trying to educate people on the truth about guns, gun ownership, and the Second Amendment?  Where did it all go wrong?

When I was a boy, BB-guns and archery sets were excitedly brought to school for show and tell.  That's right, 8-year old boys with BB-guns and bows-and-arrows, bringing them on the bus, walking right through the school doors and no one batted an eye.

And there were no school shootings.

Now?  There would be a Team of Swat storming the school, doors barricaded, classrooms on lockdown, Principles scurrying, 24-hour Media coverage and, in the end, a small confused boy suspended.

Really?  It seems as Second Amendment advocates, we are always working from behind, defending against the lies and Liberal agenda driven by like-minded Media coverage.  Defending against a deluge of propaganda, from a myriad of sources, leaves us stuck in the mire of our own inability to gain traction.

I believe this needs to change.  

 

I think it's high-time we went on the attack.  Not abusive, name-calling, in your face attacks, but a subtle shift in how we conduct our business.  We should start by running some normal, everyday TV ads that educate and inform and assimilate the Second Amendment into the mainstream... as owning a gun is the most normal and natural thing a person can do - 1 in 3 Americans own a gun - moving us away from the fringe the Media purports us to be.

I would love the NRA to do some advertising, not for the NRA, but for child safety.  The NRA has always been a proponent of child safety, and now is the time to advance the thought in the mainstream media.  How about a 30-second spot in prime time with nothing more than some soothing music, a family enjoying life together, a nice sub-division, children playing in front of a fireplace and a fatherly voice-over saying...

"Protecting your Family is why you bore the responsibility of gun ownership. Of course, your responsibility doesn't end there.  Teach your children the four rules of Gun Safety to keep them out of harm's way. 1) If you see a gun, Stop!  2) Don't Touch  3) Leave the Room  And 4)  Tell an Adult!"

Fade to children playing in the sunshine with an overlay of the NRA / Eddie Eagle Logo and the fatherly voice-over... "Rules everyone can live by."

Or a commercial showing young adults enjoying themselves, out hunting in the fall colors,
shopping at a bustling grocery store, at the range with friends, leaving a church on a bright, sunny, spring morning, at a shooting match and then dinner with friends at a trendy eatery.  Healthy smiling faces, laughter, and love of life.  And the young voice-over...

"Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness... only in America -The Land of the Free!"  

Fade to a montage of America - Oceans and lakes, fields of wheat, great cities, suburban life, and the NRA overlay.

And how about PSA's done in conjunction with Mental Illness groups like NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) which portrays depression as it is?  Black and white commercial.  A montage of desperate people in emotional pain. Ordinary citizens, Military, young people - all walks of life.

A soft, emotional, caring voice-over...

"In a compassionate, caring society, Mental Illness should be at the forefront, helping those desperate souls suffering from the hopelessness and despair of depression.  42,000 loving spirits take their own lives every year - 500,000 more attempt suicide.  It's time to meet the problem head-on. Time to make a difference."

Fade to black and the partnered logo of the Not for Profit and the NRA

It's time we go on the offensive, become pro-active instead of reacting to the next lie, the next attack.  Put the Antis on the defensive.  Make them react to us.  Make them defend.  It's time to get off the schneid and show our good side.  Our Second Amendment Right side.

Stay Safe and Carry Responsibly
Hipshot

If you enjoyed this article, you might like my new book -Concealed Carry and the War on the Second Amendment, a collection from the New Gunner Journal - It is now available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  If you have any questions about Concealed Carry or are sitting on the fence, this would make a nice Christmas present to learn about the lifestyle and those who live it.

Order now... "Concealed Carry and the War on the Second Amendment"