Gents,

When I wrote the article I expected it to be discussed in many places and I must say that this place, along with my own forum has the most dispassionate and educated discussion going. Very nice. Many other places let emotion and anger that I dare question their image of how things should go guide their discussion, and that, as we know, leads nowhere.

First point - that we are monday-morning quarter backing the event. Well, yes. As unpopular as that may be in American sports, how else are we to learn from an event and from the actions of those involved? I recall from my SWAT days that we monday morning quarterbacked everything. As well, I know that my friends in the current spec-ops community do the same. And if I am involved in a gunfight today, I expect you will do the same with my own actions. It is what it is, hopefully a learning tool, and not something to get one's ego in a twist over.

Second point - the idea that you carry ONLY to protect yourself and your family. Well, as I said...one cannot fault that view, but the other side of the coin is that you cannot be everywhere can you? And if I was there, but you were not, would you want me to have the same view about intervening? Again...this becomes a big emotional thing to some. Kinda like telling a girl that those pants do in fact make her look fat. Her tears will not eliminate the fact that she weighs 300 pounds.

Third point - Capability. Some guys cannot and that is that. The older gent with the bad eyes and arthritic fingers using the walker? He's not going to be able to do anything here regardless of what his heart tells him. Now that is an extreme, but as old Harry C used to say, a man must know his limitations. But my own corrolary to Harry is that every man should seek to extend those limitations in skill development and training.

The BBQ man did not say he was physically feeble, nor poorly armed. The only reason he sited was distance and disparity of tools. Those were the reasons illustrated in the piece. He was close enough to have been able to see everything however. So from what I get of the statements, there was no ambiguity of what was happening.

Look guys...the point here...the most important point is this. This event was not unusual at all in our times. It keeps happening and whether the killer is a nut with an axe to grind, or some sort of terrorist, the authorities will never be in time to save anyone. All one has to do is look at the list of shootings to see that. The only people that will be in a position to act will be people like you...hopefully skilled and trained CCW civilians. I am not asking anyone to do what they know they cannot do, only to not sell themselves short on what they can accomplish. If every CCW person simply ran for their life, then guys like Hasan, Sencion, Talović, and others like them will always succeed with their plans, innocents will die, and nothing will change.

Another write up by one of our staff, John Chambers (former US Army LRS) on the Fort Hood murders.
WARRIOR TALK NEWS - Lessons from Jihad in America

Comments

[Matt in Oklahoma]

Points taken, I dont believe for a minute that readers here wouldnt stop it if they could. We must train, tool and prepare for such atrosities. We are few, the sheep are many, the predators are willing and the time is upon us. We can not allow them to win.

[Michael Adam]

Just a quick note on the above Mr. Suarez. If I am not at the place where my family is in trouble, and you are, please do intervene. I will name my sixth born "Gabe" or take you to dinner, or something. :)

And I promise to do the same for you.

[web design London]

, I dont believe for a minute that readers here wouldnt stop it if they could. We must train, tool and prepare for such atrocities.. If I am not at the place where my family is in trouble,..