Daily Briefing For Thursday, July 18, 2013

In Other News

While the grumbling over the Zimmerman verdict continues to take up bandwidth in the main stream media, there are other important things going on in the world.  Some things to watch:

• Is food inflation real?  One commentator says it isn't.
• Food stamps are a form of corporate welfare, says ZeroHedge.
• Russian bombers have been placed on full alert status;  some speculate this move is in response to Israel's bombing of Russian weapons in Syria.
• The Edward Snowden story only gets better, as a former U.S. Senator from the GOP praises him for his actions.
• The Second Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals reverses the temporary injunction on certain enforcement powers of the NDAA, which is a blow for liberty.

Is Stand Your Ground A De Facto Civil Rights Doctrine?

The Daily Caller examined a database maintained by the Tampa Bay Times and concluded "African Americans used 'Stand Your Ground' defenses at nearly twice the rate of their presence in the Florida population, which was listed at 16.6 percent in 2012."  Note I have zero objection to any group using the defense, even if they use it at a disproportionate rate.  If this statutory defense provides additional rights to prevent the government from depriving defendants of their liberty, that's a good thing, right?


Saturday's Training

I'll head out to KR Training on Saturday - this time as a student - to re-take the Defensive Back Up Gun class I took last year.  Here's his article on the class (I'm in three of the pics - I'm wearing a blue t-shirt, olive drab pants, and a John Deere cap...and there's a picture of my target as well.)

Daily Briefing For Wednesday, July 17, 2013

There's Reading, And There's Doing.

I'm sitting in a pizza joint in Los Angeles tonight, blogging on my iPhone.  Technology is awesome.

This is my first trip to L.A.  I am learning that the city is much different than what I've been told or read.  Traffic is bad, but it's not any worse than traffic in Miami or Houston.  There have been some unrest here over the Zimmerman verdict, but most of the city's residents seem focused on their everyday lives.  

Walking to dinner this evening, it occurred to me that many of my preconceived notions about Los Angeles were wrong.  In the end, we need to see and experience things for ourselves rather than accepting the conventional wisdom on face value.

I've been guilt of reading a lot about preparedness but not doing as much as I probably should.  Reading and doing your due diligence is important, but at some point you have to stop studying and start doing.  That's where the real learnings occur.

Experience things for yourselves.  Draw your own conclusions.  Don't simply rely on what others have said or written.  The conventional wisdom is often wrong.

And don't be afraid to stop researching and start doing.

Daily Briefing For Tuesday, July 16, 2013

On Flashlights

This evening, I had dinner with some colleagues and had an occasion to use my flashlight. This generated questions as to why I carry a flashlight and about the particular one I was using.

These two are currently my favorites. The Fenix model on the right runs on two AA batteries.  It generates 205 lumens, has a steady and strobes setting, as well as high-power and low-power settings.  

The StreamLight model runs on 3 V lithium batteries and puts out a whopping 600 lumens.  It, too, has high-power and low-power settings, as well as a steady beam and a strobe light function.  Both flashlights will cost you about $60 on eBay.

Flashlights are invaluable. You can use them for a number of things, as well as a way to temporarily but safely blind someone who is threatening you.

If you are not carrying a flashlight with you on a regular basis, I highly encourage you to do so.

Daily Briefing For Sunday, July 14, 2013

Final Thoughts On The Zimmerman Trial

I wanted to share my friend Parke Morris' thoughts on the case, as they closely mirror mine.  Parke and I spent much time together during our young lawyer days, including one memorable trip where he bravely climbed into the cockpit with me for a 8 hour, round trip flight from Memphis to the Tri-Cities area in northeastern Tennessee. 

After a stint in a tall building law firm in Memphis, Parke spent six years working for Johnnie Cochran's firm, representing those injured and victimized by the negligence of others.  More recently, he's struck out on his own, continuing his work in the area of personal injury.

I share with you his thoughts below, in their entirety:

The Zimmerman trial is the inverse of the Simpson case. Now most black folks know what the whites felt like back in 1995 and vice versa. Whitley and I went for a second time to a mixed race downtown church where many of the needs are third-world and raw-rent money, funeral money, murder charges etc. there are a lot of poor folks who go to church there and it feels real. The white minister told the crowd that this result in the Zimmerman trial was a travesty and that an injustice has been perpetrated.

 

I must be honest- I wanted to leave. I felt it was inappropriate to mix politics in the church and essentially pander to certain church members who vocally supported such a statement. Whitley has reminded me that in any racially mixed setting its just going to be messy. Its just hard to get out of your comfort zone. There is no doubt in my mind that black kids are inappropriately targeted, that the police profile, that minorities are still screwed over in this country and that the vestiges of slavery still exist where we live. I have filed civil rights cases. I have seen government officials rush to judgment and prosecute the wrong person. I just wish that the political capital and moral outrage displayed in this case had been spent on a different case with better facts. An eyewitness and physical evidence of a received beating are hard to deny. This entire situation is just a travesty but folks need to be careful baiting others or stoking the fires....

Lastly, where is Sharpton here in Memphis when there are black kids consistently killed by other black kids? Why are their deaths somehow less important than T Martin's? Why is the seeming perpetual zone of black on black violence that exists about three miles from our house summarily ignored, forgotten and left out of the Zimmerman discussion? Is it because it does not sell newspapers or 30 second ad spots?

 

 

And there you have it.  The media picks one case out of literally thousands of stories of young black men who are killed each year, fan the flames of racial incitement despite the fact there was no evidence that Zimmerman engaged Martin because he was black, all while ignoring the staggering statistics of how often these same young people are killed or incarcerated. 

 

Zimmerman was acquitted.  But just because he was found not guilty of a crime doesn't mean he is not guilty of bad tactics.  So what can we learn from this?  Here are my thoughts:

 

1. Everything you do and don't do, say and don't say, before and after a self defense shooting will be scrutinized.  If a prosecutor thinks it will help convict you if they put your third grade teacher on the stand to say you said a bad word when you were a little kid, expect them to do it.  Your entire life will be put under a microscope.  Before you decide to use deadly force to defend yourself, determine whether it's worth it to go through what Zimmerman went through mentally, emotionally and financially.
2. Don't stop asking for help after you've stopped the threat.  Both the lead prosecutor on the case and the State Attorney commented separately that one of the things that drove them to prosecute the case was that the yelling for help stopped immediately after the gun was fired.  Would it have mattered if Zimmerman had called 911 immediately after that?  It couldn't have hurt.  Also, to the extent you can safely do so, provide medical assistance to the person who was attacking you - even if all you can do is to call 911 and ask them to send EMS for the person you just shot.
3. Get advanced training.  Going through a licensing class every few years isn't sufficient to adequately train you for the variety of threats you will face on the street - it's just the bare minimum.  Spend the money to go take a class where you are forced to make decisions - Force on Force training may very well be the best money spent for anyone who is serious about carrying a gun for self defense. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daily Briefing for Thursday, July 11, 2013

When Do We Get To Start Rioting, Part 2

No doubt some of you will recall my post back in January on this subject.  Only back then, it dealt with those who were upset with the prospect of more gun control legislation.

The latest riot threat du jour is contingent upon an acquittal in the George Zimmerman trial, and these urgings are none too pretty to say the least.  Law enforcement continues their preparations for the possibility as well. 

I have intentionally avoided talking about this much, in large part because it pains me to do so.  As I said back in January to those who were calling for violence if gun control measures were implemented, we must respect the Constitution and the legal process.  There's nothing in the law that permits us to run out and firebomb businesses and kill people if we don't get our way in the legislatures or in the court houses.

Time Magazine takes a different tack, claiming it's racial fear mongering for law enforcement agencies to prepare for riots in wake of a verdict in the case.  Ironically, the author of the article, Mark Polite, claims "the black community has become more sophisticated in protesting injustice, and there is talk already of using economic boycotts and other means that are more effective than upheavals that would only result in heavier police repression."  Nothing like patting folks on the head and telling them they've become "more sophisticated" in their protesting whilst throwing stones at law enforcement for preparing for unrest for which, sadly, many are calling.

The more ominous fear I have has little to do with the Zimmerman trial specifically, but rather the growing culture of generating conflict for conflict's sake we have in our country.  The media was quick to crucify Zimmerman for allegedly making racists comments during the now infamous 911 call; the media and the prosecutors have now backed off of that claim, as there was no credible evidence to suggest that he did. 

We now learn that the Department of Justice sent a team to Sanford in the days following the shooting "to provide technical assistance for the preparation of possible marches and rallies related to the fatal shooting of a 17 year old African American male."  According to the Orlando Sentinel, "[the Department of Justice employees] in their Navy blue windbreakers, polo shirts and dark sunglasses, [ ] look like federal agents.  Their caps are embroidered with the Justice Department's seal. They watch and listen silently. But they say little publicly."  Ostensibly there to help keep the peace, it's clear they were there to apply pressure to remove the police chief and to bring charges against Zimmerman - and not to encourage citizens to let the local government work through the investigative process.

And then there's the growing militarization of our state and local law enforcement agencies.  The Huffington Post reports that the ACLU is investigating this growing trend, which increases tax burdens and conflict between law enforcement agencies and law abiding citizens. 

And of course, the spending on such resources for law enforcement - like large scale purchases of armored personnel carriers, drones, and hollow point ammunition - have to be justified.  The media is all too happy to do their part to create the necessary conflict to justify such expenses, fanning the flames and creating the conflict where none ought to exist.  The cycle continues.

I will be traveling some in the coming days, and I'd be lying if I said I haven't taken the possibility of civil unrest into my calculations.  I will be following the conventional, common sense wisdom you would expect while traveling.  I may be packing a few extras in case I get stuck somewhere, but that's about it. 

I'll conclude by concluding the same way I did back in January:

So, in summary:

1. Respect the Constitution.
2. Pray for our leaders, even if you don't agree with them.  Pray for God to heal our collective souls.  Pray for wisdom for yourself.
3. Educate yourself and others.
4. Remember you get more flies with honey than you do vinegar. 
5. Be vigilant about what's going on in the news and in politics.  Stay on top of current events.
6. Reach out to those who disagree with you.  Build relationships with them.  Let them see you are not a bad person or a nut job.
7. Value truth.  Don't hide from facts.
8. Prepare for the possibility of more difficult times ahead, for you and your family.
9. Support candidates who espouse your values.  This means supporting their campaigns financially.  It also means reaching out to them to let them know what's on your mind.
10. Be a nice person.  Don't be a jerk, even if someone else is being a jerk to you.  Set a good example.

Daily Briefing For Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Operating In Non Permissive Environments

My work travel does not really permit me to take along all of the gear I would like to have with me.  So what's a prepper to do?

Tonight, I thought I would share with you some of the gear I carry with me on the road on a regular basis.  Everything you see in the picture fits in this Dopp kit.

Some of the items include:

- Plastic bowl with Spork

- 100 feet of Paracord

- emergency bivvy

- Life Straw brand water purification system

- Various sized zip lock bags

- Various sized Band-Aids and bandages

- Wet wipes

- Aleve

- Small AM/FM radio with spare batteries

- Masking tape

- Cough drops

None of this may sound exciting, but it is TSA compliant, adds little weight and takes up little space in my suitcase.  And just by making this list, I've already identified some other items I'd like to add to it.

What gear do you carry with you when you travel?  Or do you think it is a waste of effort and space in your suitcase to do so?

Daily Briefing for Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Happy Independence Day!

If my math is right, 'Murica turns 237 years old tomorrow.  Have you ever stopped to think how blessed we are by the fact we are citizens of this great experiment in self government?  If you haven't, just take a look at what happened in Egypt today. 

Of course, the entire time I watched the footage, this kept running through my head:



You People Are Divisive.  And A Terror Threat.

 

According to the Daily Caller, some 26% of President Obama's supporters believe the tea party is America's top terror threat.  I'm scratching my head to come up with one act of terror committed by a tea party member, despite the media's best efforts to blame the Aurora theater shooting and the Boston Marathon bombing on them. 

 

It should come as no surprise then that some believe we are more divided as a country than ever before.  The Atlantic ran this story, with charts and all, to prove to us just how much we hate each other and wish the other side would crawl into a hole and die.  (If you think I'm engaging in hyperbole with that last statement, just read the comments to the story.)

 

Yes, we are a divided people.  It's easier to sort people into two bins - us and them - rather than to study issues ourselves and form our own opinions.  We blame politicians for much of this, yet we are the ones who vote them into office.

 

While we cannot control how the media will portray us, we still need to make sure that we're doing the basics of good citizenship really well.  I blogged about this in the past, and I'd like to think it's good guidance.  At the end of the day, we need to be setting a good example for our causes of preparedness, liberty and personal responsibility.  If someone is going to criticize us, let's make sure it's not justified.

 

"Lawyers Know Little About Guns, Experts Often Make Mistakes, And Juries Think They Are All Scary."

 

I made this comment earlier today to Karl Rehn of KR Training fame after tipping him off to the fact that Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) expert Amy Siewert was on the stand in the George Zimmerman trial this morning.  She is the prosecution's expert on firearms, who examined the gun and other key evidence.  Here are bullet points of some of her testimony:

 

• The trigger pull (the force required on the trigger to discharge the weapon) measured within factory specifications.
• She measured the trigger pull to be around 4.5 pounds and said such a trigger pull is normal in her case work.
• The gun's magazine was completely full when gun was fired, indicating the gun started with a full magazine with a round already in the chamber.
• Interestingly, she provided no meaningful discussion as the choice of ammunition Zimmerman was using.
• Testing showed it was a contact shot, meaning the gun was pressed up against Martin's sweatshirt when it was discharged. 
• Defense counsel establishes gun is a double action only (DAO) gun.  She admitted that the double action design is a "safety feature."
• She seemed somewhat critical of single action due to lighter trigger pull inherent with single action guns.
• She admits that the combination of DAO, the hammer block safety feature in the gun, and the fact the gun is never cocked until the trigger is pulled make the gun safe. 
• She also admits that the trigger travel distance (the distance the trigger must be pulled to discharge the weapon) is an additional safety feature.
• She agrees that the gun is safe to be carried loaded with a round in the chamber, as police officers carry their self defense weapons like this regularly.
• She told the jury the gun did not have an external safety which had to be turned off prior to firing.

It was clear to me that the lawyers in this case don't know enough about firearms, and that Ms. Siewert, while polished, said some things that were flat out inaccurate.

 

Here are my takeaways from her testimony:

 

1. You will likely need your own expert to testify on firearms.  I don't know if the defense team has one lined up.  Experts cost a lot of money, so you'll need to be prepared.  One way to do that is to join a group like the Armed Citizens' Legal Defense Network as well as purchasing insurance coverage from the NRA.
   
2.  Do not put "trigger jobs" on your self defense firearms.  I will readily admit I am in the minority view on this, as many excellent firearms instructors will tell you just the opposite.  A trigger job reduces the amount of pressure on the trigger that is required to make the gun discharge.  They may also improve the feel of the trigger for certain guns.  Gun owners like this as it tends to make the gun more accurate, permitting more precise shots.  However, I can assure that had Zimmerman had a trigger job on his gun, the prosecution would have used that as evidence of a "depraved mind" that is necessary to get a Murder 2 conviction.  The benefits of trigger jobs are far outweighed by their liability, in my opinion.  Having to explain why you installed one on your gun to a jury is not a position you want to be in.  And that's coming from someone who has in fact had to explain complex issues to a jury.
   
3. Do not carry your firearms with the magazines completely loaded.  Not only is this going to be used against Zimmerman as evidence that he had a depraved mind (I would submit it proves nothing of the sort), you run the risk of a gun malfunction if you jam the magazine completely full of ammo.  For smaller magazines, I would carry one less round than capacity; for larger ones, I'd leave room for two rounds in the magazine.  If you're concerned about not having enough ammo, consider carrying a spare magazine on you - it's not just for the additional ammo, but it's also good insurance should your first magazine malfunction.

Open Source On "What To Carry In Restrictive Environments?"

I will be on the road soon, spending time in liberty restricting states.  That being said, I'm looking to revise what I take with me on these trips to be better prepared.

I read this article some time ago - it's a fascinating story of how a gold mining company figured out where the gold deposits were by making all of its geological data public.  The company broke the "OpSec" rules so to speak, and as a result, was rewarded many times over.

And so this evening, I pose the question to you:  If you were going to be spending a lot of time in places like California or Washington, DC, what sort of items would you want on you or near you to deal with possible emergencies?  Feel free to email me or leave comments on my Facebook page. 

 

Take Time To Learn Other Skills As Well

 

After swearing for ages I would never do it, I finally realized that my professional skill set would be greatly improved if I took up golf.  And so in June I began lessons to learn how to play.  I even got fitted for custom made golf clubs this afternoon.

 

I still don't know if I will enjoy golf, but it will give me an opportunity to be more engaged in the nuances associated with government affairs work - namely, attending the various golf tournament fundraisers that both Republicans and Democrats have. 

 

Learning a preparedness skill may be fun and make you feel better, sometimes there are other skills that are more practical and will help your career long term.  Don't get fixated on just learning self sufficiency.  Go learn to do something that helps your career or that looks fun to you.