Armed American Report – Issue 164

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September 25th, 2009

Dear Friend,

Make sure that you read this week’s ‘coming up on Armed American Radio’ segment. You will be blown away at how fast our radio station is spreading around the country.

There’s a lot of good stuff in here this week, so grab a cup of coffee, and let a week of political correctness melt away as you read your ARMED AMERICAN Report!

You won’t find anyone asking you to apologize for carrying a concealed weapon here- heck no! In fact, THANK YOU for carrying concealed. YOU are the best kind of citizen… the one I want as my neighbor.

Food doesn’t come from the store.

“…There is no reason to just sit down and give up during the extremes of a temporary disaster situation….”

by Cody AldersonWherever we live, we already have what we need to survive in that particular geographical location. Whether we live in mansions or recreational vehicles, we keep a supply of what we need to survive at the home. We also have pipes and wires coming into the home to supply a need, and pipes going out of the home to get rid of our waste. Most of us have curbside pickup of our trash. Life is good!

Surviving a couple of days snowed in is usually just a minor inconvenience, even if the power and heat are off due to problems with the supply grid. A minor inconvenience, because we have plenty of blankets, food to eat, probably some candles and a couple of flashlights, and maybe even a kerosene heater or a fireplace. That minor inconvenience may turn into a dangerous situation if we were prepared enough to survive a couple of snow days in Pennsylvania, but are actually having to survive it in Coldfoot, Alaska.

In moderate climates such as where I live in Southwestern Pennsylvania, it is easy to become negligent about the simplest preparations that have us equipped to survive an extreme of climate since we do not often experience extremes of climate. Statistics demonstrate that more people die of hypothermia in moderate climates than in climates where extremely low temperatures are expected as the normal routine of winter weather.

We don’t experience arctic conditions very often where I live so routine preparations to survive those conditions aren’t carried out by much of the population either. People who live in areas routinely struck by tornadoes prepare for tornadoes. We don’t have very many tornadoes in Pennsylvania either so finding underground shelters dug for protection from tornadoes is unlikely. People adapt to their environments in ways that could be dangerous if the environment should suddenly change.

On any typical day here in Pennsylvania I can leave the house with no more preparation than an average winter coat (even on the coldest days), get in my vehicle, go shopping at the twenty-four hour Walmart, get gas at the always-open gas station which is also a convenience store, and stop by Wendy’s for a burger at least until one in the morning. I know that Walmart is closed on Christmas Day so I’ll make sure that I don’t need a prescription filled on that day, or be out of tea, coffee, milk, and other sundries. But even if I am out of some medicine, I will be okay waiting until Walmart opens up again the day after Christmas so they can refill my prescriptions. That being said, I have become adapted to the current conditions of my environment without regard to the possibility of the environment suddenly becoming extreme.

Fortunately I do not put all of my faith into nature keeping my environment within limits that are acceptable to me, nor am I ignorant of the possibility of man-made severe changes to my environment occurring at any moment. Though I have given thought to the wildest possible scenarios that could be thrown at me by man or nature, I only prepare for the ones that are probable based on my current geographical location, taking into account the social and political climate along with knowledge of the weather.

It is far more prudent to have a primary, secondary, and tertiary plan in place for probable scenarios than to prepare for the wildest conjuring of a vivid imagination. A man or woman who has a million rounds of ammunition buried in secret and strategic locations would be better served to have a redundant source of heat here in Pennsylvania. Conversely, a redundant source of heat would be of no use to a man or woman living in a climate that never drops below 80 degrees Fahrenheit, but who is constantly under threat of armed attack.

I teach people to prepare for what is most likely to happen to them based on their current location and operational scenario, and to leave the End-Of-The-World preparations to those who are much more extreme than I am. After all, even having a nuclear bomb shelter won’t do a fellow any good if it goes off while he is sitting on the toilet in the upstairs bathroom of his house. In other words, it is certain that even the best of us won’t get out of this life alive. As it is often said, “Ya gotta go sometime,” and the best we can do is to just do our personal best to survive a temporary harshness, then get on with rebuilding what may have been lost during the harshness.

There is no reason to just sit down and give up during the extremes of a temporary disaster situation. If a nuclear power plant is melting down, get away from it. If a hurricane is coming to your town, don’t be there. If tornadoes like to sneak up on you, have an early warning system and get in the pre made shelter when the tornado is coming. If there is a possibility of a train derailing and spilling 50,000 gallons of acid in your neighborhood, maybe have appropriate respirators for every member of your family. Have pets that you would die to protect in the same train scenario? Install a positive pressure filtration system in a room or vehicle for them, or buy the positive pressure filtration containers which are sized for your pets.

Oh, that last one is key to all of this. It really screams of preplanning in education, materials, and installation. It’s tough to fit pets with a respirator. There are some bag-like structures for individual pets. They use a battery powered blower that blows air through an appropriate filter into the bag so the pet can breathe. Usually the bags are big enough to fit over a pet crate that confines the pet. If a disaster that will affect air quality is on the list of probable disasters for a family who has pets that they are not willing to just let die, then a method to keep the pets from suffocating during evacuation should be considered a priority.

Positive pressure systems can be used in rooms and vehicles as well. The blower is big enough, and the filter has enough capacity to handle the volume of contaminated air blowing through it to keep the air pressure in the room or vehicle higher than the air pressure outside. This way treated air is always trying to get out any cracks, leaks, or crevices, which makes it so no contaminated air can creep in.

Saying that type of system is the key to all of this Bug Out stuff is not saying that it is the most needed or even needed at all. It is just pointing out that both PLANNING and PREPARATION is what makes disaster survival possible and training makes it more probable. Some things are not survivable. The human body can only endure so much trauma. Being blown to bits by a gas explosion caused by a ruptured main supply line usually comes quick, and without warning. If my body is in a hundred pieces, I’m not going to need my Bug Out Bag, but the rest of my family who may survive should have survival items ready to go for rapid evacuation.

I will need it for things like a dirty bomb going off in nearby Pittsburgh, or an accident at one of the chemical plants at each end of this valley I live in. Possibly the dam upriver may give way, or maybe one of the trains that go through town every couple of hours might one day be carrying something toxic and may spill. I watched a downdraft start to force a black swirling cloud toward the ground last summer while I was coming home from the post office during a storm. It started to rotate then lost momentum and faded away. Tornadoes aren’t common here, but one that hit Kennywood Park in Pittsburgh a few years ago was a killer.

I pack bags based on possibilities. I have more than one survival bag. There is one that I take to work every day that has in it an MRE, something to raise my blood glucose level (I’m an Insulin Dependant Diabetic), a lighting tool, extra test strips, insulin, infusion set supplies (for my insulin pump) batteries, cell phone charger, first-aid supplies, a handheld radio programmed with FRS/GMRS and NOAA Weather Alert frequencies and functions. One can also usually find in that bag the current issue of Concealed Carry Magazine and a book I am reading.

At home things are different. I have in my home all that I need to survive. I have clothing, shelter, climate control, water, food, methods for making light, fire making supplies or fire replacements (electric stove, microwave), medical supplies, means of personal hygiene, a place to relieve myself of biological waste, companionship, means of defense, tools for building, repairing, and maintaining, necessary fuels, as well as an abundant supply of entertainment and educational materials. Just about everywhere I go, I have access to most of these same things. Going out just about anywhere that human beings commonly go in public, I have access to light, a place to relieve the biological waste, a water fountain, and a controlled climate.

We are programmed to have the necessary amenities for ourselves as well as provide them for our guests or customers. Conditions are variable depending on personal circumstance, but most of us in the lower forty-eight states enjoy more of a lifestyle of ease than one of having to continually be in a mode of trying to just survive. And although we Americans are resilient, we can get a little too reliant on the ‘grid’ that supports our daily comforts. My wife and I were present in a little sampling of chaos the day before these words were written.

The power went off in the main business district, and no transactions could be made at the stores and gas stations since everything that supported making sales easier ran on electricity. People were upset that the normal flow of daily life was interrupted. They wanted what they came to get, and they wanted it now. They were on a schedule and the interruption of the normal flow of their lives was disconcerting to say the least. As the lines got longer at the checkouts the emotions began to get a little charged. People didn’t want to wait. The body language and facial expressions had me wondering how some of them would react during a real emergency.

Most peoples only source for the things that they need are the stores and the gas stations. We are slaves to our thriving economy. I work for money to buy what I need, and do not have the resources to grow or hunt for my family’s own food supply here where I live. I need to buy stuff, and hopefully keep enough on hand to survive a protracted emergency. It also doesn’t take a highly imaginative person to think if it got so bad that the ‘getting of things’ may involve some folks trying to take it from us, but for most of us experiencing a disaster situations, that will not occur. Most people try to help, but it does depend on where one lives.

The same thing happened with a temporary power outage last summer when I went into a convenience store for coffee. I had exact change for my coffee, and the clerk was still hesitant to sell it to me. She had a difficult time reverting to an earlier method of doing something because she had no frame of reference for it. The electronic cash register told her everything she needed to know about the coffee. It told her the price, the tax, and how much change to give depending on what amount of money the customer tendered.

Ah, another point made. The old-timers reading this will think how easy it is to get through things if a person would only do this or that. The problem is that the old-timers already have a point of reference of how to complete a task a different way with a different tool. Many younger folks do not have that experience. In the stores of today everything has a barcode on it that is read by an electrically powered scanner. When I was a child, there was a price sticker on everything, and some of the stores still had cash registers that worked with a hand crank instead of being plugged into an electrical outlet. Clerks could also give change without having to see what to give on a screen.

We have modernized to support the massive amount of people who need to get their needs supplied every day using less staff to do it. The scanners make it faster to get through a checkout line. Shut off the electricity, and the clerk won’t even be able to tell you how much that can of soup is unless they send someone back to check the tag on the shelf. And with computer controlled inventory where every item being sold will be replaced on an automatic reordering system, the whole store would go into chaos if the staff would sell stuff while the electricity was off using paper and pencil. But that actually would only happen if the customers were carrying cash. Many of us no longer carry cash; we use debit or credit cards instead. They are worthless without electricity.

The simple act of never letting the fuel tank on one’s main evacuation vehicle get below a half tank is an important step in disaster preparedness. Most disasters knock out power. Even if a person has a wad of cash in his or her pocket, and even if the clerk was willing to make a cash sale without the register working, there still won’t be any gas purchased with no electricity to the gas pump. I live in an area that has a tame climate, and have been unable to make transactions for goods several times a year due to power outages.

Some folks who have a generator and kerosene heaters for emergencies won’t bother to use a fuel stabilizer so they can store fuel longer, due to the inconvenience. They rely on being able to drive to an area where the grid is still functioning in order to get fuel for their backup power generator and redundant heat source. Good luck with that if you are can’t leave home because of the disaster. A simple five gallon can of gas that routinely gets dumped into the gas tank of a vehicle and refilled with fresh fuel doesn’t really have an extra cost to it beyond owning the container. Gas goes in the tank of the vehicle anyway, so filling the gas can, emptying it into the fuel tank of the vehicle, and refilling the can with fresh fuel on a regular basis is just a matter of time and effort to have fresh fuel on hand for a gas powered backup generator.

So what conclusions can be drawn from this segment so far?

• Savvy planning and preparations rely more on the person wanting to
be prepared than money.

• It’s tough to revert to an old way of doing something without a point
of reference of how it used to be done.

• Even though we are resilient, we rely on the grid too much.

• Prepare for what is most likely to happen in your geographical
area, and leave doomsday to Hollywood and that weird guy who
lives in the woods.

• Plastic money needs electricity. Cash doesn’t.

• Plans need at least a small element of routine work to maintain
effectiveness.

• Our home is the Ultimate Bug-Out-Bag but tough to carry on our back.

EPILOGUE,

Dear friend- Tim here.,

Has this article peaked your interest?

I hope so! We’re nearing the end of September, and we’re really hoping that before 2010 is here, every single Armed American will be as prepared to deal with a disaster as they are to deal with someone intent on stealing their life away, or harming their loved ones.

Listen- if you’re interested in making sure that you’re armed with the right tools and knowledge that you’ll need to keep your family safe and comfortable during a local, regional, or national emergency, but do not know where to start, I hope you’ll consider giving our new preparedness Crash Course a shot.

The article you just read was the Introduction to one of the special reports in the Crash Course- “How to Build a Bug Out Bag for $99.74 or Even Less.”

Basically, we combined decades and research and knowledge, took what you need to know, threw out the other 98% of BS, and packed it into two special reports, an audio interview, and a DVD.

I’ve talked to so many people who have wasted WAY more than what I’ve got into this Crash Course on gear that they didn’t need, or gear that they thought they needed.

Everyone that’s worked through this Crash Course (which can be done in an evening) has realized one thing: You don’t need fancy gear. You can be fully prepared to get through a 72 hour emergency for less than $100.

It’s the knowledge that must come first, before any gear. Our Crash Course does both- it gives you the knowledge AND tells you what gear to buy (hint: you don’t need much! You’ve probably already got most of it!)

Look- if you want to get prepared, our Crash Course is the place to start. I wouldn’t have spent the time and money to develop it if I it wasn’t badly needed.

Remember- if you get it, and you don’t learn all you need from it, I have a 100% no questions asked return policy. There’ no silly ‘restocking fee’ (yes, even if you tear the plastic, hehehe). I’m sure you are going to use it and get your house and family prepared, and that is why I want you to give it a shot.

=> Learn more & maybe give it a shot.

USCCA Laugh of the Week

by Chaim’s Cartoons

“I only wish I had this stuff 10 years ago…”

Last month I sent you a link to a complimentary program I felt every USCCA members should own. It was created by a hand-to-hand close combat expert named Tim Larkin. The feedback on it has been phenomenal. In a phone call, one guy called it “a life changing experience.” Here’s what he wrote directly to Tim Larkin (he asked to remain anonymous and we’ve respected that wish by deleting his name).

——

“I can honestly not thank you enough for giving USCCA members the huge discount on your Human Weapons ‘package’ deal.

“I have trained most of my life to survive. I’ve taken multiple survival classes (you know, being dumped out in the desert with absolutely nothing and having to live for a week). I took firearms training classes as soon as I was old enough to own one and I’ve taken practical self defense courses, mostly emphasizing on getting it over with as quickly as possible. I’ve worked with Marines all my life so I’ve had advantages other civilians have not had. I’ve also taken medical classes, EMT certified, you name it. Being prepared is something I take seriously. The safety of my family and myself I take very seriously.

“But this mega pack of materials is amazing. The practicality, straight forwardness and focus of the material is fantastic. I have always wondered why so many instructors insist on teaching things that have absolutely no practical value in saving my life or the life of another. Why fill student’s heads with crap. We are only going to retain so much in a true life or death scenario – so give people the best possible odds of winning. The rest is fluff and gets people killed.

“Your information is just so valuable - I have already had many of my friends and co-workers purchase the set.

“As I emailed Tim Schmidt of USCCA - I can only hope that all the money, time and effort that I continue to put into this program is completely ‘wasted’ (ie, I’ll never need to use it).

“Your concept of ’break things inside people so they don’t work anymore’ honestly is so, I don’t even have words for it, unbelievably simple. For the life of me I cannot understand why that isn’t at the core of every training class I’ve ever taken. I’ve heard it said other ways with a lot of fluff around it but it is a straight up truism. All of my firearms training - that was the point of it. Just that simple. From that axiom everything can be built.

“I feel like a lot of my training has been complete crap and I also feel like it is so damn obvious I am annoyed at myself for not realizing it before. After reading your book I know why I didn’t realize it but still, it isn’t a pill that’s easy to swallow.

“A while ago I was put on the disabled list that severely limits the amount I can train. I have to take every opportunity I can to keep pushing myself but I have to do it in a way where I am not making things worse for myself. The material that is in this program is a major help to me. Some things I simply cannot do, others I can adapt to my situation. What is important is that I now have better tools to use and a better understanding of how to use them and when. I hope that I can one day attend one of your classes.

“So - thank you. I only wish I had this stuff 10 years ago and was ahead of the curve instead of catching up.”

(name withheld for confidentiality reasons)
-USCCA member

If you missed it last month, here’s the link again:

=> http://www.targetfocustraining.com/uscca <=

Coming Up On Armed American Radio

The Official Voice of the USCCA

by Mark WaltersI know I keep saying this every week and I have no choice but to say it again…WOW! This radio broadcast is exploding across America at a pace that has even the syndicators astounded. Let me clue you in to what we are hearing, and humbling it is! You see, Armed American Radio was conceived by Tim and I back at the SHOT show in Orlando last January. The idea kind of fluttered around out there until we got serious and realized that we could be on to something. Little did we know.

The dream became a reality on April 26th when we aired our first broadcast from the 920 WGKA studios in Atlanta. The response to the program was overwhelming and we knew American gun owners and the concealed carry movement were ready for this format. We began inquiring about taking the local broadcast national and the radio professionals told us we need at least a year under our belt before the show would be ready for nationwide syndication. I mean, we had only been on the air for FOUR weeks! We knew better! We knew that gun owners were hungry, starving and salivating for this type of outlet and we wouldn’t be deterred by a bunch of radio people who had spent their entire adult lives in the industry…no way, not us! (what the heck did they know, anyway) We were getting your emails…daily…and we KNEW we could explode, the naysayers be damned!

Against the recommendations of the radio staff, we put the program “up on the birds” (satellites) and made a run for it. Folks, I gotta tell you, guess what we’re hearing NOW? We’ve been told by those same radio professionals that what Armed American Radio has accomplished in 5 short months is UNHEARD of in broadcasting. We’ve been told by people with decades in the business that they have NEVER seen this happen before in radio. Never before has a local show, begun as an experiment, grown at the rate Armed American Radio has! “This doesn’t happen”, we’re being told…Guess what? It is happening and it’s happening at an electrifying pace!

Get this: In less than 4 months we have grown to a TWO hour show and just this week, Armed American radio has added 5, let me say that again…just THIS week, Armed American radio is now being listened to in 5 new cities across the country. Just two weeks ago we were in Atlanta, GA, Mountain Home AR, Anchorage, AK, and Reno, NV. Beginning THIS week we have added Liberal, KS, Carrollton, GA, Griffin, GA and Lansing, MI to the lineup…and listen to this…Starting on Sunday October 4th, we will be LIVE on TWO more stations in Olympia, WA and Silverdale/Puget Sound, WA! 10 stations ladies and gentleman, in less than 3 weeks of official syndication. The radio management is blown away at the incredible pace of our growth. Buckle your seat belts folks, I will be naming more cities VERY soon. We WILL be in your area…The march of Armed American Radio across the country has JUST BEGUN and is now unstoppable! The winds have blown. We couldn’t have done it without you and we thank you very much for your support. Keep the letters and emails coming and more importantly…KEEP CALLING YOUR LOCAL TALK STATIONS AND DEMAND THEY CARRY THE PROGRAM!

OH, I almost forgot to tell you! I got a call from the Program Director at Mountain Talk 97.1 in Mtn Home, Arkansas YESTERDAY telling me they could no longer carry AAR on Saturday’s anymore. It seems the station was getting too many complaints on Monday mornings about the broadcast…I was sick to my stomach to hear that and when I asked Scott what kind of complaints he was getting this is what he said…”Every Monday since you went to two hours, my phones are jammed with listeners demanding the second hour soooooooo we had no choice but to re-schedule our program lineup and start carrying you LIVE for the full two hour broadcast”! So if you pick us up on Mountain Talk 97.1 in Arkansas, beginning THIS week you are now on the Armed American Radio Network for BOTH hours and LIVE! (and they said it couldn’t be done!)

Enough rambling, join me this week with my guests Alvin Petitt of Strike Back Technologies who will be discussing various forms of non-lethal defense products to compliment your choice of gun. Also, on is Mr. Jon H. Gutmacher, noted Florida self-defense attorney and author of the popular Florida Firearms book, widely recognized as the bible of Florida firearm laws. (you do NOT need to be a Florida resident to heed this man’s advice) In addition, we have Mr. Tom Powell, criminologist who will be discussing with me the FBI uniform crime stats and how the anti-gunners use these numbers to lie to you about the truth about violent crime in America in an ongoing effort to strip you of your second amendment rights.

Finally, Ms. Kathy Jackson, my co-author of our JUST RELEASED book “Lessons from Armed America” will be on the air to discuss the book release! With the foreword written by the great Massad Ayoob, this is one book you need to have in your library of self-defense!

Join me THIS sunday at 8pm eastern for Armed American Radio. Visit www.armedamericanradio.org for more details on where to hear the broadcast LIVE on the air or on the LIVE feed from anywhere on the planet!

To pick up your own copy of “Lessons from Armed America” or to simply read more about it, please stop by http://www.whitefeatherpress.com/id16.html

See ya on the radio!

Mark Walters

Review of Armed Response’s Newest DVDs

USCCA Gear Review

by Cody Alderson

David Kenik and Ralph Mroz make up the Armed Response team. I really liked the content and great presentation of the first DVDs in their video training series, and I was glad to have the opportunity to review the two newest titles in the series: Responsible Use of Lethal Force and Shoot/No-Shoot Scenarios.

I was a bit surprised that anyone would have taken it upon themselves to put together a DVD set that explains when to challenge, when to shoot, and when not to shoot. It’s like there is a pack of lawyers waiting to pounce when anyone in the civilian defensive operator training industry even attempts to answer those questions.

It comes down to the fact that there are variations in laws across the land, and as is pointed out by Ralph Mroz as he instructs, it is the responsibility of each of us to know the laws of our area and follow them. However, where we citizens have permits to carry a concealed weapon the laws of using deadly force contain some basic components such as the topics of Ability, Opportunity, and Jeopardy (AOJ) that need to be fully understood. Don’t know what the AOJ means? Get the DVDs! Seriously, if you cannot define those terms and apply them to self-defense, then you need to get training.

I hear over and over again the great things the student has learned after attending a class or a full course at a shooting school. One might hear the excited student say how she had a wonderful time, shot two-thousand rounds, learned to get off the X, can put a round center mass from concealment in less than one point five seconds, can shoot in low light and no light, knows the difference between cover and concealment, can clear any jam faster than lightning, and . . .

But then ask the student, ‘So when are ya ’sposed to shoot, and when ain’t ya ’sposed to shoot?’ It’s so cool how the deer-in-the-headlights stare can be made to come from such a highly trained defensive operator, just with that question. One of the issues is that the school may be in one state and the student may reside in another state.

The burden of knowing absolutely when the legally carried weapon can be used to defend life rests solely upon the carrier of that weapon. I reside in Pennsylvania, and there is no requirement to be trained to be able to get the permit to carry a firearm. When I renewed my permit this last time, there was a sign on the wall where the application is filled out at the sheriff’s office suggesting a location to take a training course. However, there is no requirement for the permit holder to actually take the course.

In one way I like it that Pennsylvania isn’t infringing as much on bearing arms as some other states do. On the other hand, I know that even responsible citizens can be lazy when it comes to fully taking responsibility for understanding the burden of responsibility of becoming a civilian defensive operator. I am very glad that for the cost of a couple of DVDs, my fellow Commonwealth citizens can get some good instruction on when to shoot and when not to shoot. And these DVDs are good for instruction where you have your permit too.

The DVDs start out with the premise that it is instruction for those permitted to carry a concealed weapon. The instruction also makes reference to the use of pepper spray assuming that it is legal in the viewing student’s area. This is where the disclaimer comes in. The viewer needs to know the laws where they reside. There may be some places where one can get a permit to carry a gun, but cannot legally carry pepper spray. Make the minor adjustment while learning from the DVDs if that is the case.

Responsible Use of Lethal Force

This is the first one that the student needs to watch in this series. However, I highly recommend that the student watch the three DVD set that precedes this release before getting into the nitty-gritty on when use of lethal force is justifiable on this DVD. I reviewed and recommended the first three titles, Fundamentals of Defensive Shooting, Tactics & Techniques for Defensive Shooting, and Dynamic Drills for Defensive Shooting.

Responsible Use of Lethal Force will teach the student such topics as: Levels of Force, Responding to Force, Force Response Based on Injury Potential, and Disparity of Force. That’s just a sampling of topics. There is a whole lot more on the DVD. In fact, there are thirty-two chapters with a runtime of one-hour and forty-five minutes.

There is a really great section on The Mantle of Innocence. If you are a concealed carry permit holder and don’t know what that means, then you really need to get these DVDs before the time comes that you may have to use your gun to defend your life.

There’s also a great section on the Myth of the Hierarchy of Deadliness, which is a term coined by Massad Ayoob. A student really needs instruction on what is deadly. We know that knives and guns are deadly when wielded against us, but what about empty hands, kicks, or a stick? The concept is explained on the DVD. I liked the point Mr. Mroz made when he pointed out that a knife can sometimes be more deadly than a gun at close range. A gun can poke a few holes in you quickly, but a knife can completely vivisect you in a second. Ever consider that in your training?

The information flows from segment to segment in a well thought out method of instruction. Mr. Mroz is either a trained teacher or is a natural at it. He’s a police officer in Massachusetts and is the Director of Training at the Police Officers Safety Association Inc. He’s got a lot more credentials than the few I mentioned. Just suffice it to say, he knows what he is doing and is great at imparting knowledge to the student.

Shoot/No-Shoot Scenarios

Now I like this DVD. If one follows the instructions from the first of the fifty chapters on how to use the videos, then it is an incredible learning experience. There are video vignettes that demonstrate in real-time situations that can be considered to either justify or not justify the use of lethal force, or any other force in the force continuum.

Mr. Mroz demonstrates that to use the videos correctly, one must be set up with a REDUNDANTLY CHECKED empty firearm along with the students standard concealed carry holster and clothing. You then use a box or piece of furniture as a prop to use as cover and then start the segments which begin with a title and a paragraph explaining the parameters of the scenario. Then, get ready to yell commands, move for cover, decide if it is appropriate to draw, and decide when to pull the trigger by actually dry-firing at the appropriate on-screen actor, or actors, at the appropriate moment. Did I say to make sure the gun is REDUNDANTLY CHECKED TO BE EMPTY?

Now the scene plays out to the end, and the assailant or assailants won’t fall down when you mock shoot, but there is an exact moment when the decision to shoot or not shoot is to be made. Those exact moments are discussed in the analysis after each scenario. Mr. Mroz teaches for each scenario exactly what is justifiable, and when it is justified.

With an hour and fifty minutes of multiple scenarios for many different categories, there is a vast range of situations that are dealt with on the DVD. The following list of scenarios is what is on the DVD, followed by the number of unique situations which are played out in different ways for the same scenario:

Domestic 4
Seated 3
Meeting 3
Approached 3
Flat Tire 3
Car 3
Street 1
Time (person asking for the time) 4
Dent (in vehicle) 3
Parking Lot 3
Door Knock 3
Furniture Store 3
ATM 3
Classroom 3
Grab 3
Shopping 3

The scenes are very intense and contain graphic language, and it was a shocking reminder even to me on how quickly things can go really bad in real-time. Follow me on this for it is very important. Probably every single one of us civilian defensive operators spends some time thinking of what we would do in a given situation. Maybe we hear of a shooting on the news, and imagine in our mind’s eye what we may have done if it happened to us.

The nice thing about our imaginations is that we are in complete control of how a scenario plays out because it is on our heads. We control who is there, what they are doing, and when they do it. There is no real surprise. Now take a similar situation that we could conjure up in the good old imagination and put it on a video playing out in real-time where we are not in control of anything, and it is a wake up call to reality even though the scenarios are just videos on a TV screen.

You need to experience this for yourself. It will either confirm to you that you are the master of self-defense that you think you are, or it will demonstrate to you in no uncertain terms that you just pulled the trigger at the wrong time. I was watching one scene and an actor came out of nowhere with a gun. I thought to myself how this is exactly what happens in real life. I’m telling you, even though it was just a video on TV, I almost said out loud, “Whoa! Where’d that gun come from!”

Now you might think that after watching this DVD once, it would be useless since you know what is going to happen. That’s where you get the spouse or friend involved. Use it to teach them, and then use it on one another by bringing up random segments of each scenario. This way, the viewer won’t know if this one is going to play out as a shoot or no-shoot until they see it unfold in real-time.

You can get your own copies of any and all of the Armed Response Video Training Series at www.armedresponsetraining.com.

Comments? I’d love to hear from you!
E-mail me at: cody@uscca.us
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Quote of the Week

“Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”

-Patrick Henry, March 23, 1775

USCCA Forum Highlights

Every paying website member has complete access to the USCCA forum, which is constantly being accessed by members sharing information, knowledge, insight, and fun. With well over sixty-thousand posts and growing by the hour, this is one heck of a valuable resource!

If you have never logged in but are a member, visit THIS location to watch help videos, including how to find out your username and/or password!

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1911 best personal defense ammunition?

Hi, i just recently bought a Springfield lightweight operator 1911. this is my first 1911 and i was wondering what are some of the best hollow point ammunition for 1911? i know they are finicky with hollow points. i was thinking of mag safe, golden saber and power ball.. just wondering what everyone has tried and what works best for them and still being effective? any insight would be great!

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What to do?

I found out today that my church (fairly large) has hired a security company and will have thirteen (non-members) security people for Sunday mornings. There will be less personnel during other times, but if the doors are open, security people will be there.

My question is this: Nobody knows (one person suspects, but has never asked) that I carry in church. There are no signs anywhere saying I cannot carry (thank you, Texas!), but I’m a little concerned that I (and others) will be considered a BG if a shooting situation occurs.

Helpful opinions are welcomed.

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Have you ever been bitten by a dog?

Yesterday was 3 years since a large dog bit me in the back of the leg (while working). He took about the size of a golf ball chunk with him. The scar is still not 100% healed and itches like you would not believe.

Anyone else ever been bitten? How long before it was 100% healed?
BTW I know it will never be technically 100% as I have a dent in my leg.

P.S. I did not carry then, but I do now!

Video of the Week

There are great people who do an incredible job during times of disaster, but there are also failures in emergency operations that can and will occur on every level. Watch this video, especially if you are putting all of your hopes of survival into government sanctioned emergency services. Years after 9-11 and they are still working out the bugs in inter-agency communication, responsibilities, and training. YOU NEED TO BE AS SELF-SUFFICIENT AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN.

Is the U.S. Ready for Another Major Disaster?

How long are YOU prepared to survive
when disaster strikes?

Here’s the bottom line: No one knows if a true disaster will ever threaten your safety or the safety of your community.

But that is no reason not to be prepared. Once disaster hits, it most likely will be too late to do anything about it.

And you’ll be grouped in with all of the other folks who did not take the time to plan and prepare before the disaster was reality. With the folks who froze in the face of danger and decided (making no decision IS making a decision) to wait for someone else to tell them what to do.

At the USCCA we call those people sheep.

YOU are not a sheep.

Introducing the USCCA’s Ultimate Buggin’ Out & Stayin’ Alive Crash Course.

USCCA Photo of the Week

All Photos of the Week are taken from Mr. Oleg Volk’s website:
http://www.a-human-right.com/.
It is a fantastic site. Please check it out!

USCCA Self Defense Story

Every day, thousands of Armed Americans use their firearms to preserve human life. Let this section of my newsletter serve as a record of this fact!

September 20, 2009

Lemmon Valley, Nevada

From: KOLO TV

Attempted Burglary Ends with Shot Fired at Homeowner

Police are investigating after a Lemmon Valley homeowner was shot at by a Sheriff’s Deputy while trying to defend his property from a suspected burglar Saturday night.

Rocky Triplett with the Sparks Police Department says just before midnight Saturday, a drunk man, 35-year-old Christopher Pool, entered his neighbor’s yard at 430 Paramount Ct. in Lemmon Valley. Pool was allegedly trying to either steal a car or burglarize the home. Pool didn’t know that the homeowners were home at the time.

Police say they received a call to respond to the home after it was reported that a suspicious man had climbed a fence, and was trying to steal a car.

The intruder was drunk and uncooperative when police entered the yard and began questioning him.

According to Police, the homeowners, Vince and Veronica Henderson, were aware of an intruder on their property after seeing him in their yard. Mrs. Henderson quickly turned on lights around the garage. Mr. Henderson grabbed his gun and went after Pool.

Deputies say they saw Mr. Henderson coming around the corner of the garage with a gun and a flashlight in his hands. One of the Deputies shouted at Henderson to drop his gun, but then fearing for his safety, fired a shot towards Henderson. Henderson was not hit.

After realizing that police had arrived, Mr. Henderson put his gun down. He and his wife were briefly detained and questioned. Police then arrested Pool.

No one was injured in the incident.

The Reno Police Department, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office and Sparks Police Department are all investigating the incident. The names of the deputies are not being released at this time.

Closing Thoughts

Tim I am a proud U.S. Marine Veteran that volunteered six years of my live back in 1965 to bare arms to Serve and Protect the Freedom and Rights of everyone in this great Country of ours but yet I am denied the same rights for myself and my family. I live in Northern Illinois very close to WI. Both states do not allow concealed carry so what can I and many like myself do. I know a lot of people that carry anyway but the fear and paranoia of getting caught and losing your weapon and going to jail or receiving a heavy fine makes it a very hard choice to carry or not to carry. I enjoy reading all your information but unfortunately it does not help us with our problem. Is there anything we can do to allow us to carry a concealed weapon legally in these States that the Free forgot. I find it so hard to believe that with the N.R.A. and other groups out there and people like yourself that we can not get these States to see the light and give us our God given right and our second amendment to bare arms and protect ourselves and our families from harm. I must confess that I have not joined as a full member at this time but hope to in the near future but due to being retired on disability and my wife’s hours being cut our life for now has become very difficult like so many others out there. But I have learned as they say in the Marine Corps Adapt, Improvise, Overcome the Situation. And add to that IN GOD WE TRUST and with a little help from our friends I am sure everything will turn out just fine. I look forward to your response. Thank you.
My friend, thank you for your service to the US of A during the Vietnam War. I am proud to say that the ranks of the USCCA are jam-packed with veterans like yourself, and it is an honor to be able to serve you, and send you an Armed American Report every Friday.

It is a shame that you are denied such a fundamental right, that of self defense, even after you’ve sacrificed so much.

If it were as simple of a choice as changing dish-soaps, I’d suggest that you move to a freer state, but family and friends keep us in place- I know how that goes.

Be reassured that the concealed carry movement is alive and strong. The NRA has been a huge factor in the increase in numbers of states that allow concealed carry, and so have hundreds of other grassroots national and state organizations across the country.

The good news, is that I do not believe it will be too long before you can legally carry in your state, my friend. The USCCA is exploring ways to make sure that this is the case.

Keep writing your legislators, and keep your NRA membership active. They need the money! Don’t forget to check out other state-based organizations, such as http://www.illinoiscarry.com/.

Do you have a pressing concern? Use the ‘Ask Tim’ contact form found at this page to let me hear your advice. Just use the graphic below!