Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Let’s Roll: Why Standing Up to a Terrorist Is Your Best Self-Defense
The Daily Signal ^ | July 28, 2016 | Glen Butler

Posted on 08/01/2016 8:38:33 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks

After the carnage like we’ve witnessed in American cities such as San Bernardino and Orlando, and more recently in Europe, the national conversation tends to shift temporarily back toward gun control legislation and how to best protect ourselves in the homeland from future terrorist attacks.

Sadly, however, what is always absent from these post-tragedy conversations is any mention of one change with enormous potential to save lives—one which would not require controversial legislation, millions of dollars, nor procurement of expensive advanced technologies. This change includes an overdue re-examination of how unarmed civilians should respond during these events, including how federal, state, and local authorities tell the public to respond.

Most every American has at some point either discussed or practiced an “active shooter response” based on guidance developed by the Department of Homeland Security.

Originally created, in part, as a buffer against potential lawsuits in the wake of a Nebraska mall shooting in late 2007, the guidance teaches us to run away if possible, hide if you are unable to escape, and fight back only as a last resort.

Today, “Run, Hide, Fight” is taught to everyone and mandated not only by the DHS, but also by the FBI, law enforcement…and even the military, including for its own members. Fear of lawsuits (by grieving family members of victims who fought back) still drives this and indirectly paralyzes everyone into watching helplessly as the active shooter and terrorist menace rampages.

Despite this public mandate to run away or cower when under attack, America vigorously celebrates those who violate this edict and confront the threat.

Three Americans were among those who famously thwarted an attack on a Paris train in August of last year; they’ve enjoyed celebrity status in the months since. Numerous other examples exist of average Americans bucking their government’s guidance, ignoring their survival instincts, and doing the right thing to help save others, and themselves.

Deciding how to respond in such a scenario is a personal choice, and it would be callous to criticize others who have experienced such trauma, no matter their response.

But the mere suggestion of confrontation has somehow become controversial. Recall the widespread criticism of former presidential candidate Ben Carson in October when he said “I would not just stand there and let him shoot me … I would ask everybody to attack” in response to a question about the shooting at an Oregon community college. The world was aghast he would say such a thing.

Nevertheless, consider that in 2012 the Aurora, Colorado, theater gunman who killed 20 people and injured 70 had enough time to leisurely fire 76 shots without confrontation, and was standing casually outside the theater before the arrival of police, who initially mistook him for one of their own.

More recently, an Orlando survivor told CNN he was hiding in the bathroom stall when the gunman’s gun jammed, and he initially thought someone would then use that pause to rush the attacker. “But no one did,” he said. That’s because they were all simply doing what they’ve been told to do, countless times.

The mindset that we are helpless without weapons is not only self-defeating, but dangerous, and government policy that reinforces this perception is a flawed one.

A September 2013 FBI report found that of the 160 active shooter incidents in the U.S. between 2010 and 2013, 21 (13.1 percent) ended after unarmed citizens made the “selfless and deeply personal choices” to confront the active shooters. In each of these cases, the citizens “safely and successfully disrupted the shootings” and “likely saved the lives” of many others present.

Another compelling reason to consider change is because future attacks are inevitable, and relying on police rescue might actually lower your own chance of survival.

The 2013 FBI report found that of those 160 active shooter incidents—incidents that generated 1,043 total casualties—60 percent ended before police arrived. These disturbing numbers warrant attention, especially when examined alongside CIA Director John Brennan’s recent remarks: “ISIL has a large cadre of Western fighters who could potentially serve as operatives for attacks in the West … our efforts have not reduced the group’s terrorism capability and global reach … [and] we judge that it will intensify its global terror campaign.”

Finally, our government-mandated response guidance is based on outdated models.

Al-Qaeda’s recent Inspire magazine told its U.S. supporters to wage a “knife jihad” and stab civilians like they’re all “Israeli Jews.” A 17-year-old Afghan “refugee” recently attacked passengers in this manner on a German train, and an elderly Catholic priest was similarly butchered during a Mass in France.

Does it make any sense to hide behind a desk while a jihadi terrorist slowly slices your co-workers, fellow students, or other Americans to death with a knife or machete? Wouldn’t it be more practical, ethical, and effective to rush blade-wielding terrorists as soon as possible?

Ultimately, this is something Americans should discuss, pundits should debate, and government officials should examine.

On 9/11, Todd Beamer’s simple “Let’s roll” directive inspired his fellow United Airlines Flight 93 passengers, and now stands as enduring testament to real American grit.

It’s time we stop training to be lambs for the slaughter and have a national conversation about standing up to terrorists—a conversation that, for once, isn’t linked to either arming everyone with guns or to legislatively taking away those same weapons. It’s time to arm ourselves with knowledge about the benefits of action, and with training for such methods of defense and deterrence.

After all, you don’t need to be a Navy SEAL or a SWAT team leader to be a hero. You just need to reflect on the current plan’s flaws and be willing to take a better approach, to stand up together against the evil.

Let’s roll, America!


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; News/Current Events; Philosophy; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: activeshooter; jihad; letsroll; selfdefense; terrorist
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-40 next last

1 posted on 08/01/2016 8:38:33 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: 3D-JOY; abner; Abundy; AGreatPer; Albion Wilde; AliVeritas; alisasny; ALlRightAllTheTime; ...

PING!


2 posted on 08/01/2016 8:39:30 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (Cuckservative: a "conservative" willing to raise another country's ideology in his own country)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Islam is a war plan, and it has a footing on Western soil. Hell, the Democrats are integrating its soldiers into Main Street, USA.


3 posted on 08/01/2016 8:50:03 PM PDT by Gene Eric (Don't be a statist!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Yes. Let’s roll.

“ISIS terrorists reportedly gouged out victim’s eyes, castrated men, disemboweled several people, and stabbed women in the genitals...”

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2016/07/15/report-french-officials-suppressed-evidence-that-isis-tortured-victims-during-paris-attacks/#ixzz4G8wZPQBQ


4 posted on 08/01/2016 8:53:00 PM PDT by glenduh
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Todd Beamer,,,LET’S ROLL!

My work brought this up recently,
Same instruction
Run
Hide
Play Dead.
I almost hollered “RETURN FIRE!”
Almost.


5 posted on 08/01/2016 8:59:00 PM PDT by Big Red Badger (UNSCANABLE in an IDIOCRACY!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

It’s gonna be a bit difficult for Americans to stand up to terrorists after the left ushers in firearms confiscation.

What, you don’t think they’ll do it?

Think again.


6 posted on 08/01/2016 9:00:25 PM PDT by Jack Hammer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: glenduh

So the terrorists think they have a monopoly on the most brutal methods of torture and bringing about death do they? They have obviously never met up with very brutal Caucasian methods. Take one and pull his fingernails out one at a time, then knock one tooth out a time then dip them in hot seal oil, set them on fire then dunk them in a shark tank. They will wish they never came to American soil to terrorize our children and our families...j/k NSA...


7 posted on 08/01/2016 9:09:48 PM PDT by jsanders2001
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: glenduh

Most of them are meth-users, so they’re completely crazy. The only thing you can do is kill them by any means necessary if unable to escape.

I’ll tell you one thing, the federal government training on this is complete bulls-—. Per their training, you’re supposed to turn off the lights, hunker down, and wait to be shot, which completely goes against my military training. They also tell supervisors to station themselves at building doors and don’t let people leave. Most federal buildings have tempered glass doors. Anybody with a gun can smash right in without getting a single cut, so locking the door is worthless.

I’ll take my chances with evasion and escape or fight if escape is not possible. The most important thing is to get off the X. In other words, MOVE. You’re not doing anything for anybody by hunkering down, closing your eyes, and waiting to be shot.


8 posted on 08/01/2016 9:11:30 PM PDT by Excuse_My_Bellicosity (Liberalism is a social disease.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Jack Hammer

I don’t own a gun, but the stakes regarding these attacks are becoming too high to do the usual run, hide, fight routine. If I’m in a restaurant and some nut opens fire, I could use a steak knife or a chair to try to stop him. I may not survive, but I may delay him long enough for other people to stop him before he kills everybody in the restaurant.


9 posted on 08/01/2016 9:13:58 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (Cuckservative: a "conservative" willing to raise another country's ideology in his own country)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: jsanders2001

I’ll tell you straight-up: if my co-workers and I get a hold of one of these clowns, he better be praying that the cops show up before we have a go at him. He won’t go quick, he’ll find out what pain is.


10 posted on 08/01/2016 9:15:18 PM PDT by Excuse_My_Bellicosity (Liberalism is a social disease.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: glenduh
Yes. Let’s roll.

“ISIS terrorists reportedly gouged out victim’s eyes, castrated men, disemboweled several people, and stabbed women in the genitals...”

Yes. Fighting back might mean a quick death, and that is preferable to being gutted alive like a tied-up lamb. Then again, you might be successful at averting further action by a terrorist. The MSM isn't reporting on the disemboweling and torture of victims in France, and that is negligence on the media's part. I agree, let's roll.

11 posted on 08/01/2016 9:21:16 PM PDT by roadcat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Excuse_My_Bellicosity

Any other tips you can post would be appreciated.


12 posted on 08/01/2016 9:26:40 PM PDT by beaversmom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

You express noble sentiments, and I admire that.

However, extensive and authoritative studies have shown that, in actual cases, the flow of adrenaline is so overwhelming that one immediately goes on ‘auto-pilot.’

That is, if one isn’t rehearsed extensively in appropriate responses, one simply freezes. It’s not fear, necessarily, it’s simply neural paralysis brought about by an unfamiliar flood of hormones.

There won’t be time for creative thought. If anything, there will only be time to draw and fire - provided one has rehearsed it until it’s a rote response.

Given the violent nature of modern life, I always encourage anyone concerned to acquire a firearm and train in its use.


13 posted on 08/01/2016 9:38:28 PM PDT by Jack Hammer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Jack Hammer
There won’t be time for creative thought. If anything, there will only be time to draw and fire - provided one has rehearsed it until it’s a rote response.

You don't know that for any particular scenario.

Mindless training scars is how Johannes Mehserle killed Oscar Grant.

14 posted on 08/01/2016 9:46:05 PM PDT by papertyger
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: papertyger

In general, it’s quite true.

Not ‘scars’ but well-etched neural pathways.


15 posted on 08/01/2016 9:53:50 PM PDT by Jack Hammer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Jack Hammer

When you pull a trigger without an act of volition, it’s a training scar.

It’s the wrong thing to do, by definition, therefore it’s a scar.


16 posted on 08/01/2016 9:57:21 PM PDT by papertyger
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

There is a military term for everyone being split up and being picked off one at a time.

“Defeat in detail”.

One military unit with 1,000 troops acting in unison can wipe out 10,000 troops spread out in isolated groups of 50.

Our government is asking everyone to wait to be defeated in detail. To be slaughtered like sheep.

I suspect the governments WANT people to be trained as sheep. Because sheep are easier to control.


17 posted on 08/01/2016 10:02:33 PM PDT by baltimorepoet
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: papertyger

I’m not talking about suspension of judgment, I’m talking about a trained response.


18 posted on 08/01/2016 10:02:45 PM PDT by Jack Hammer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: beaversmom

A big thing is to understand human nature. When something catastrophic happens, most people’s brains try to rationalize that everything is normal (it’s called normalcy bias). I’ve done this myself. I once felt an earthquake (6.5 on the Richter scale, epicenter was about 150 miles away so there was no damage in my locale). My brain tried to grasp on anything but an earthquake or something else bad. I was in an empty classroom but turned around thinking somebody was kicking my chair. Then I thought it must be a truck outside because I was in the corner of the building even though I heard no engine. In the Santa Barbara mass-shooting, people thought it was another active-shooter drill and went about their business.

The most important thing in a disaster is to move. GET OFF THE X. Movement saves lives, those who don’t are the ones who are going to be killed. Secondly, arm yourself. A metal pen is a good stabbing weapon or find a blunt object with some weight. A tactical pen is a very good thing to carry.


19 posted on 08/01/2016 10:04:17 PM PDT by Excuse_My_Bellicosity (Liberalism is a social disease.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Excuse_My_Bellicosity

That’s something good to know...don’t freeze up and become inert. I can see the mind doing that. I can see my mind doing that.


20 posted on 08/01/2016 10:10:43 PM PDT by beaversmom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-40 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson