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Why America Must Relearn Situational Awareness
American Thinker ^ | 21 Dec, 2025 | David DeMay

Posted on 12/21/2025 5:11:08 AM PST by MtnClimber

One of the most dangerous illusions Americans are living under today is the belief that safety is ambient, existing automatically, everywhere, and at all times, by virtue of laws, norms, or declarations. For decades, we have been trained to assume that public spaces are fundamentally benign and that vigilance itself is somehow antisocial or unnecessary.

That assumption is no longer valid.

A steady stream of viral videos now documents what many quietly sense: sudden assaults in stores, flash-mob robberies, random attacks on public transport, group intimidation in ordinary places. These are not war zones or failed states. They are malls, trains, sidewalks, and parking lots. The common thread is not criminal genius, but civilian unpreparedness.

America has drifted into what security professionals call Condition White: relaxed, distracted, and unaware. In an era when threats are opportunistic and often collective, that posture is no longer merely naïve. Instead, it is dangerous.

Situational Awareness Is Not Paranoia

The argument here is not for panic or permanent fear. There is a critical distinction between situational awareness and hypervigilance, and confusing the two has left many Americans untrained and exposed.

Situational awareness is a calm, teachable skill. It is the ability to notice what is normal in an environment and recognize when something deviates from that baseline. It is relaxed alertness: heads up, eyes open, mind engaged. It is the same mental posture we use when driving: aware of surroundings, ready to respond, but not consumed by fear.

Hypervigilance, by contrast, is a trauma state. It assumes danger everywhere, exhausts the nervous system, and is unsustainable for ordinary life. No one is advocating that.

What America needs is a cultural reset toward Condition Yellow: alert, observant, and prepared to act early before a situation escalates.

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Society
KEYWORDS: crime; culturerot; racism; selfdefense; situationalawareness
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To: GOPJ

He is/was an Eagle Scout. He also made it through 4 years in the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M. Army ROTC.


61 posted on 12/21/2025 6:57:08 AM PST by Texas resident ( We finally have an American President again)
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To: Fury
Stop posting racist crap.

Stop trying to be an amateur forum moderator.

Grow up.

You must really enjoy being aggressively irrelevant.

62 posted on 12/21/2025 6:57:36 AM PST by Lazamataz (If Rob Reiner had a gun and was willing to use it, he'd be alive today.)
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To: P8riot

Situational Awareness Indeed

Observation skills need to be kept keen.


63 posted on 12/21/2025 7:01:46 AM PST by Vaduz (?.)
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To: MtnClimber
From the article: Hypervigilance, by contrast, is a trauma state. It assumes danger everywhere, exhausts the nervous system, and is unsustainable for ordinary life... What America needs is a cultural reset toward Condition Yellow: alert, observant, and prepared to act early before a situation escalates.

"Condition Yellow" isn't sustainable either. Instead, criminals, along with the politicians and globalist cohorts who protect them, need to fear their victims.

"If violent crime is to be curbed, it is only the intended victim who can do it. The felon does not fear the police, and he fears neither judge nor jury. Therefore what he must be taught is to fear is his victim." - Lt. Col Jeff Cooper



64 posted on 12/21/2025 7:03:15 AM PST by T.B. Yoits
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To: Governor Dinwiddie

Iryna Zarutska relaxed on public transport. Now she’s dead.


65 posted on 12/21/2025 7:08:15 AM PST by tumblindice (America's founding fathers: all armed conservatives)
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To: Celtic Conservative

“ But frankly I had (and have) no intention of stopping.”
The smart phone has made it worse by multitudes.
Just drive around, people walking, driving and “working” have the bent neck syndrome. They see nothing but the image on their screen.
These fools will also suddenly stop in front of you anywhere when walking in public.
The imported criminals that Bidet brought in are having a field day with the easy targets they encounter.


66 posted on 12/21/2025 7:10:30 AM PST by 9422WMR
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To: FamiliarFace

Yes, before he decided he wanted to run for president as a Democrat. Jesse was once a sensible man but then found out there was more money to be made by being a race baiter.


67 posted on 12/21/2025 7:25:58 AM PST by redangus
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To: EinNYC

Over here…


68 posted on 12/21/2025 7:26:06 AM PST by Uncle Miltie (Deport all evil muslims. Celebrate any good Muslims, if you can find them.)
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To: bert

A man of some 80 years who lived on the 5th floor went outside to see the Christmas lights his wife had put up. He looked up and lost his balance, fell over backwards and broke his neck. He was in the hospital for several days, but it was too late. Someone had asked him why he was out without his walker.

It’s only been a couple of weeks. May he rest in peace.


69 posted on 12/21/2025 7:27:47 AM PST by webheart (Notice how I said all of that without any hyphens, and only complete words? )
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To: MtnClimber

Convictions:

Violent Crime: 2.6 Black / 1.0 White

Murder: 6.4 Black / 1.0 White

Robbery: 7.1 Black / 1.0 White

Aggravated Assault: 2.1 Black / 1.0 White

Behave accordingly.


70 posted on 12/21/2025 7:29:19 AM PST by Uncle Miltie (Deport all evil muslims. Celebrate any good Muslims, if you can find them.)
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To: Lazamataz

Sorry, that’s not your call.

Law abiding black Americans are a clear majority of all black Americans in the US. And it’s safe to say they were a critical group of voters that helped President Trump win in 2024. I hope more of these black Americans join FR.

As I’ve written multiple times, it’s about the broad brush statements labeling all or most black Americans in a pejorative way, along with other things that are posted. And it’s contrary to the admonition on the page where we all submit our posts:

“Please: NO profanity, NO personal attacks, NO racism or violence in posts.”

Don’t like it? Click the Report Abuse link.


71 posted on 12/21/2025 7:32:41 AM PST by Fury
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To: MtnClimber

I’ve almost always lived in suburban areas.

When I go into cities I have to watch for cars and other vehicles.

In England, I tend to look the wrong way. I wound up rapidly moving my head back and forth while crossing the streets.


72 posted on 12/21/2025 7:35:17 AM PST by Brian Griffin
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To: Kudsman

We just had a drowning in the PNW floods. It was dark, country road, and the guy drove into flood waters and was swept away. He was on the phone.

The post above comment relating awareness to driving is a very good explanation.


73 posted on 12/21/2025 7:49:17 AM PST by Cold Heart
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To: MtnClimber
And grocery stores.

I ran up to the store last night to pick up a few items for a white chili recipe. They
locked down the store because of an active shooter in the area. I was stuck in there for
about an hour.

Oh, I live in a nice area of north Phoenix/Scottsdale.

74 posted on 12/21/2025 8:00:16 AM PST by Tommy Revolts
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To: Fury

“I don’t know how you fix that.”

Debit government and EMTALA benefits from Social Security and legal awards & settlements.

And do it on a timed basis, not merely on a dollar-for-dollar basis.

If Junior got SNAP benefits until age 18, the IRS would snatch legal system income based on him until he was age 36.

If Mr. Floyd didn’t pay a fine for two years, the IRS would snatch legal system income based on him and from the time of the offense until four years after the imposition of the fine.

If Mr. Floyd didn’t pay an EMTALA bill for two years, the IRS would snatch legal system income based on him and from the beginning of the EMTALA care until four years after the last rendering of the EMTALA bill and pay the hospital what it was owed and put the rest in the Treasury.

Make Ben Crump weep.


75 posted on 12/21/2025 8:01:34 AM PST by Brian Griffin
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To: MtnClimber
Minor criminals can be dealt with so major criminals can be locked up longer.

The word "cangue" is French, from the Portuguese "canga" ... Frequently translated as pillory, it was similar to that European punishment except that the movement of the prisoner's hands was not as rigorously restricted and that the board of the cangue was not fixed to a base and had to be carried around by the prisoner.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cangue

One might use steel plates welded together. The welds might be photographed to verify it wasn't removed and only replaced shortly before scheduled removal.

***********************************************************

"A type of shackle, the ball and chain is designed so that the weight of the iron ball at the end of the short chain restricts and limits the pace at which its wearer is able to move, making any attempt at escape much more difficult. The weight of the ball would typically be determined by the court, typically ranging from five to twenty-five pounds (2.27-11.34 kg)."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ball_and_chain

"This ball and chain leg-iron weighs 36 pounds (16.3 kilograms) and was designed to make movement extremely difficult and escape virtually impossible."

"Leg-irons were made by convict blacksmiths at Sydney’s lumberyard after those sent from England proved to be inferior and easily slipped off. Irons were affixed to and struck off convicts’ ankles by the blacksmiths."

https://mhnsw.au/stories/convict-sydney/ball-and-chain/

76 posted on 12/21/2025 8:05:27 AM PST by Brian Griffin
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To: FamiliarFace

Yes, I believe it was from a speech he was giving in 1993... YMMV


77 posted on 12/21/2025 8:06:09 AM PST by billphx (“Political correctness is tyranny with a happy face” Charlton Heston)
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To: Texas resident

Very nice... thanks for sharing.


78 posted on 12/21/2025 8:11:58 AM PST by GOPJ (Democrats stand with criminals, dope dealers, illegals & terrorists. <P><I><B><big><center></B>)
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To: Governor Dinwiddie
You can't have situational awareness if you ignore the truth

A+. 100%

79 posted on 12/21/2025 8:13:29 AM PST by Jim Noble
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To: MtnClimber

Most people have the situational awareness of a toddler. Try walking through an airport or any place where crowds of people move from point A to B. People just stop for no reason in the middle of walkways and doorways, forcing people to move around them or wait for them to start moving again. Instead of simply stepping aside to let traffic flow.


80 posted on 12/21/2025 8:18:36 AM PST by Fzob (“The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential)
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