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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That assumption is no longer valid.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: Fury

“The data is the data”

That’s what we’re trying to tell you.

“the memes, etc are not really ways to welcome black Americans to FR”

Now that’s sort of interesting. It sounds to me like you’re trying to virtue signal here. What is the implication here? We need to not only lie to ourselves but tey to bullshit black Americans about the out or control crime rate?? How is that “welcoming” to anyone?

The truth is, black Americans are more than aware of what’s going on (compared with any pasty white leftists) and they don’t need anybody to blow smoke up their ass about this issue.


81 posted on 12/21/2025 8:19:28 AM PST by Freedom4US
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To: Tommy Revolts

How do they “lockdown” a store, a public plafe, and by what authority, a shooter is somewhere else in the zip code area?

Do they threaten to shoot you or something?


82 posted on 12/21/2025 8:23:23 AM PST by Freedom4US
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To: The_Media_never_lie

When I was a kid, there were scarey movies where I couldn’t believe people could be that stupid. I found out people really are that stupid.


83 posted on 12/21/2025 8:24:11 AM PST by Cold Heart
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To: MtnClimber

After you’re aware, be prepared to do something about it.

1) Leave obviously risky situations.
2) Avoid areas teeming with risk and don’t go there in the first place.
3) Have an exit strategy.
4) Have an alarm strategy.
5) Develop minimal self defense skills.
6) Carry a non-gun defensive weapon; a really strong steel pen jabbed is tremendously powerful, a pocket knife you learn to use makes you invincible to anything but a bullet.
7) Carry a gun if you’re comfortable with that (I am not, because it’s always poking me, and the rules are strict.)

Level up your game folks. No fear. Alertness!


84 posted on 12/21/2025 8:25:29 AM PST by Uncle Miltie (Deport all evil muslims. Celebrate any good Muslims, if you can find them.)
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To: Governor Dinwiddie

Great image of those Mormon Missionaries! It’s like the ads for security cameras. They always show a white guy.


85 posted on 12/21/2025 8:34:05 AM PST by ladyjane
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To: Tommy Revolts

Always keep a full jar in storage:)


86 posted on 12/21/2025 8:34:07 AM PST by Cold Heart
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To: Governor Dinwiddie
In reality, we know what THEY look like because it is always THEM.

Is "them" blacks or arabs?

87 posted on 12/21/2025 8:36:09 AM PST by NorthMountain (... the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed)
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To: AndyJackson
Situational awareness would not be necessary if we woke up to the truth and fixed the problem.

I disagree. Situational awareness is always necessary. Even in a reasonably well-ordered society, things happen.

88 posted on 12/21/2025 8:38:23 AM PST by NorthMountain (... the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed)
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To: Fury

Stop denying the truth.

Grow up.


89 posted on 12/21/2025 8:39:27 AM PST by NorthMountain (... the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed)
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To: Fury

You need to memorize what Jesse Jackson said (post 29).

Considering him “racist” against black people would be nuttery.


90 posted on 12/21/2025 8:43:44 AM PST by cgbg (The master is nice only when the dog behaves as expected.)
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To: Freedom4US
There was a witness that ran inside the store. They locked the doors. Nobody coming in
or leaving. It wasn't the zip code area, it was the parking lot area, near a Circle K
and a bus stop, Tatum & E Bell Rd.

They unlocked the doors when the police said the area was secure.

91 posted on 12/21/2025 8:44:21 AM PST by Tommy Revolts
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To: Lazamataz

He’s not really irrelevant.

He (she?) wonderfully exemplifies The Problem.


92 posted on 12/21/2025 8:44:27 AM PST by NorthMountain (... the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed)
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To: Cold Heart
Right. I needed a green bell pepper and white northern beans. They were all out of
green bell peppers. 😲
93 posted on 12/21/2025 8:47:29 AM PST by Tommy Revolts
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To: MtnClimber

https://learntocarry.com/files/On-Sheep-Wolves-And-Sheepdogs.pdf

There was research conducted a few years ago with
individuals convicted of violent crimes. These cons were
in prison for serious, predatory acts of violence: assaults,
murders and killing law enforcement officers. The vast
majority said that they specifically targeted victims by
body language: slumped walk, passive behavior and lack
of awareness. They chose their victims like big cats do in
Africa, when they select one out of the herd that is least
able to protect itself.

However, when there were cues given by potential
victims that indicated they would not go easily, the cons
said that they would walk away. If the cons sensed that
the target was a “counter-predator,” that is, a sheepdog,
they would leave him alone unless there was no other
choice but to engage


94 posted on 12/21/2025 8:52:04 AM PST by PeterPrinciple (Thinking Caps are no longer being issued, but there must be a warehouse full of them somewhere)
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To: Freedom4US

“Now that’s sort of interesting. It sounds to me like you’re trying to virtue signal here. What is the implication here? We need to not only lie to ourselves but tey to bullshit black Americans about the out or control crime rate?? How is that “welcoming” to anyone?”

So you think the way to welcome black Americans to FR is:

-post images of Jane Goodall when discussing blacks and black crime
-referring to black Americans as apes, chimps, gorillas, etc
-lament that segregation is not practiced as a legal practice in the US
-have a fantasy about sending all black Americans back to Africa

Yeah, that’s the ticket.

That’s not virtue signaling, that’s racist crap.


95 posted on 12/21/2025 9:16:37 AM PST by Fury
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To: NorthMountain

Whatever.

You simply can’t understand that the clear majority of black Americans do not commit crime.


96 posted on 12/21/2025 9:18:25 AM PST by Fury
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To: Fury

Keep reading violent crime statistics ... over and over ... until you get it.

Your habit of virtue signaling is the exact opposite of situational awareness.

Grow up.


97 posted on 12/21/2025 9:19:57 AM PST by NorthMountain (... the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed)
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To: Uncle Miltie
Over here…

I am more situationally aware than most people. I scan rooms I enter, noting exits, possible weapons, possible routes of perps into the room. These days, unfortunately, I am at my most aware when I attend my synagogue. I cannot say the same of most of the attendees. This is also why I did not plant any large bushes in front of my house--no cover for criminals to take advantage of.

98 posted on 12/21/2025 9:22:13 AM PST by EinNYC
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To: NorthMountain

Your use of the phrase “virtue signaling” is just another way to admit “I don’t mind racist comments about black Americans”.

Re: situational awareness - I’ve practiced for many years.

You can do better.

Get to work.


99 posted on 12/21/2025 9:32:11 AM PST by Fury
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To: Fury
Re: situational awareness - I’ve practiced for many years.

Your every other post proves that statement to be a delusion on your part.

You need to study statistics.

Get to work.

100 posted on 12/21/2025 9:43:14 AM PST by NorthMountain (... the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed)
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