Posted on 06/23/2009 4:51:15 PM PDT by neverdem
The genius of concealed carry of handguns is that would-be murderers remain uncertain as to who is armed and who isn't. This is true for everyone interested in being as safe as they can be from future violence, because it comes to the realization of specific unalterable realities: you're on your own.
This week some Southern California Church Leaders came to that very same conclusion, and took up a position advocating not only a very discreet security presence of professionals, but also took the advice of their consultants and adopted the policy of advocating concealed carry of handguns among the congregation.
Realities are the core of solving the problem of church violence, and having the stomach to face those realities and to meet them. For too long, employers, churches, schools and others have said many different ways that they are sad to see things have to come to this, but this is a trap which serves not the people, but the killers. Fifteen Southern California church leaders refused to fall into that trap, and they sought out expert advice. It involves concealed carry of handguns in church, and they took it. Yes, concealed carry of handguns by the members who come to worship.
This is huge. Especially in California.
The Southern California churches' consultant is Interfaith Intruder Response, a security firm for churches to respect their worship and sanctuary deeply while elaborating specific realities the church needs to accept in these times where threat assessment is a new function. Some of those realities involve not only understanding how families fall apart or how political sentiment can act out, but how to meet it with action at the most critical moments, and some of that action may involve lethal force of their own.
Other churches around the nation have their own story to tell on the subject of not only how they have become pro-active and prepared, as in Bring-Your-Gun-To-Church Day, but also real experience in stopping murderous assailants the moment the assault begins. It works. So does announcing it publicly. Very shrewd.
Some of the most helpful components of the one-day course from Interfaith Intruder Response is how the church is urged to accept facts the entire nation must come to accept, such as the moments between a violent attack and the arrival of police not as incapacitating, but as opportunity to stop them. Cases of mass murder of congregants taught to offer no resistance didn't cut it, and instructions on how to hide or even to urge children to toss books at an active shooter do about as much and are so very counterintuitive. Yes, some have taught the kids to throw books.
The answer is not to arm faculty who maybe present or not at the critical moment, or to have uniformed guards who are so easily recognized, but to do as these churches are now announcing: discreetly invite the armed citizen to join you.
Killers can kill in moments before a request for aid can even be processed, much less dispatched and on-scene. Not all killers use guns. many have a knife, and a knife does not run out of ammunition. The law in nearly all states is on the side of the target when it comes to life-threatening danger and the use of lethal force in reasonable response. Individuals may use lethal force when in reasonable apprehension of grave danger. Individuals may come to the aid of another. For these churches, perhaps the authority and law were the easy part. The hard part was more likely understanding where their religious authority would lie in even consulting on the subject of violence. Actually, many liberty purists have commented on Christian authority in the righteous use of force. Some of that will be heard in the Gun Rights Policy Conference this September. [Please go to KeepAndbearArms.com for further details on this very important subject.]
But violence is a political football more than a foe. This is because violence can be aggressive or it can resist. I differentiate that abuse and aggression are one side and a righteous response of resistance with force is the other side, and that it is simply not true that all violence is bad. I see that more and more are coming to that same conclusion.
Let me emphasize my support and praise for any church, or school, or workplace who elects to go concealed carry on its premises: It took a lot of courage and faith to make it policy that armed members with concealed carry permits may attend church armed.
It protects the innocent.
Any armed society is a polite society. Since you don’t know who is packing!
I have my permit here in north east FL and we’ve got some decent good laws compared to many states but here in FL it gets hot .
Where on earth can I can conceal my SIG 229 with just a pair of shorts on., I wish the law was carry it and it does not matter if others can see it
LOL.
Probably not the best question to throw out there on FR.
Some CCW laws mean you can carry concealed or out in the open.
In New Hampshire open carry is legal, without a permit, in all places except courtrooms.
LOL
EEK
point taken
nearly spat my drink on my keyboard then, LOL
as far as I know not here sadly
Handy old one,
I’m polite always, I’m afraid if I not and my mom hears me she’ll put a foot in my rear.
And she lives in L.A. and me in Fla., just the way your are raised.
And I carry a Kimber.
Good law and I hope you boys and gals keep that law and stop those liberals from getting their way.
NH is a beautiful state , one I was thinking of moving to years ago but no disrespect if you are from there, I am now happy I never moved judging from the way the state is turning
With my parents any trouble I was in was just a start to what I got and if I did not tell them it was even worse!! Yes I am polite but will still stand up for what is right!!
If I must take lumps I will.
Projection of power goes a long way in self-defense.
Father was from Jeffersonville, Ind,
What part are you near handy?
I’ve ridden a motorcycle around the area quite a bit in the mid 70’s.
Quite beautiful, always have loved it.
Probably the thing I always like the best was the race between the paddle wheel boats from Louisville and Cincinatti
But, just like to ride and smell cut grass and look at farms
North “INDY” land of high price gas because of the rich people that live in the area.
Our church is going this way too. We have periodic requests for people with backgrounds in medical, law enforcement and military to join our emergency response team.
As the writer said, this is huge.
The damn is broken, and the Lefties are high and dry.
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