Browsing Facebook, which is unavoidable, is one of the best methods for finding excellent examples what what should and should not happen in the personal and national defense world. The RBTA teaches its Seven Survivals concepts, endeavoring to move individuals and organizations towards training and a way of life that can support and defend actions that may be required in defense of self and others. The Seven Survivals consist of:
- Physical
- Social
- Legal (both criminal and civil)
- Mental/Emotional/Psychological
- Moral/Ethical
- Professional
- Financial
One of the high liability areas these days is Social Survival, and failure to build resilience in this area can have devastating consequences.
Remember that little skirmish that occurred in a small town in America recently … that “Ferguson” thing … you know … the “Hands Up Don’t Shoot” lie that burned down a community and still persists, and that gave breath to one of the most powerful anti-police movements in America if not the world? That little thing? Let’s analyze that situation in terms of the Seven Survivals.
In the harsh light and microscope of countless inquests, and following the expenditure of countless millions of dollars, in the aftermath of the violence, it turns out that what officer Darren Wilson did that day from the perspective of maintaining law and order as per the Legalities of the situation were exactly what was required of him under the circumstances to survive the encounter – Physically.
He also won legally having performed his actions within Legal standards, both criminally and civilly. Third, he acted Morally/Ethically, at least when viewed from the perspective of the civl society.
But in our Seven Survivals view of the world, and despite wins in several of the Seven Survivals categories. this officer was Spiritually ruined (he lost his faith in the justice system and his community), he lost Professionally (he is un-hireable in his chosen and beloved profession) and there was a huge Financial loss both personally and societally.
And the Social consequences still burn hot today, not just within the community in Ferguson, but there has swept the world the “Ferguson Effect” that has been shown to create timidity among officers to the point where many will not act within the duties demanded by their profession for fear of recrimination. In many cities, the police have stopped showing up. There are those who still believe the lie that officer Wilson executed an unarmed, surrendering black youth, and are impervious to the truth. And society is in great peril because of it. The only winners here are the enemies of peace and freedom, and they are emboldened by the “victory” they have been able to claim in Ferguson.
In this segment, we will speak more pointedly about Social Survival, one of the more important aspects of an inflammatory encounter, and although agenda driven groups already have their memes, activists and legal teams lined up waiting for the next opportunity to vilify the police or legally armed civilians, there are things that we can and should avoid. At the very least, we certainly shouldn’t be lining up at the gas pumps to buy the fuel for them to throw on the fires that THEY start.
We live in a polarized nation. The last 8 years were, by design, some of the most polarizing the country has experienced. With the ascendance of an apolitical and unapologetic maverick to the office of the presidency, supported by a lawless justice department, the current flames of social discontent are not being created … they are simply being revealed for what they are. And the fire starters are being revealed for who they are. And soon, they are about to burn hotter.
There are those seeking to demonize Right leaning people who are sick and tired of the Leftist agenda. And those in the Center and on the Right are starting to push back, understandably. When being attacked, you have a right, if not an obligation, to fight back. But … realize that the playing field is uneven, and when you find yourself in a courtroom being challenged for the actions that you have taken, righteous or not, the opposition is going to pull out all stops to destroy you, much as they did in the case of Darren Wilson.
They will look at your Facebook posts. They will talk to your neighbors. They will measure the melanin levels in your skin. They will read your tattoos. They will find someone from your high school from twenty years ago that said you were mean to them. They will look at any disciplinary documentation, or in the case of civilians, your arrest records. They will talk to your martial arts coach. They will look at the clothing that you wear, or the slogans on your patches. And in the absence of any derogatory evidence to support their portrayal of you, they will simply make things up. Such as in the case of White House Aid Stephen Miller who, after having a photo taken of him simply buttoning his blazer, has been accused by countless Left leaning media outlets as allegedly flashing a White Supremacist hand signal.
It goes beyond the pale into the shameless. Following the reopening of the White House to tours, and the surprise visit of the president to greet a group of 10 year olds, the Left leaning media even accused a little boy who was invited by the president to share a photo opportunity that he was flashing a racist hand signal. There are no limits to the messaging anymore.
They will stop at nothing, and they will do everything they can to paint you as a hater that was out looking for trouble, and they will use every emotional hook to make a perpetrator out to be the victim. If you are really interested in learning just how organized this effort is, read Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals, their unabashed playbook.
More recently, the group Organizing for Action, yet another group funded by radical Leftist billionaire George Soros (he has deep financial ties to over 50 such groups) published a manifesto and are organizing training to disrupt at every turn the Trump agenda and administration.
Which brings us to the image of the day. There is a shirt being advertised by a company named Nine Line Apparel. I’m not sure how long the link will stay up, but here it is …
https://www.ninelineapparel.com/shop-apparel/mens-t-shirt-mattis/
It is an image of General Mattis with the slogan Kill ‘Em All. To some it is amusing. To some it is a battle cry. To the person that you may end up shooting in righteous self defense, it will be a media magnet depicting you to be a vindictive, murderous sociopath looking for a fight. Recently, an officer in Arizona became involved in a contentious shooting. He shot and killed a man that was proven to be unarmed. The M4 rifle that the officer used had been personally modified with a dust cover, which, when opened as it would be when it is either being charged or fired, said “You’re Fucked”. The officer, and likely some of his buddies, found this amusing. The courts and the court of public opinion did not. Here is a link to an article on the subject.
http://www.guns.com/2016/03/21/cop-facing-murder-charge-had-customized-ar-15-dust-cover/
We live in upside down world where political correctness and judges appointed by people who are less interested in the law than they are about advancing an agenda are looking for every single possible reason to paint the righteous as vengeful. There is absolutely no reason to give them the ammunition they need to continue to erode the civil society.
In the TV series Deadwood from HBO, one of the characters once said “Change ain’t lookin’ for friends … change calls the tune that we dance to.” And until Right leaning, law abiding citizens can regain the mechanisms of change, it is important to be better than “that” – meaning to be mindful of the little things that can be used against you. It may be impossible to be fully compliant and prepared in every Survival at all times … but it is important to control the things you can. Because if a single one of the Seven Survivals dominoes falls, it can bring down the entire stack. Be mindful of the things you do and say. Be mindful of the symbols you wear. Be mindful of the deposits that you can make on a daily basis in the emotional bank account of your community and your family. Because the day may arrive when a heavy withdrawal is coming. And you will need all of the support you can get.
An excellent place to start is a book entitled Unleashing the Power of Unconditional Respect. It is written by a couple of Kansas City gang cops, recommended to me by one of my mentors Dr. Alexis Artwohl from Force Science Research Center. It makes some compelling arguments for moving individuals and organizations in the direction we must go in this horribly skewed time in history that is looking to “fundamentally transform” the law enforcement world, and disrupt the civil society.
Click this link to find it on Amazon.
America has turned a corner in November 2016, back towards enforcing the precepts handed down through the Constitution. But she has a long, long way to go if the idea is to return to the principles that made America great in the first place.
Giving the opponent any advantage, such as the sporting of a shirt such as is one of the topics of this article, as meaningless or entertaining you might find it to be prior to being held to account, just isn’t worth it. Because in the end, much like the officer with the dust cover on his M4 that said “you’re fucked”, he wasn’t ultimately talking to whom he intended to send that message. He was predicting his own future. And if you think the slogan “Kill Em All” isn’t also the battle cry of the opposition, you are underestimating your adversary.