20/20 Shoots Blanks

Serious flaws were present with the 20/20 show aired last Friday, April 10, 2009. This episode was focused on showing the error of private citizens owning guns. It made a case for the fact that individuals don’t shoot effectively when they are under stress, that children and even teenagers aren’t properly trained to avoid guns, and that gun shows are ideal locations for criminals to buy guns. Let’s go over their fallacies bit by bit.

1) “Individuals don’t shoot effectively when they are under stress”: In actuality this is 100% true. This is why Women of Caliber emphasizes individuals to not only get training, but to get a specialized form of training that enables a person to automatically defend themselves in a moment of emotional climax. However, the gross error that 20/20 commits is the insinuation that only if you are expertly trained, should you have the right to defend yourself. This is 100% false! Even the police and military require special training in order to overcome their body’s natural reactions in the event of a criminal attack. The fact that 20/20 was able to contrive shooting errors in the scenario they aired does not negate the fact that citizens have the right to protect themselves from criminals (and even defend themselves from a tyrannical government). Many monumental wars have been fought to defend this nation by every day citizens who were not trained in matters of sharp-shooting, overcoming tunnel vision, and muscle memory. Yet the wars were won because so many stood up for their rights to freedom, with an effective tool of influence. Speaking of influence, over 2.5 million criminal acts are prevented EVERY YEAR as a result of the presence of a firearm in the hands of every day citizens, not Rambo-trained individuals (John Lott, Sr., Research Scholar, School of Law at Yale University and former chief economist for the United States Sentencing Commission). Having the ability to protect yourself is not only your human right, but it is the law. And no television show can tell you otherwise.

In this scenario, 20/20 had a “shooter” enter a classroom full of undercover participants and one “Exhibit A,” an individual “armed” with a derivative of a paintball gun in a holster on their person. All of the “Exhibit A(s)” had just gone through a gun safety and target training with professional instructors prior to being put in this contrived situation. While each “Exhibit A” was attending a training class, the appointed shooter enters the room and starts shooting. The undercover participants start screaming and running in all directions. In every instance shown by 20/20, the Exhibit A person was unable to draw their firearm effectively, protect themselves from being shot, and/or accurately hit the offending target. Can I just say, DUH! For one thing, just how often does such a scenario as the one 20/20 illustrated actually occur? Sure the news is full of shootings in public places over the last 6 months, but they are far from being commonplace. In my opinion, using such a scenario was callused and sensationalizing a horrific occurrence. Very rarely do mass shootings get stopped by regular citizens. It is difficult to be sure of your shot and thus difficult to avoid collateral damage due to the ensuing chaos of fleeing and frantic persons all around. The cessation of such a scenario with a firearm would very likely require either a whole lot of armed private citizens focused on the same outcome, or one very well trained shooting expert.

Secondly, the flaw in this scenario is that shooter knows who “Exhibit A” is, so of course they are going to be aiming for “Exhibit A.” And sure enough, in each instance, the skillfully trained shooter goes into the room, takes out the instructor and then immediately goes for the “Exhibit A” person. That does not happen in a real scenario. Criminals do not expect anyone to fight back. They intend to intimidate and get their prey to cower and comply. In mass instances, the shooters do not know who’s armed or who isn’t. In such mass shootings, the shooters are just as susceptible to tunnel vision due to the heightened emotions as any who would defend against them. Ultimately the only point that this portion of 20/20’s episode conveyed accurately was the need for legally armed citizens to be trained properly and practice regularly if they want to save their own lives or the lives of others.

2) “Children and even teenagers do not handle situations with firearms properly”: Again, another DUH! This point is 100% accurate thanks to the education that most children receive all of their life at the hands of the media and film industry about guns—not for the reasons that 20/20 attempted to demonstrate. Most parents do not train their children appropriately about guns nor frequently enough. 20/20 would have viewers believe that gun safety training was ineffective in preventing accidents. Bottom line is the safety your children employ around firearms is up to you. Obviously it takes more than a simple 20 minute safety class to train them properly—it has to be a lifetime effort. Just as you attempt to train them all their life to choose right over wrong, you must train them all of their life to handle a firearm appropriately. That way they don’t turn into stupid teenagers who mishandle firearms. By the way, you may want to take a look at the real statistics of children dying at the hands of firearm accidents by seeing my previous expose on children and guns: http://womenofcaliber.wordpress.com/2009/03/31/children-and-guns%e2%80%94part-ii/

3) “Because of all of the shootings we’ve had, we must make it harder for people to get guns”: See this is where folks really don’t understand what it means to be a nation of Freedom. Freedom is in place so that ALL citizens can have the unfettered ability to make decisions for themselves. And in the event that some citizens use their freedom to take away the freedoms of others, then they need to suffer the consequences. But taking the freedom away from law abiding citizens because there are many who won’t use their freedom wisely is wrong, plain and simple. This is like the age-old question that people ask, “Why does God let these bad things happen?” Because He allows us to make choices and to suffer the consequences that come thereafter. If He took away the freedoms of one to punish another then He would not be a God of Free Agency, would He? And if our nation takes away the Freedoms of some in order to MAYBE thwart the evilly used freedoms of others, then we are no longer a nation of Freedom. Our government does not exist to legislate and squelch freedoms. It exists to support and protect our freedoms and then to dish out appropriate punishments to those who abuse that freedom, and ONLY to those who abuse that freedom. Yes, it’s easy for criminals to get guns. And no matter what laws get put into place, it will always be simple for criminals to get whatever it is that they want. But we cannot punish the criminals in what may be their evil intent (i.e. prevent them from getting guns through standard processes) without surely punishing a free, law-abiding people from carrying out their rights.

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved.
You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

Children and Guns Part III

This is part of a four-part blog series addressing Children and Guns. Part I – want to ensure your kid never commits a crime? Give him a gun. Part II addresses myths of gun safety – what you must know in order to truly protect your children. Part III addresses when it is safe to educate your child on firearms. Part IV explores what’s really responsible for the death of our nation’s children. If you enjoy what you read, please comment and share on your blog or Twitter. Thank you.

When is it Safe to Educate Your Children on Guns?

A friend of mine relayed an enduring story. As a gun owner he has diligently practiced safe handling procedures with his children, even down to the youngest. One day he had occasion to take his youngest child, a 4 year old son, to the emergency room to accompany an ill family member. The 4 year old insisted that he get to wear his cowboy garb complete with the hat, and boots, as well as his belt, holsters, and pistols. As the two of them were walking in the entrance, a police officer was walking out. The 4 year old cowboy was irresistible to the jovial police officer, so he couldn’t help bending down in front of the boy and making a comment, “Hey there cowboy, you gonna shoot me with those guns you’re slinging?” The boy instinctively put his hands on his guns just like a gunslinger from the Wild West days and then paused. He put his hands down and said, “I don’t point my guns at anybody.”

So, when should you talk to your kids about guns? Consider the following:

According to federal statistics, there are guns in approximately half of all U.S. households.* So even if you do not have a firearm in your home, it’s very likely that there will be one in another home your child visits. Thus regardless of your own personal feelings about gun usage, you will be unable to ignore the reality of their presence elsewhere in your child’s life. As such, gun safety education should occur as soon as your child is likely to encounter a gun, real or fake. Another ideal barometer for education your child on gun safety is as soon as your child begins asking questions about guns. This is also indicative of an ideal time to educate. Even if such questions are relevant to toy pistols or rifles, it’s imperative that parents do not ignore or deny a child’s interest. Delaying education will only heighten any sense of mystery your child may have. Education is much more effective in gun safety than a passionate instruction for them to simply leave them alone. Be sure that any rules you establish with your children also apply to any visiting friends. This will prevent your child from being pressured into showing a gun to a friend. Be sure to discuss gun use that may be viewed on television or in movies or in video games that your child may see as well. It’s especially important in these categories because your child is likely to think that the use of a gun merely requires a “reset” button or the switch of a channel, rather than respecting the permanent nature of its use. Your education of guns should not only ensure that a gun is never used without supervision, but also that a real gun is never mistaken for a toy.

Fortunately there are simple gun safety programs such as the NRA’s Eddie Eagle program which teach simple, memorable rules to ensure gun safety. The Eddie Eagle program has been taught on a volunteer basis to over 26,000 school systems nationwide. Civic programs have also used this program nationwide to reach over 21 million youth since 1988. This program is even formulated to begin teaching children as young as kindergarten.
The essential rules of the Eddie Eagle program are as follows:

STOP!
Don’t Touch.
Leave the Area.
Tell an Adult.

To reinforce this program, there are always posters, activity books, certificates, 7 minute animated DVD program, and reward stickers which accompany the Eddie Eagle training. In many instances, an Eddie Eagle mascot is even available. Note that the Eddie Eagle program does not teach whether or not guns are right and does not promote NRA membership. No firearms are used in the program. It focuses strictly on accident prevention. (If you would like the author to present an Eddie Eagle program for your school or civic group, call us at 801-788-4133.)

Should you desire to teach your child about actual gun use, the guidelines for doing so will be determined by their physical and emotional maturity. However, research has found that the sooner a child understands the true impact of a gun, which is best achieved with supervised gun-use education, the more respectful of guns your child will be.* I recommend that parents who do want to instruct a child to shoot begin with an air soft gun for technique, then graduate to a BB gun, then to a .22 caliber. This process will assist them in physical coordination and technical learning.

*Statistics provided by the National Rifle Association’s web site

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

Why This Woman Carries a Firearm

This is a derivation of a very well written piece by “Syd” on a fellow blog. I felt that it was very indicative of many of the reasons why sensible people do carry a firearm, but I felt that it needed some insight spiced with a tad bit of estrogen. :)

I carry a firearm to ensure my children are educated about firearm safety so they never become the victims of some other child’s (or adult’s) ignorance. I know that the best way to teach a child about firearm safety is to remove the air of mystery from it and truly educate them about the “when’s” “why’s” and “how’s” of a firearm. I know that if I am not educated on the use of a firearm then, should I come across one in the hands of a child, my ignorance may add to a dangerous situation instead of eliminating it.

I carry a firearm because I know what looks good on me—confidence. Possessing the ability to defend one’s self has an amazing affect on confidence. The opposite of confidence is fear. I’ve discovered that fear masks a great deal of my wonderful attributes, such as kindness, love, and charity. When I’m more confident, I’m a much better person to share with everyone else in my life.

I carry a firearm because I don’t trust my “gift of the gab.” As great as I am at talking to complete strangers in ideal circumstances, it’s unlikely to do me any good against someone intent on causing me harm. However, there is a great deal of research that says a firearm is a much stronger negotiator than I could ever hope to be.

I carry a firearm because I am a mother (or an aunt, grandmother, sister)—a calling which I take very seriously. As a mother I have no other more critical responsibility than to take care of myself AND those entrusted in my care. Should something threaten to eliminate me from this earth and my influence upon my children, or threaten to remove them from my arms of love, I am sufficiently armed and adept to ensure this does not happen. If some harm does come to my children, it will not be because I could not overcome my own fears or foolish prejudices. I cannot stop everything awful from happening to them, but I can ensure that I am the best prepared to stop most. Only then are my hands clean before my Maker, knowing that I truly did my best to protect them. In doing so, not only do I raise my children well, but I give them a chance to do the same with their own families.

I carry a firearm to help the nation I live and raise my family in to be strong and secure. Protection of a nation begins with protection of an individual. What good is sending my husband, father, brother or son off to fight in a war—whether in a foreign nation or within our cities—if I’m not willing to do my part to protect our nation as well? This nation is strong only because of our freedom. I carry a firearm to ensure I keep my freedom should someone else attempt to usurp it.

I carry a firearm because I know my physical limits. While I may run the equivalent of several miles every day and work out regularly to strengthen my muscles, none of this prepares me sufficiently for a violent encounter. Whether I like it or not, the prospect of a 6’4”, 280-pound, drug-crazed criminal acting against my freedom is realistic. A good right hook or kick to the groin, however well planted it may be, may just be the provocation my assailant needs to kill me. That’s unacceptable—unacceptable that the criminal’s actions against me could eliminate my freedom to live. I’m not willing to gamble with the use of weaker forms of defense. A firearm may be exactly what I need to stop the assailant because I fight back to win unequivocally, not to wonder if I have done enough.

I carry a firearm because I prefer my close encounters to be for love, not fighting. I prefer to never have to remember the alcohol and drug-induced breath, or the color or rage in the assailant’s eyes, or the feel of his powerful fists against my head. Instead I prefer to let the bullet do the fighting for me. I believe I will be much more stable after such an encounter.

I carry a firearm because I hate waiting and wondering. Given the number of police officers who work in any community at any given time, I know that the number of criminal offenses out-number law enforcement an average of 10 to 1. Only after I’ve done my part to ensure my safety do I wait on 911, instead of relegating my safety to the unlikely odds that someone else can defend me in my time of need.

I carry a firearm because I am an independent woman, not a statistic. I refuse to be weak, afraid, and naïve and insist on mastering my domain by asserting my time and talents to take responsibility for my own safety and peace of mind. Too many women are statistics of crime rather then examples of strength. The only one that can stop this false impression from perpetuating further is me.

I carry a firearm because as a woman, I’m all about being prepared. That’s the reason why I never let my gas tank go down below half, never open the door to someone I don’t know, and I never give out my credit card number to someone I didn’t call… just in case. If you were to look in my purse you would see band-aids (just in case) lipstick, face powder, hair brush, and hair spray (even though I leave my home properly made up... it’s just in case), more cash that I would ever think to use in a day (just in case), a fuel credit card because I don’t believe in using credit… just in case… and a small sewing kit with safety pins… just in case. Suffice it to say that I rarely use my “just in case” items, but I sure hate being without them when I need them. If you were to delve further into my handbag you would also find a knife, an Asp, red-dyed pepper spray and a firearm with a spare magazine. You guessed it…just in case.

I carry a firearm because as a woman I have the privilege of giving life. That’s right. I don’t carry a gun to take life, but to ensure that it’s fully given to those who choose to live.

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

If a violent criminal has broken in to your home…who’s his first target?

There are a handful of common reasons why women do not proactively learn how to defend themselves either physically or with a firearm. But I have found that most of these reasons can be resolved with education. In today’s article I wanted to give my fellow women some useful food for thought.

Suppose you have a competent husband. He works out. He’s fit. He’s conscious of his surroundings, and perhaps he even is familiar with the proper use of a handgun for self-defense purposes. Let’s even add to the mix that you also have a few children as well who have been taught how to safely live in an environment aware of self-defense. Thus you may have a sense that all is well.

Now, let’s suppose that the unthinkable occurs and a violent criminal has broken into your home. And we’ll even assume that you “got lucky” and your husband is home when the invasion occurs. Who do you think a strategic criminal would target first in order to get his demands met? Your husband, because he’s the strongest threat? No. That would be an incorrect assumption. The criminal would go after you, the wife and mother, first because you are perceived as being the weakest yet the greatest asset. Think about it. What would your husband do in exchange for your life? What would your children do if “Mommy” was being threatened with unspeakable violence? In this instance, your lack of skill and knowledge is actually a dangerous liability to the rest of your family.

This situation could be significantly different if you merely appeared to be the weakest and yet were able to fully protect and defend yourself and your family.

That was a married woman example. Let’s play this out in a single mom situation. The criminal may go after you as you are perceived to be the only viable threat. Or the criminal could go after your children in order to manipulate your actions. Either way, your unquestionable will to protect your children is simply not enough to save them. You must back up that will with knowledge and skill. Otherwise you will still be a liability to your children or anyone else you love and care for.

So how do you defend yourself? While there are many defensive alternatives that can be considered, consider this. A firearm operated safely and with expertise is the ultimate equalizer between a woman and her would-be attacker. If an attacker is under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or rage the proverbial karate chop is not likely to save your life and to end the altercation. You need real stopping powers against such mind and body numbing substances in order to truly bring the altercation to stop and ensure you and your family’s safety.

In today’s society where criminal activity seems to know no bounds, it’s naïve of us women to think that someone else will save us. The police can’t stop every attack from ever happening. Our husbands or significant others won’t always be there to protect us. We will not be able to ward off an intruder solely by our motherly lioness instincts. These instincts may provide us with adrenaline and determination, but unless they are backed up with applicable and practical skill such instincts may only bring us more harm.

Here’s the good news. No, you do not need to train countless hours to have this kind of expertise. And no, you do not need to shrink from your femininity in order to be capable of protecting yourself. There is a proprietary technique available that will ensure that you hit only what you’re aiming at, and to do so expeditiously before the encounter escalates to an impossible situation.

For more information, go to http://www.womenofcaliber.com/

Here’s to your safety and peace.

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.