Personal Boundaries - Where Do You Draw The Line? By Kathy Jackson

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From Chateau Amoire at Tybee Island, Ga. --- I have long advocated to my men and women friends that you must take the time to think through what you would do in a true "life or death" situation whether you carry a weapon or not.

What would you do if someone tried to kidnap you?

What would you do if you were taken by force and told to get on your knees with you back to the attacker?

What if you were on a plane that was being hijacked by a homicide terrorist?

What would you do if you saw someone being beaten, raped, or kidnapped?

I have thought through all the above scenarios mainly because at one time I was responsible for seeing that none of these happened to my clients.

I also have considered what I would do for myself, my wife and my friends.

The following article by Kathy Jackson is thought-provoking and a good read. It is time for you to think through each scenario and come to your own conclusion.

"Personal Boundaries:

Where Do You Draw the Line?"

"...I will not kneel. No one is going to execute me.

If I die, I'll die fighting....."

by Kathy Jackson

The last few weeks we have been republishing some articles from past issues of Concealed Carry Magazine to give everyone a taste of what they are missing if they aren't a subscriber to the United States Concealed Carry Association. This week's article is from the Web Only Articles. We have way too much great info to squeeze into the issues of Concealed Carry Magazine, so we publish the additional articles on the web. New articles are added every week.

Listed below are some conditions under which I intend to fight back even if I don't think I can win.

I have made this list for myself because I understand that the natural thing to do, when something bad happens, is to deny that it is happening: "This can't be happening to me!"

Even if you get past that thought (a lot of victims never do), the other natural tendency is to tell yourself that if you wait, if you do what the other person says, things will get better. The situation will work itself out. All you have to do is cooperate. The attacker will take your wallet, your car keys, whatever, and leave you alone. Just wait, do what he says, and everything will be okay. That's what most people who are attacked tell themselves -- and in most cases, that is exactly what people should do. Even if you are armed, why kill someone if you don't have to? It's only stuff!

But while waiting for an opening and cooperating with the attacker might be the best survival strategy in many situations, there are a few very specific situations where waiting and cooperating are the worst things the victim can possibly do.

A woman forced into a car by an attacker, for instance, has a 95% or higher chance of getting killed if she complies. Even if it seems highly likely the attacker will kill her right there if she doesn't get in the car, the fact is that right at that moment, the odds are the very best they will ever be for her. They might be lousy odds, but they aren't going to get any better. So I have decided, in advance, that if I'm ever in that situation, that's when and where I will fight back no matter what my frozen brain and in-denial guts are telling me about my odds.

Similarly, a man forced into a back room on his knees, with his back to the attacker, has just been put into the execution position. Most of the time, when someone is forced into this position, what comes next is a bullet in the back of the skull. Once you are on your knees, you don't have any more choices left, even if do you suddenly realize what is about to happen. If you're going to save your own life in such a situation, you have to make the choice to fight back before you're on your knees.

The purpose of analyzing this stuff beforehand is to make sure that even my frozen brain and my in-denial guts cannot lull me into cooperating if I am ever in one of the extreme places where a victim really needs to fight if she is going to survive. Because I've thought about this stuff in advance, if something like it ever happens, even my frozen brain will have a definite decision point.

Some of my personal boundaries are:

* I will not go anywhere at gunpoint. If the bad guy wants me to go somewhere else, it's because he will be able to do something to me there that he is unwilling or unable to do to me right here, right now. Therefore no matter how bad the tactical situation seems right here and now, right here and now is the absolute best chance to fight back I will ever have and I intend to use it.

* I will not be tied up. If the bad guy wants to tie me up, it is because he wants to do things to me that I would be able to prevent if I were not tied up. Therefore, I will resist while I am still able to do so.

* I will not kneel. No one is going to execute me. If I die, I'll die fighting.

* If someone tries to take one of my children, I will fight even at the risk of my child being killed in the resultant firefight. I plan this not because I have positive assurance that I would be successful, but because I would not be able to live with myself if I simply "allowed" my child to be taken, brutalized, and his body perhaps never found. I'd rather watch him die in front of me. (Yes, that's harsh ... but given those two options and only those two, which would you choose?)

My point is not that your boundaries should be the same as mine. It is simply that even though you can wait until the very last moment to make the final decision about fighting back, you should have certain things already set into your decision-making machinery beforehand. If you don't, and if you are ever attacked, you may not have enough time to do anything but stand there with your brain frozen solid while your attacker takes all your choices away.

Kathy Jackson is the Managing Editor of Concealed Carry Magazine.

Little Rock, Ak Man Defends Wife, Wounds Would-Be Robber

The world is a dangerous place and now and then we have to be prepared to defend ourselves, our families and our loved ones. This is what happens when such action is needed. For those of you contemplating getting a CCW permit, if you do so, remember it is valuable to you only if you use it and if you practice, practice, practice. --- LDA

LR Man Defends Wife, Wounds Would-Be Robber
Posted By: Robert Bell TodaysTHV

A robbery suspect was shot by a would-be victim outside a west Little Rock Wal-Mart store Monday evening as his wife struggled with the purse snatcher.

Police say the man and his wife were walking to their vehicle and beginning to load their groceries outside the Wal-Mart store at the intersection of Chenal Parkway and Highway 10. Around 11:20 p.m., a black man wearing some sort of wig and a cap approached them, armed with a silver revolver handgun and told them that “this is a robbery”.

The man told officers that he and his wife ran from the suspect around his vehicle. The suspect pointed a gun at the woman and grabbed her purse. She struggled with the suspect, who began to hit her and pull on her purse. The suspect pulled on her purse until the straps of her purse ripped from the bag as he repeatedly pointed a handgun at her and her husband.

During the struggle, the man grabbed his personal handgun that he carried and pointed it at the suspect, telling him to let go of his wife. Officers say he repeatedly warned the suspect to get away from him and his wife, but the suspect refused and the man fired his weapon three or four times at the suspect. The suspect fell to the ground and let go of the victim.

According to police, during this time, a white vehicle that was in the parking lot pulled up to the suspect and the suspect got inside. The vehicle then sped away.

The couple was interviewed at the scene and released. The woman had bruising on her left arm.

A few minutes later, UAMS notified police that a gunshot victim was brought into their emergency room. Officers responded, locating the driver and the passenger of the vehicle. Both suspects were taken into custody and then taken to the downtown detective division for questioning.

Police say both suspects, 22-year-old Tequila Rice of Lonoke and 25-year-old Sherry Battles of North Little Rock, were extremely combative and refused to make a statement and were taken to the Pulaski County Regional Jail.

The third suspect, 24-year-old Jonathan Terry, was admitted for surgery at UAMS for a gunshot wound to his buttocks.

The victims were released at the scene pending a review by the prosecutors office. The man had a legal concealed weapon permit.

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Stimpy Update and I Agree with IBD Editorial

Our continued thanks to all of you for your prayers and best wishes.

I am pleased to report today that Stimpy is holding his own. He is still walking daily, somewhat restless at night, sleeping though as soundly and as close to me as he can, and still likes his treats.

He has sunned himself some today and we were told yesterday by the doctor that he could give no real meaningful prognosis and wouldn't. That what was important was that Stimpy was alive and still enjoying himself. His input is about the same, his output is being helped by stool softeners.

He is still capable of chasing a squirrel albeit not far and showing his disdain for cats --- something he has not been able to teach Max. Sweet Max wants to own his own cat. Apparently he has told Stimpy that he would care for him, exercise him, feed him, and hug him if we wuld just agree to letting him have one!

We are hopeful that we will take Stimpy home to spend Christmas at Lake Barkley and further that his pain and discomfort will not become overbearing any time soon.

We are taking it a day at a time. I am handling my emotions the same way.

"Dirty Harriet"

Now, this is an editorial I totally agree with --- something I rarely find any where in the media these days.

As my old friend Doug Bailey always said, "An armed society is a polite society." I could not have said it better!

A Dirty Harriet Saves Day In Colorado

By INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY | Posted Tuesday, December 11, 2007 4:20 PM PT

Second Amendment: As the Supreme Court ponders what the Constitution means, a volunteer security guard in Colorado shows that the problem with society may not be who has guns, but who doesn't.

Every time there are multiple shootings, like those that occurred over the weekend at the Youth With A Mission missionary training center in Arvada, Colo., and later at the New Life Church in Colorado Springs, we are lectured about the easy access to firearms in the U.S. and the dangers it creates.

But many are thankful today that Jeanne Assam, a volunteer security guard at New Life, had easy access to a gun when Matthew Murray entered the east entrance of the church and began firing his rifle. Murray was carrying two handguns, an assault rifle and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition.

If Jeanne Assam had not had a gun at her side, dozens more might have died in Sunday's shooting at New Life Church in Colorado Springs.

Assam, who worked as a police officer in downtown Minneapolis in the 1990s and is licensed to carry a weapon, shot Murray. Had she not done so, more than two would have been killed at the church that day. Two others had been killed by Murray at Arvada. New Life's senior pastor Brady Boyd said Assam's actions saved the lives of 50 to 100 people.

Last February, another disturbed young man from war-torn Bosnia entered the Trolley Square Mall in Ogden, Utah, and began shooting, killing five people.

Utah is a right-to-carry (RTC) state but lets property owners post signs proclaiming an exception on their premises.

A sign posted in the mall reminded people that concealed carry permit holders could not bring their weapons inside. Trolley Square was a gun-free zone, except for predators. Fortunately, inside the mall was an off-duty Ogden police officer, who was carrying a concealed weapon in violation of the law, and was the first to trade shots with the gunman. He is credited with preventing the murder of more innocent victims.

Unfortunately, he was at the opposite end of the mall and on another floor when the shooting started. If concealed carry permit holders were allowed to take their firearms into the mall, maybe those five could have been spared or even defended themselves.

Gun-control advocates argue that allowing people to carry guns encourages their reckless use.
But despite dire warnings by RTC critics, neighbors aren't routinely offing neighbors and bodies aren't piling up like cordwood across America in one huge Gunfight at the OK Corral.

Since 1991, according to NRAILA.org, 23 more states have adopted RTC laws for a total of 40. The number of privately owned firearms has risen by nearly 70 million and violent crime is down 38%. In 2005, RTC states had, on average, a 22% lower violent crime rate, 30% lower murder rate, 46% lower robbery rate and 12% lower aggravated assault rate.

Like Trolley Square, Westroads Mall in Omaha, Neb., where eight people were gunned down recently was also a gun-free zone. So was Virginia Tech, where a gunmen killed 32 people in two attacks hours apart.

This Colorado incident comes as the Supreme Court hears an appeal of a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in Parker v. District of Columbia. The ruling struck down D.C.'s draconian ban on the private ownership of firearms as a violation of the Second Amendment's right to keep and bear arms.

The D.C. court ruled, among other findings, that the Second Amendment's placement high in the Bill of Rights makes it, and the right to self-defense, along with speech and religion, etc., an individual right.

We think Jeanne Assam and the people she saved would agree.

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And yes, just for the record, my wife and I are both CCW permit holders, and yes I do carry everywhere I go except into airports and Federal facilities.

Until next time.
Dr. Darryl
L. Darryl Armstrong
www.armstrongandassociates.org

71-year old Plantation Fla. Marine Defends Self ...

... and Cashier at Subway Shop
Two Would Be Robbers Shot
One Dies Instantly and the Other ...
Learned a Hard Lesson

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Before any of you out there get too exorcized over this article let me make it clear, I believe strongly in the right of anyone to use deadly force to defend themselves, their family, or anyone else in need.

This is not a decision that is made easily and yet one that at times must be made.

I learned gun safety as a youngster from surrogate Fathers, Mr. Doug Travis at Ky Fish and Wildlife, and my grandfather.

The military taught me more about weapons than I will ever be able to forget. They spent a lot of money on teaching me to be a sniper and how to handle small arms.

And yes, I carry a Concealed Carry Weapons (CCW) permit. That also means that I carry a weapon for those of you not initiated in the lingo. I only secured the permit after 9/11 and only then after much thought.

I qualified at 100% from a tough instructor, who by the way is also a minister, and yes, if I ever have to draw my weapon I will use it.

I don’t believe in drawing a weapon and not pulling the trigger.

I have encouraged my wife, and others I love to get their CCW permits. And I encourage you to think long and hard about your need for one because we live in a society where we must take control of our own security and safety.

There are “Progressives” out there, and one grieving Mother, who want to know why the 71-year old Marine had to “kill them.”

They are attempting to make Mr. John Lovell the villain.

He is no hero. He is not villain.

He is a former Air Force One pilot for two presidents, a Marine and a man that has earned the right to sit in a Subway shop in Florida and enjoy his dinner and to not be robbed by two hoodlums brandishing their own guns.

As far as the grieving Mother. I am sorry your son was shot. I truly am. However, you would not be grieving if you had raised your son properly. Accept your own responsibility in this situation. Pray for your own forgiveness.

Why did John Lovell draw down on two hoodlums and shoot them?

Why did you not hear about it in any of the mainstream media?

I don't know. Perhaps, you should read on and decide for yourself what you would have done ...

{Thanks to my friend, mentor, and former employer Harl Barnett for sharing this article with me.}

June 29, 2007 --- Plantation Andres Ramirez remembers lying prone on the cold floor behind the sandwich counter, listening to the horrific sounds of a violent struggle he could not see. He worried he was going to die. Then the fighting and gunfire stopped.

Two days after a customer shot a pair of armed robbers during his night shift at a Subway restaurant, Ramirez returned to work Friday, saying it was his responsibility. The Costa Rican native speaks little English but understood the robbers' orders.

'They were asking me for the money,' Ramirez, 26, said of the robbers. 'I pointed to the cash register, said it was by the menus and then dropped to the floor.' Police said the robbers, later identified as Donicio Arrindell, 22, of North Lauderdale, and Fredrick Gadson, 21, of Fort Lauderdale, then turned their attention to the lone customer at the restaurant: former Marine John Lovell, 71.

Ramirez feared that the robbers were killing Lovell, not realizing at the time that it was Lovell who was pounding on and shooting the robbers.

In the end, Lovell had fatally wounded Arrindell and shot Gadson, who was in stable condition Friday at Broward General Medical Center, police said.

Police have charged Arrindell with felony murder and armed robbery. Under Florida law, anyone who commits a felony such as armed robbery resulting in death can be charged with murder. Police say Lovell will not be charged.

On Friday, police announced that detectives are investigating whether Arrindell and Gadson are suspects in similar holdups in Broward and Palm Beach counties. They are reviewing the restaurant surveillance tape for clues. Owner Khalid Malik, 54, of Coral Springs, recounted the scene captured by the store's security camera.

He declined to let a reporter watch it.

According to Malik, Gadson and Arrindell walked in at about 11:10 p.m. Wednesday, wearing sunglasses and bandannas covering their faces. Gadson approached Ramirez and demanded money.

Arrindell pointed his gun at Lovell, who was finishing his veggie sandwich and diet Coke. Lovell stood up and raised his hands.

'He said he handed whatever he had on him - $500 - but they kept pushing him,' Malik said.

Arrindell pushed Lovell toward the women's restroom while Gadson took the cashier's money tray, Malik said. Gadson entered the employee area and grabbed the change box. That's when the shooting began.

'The victim believed he would be executed, and when he noticed [Arrindell] distracted ... reached behind his back, removed his loaded .45 caliber handgun from his holster and fired seven rounds,' according to a police statement.

Two bullets struck Arrindell in the head and stomach, police said. Another flew through a wall and hit the walk-in cooler, according to Malik. Gadson emerged from the employee room, and Lovell, who has a concealed-weapons permit, fired several times. One bullet shattered the store's glass door, and another hit Gadson. He collapsed in the doorway, scattering dollar bills and coins across the sidewalk. Gadson got up and ran off, only to be found later in the bushes next to a bank down the street by a K-9 unit.

Back at the store, Lovell adjusted his pants and patted his pockets.

'He looks very calm. He's just like our president says, 'Bring it on,'' Malik said. Lovell pulled out his eyeglasses and put them on. He called 911.

Then came the police questioning, the phone calls, the pack of reporters and TV crews camped in front of his home in the rain. Lovell is surprised by the attention, said his lawyer and friend, Wesley White. People are fascinated with Lovell's story, and many have contacted White to express their admiration.

'It's recognition that there are still heroes among us. They may not act like it, they may not proclaim it, nevertheless they're walking among us,' said White, of Yulee. 'And one of them, by circumstance or fate, steps up to the plate.' Gadson has no arrest record, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Arrindell was convicted in 2004 of carrying a concealed weapon.


Until next time.
Dr. Darryl
L. Darryl Armstrong
ARMSTRONG and Associates

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