What do you do? Well, if I ever heard of a reason to carry a firearm, it is this topic. You have children with you. I'm not going to let the thugs have what they want, because it may BE the children. I can't run away like this lady did. The answer is to have a plan with your children and act on it against the threat. I usually don't post on things like this story because I hate to read the stories about what some parents do with their kids. Trust me, I'm not unaware of what goes on in the world. I just don't want to read about it because it really, really angers me when I read the news stories. (It was bad enough having to read the headlines when I tried to search for this story). The thing about this story is that she may not be a bad parent, she just didn't have a plan. Therefore, the only thing she could do was run around and leave her kid to the whim of a thug. Have a plan with your kids. If it doesn't involve a firearm, it should. I mean a plan, not just "carrying one." When I train at the range, it is rather concerning all of the scenarios I think of that might happen if I had kids with me. Do you always carry a young child with your weak hand? If you have to draw, do you train to turn and shield the child with your body? Do you train to shoot one-handed? I have actually trained with a bag in one hand resting on my hip. It probably looks silly, but I've done it before I am actually forced to.
If you can't carry for legal reasons, it's a good idea to come up with another plan. Ultimately, think this out before it actually happens. If you haven't already considered this and it is a topic that you are concerned about, go to Agirl's place and read up. She's been an incredible resource on this topic both personally and situationally.
I appear to be soapboxing. I apologize, but this is touching on a topic on which I am very serious. Maybe Agirl can get some training classes going in her area for parents with kids. :)
So, I am sure you know painfully difficult this post was for me to read. How hard that story was to watch, but I want to say THANK YOU for posting it.
ReplyDeleteHave a plan. Have a plan. For the love of god, HAVE A PLAN. And it should NOT include leaving your child behind.
Sometimes you have to fight and some things are worth dying for because some things are just to hard to live with. Parents have no right, NONE, not to fight and do everything they can to protect their children.
Thank you so muuch for commenting. Your strength is truly humbling. I hope you don't mind the link. I got all caught up in the post and I know this is important to you. Thanks for what you have done and are doing.
DeleteI'm in shock, that this took place. If nothing else, she could of swung her purse up along side of the guys head. Or of even of thrown her purse away from her self. He would of maybe been more interested in it, and they could of then ran off.
ReplyDeleteSo many things, and no plan. It's scary.
Flier, it is pretty shocking to see this kind of thing. I think panic had a lot to do with it. Not having a plan = panic in the moment. You're right, there were so many simple options to escape. I can't judge because I wasn't in the situation, but my job is to never be in that situation without being prepared. Very good point that a plan doesn't mean fighting a stronger adversary with your child in the mix. Distraction and escape are viable as well.
DeleteWow. I don't have kids, but I can't imagine LEAVING a child, ANY child regardless of relation, and not fighting for or running WITH that child. In my planning, I even consider the dogs as a factor. In what cases do I shove them in a closet or toss them out the window? In what cases do I make a run for it dragging them behind me? Will they hinder me if I fight? Will they give away my location in the house? At what point does the risk to self become too great? Always have a plan. No scenario (except maybe zombie aliens dropping nets on people from their UFOs) is too crazy to consider.
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting, kpage. I'm constantly moving and shifting positions to keep myself in the right place in relation to the children. Up until a few years ago, we had a dog and on walks she was part of the plan, too. Granted, a dog can run from danger (and ours could run like a champ) but not from everything. The closest I've ever been to actually drawing was when a large Chow was a couple of feet from my dog on a leash. Had it not been for my very loud yelling and the dog finally backing down it could have been very bad. I generally carry Cold Steel Inferno spray now in addition to my handgun.
DeleteI don't even know what to say. Shocked is one way of putting my reaction to that video.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean.
DeleteOh, wow...holy crap, there are so many things wrong with that video!!! Now, I really can't criticize the woman, since I wasn't there, but I can think of at least three different things she could have done (grab the kid and bolt for the store....grab the kid and bolt back to the car [smash that panic button on your key fob!!!]....grab the kid and haul butt to the nearest busy intersection.....foremost, GRAB THE KID!!! Her next stop should be someplace that carries Mace, at the very least.
ReplyDeleteYou're thinking exactly the same way I am, Rabid. You can tell by the reaction that there was no plan and then there was panic. I can think of no situation where I would leave a child behind. I liked Flier's idea of tossing the purse as a distraction and snatching the kid. I, too, am a carrier of pepper spray as an intermediary defense. Sometimes, even when you have a firearm it isn't the answer either.
DeleteI've read some comments over on AGirl's site about the whole "fight-vs-flight" and "doe" scenario, where the doe will usually run away from the fawn to lead the predator away. That's great, and may work....but that's an ingrained response common to most (if not all) of the animal kingdom (especially in ground-nesting birds). Humans are reasoning critters, though, and while this particular woman MAY have been reverting back to her varmint ancestors, I still think that there were a lot of other options available. However...again...I wasn't there, so I have absolutely no right to judge/question her motives or what was going through her head. I just hope that she takes this notoriety and learns from it, and is better prepared next time.
DeleteThat is a lot like the comment I left at Agirl's place as well. It very much is an instinctual response (and nature gets even worse sometimes) but you are correct. We can reason and prepare. I have very intentionally not judged her actions. I hope the lady in the video learns and grows from the experience. I'm afraid the public reaction on top of her own internal turmoil could send her down a very dark path. I pray for her to use it to grow stronger.
DeleteGreat point, mmasse. I like the command word. It doesn't work all that well at very young ages, but could be invaluable so that the entire family knows immediately it is an emergency situation. I will say that I am fully prepared to defend myself with overwhelming force, but when it comes to children, I would be on a whole other level of defense.
ReplyDeleteHaving a command word is a great idea. 'When I say 'bocephus', do what I say NOW, and with no questions'
ReplyDeleteThat is part of my plan- But that is not my command word ;)
Yeah, you don't want the family giggling when you utter your command word. This brings up a good thought, though. The word should be unusual enough to not be used in regular speech much and not too long, but long enough to be clear and forceful. I need to mull this over some and make some changes.
ReplyDelete