Commentary - “everyone was diving under the seats . . . I knew I was going to die – I called my wife to say good bye to her and the kids . . .:

 

The morning started so quietly . . . my “daily read” of Internet news, a stop at church to help count the money from Sunday, a stop at the local “Alco” for a cheap rug for the photography/video area of the office, picked up the mail and decided I should be rewarded by a quick trip through Mickie-Ds for a breakfast sandwich. While in line I’m listening to Fox News on the XM radio and they are interviewing one of the “eye witnesses” to the LAX shooting . . . (as best as I can recall)

. . . “I was heading for my terminal, looking for a place to charge my cell phone. All of a sudden people began running past me looking terrified. Then I heard the gunshots – I’ve never been in a war zone, but I knew what they were. Everyone was hiding under seats so I did too. I knew I was going to die . . . I took out my cell phone to call my wife and tell her and the kids good-bye . . .”

And I became instantly ENRAGED . . . I AM STILL ENRAGED . . .

REALLY!!! THIS IS YOUR FRICKIN’ RESPONSE – TO ROLL OVER AND WAIT FOR SOME ASSHOLE WITH A GUN TO KILL YOU!! REALLY!!!!!!!!!

THIS is where we are in America in 2013 . . . . man with gun, I’m going to die, I’ll wait right here for you to kill me! Thoughts of Darwin come to mind because my first reaction is that this fellow would be no loss to the gene pool . . . . except that this is what the Joan Petersons of the world want for us all . . . . to roll over and die at the hands of an asshole!

This is what is taught when you see all the “anti-bullying” efforts in school. DON’T confront the bully, DON’T stand up to the bully . . . and if you do YOU ARE AS BAD as they are. Carry this forward to this young man’s age and the bully becomes an armed killer . . . the defense . . . lay down and die. Let me address two groups that walk past this blog from time to time. First the “student” . . .

No one – anywhere – ever – has the right to take your life. PERIOD! And, right behind that YOU – NEVER have the right to simply roll over and die. I believe this with all my heart – you HAVE NO RIGHT TO JUST SURRENDER! You have family, you have friends, you have the young/old/middle aged man or woman sitting next to you that NEEDS YOU TO STAND YOUR GROUND. You may still die – but most people in gunfights DO NOT die. You may inspire someone else in a better position to engage the shooter to act where without YOUR actions they may not. Picture your tombstone – here lies “Bill” – he curled up in fear under a chair and was shot to death by an asshole. Is that what you want? Would the obit read a bit better if it said something like - Bill rushed an active shooter distracting him enough so other passengers in the terminal could bring him down. Sadly, he lost his life. Either way, you’re dead. What legacy do you want to leave behind?

If you are a student . . . YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO SURRENDER TO DEATH BY ASSHOLE . . . . EVER!! Just sayin’ . . . .

For the instructors that pass through here . . .

A “Warrior Mindset” is a subject I approach with every class – be it the NRA Basic Pistol class or my Defensive Pistol II class. THEY are responsible for their own safety. Yes, disengagement is best. Yes, de-escalation is best. Yes, the best way to survive a gunfight is to avoid a gunfight. Yet, that was not the case for this young man. The killer was coming – period. They were trapped at the end of a concourse. Had the shooter actually entered the holding area – he may well have been killed huddling under a bench. I believe – with all my heart – that we must teach our students to engage lethal threats with anything at hand . . . anything! An act like that inspires, an act like that provides leadership and an act like that may be the only opportunity provided to enable some – or all – to survive. An unknown man, on the morning of 9/11 over a field in Pennsylvania once said “Let’s Roll”. Today Todd Beamer is admired for the leadership he showed. Are we really justified to hold ourselves to any lower standard? I view it as my personal responsibility to make sure that everyone who leaves any of my classes knows – KNOWS – that their life is worth defending – with anything they can get their hands on – including running the asshole down with their own body. Life is their God given right – and no one has the right to take it away! Period! But – that said – it is THEIR responsibility to defend it!

This short interview displays in very stark terms the changes the anti-gun / anti-violence factions have worked on our nation. In his heart the only option this young man saw was to crawl under a bench and call his wife while he waited to die.

ARE YOU FRICKIN’ KIDDING ME?!?!?!?!?!?