Commentary - It’s a surrender process

Surrender:   a :  to give (oneself) up into the power of another especially as a prisoner

                    b :  to give (oneself) over to something (as an influence)

I’m sitting in a dimly light room, some type of instrumental music playing in the background.  There’s a fellow reciting a mantra over and over again . . . “Palms together . . . . . . . . palms apart . . . . . . . . the process will not change.”  He had been doing so for hours – and would continue for hours more.  The exercise was known as the “Surrender Process” . . . and my head was about to explode.  I felt certain that I could change the f#%@ing process pretty damn quick if I punched him in the face!  We – my wife and I – were here after an odd journey attempting to repair, glue, hammer and nail, love our life back together after her cancer treatment and the subsequent aftermath of that event.  To say I was out of my comfort zone would be a profound understatement.

The purpose of the exercise was to show, in a fairly direct fashion, that there are indeed times when an individual must simply “surrender” to the “process” . . . simply because it cannot be changed . . . PERIOD!  The process eventually ended . . . some “got it” . . . it took me years to truly understand . . . For us, as a couple, that particular part of our journey genuinely worked as this is a memory now 27 years in the past . . . and my wife is healthy with our marriage entering its 44^th year this coming August.  For me individually I finally “surrendered” to the fact that I was NOT in full control of my life, our direction as a couple or the final outcome of her bout with the Big “C”.  Understanding that, accepting that allowed me to turn all the energy I’d been spending on “control” to a much more productive path – simply doing the best I could every day and then loving my wife.

I know how trite this must sound on a firearms training blog . . . simply, sappy . . . I get it.  And yet . . . our nation is going through this exact “surrender process” as I type this.  Many of us – as both shooters and instructors – are also going through this process as well.  And I want to spend some words to discuss it with you.

Sunday morning we all awakened to yet another terrorist attack by an Islamic Fundamentalist . . . a “good boy” . . . a devout Muslim son.  Our world . . . from Orlando to San Bernardino . . . From Paris to London . . . From Brussels to Aleppo . . . From Mosul to Baghdad . . . From Kabul to Islamabad . . . From Bali to Bukidnon . . . is awash in attacks by “devout Muslims” and “good boys” that follow the strict interpretation of the Koran and Sharia Law.  The “process” continues . . . “palms together . . . palms apart” . . . we sit in our rooms, our cars, our coffee shops and we listen to the reports of the dead, the terror that has torn the communities apart literally limb from limb.    . . . “palms together . . . palms apart . . .  the process will continue . . . “

What are we “pretending not to know”?

Perhaps it is time to “surrender” . . . to a few simple truths . . .

We – meaning Western Civilization – are in an existential war with the followers of Islam who adhere to the tenents of Sharia Law.  Islam, by its very nature, is a religion of conquest, domination and subjugation.  A non-believers, a “kafir” has few options – convert, submit or die. 

“ . . . palms together . . . palms apart . . . the process will continue . . . “

In disgust I listened to those on the left blame the NRA, blame the gun, recite the evils of the AR, assault rifles, the “extreme right wing” . . . with an arrogance born of breathtaking ignorance we are told to surrender our weapons of personal defense while we open our nation’s doors to thousands upon thousands of “refugees” that the CIA readily admits contains terrorists anxious for more Orlandos.  Many in our nation’s leadership – particularly on the left – continue to wonder aloud . . . “Why do they hate us???”  They simply refuse to accept the simple truth . . . they hate us simply because we are, we exist, we breath.

There will be more attacks . . . there will be more death . . . there will be more gnashing of teeth . . . there will be more heartache . . .

“ . . .  palms together . . . palms apart . . . the process will continue . . . “

So how does this affect this community of shooters and instructors? 

For those of us who are instructors . . . myself included . . . are you growing as an instructor?  Are you taking annual coursework to make you a better instructor, a better shooter?

Is the coursework you teach “relevant”?  Are you teaching the minimum in your area so your students can “get their permit” . . . or are you teaching what they need to have a chance to survive an attack?

Are you doing individual training on your own at the range honing your skills? 

Are you continually learning, growing, pushing your limits as a shooter and an instructor?

If your intent is to teach a skill set that will give your students an opportunity to defend their life, the life of their family and those in their charge . . . it takes real work!  Do the work!!

The charge for the shooters amongst us is the same . . .

Take coursework on an annual basis – at a minimum – that will allow you to grow as a defensive shooter.

TRAIN . . . frequently . . . We’ve had this conversation before.  A minimum of 1,000 rounds per year is a starting point.  A hundred rounds a month with a solid training plan that if followed diligently with maintain your skills is a starting point.  More is better . . . always.

Carry your gun . . . every day . . . everywhere you legally can . . . it will do you no good at home in the safe when an active shooter or just a plain old street thug decides that this is your day . . .

Finally . . . pick a side . . . now.  The cries to implement all manner of “common sense gun control” will only increase.  As the attacks continue . . . so will the demand for your guns.  You need to decide in your heart of hearts whether the Bill of Rights was written my man or are a natural right granted by your Creator and act accordingly.  Elections matter – at all levels of government.  Governments by their very nature crave power and control.  Our founders understood this and invested their very lives to allow us the opportunity to be a nation of free people.  When you look at the ballot before you this election cycle – from your local officials through the Presidential slot . . . as the Old Knight said . . . Choose Wisely.