(A Guest Post by blogless Peter, for Carnival of Cordite)

Now that we're all armed to the teeth and have practiced until we can shoot a housefly out of the sky at a hundred yards it's time to talk about how to win a gunfight. Here is the dirty little secret, the only way to be sure to win in a gunfight is to not get into one. No matter how good we are if we have to use a gun we've a good chance of having a Bad Day.

There are some simple, and relatively inexpensive ways to cut the odds way down that we'll ever need to use a gun to save our lives or those of family members. Make no mistake, the gun is plan B.

There are only two places in the whole world that we need to be prepared to defend ourselves. At home and away from home. Let's talk about home, first.
How are your doors? Are they solid wood with stout locks? How about the door jambs? Strong hinges? A peephole or small window to see who is there before you open the door? Is your door locked right now? No gun in the world is going to save my ass if the bad guys are on me before I can grab it. Fix your doors. Windows aren't as big a problem, it takes time and noise to get through a window.

A lot of people buy alarms so they get early warning of intruders. That's fine, a better option is a dog. It doesn't have to be a starving Rottweiller or constipated Doberman or even an angry German Shepherd. Since our big dog died our watchdog is a fat black Pug, spoiled rotten. He can still hear and smell a lot more keenly than any human. All he has to do is let us know that someone is coming up to the house, this he does and very well.

If I'm ready to repel boarders before they're inside, home defense is a piece of cake.

The vast majority of home invasions involve one or both of two situations, drugs or a significant other with a psycho Ex. If we can avoid those we stack the odds in our favor.

We stack the odds in our favor also by not showing considerably more wealth than the neighborhood. If the newest car in your neighborhood is an '87 Yugo don't drive an '05 Seven-series Beemer. Matter of fact if the newest car in your neighborhood is that Yugo and you can afford a Beemer, move.

Be careful when driving up to the house. Most folks relax the second they hit the driveway. Before shutting the engine off, look around. Is there someone close that doesn't belong? Don't be afraid to put that car back in gear and drive off. People coming home are at their most vulnerable, we almost always have at least one thing in our hands plus juggling keys. If the guy hanging around is six foot ten, and covered in muscle and prison tattoos then use your head and get the heck somewhere else.

Simple common-sense things that work every time they're tried. We've just eliminated 90% of the reasons people need to use a gun in defense of the home.

How about away from home? We can eliminate that same 90%. Start with a trip to the local library, ask the librarian for the most recent crime stats in your town. Pay attention to the neighborhoods. Crime, and criminals, tend to cluster in the same neighborhoods. Let's stay our of those neighborhoods. Pay attention to the TIMES of those crimes. Until we get well into our thirties it's usually hard to admit that Momma was right, nothing good happens after midnight.

If we strike out at the library, check with the Public Affairs Office of your local Police or Sheriff's Department.

Life threatening situations happen in bars, the streets in front of bars, the parking lots of bars and the alleys behind bars. Not just any bars, two kinds of bars, the ones in the neighborhoods where all those other crimes happen and those trendy ones where the hip young twenty-somethings hang out. Thugs have learned that hip young twenty-somethings have cash and jewelry and are easy marks when they're about half lit.

Do everything you can to avoid areas where there is a lot of drug and gang activity, avoid the 'Ho Strolls'. Avoid areas where there are a lot of young men hanging around outside. Areas where there is a lot of prostitution ALWAYS have all the other crimes. Guys, if you're that damned horny there's a better way. Work out, buff yourself up, get a tight haircut and a Fireman costume and show up at the next comment party. The Bad Example Women will show you why they're bad examples.

Traveling is a different story. If you don't know the area, watch where you get off the freeway. Look for upscale stores, eateries and hotels. Stop and fill the tank when you still have enough gas to get somewhere else. If you get off the freeway and see bars on the windows and doors of all the stores or lots of young men hanging around, get back on the freeway.

Everywhere you go, profile. Learn to spot gangster styles and jailhouse tattoos. If you are, for whatever reasons, in a marginal or 'bad' area learn to spot the signs that things are going wrong. If you're going about whatever business you have and suddenly all the women and kids are getting off the streets something bad is about to happen.

Gas stations are prime spots for carjackers. Pay attention. If possible have someone in the driver's seat while you're filling the tank. Use the pay at the pump whenever possible.

Speaking of carjackings, even at traffic lights, keep a little room around your car. With ten feet to work with he's not a carjacker, he's roadkill.

The most important defensive weapon you'll ever have is between your ears. Use that and we won't need the gun.

Next week, Plan B, when we do need the gun.

Posted by: Harvey at 07:18 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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