The Cutting edge of Freedom

Whatever your views of personal security and freedom, it’s worth considering that other people may not share your concerns, plans and opinions. I recently attended a meeting at a local company where we all had to fill in a paper ballot for a vote. The ballot slip was on the bottom of a piece of photocopy paper and had to be filled in and then torn off the sheet and handed in. I folded my piece of paper and then used my Spyderco folding knife with 3 ¼ inch serrated blade to neatly separate the ballot slip from the sheet.

I got a few general comments from other people in the room questioning if the knife was legal; what a big and dangerous blade it had; asking why I carry a knife and whether it was permitted on company premises. I defused the situation by making a joke out of it and saying that I carry a folder because carrying scissors would be silly.

However, here’s the more serious problem: Some people regard objects that may be used in a dangerous manner as always dangerous, regardless of the skill, intelligence, morality and maturity of the person in charge of that object. As a society, we are losing our ability to judge individual situations and behavior on their merits. Instead, we dumb down everything to the lowest common denominator.  There is a saying that I believe originated in the old East Germany back when it was a part of the Soviet Union: “everything which is not allowed (by the government) is forbidden."

There is an underlying sentiment that everything is forbidden unless it is specifically allowed. If this is the way we want our society to function, then it should be made clear who has the authority to make good decisions and why they are so much better at making good and appropriate decisions than the individual citizen.

I choose to carry a knife because it’s a valuable tool that I use in a responsible, lawful and appropriate way. I resent having to explain that to my colleagues who don’t understand the way that a free and open society operates.

“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” Founding father Benjamin Franklin from his Memoirs of the life and writings of Benjamin Franklin

Learn to change a wheel; It may save your life

Venezuelen beauty queen Monica Spear Mootz and her estranged husband were murdered while on a driving vacation in Venezuela recently. Media reports indicate that the couple's car had a flat tire and that they were waiting in the car for a tow truck to arrive when they were ambushed and shot dead. Newspaper photos show their car with bullet holes in the windows, and report that the couple had locked themselves in the vehicle along with their young daughter, who was also shot, but survived.

It's a pity they didn't try to drive away at the first sign of trouble. Most vehicles can still be driven at least a short distance with a flat tire, even though doing so will eventually shred the tire. I don't know how much time elapsed from when they called the tow truck to when they were attacked, but it might have been better if they had at least started to change the tire while they were waiting for the tow truck. An alternative would have been for them to leave the car and walk to a safe place where they could wait until the car was fixed. I don't know if any of these options would have guaranteed their safety. I'm just offering some suggestions for consideration.

There are two lessons to be learned from this very sad situation. First, every driver who is physically capable of changing a wheel should practice it until they are able to do it properly. Second, it's better to drive to safety on a flat tire and risk damaging it than it is to stay in a place that is not safe and hope that roadside assistance arrives before the bad guys do.

Is your car protected?

Is your car protected? According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, July and August are the two worst months for vehicle thefts in the USA. That's an interesting statistic, but it's worth remembering that a lot of cars and trucks are also stolen in the other ten months of the year.

It isn't just luxury vehicles that disappear. Some of the most likely vehicles to be stolen are similar to the 1994 Honda Accord, with the Dodge Charger being a firm favorite of car thieves.

There are various physical methods of securing a vehicle. First, the most obvious and simple to do is to wind up the windows and lock all the doors (and the trunk if there is one), even when leaving the vehicle for a very short period of time. People who gas up their car and then leave the keys in it while they go into the gas station convenience store are giving a passing thief a great opportunity to steal a car with a full tank of gas. With gas prices today, that's just adding insult to injury. There are other physical means of securing a vehicle, such as a locking clamp on the steering wheel, or fitting one of the many electronic devices to disable the ignition system or the block the supply of fuel to the engine.

Another good idea is to have the vehicle's VIN number etched into all the windows. This may deter thieves from stealing the car to resell it. Some police and Sherrif's departments offer this service, or can refer car owners to organisations that can help.

A thin polymer film can be applied on the inside of all the windows--similar to tinting, but stronger--that serves as physicaldeterrent to thieves smashing the glass and stealing valuables through the window. Be sure to get an appropriate product. Ordinary window tint isn't designed as a security feature.

Whenever possible, park in places where it's possible to keep a visual check on the vehicle. Don't expect neighbors or passers-by to prevent someone from stealing your car. We don't live in Mayberry any more. There are many more things to take into account when it comes to vehicle security; not least of which is what to do in a carjacking--someone tries to take the car while the driver and passenges are in it. The main thing to remember is that cars can be replaced, people cannot. Let's be sensible about this.

More information on electronic car keys

In my previous post about my problem with electronic car keys, I did not realise that the car will only start by pressing the button if the car keys are actually close to the car. So, it would not be possible for a thief to simply press the button and start the car if the keys were not present. Thanks to Andy for pointing this out. Of course, it still leaves the problem that if the doors cannot be locked due to an electrical fault in the system, any items can still be stolen from the vehicle. Thanks again, Andy for the correction.

Problems with Electronic Car Keys

I recently rented a car from one of the large car rental companies. It was a late model, mid-size auto with the usual keyless electronic door lock system. Inside, instead of the traditional key activated ignition, there was a button that you press to start the engine. I drove to my hotel, got out of the car and tried to lock all the doors with the key fob. The doors would not lock. I tried to lock them manually, but when one door locked, another unlocked. Finally, I called the 800 number for customer support and was advised that there was a fault in the system and that I’d have to return the car to the rental place and get a different vehicle, which is what I did.

The real problem was that since the ignition was activated by a button, and not with a key, anyone could have climbed into the driver’s seat, started the car and driven away. I admit, I’m not a big fan of electronic gizmos, and this is part of the reason. Why would a car designer not include some sort of manual override to insure that the vehicle is secure when the owner (or renter in my case)  is away?

In future, I’ll ask for a rental car with a standard keyed ignition. At least I’ll have improved the odds in my favor a little bit of not coming back to an empty parking space where my rental ought to be.

The American Flag

I am the American flag. The Stars and Stripes. Old Glory. I am thirteen stripes, seven red alternating with six white to represent the original 13 colonies, with a white star on a blue background for each state. The colors are also those of the British and French flags; two countries that, in their own way each contributed to the birth of a new American nation, the likes of which had never been seen before. Over the years, more and more stars have been added to me, but not one has ever been taken away.

I have been carried by troops in every war from the Revolutionary war, Civil war, the war to end all wars, the war after that one, Korea, Vietnam and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I have been carried by athletes, by mountaineers, skydivers, on suit lapels and leather motorcycle jackets; I’ve even been carried into space and planted on the Moon. I have been carried on seas and oceans around the world and to the bottom of Pearl Harbor. I have flown at the Olympics, The White House, every state Capitol in the Union, school graduations, Boy Scout camps and NASCAR races. I have been trodden underfoot or burned by foreign dissenters and enemies of my country as well as Americans expressing their opinions. I have lain, draped over the coffins of those who can no longer salute me. I have flown at half mast to signify respect and remembrance for those who can no longer carry me in their hearts or hands. 

There are many flags in the world, each with their own story, each one unique. But I am not them and they are not me; for I am the American Flag.

© copyright John Higgs, 2013 Distribution for non-commercial use only.

It's Tornado Season. Do You Have Plan?

The tornado that swept across parts of Oklahoma recently and that touched down in Moore, OK, a few miles from Oklamoma City, was an E4 strength tornado. E5 is the most powerful. The tornado was estimated to be between one and two miles wide. Tornados can be incredibly unpredictable and extremely destructive. The Oklahoma tornado killed at least 24 people and  destroyed homes and two schools, according to reports.

While escaping or bugging out to safety is often the preferred method of surviving a natural disaster, there isn't always time to get away from a tornado, and because it can move so quickly, it isn't always possible to outrun it. Last weekend's tornado that hit parts of Oklahoma City also brought a lot of rain. Many people who tried to either drive out of the storm or get home from work were stuck on clogged freeways. Being stuck in a traffic jam AND in the path of a tornado is a very dangerous situation. A car is not a safe shelter for a tornado, it can be picked up and carried a long way by the high winds.

Modern technology has provided many towns and cities with up to 15 minutes warning of a potential tornado strike. This doesn't sound like much, but it's better than it used to be and it gives many people enough time to seek shelter where they are.

I think that it's a good idea before the annual tornado season begins, to put together a simple bugout bag that contains items that would help a person to survive for a few days in the event of a tornado hitting their home or where they work.

However, there is an alternative to to escaping from a tornado, and that is to Shelter in Place (SIP). SIP is often a much safer alternative to trying to outrun a tornado. People have done it for decades. Often, they simply go into the cellar of their home and hide under something solid, such as a workbench or table. It may not be perfect, but it's quick and simple to do, and it doesn't involve escaping while carrying a bag of belongings and going outside into the path of the tornado.

Many public places such as airports and government buildings offer designated tornado shelters. These are also good places for people who are not at home to seek shelter, but you have to know where they are located BEFORE there is the threat of a tornado.

Survival always comes back to the same principles: Be AWARE of your surroundings, be PREPARED with a simple plan and a few items to survive a specific, predetermined disaster, and be able to DECIDE if or when to put the plan into action.

Writing my Bugout Book

I'm writing another book. It's about escaping or evacuating from dangerous situations, which is commonly called "bugging out." I think there are a lot of misconceptions about bugging out. It's become the reason for some people to buy a 4x4 vehicle and
fill it with water, ammo, and freeze dried rations. I don't think there is anything inherently wrong with that, in fact I think it's great that more people are considering the possibility of having to go somewhere else to avoid a dangerous event--whatever that event may be. It's just that there are a lot more mundane, but more likely events that can harm people than "The Big One."

By all means, prepare for a major catastrophe if your time and budget allows, but let's not forget the smaller, less exciting episodes that are more likely: A chemical spill on the expressway that forces people to leave their homes for a few hours; forest fire, house fire, home invasion, fire in the workplace, bomb scare or active shooter alert in a public place; flood or  hurricane warning.

More often than not, it's the small, familiar things that can be the most dangerous because we don't perceive them to be a threat until it's too late. One example is a stronger than normal wave surge or tide at the beach. Some people heed the lifeguard's warning to stay out of the water, but a few actually gravitate to the beach to see what's going on. One example of this was the huge earthquake off the coast of Japan in 2011, which generated a tsunami wave that traveled across the Pacific Ocean to the California coast. Media outlets advised observers in California to stay away from the sea shore, but some people actually moved closer to the surf. One person died when they were swept out to sea. My bugout book is taking much longer to write than I anticipated, partly because it explores so many more attributes of bugging out than just packing a bugout bag for an emergency. I'll post updates on my progress from time to time ... 

Colorado Democrats Push Gun Bans in the Legislature

I spent Friday sitting in the gallery listening to the Colorado  Senate debating seven different gun bills. I had to leave while #6  (magazine ban over 15 rounds) was being debated, but the first five bills passed the committee along party lines with democrats voting for and republicans voting against. Interestingly, voice votes were (in my opinion and in the opinion of those sitting around me)  too close to call, but the Dem chairperson passed them anyway. The Assault Weapons Ban bill was held over until next week for debate. As the wording of the bill stands right now, it classifies all semi-auto rifles that use a detachable magazine (including .22 rimfire) as assault weapons. It bans any magazine over 15 rounds capacity, although the wording implies that any magazine that has a detacheable floorplate and that could accept an extender to increase the capacity over 15 rounds would also be banned. This means a de facto ban on any magazine with a removeable floorplate.

One win for the pro-freedom side: The magazine ban on tubular shotgun magazines was changed from a limit of 8 rounds, to a magazine length of 28 inches. Not surprisingly, the bill's author did not know that shotgun shells run in size from the short Aguila rounds to the 3 1/2 inch magnums     (2 3/4 and 3 inch lengths being the most popular.) A big "thank you" goes to gun rights activist and legal eagle David Kopel for helping her to rewrite that part of the bill and bring a tiny piece of common sense to a bad bill that will likely pass.

A big thank you goes to Colorado magazine manufacturer Magpul for supporting gun rights and standing firm on their comittment to leave the state if the magazine ban passes. Other local Colorado companies who supply Magpul testified that their businesses will be badly affected by Magpul leaving (further reducing employment and revenue in the state), but they all blamed the bill, and nobody blamed Magpul for their decision.

There was a long discussion about how  business and revenue in Colorado will be being adversly affected by the anti-gun bills. An Outdoors/hunting video production company stated they are pulling plans to video hunting in Colorado because the universal background check bill has such draconian requirements. They risk breaking the (proposed) law if a firearm is passed around from crew to presenters to hunters during filming! That's about a million dollars lost to the state, not including revenue from hotels, restaurants, gas stations etc. In fact, many out of state hunters could break the proposed backgound check law by carrying a rifle on the hunt that they borrowed from a friend or relative.

Yesterday, republican senators who made comments during their speeches about specific gun ban bills criticizing   the Democrats  for not standing up to the Mayor Bloomberg (New York)  initiated legislation were chastized by the Democrat Chair. So much for free speech!

Last week at the House Committee hearings, I heard a Magpul employee tearfully testify that if the bill passes she will have to decide between leaving Colorado and splitting up her family (two kids in college here)  or staying in Colorado and losing her job--her husband and another family member also work for Magpul. The reply from one of the Democrat female committee members was, "Talk to your employer." That was a nasty, egotistical comment for an elected official to make to a constituent.
We all know what happens when you give teenage boys whiskey and car keys. We are about to see what happens when you give left-wing politicians Bloomberg Kool-Aid and a majority in both Colorado legislatures.

Be Aware of Your Surroundings to the Best of Your Ability

I've long been a proponent of living in "Condition Yellow." In other words, being aware of one's surroundings: Walking, driving, travelling, standing at a bus stop, fishing at the local lake, walking around the supermarket, and just about any other occasion when we are out in a public place, we need to be aware of our surroundings. Our radar is running in a 360 degree circle, actively looking for something or someone approaching us that might turn out to be a threat to our security. This what it means to be in Condition Yellow. When we are in Condition White, it means we are UNaware of what is happening around us, and therefore we may become the victim of something nasty because we didn't get the warning to deal with or avoid it in time.

Today I was reminded that while we should strive to be in Condition Yellow 100 percent of our waking hours, it is not humanly possible. I was standing outside my house, concentrating on retrieving an item from my vehicle when a voice right behind me said, "Hi, John!"

I confess, I really jumped. Fortunately, it was a friend.

Does this mean that my system of awareness is faulty? No, not at all. What it does mean is that while we should strive every day to be completely aware of our surroundings, there are times when we get absorbed in what we're doing and we get surprised by things we didn't detect earlier. Nobody can live in Condition Yellow all the time. But by striving to reach that goal, we can greatly reduce our exposure to surprises. In other words, living in Condition Yellow to the best of our ability will reduce the chances of being surprised by some nasty event, but we cannot expect to reduce the odds to zero.

When the mall starts to flood, it's time to leave

Here's an interesting piece of video of water quickly flooding a shopping mall. How would you handle this?
First, regardless of what type of building we may be inside, it's always good to have a simple plan to get out quickly using an alternative exit from the one we came in by. A flood may be a bit unusual, but there are other reasons to want to escape from a location quickly: Fire, Riot, even a terrorist attack or a shooting may be the reason to get away quickly and safely.

When we walk into a mall, office building, airport, railroad station, restaurant, or any other public place, it's good to take a moment to identify where the emergency exits are located. Think also about other exits such as the delivery entrance at the rear of a supermarket and shopping mall, the kitchen entrance at a restaurant, the fire escape in an office building, etc.

Don't delay. If the situation looks bad, get out Now! You can always come back in if it turns out to be a false alarm.

Click here to watch the mall flooding and notice how quickly this happens. It doesn't leave much time to escape, so don't hang around filming it on your cell phone when you should be heading to higher ground.

12/21/2012 Don't Expect the World to End

A lot has been said the past couple of years about the Mayan Calendar coming to an end on December 21, 2012 and other coinciding events such as the alignment of the earth with the center of the galaxy. It reminds me of the last time that predictions were made about the collapse of civilization:
The event on December 31st, 1999 when the century changed from 1900 to  2000--commonly known as Y2K.

The prediction was that computers worldwide had not been programmed to recognize the date change, and therefore dates on computerized documents would show "January 1st, 1900" instead of  "January 1st, 2000." Imagine what that would do to computerized calculations, for example in banks, calculating interest on accounts, or in government facilities with scientific calculations involving date and distance. As a computer programmer at the time, I (like most programmers worldwide) spent quite a lot of my time leading up to Y2K ensuring that computer programs were updated to allow for the new century.

Even so, like many people worldwide, I doubted that every line of code in the world would be changed correctly and in time, and so I made some preparations for outages in the national electric grid and other utilities caused by computer failures, that could affect the supply of electrical power, water, electronic communication, and therefore may result in rioting, delays in food deliveries, lack of emergency services, etc.

Fortunately, on 12/31/1999 nothing much happened. But it did cause me to think about how to survive potentially dangerous incidents that are not as exotic as a worldwide collapse of technology, but are more likely: House fires, terrorist attacks, flu pandemics, hurricanes, earthquakes ... the world has experienced all of these on a fairly frequent basis.

One good thing about the whole Mayan calendar brouhaha is that it causes many people to ask themselves for the first time, "What if?"

What if I was without power, communications, food and water for 48 hours or longer? What if the police knocked at my door and told me I had five minutes to evacuate my home? Do I know what my options are to Shelter in Place (SIP) and ride out an emergency, or to evacuate to avoid one?

Let's use this Mayan calendar discussion as an opportunity to evaluate where we are, what the most likely threats to our well-being are, and what and who we have around us to be able to shelter in place or evacuate if we are ever faced with a more mundane, but more likely event that threatens our well-being.
See you on December 22nd!

My Interview on Armed american Radio

I recently did an interview on Armed American Radio with host Mark Walters, talking about my book, "Dealing with Danger -- Be Prepared, Aware, and Decisive." 

Mark and I discussed a lot of the principles a person can adopt to be more safe in their everyday life, and  to be better able end each day in the same or better condition than when the day began.

Click here to listen to the interview:
http://armedamericanradio.org/2012/10/10-21-2012-hour-2/#comments

What Would You do if a Natural Disaster Forced You to Leave Your Home?

The Hill Park forest fire in Northern Colorado is in its third day and has already burned more than 43,000 acres, destroyed more than one hundred structures, and killed one person. People have evacuated their homes, taking whatever belongings they can carry.
What would you do in a similar situation? Do you have a plan to evacuate? A place to go? What would you take with you? Better to think about these things before a disaster occurs, rather than when you're running out the door. If you live in an area prone to seasonal disasters (flooding in the Spring or forest fires in the Summer, for example), it makes sense to pack a bugout bag before the season begins. The bag could hold such items as a change of clothes, emergency cash, prescription medication, a written plan that includes a list of local hotels, Red Cross shelters, local boarding facilities for pets; a meetup place outside the danger zone to find family members, neighbors and friends. When it comes to surviving a disaster, a little planning and preparation can go a long way.

Helping Young Women to Take Care of Themselves

I recently gave presentations at three Boulder County high schools:  Monarch, Fairview, and Centaurus. The topic was situational awareness and having very simple plans to deal with challenging situations. There was a high level of interest from the young ladies who gave up their spare time to meet with me. One thing I've noticed (and that has been confirmed to me by other instructors and presenters) is that most women in their teens are very good at absorbing knowledge and applying those lessons learned if it's presented to them in a straightforward manner.

  That was fun. I hope I'll get invited back. Thanks to Red Tent Club (LIKE them on Facebook) for arranging the visits.

Lessons We Can All Learn from a Forest Fire Evacuation

A recent forest fire in the mountains south west of Denver, Colorado has prompted some families to rethink their plans for bugging out when the Sheriff's Dept. ordered residents to evacuate. Some people lost their homes to the fire, some were unable to return home for a week.

The Lower North Fork fire started in very dry, windy conditions in a heavily forested residential area around Conifer, Colorado. Some residents called the authorities to ask what was happening, but at that time, the fire wasn't considered a serious problem, so some people wasted time before finally evacuating.

The first lesson to be learned from this is, when you have concerns about your safety, don't wait to be told to leave. If you think it is safer to leave rather than stay, then leave!

Second, some simple preparations at the beginning of fire season, hurricane season, tornado season, or any other time of the year when certain natural disasters are more likely to occur, is to keep a bag packed with the important items such as personal papers, emergency cash, change of clothes, etc. Have a plan for where to go; Keep the car with at least a half tank of gasoline at all times; Be able to notify friends, relatives, neighbors, and emergency personnel such as local law enforcement about who you are, how many people in your family or group, and where you can be reached.

Practice leaving home inside of five minutes and plan accordingly. These are just a few of the things that should be included in a bugout plan.

Junkyard Dog likes Big Cats

The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg, Colorado, USA is home to many exotic animals that have been rescued from neglect and cruelty in private collections, roadside attractions, and traveling shows. Most of the people who work at the sanctuary are volunteers, and they have done an incredible job of building a home for bears, tigers, african lions and other wild cats--even a camel. Their latest project is to build an elevated platform one mile long, that visitors can walk along to get a better view of the animals without disturbing them. Please take a look at their website and pass it on to your friends:

http://www.wildanimalsanctuary.org/aboutus/mileintothewild.html

UK Man Attacks a Bar with a Chainsaw, Customers React

What would you do if you were sitting in a bar or restaurant and a man walked in with a chainsaw that was running, and began to attack the customers and the furniture? This is what happened
in the UK recently. Here is the link to watch the surveillance video.

Some of the customers fought back by throwing furniture and other objects at him, and some customers got away before they were injured. If you watch the video, notice one woman who stands outside, casually watching the situation.

It's a good thing to be a witness who can later describe to police what took place, but keep in mind that our first priority is to not put ourselves in harm's way without a very good reason. Some customers made the decision to fight back, others decided to get away. These are both valid choices, but just being a casual onlooker and risking being attacked for no good reason is not a smart course of action.

Suspicious packages

This is an excerpt from a police report of an explosion that officers responded to:

" ... Officers located both injured victims, a 44 year old female and her 59 year old husband. Ambulances transported the victims to a local hospital. Both victims sustained serious burn type injuries. The male victim advised the responding officers that upon walking out of their residence they saw a paper bag with their names on it next to their car. The female picked up the package and placed it in the car and they left their residence. They had driven approximately 1 block from the residence when the wife began to open the package, she set off some type of explosive device that severely burned both of them. the Regional Communications Center initiated a reverse 911 call to the neighborhood residents advising them of the incident. Approximately 20 homes in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle were evacuated as the threat or possibility of additional explosives was unknown. Approximately 8 hours later investigators were able to secure the area and vehicle ...."

There is an important lesson to be learned from this: We cannot assume that packages that we do not expect to receive are safe to open. We need to look at the bigger picture: Where is it located? what does it look like? Why is it here? Who could have put it there? What is a safe course of action? What does this mean for me? If there is any doubt at all about a package, it's better to leave it alone and dial 911 for help.

al Qaida in Africa

An Associated Press report says that al-Qaida has infiltrated Africa from one end of Sahara to the other. The group seems to have used the old method of winning hearts and minds to get on friendly terms with the locals by giving them much needed medical supplies, buying food from them at high prices, and respectfully asking to drink from their wells. As the saying goes, you catch more flies with sugar than with vinegar. One result of this infiltration is that the bases they set up in countries like Mali in the eastern part of the continent are being used to kidnap wealthy tourists for ransom to raise money to fund the groups. Let's hope that western governments have a strategy for dealing with hostage negotiations.