Use Of Force

No doubt about it - there was a true WROL situation happening across the pond this week. I offer all of the cyber-support I can to the families and friends over there who were victimized by these thugs. It's a stark awakening for some - but a reminder for others. It's a deep look into our natural, animal instincts. It's a mirror to failed policy and generations of mistrust.

There are no excuses. There are no true explanations. It's just people being people - we're all capable of it, some just have better coping skills.

Europe, America, Canada - there are examples that can be made in almost every major populated area in the world. I am no sociology professor, but I can see things happening on the news that I've never seen before. I don't know what's causing it, but I know that there are massive groups of people who seem to get a good kick out of destroying things. Lives, property, morale - if you look closely, a lot of the 'protesters' in England this week were smiling and laughing with each other - not being angry and screaming for change.

These examples are good reason to discuss a topic often left out of Canadian conversations, especially regarding the use of force. While some people subscribe to the notion of 'god given rights', I prefer to remove the religion from that statement and just call it 'natural rights'. I guess you have to be slightly humanistic to accept the notion that we all have inherent, inalienable rights that apply under all circumstances but in any case, this is a philosophy that I subscribe to and I'll discuss the use of force assuming that natural rights do apply.

Specifically, the natural right I'm referring to is a simple fact in my eyes; you have the right to protect yourself. In saying this, please understand that I am not identifying your property as a part of you - that's a separate issue that I'm not prepared to discuss in this article.

Understand, as well - I am not a police instructor nor a non-violent-crisis-intervention teacher. I'm just speaking about common sense here. A rational reaction method to an unreasonable situation. I think that's a fair conversation to have - after all, we're adults; responsible and rational.

So let's toss around a situation - there's a localized loss of the rule of law in your area - under a few kilometres from your house. You've secured your doors and main floor windows and your family is all accounted for and safe. What's next? I'll take for granted the fact that you've thought about this in advance.

If you're being confronted by an aggressive individual, there are a number of things to take into account when you're in the middle of a situation like this. Is he alone? What's his disposition? Does it look like he's carrying a weapon?

Remember O O D A.

Here's a little list to get us going. Use this as rough guide to your actions. Of course, everyone's arrangement will be different and dynamic but this could serve as a good starting point for an open dialogue concerning the use of force in a truly defensive situation. This list is used (apparently) by police officers - you'll have to draw up your own list. That in itself is a fantastic way to explore how self aware you are; know what you're capable of.

1. Physical Presence
2. Soft Hands
3. Mace or Pepper Spray
4. Hard Hands
5. Police Baton, Taser, etc.
6. Threat of Deadly Force
7. Deadly Force

Under no circumstances am I trying to portray a violent confrontation as a 'cool' or 'fun' thing to be involved in. I hope you can ascertain that from the tone of this article. You should only progress through these stages begrudgingly. Only after you've exhausted every possible alternative could you even consider the use of force on someone else. Alas, there will be times in an actual WROL situation that we will be forced to stand against someone trying to do harm to us. It's just a simple fact - there are people out there who will make the conscious decision to attack us at the most opportune time. It's unfortunate, but it's the reality of the world we live in. But I guess that's a fight or flight thing, isn't it?

These stages represent your reactions to a violent situation as it progresses. The time needed to advance to each new stage will depend entirely on you - and I'm not sure if it's something a civilian can train for, but it's certainly something you should be aware of.

It's a touchy subject - one worth talking about in our FORUM.

Review: North 49 Firesteel

A quick look at a piece of gear that I forgot I even had, though admittedly - that's the point of its placement. I keep this inside my hiking bag, attached to the pull rope that closes off the inner bag. I keep it there, attached to a length of paracord. I keep it on paracord for a number of reasons - it helps me identify what it is, among the other stuff in my bag. It's always good to have a bit of extra paracord on me as well.

I attached a keyring to the hole in the top of the firesteel to keep a length of an old sawblade attached. True - it's not the best striker, but if I don't have a knife on me it will work wonders I'm sure.

I took my hiking bag on an outing today and found this item right where it should be as I opened the bag. I had almost forgotten that this item was with me, but I suppose that is a part of it's own philosophy of use. It's truly an emergency item. It's there when I'll need it most - I put it right back after the picture was taken.

On the trail, I gathered a handful of dried out plant matter. I set it all on a rock along the shore of the river and placed my firesteel at about a 45 degree angle from the surface of the rock. I scraped the shaft of the firesteel with my knife - a SOG seal pup - and that was all it took. I wasn't surprised to witness the utility of this tool, but it was still cool to see it work so simply.

I'd recommend this type of tool to all outdoor enthusiasts. It displaces the need for a lighter - but it's easier to just use a butane torch by far. This acts very well as an emergency fire starter and should be included in any hiking bag. I'm not sure of the variances between different manufacturers but I doubt very much that you'd go wrong with any commercially available model.

We've got a discussion going on our FORUM regarding this article - c'mon in!

You hear a sound...

As my wife was jogging with our dog through one of the neighbourhoods close to ours, she heard a scream. As I have tried to explain to people, my wife tried to explain it to me. It was a 'scream', not a 'yell'. People, especially in the summer time, yell very often. There's all kinds of kids around too, having fun in the sun.

This instance, however, was different. Almost immediately following the noise was the clear sight of a male fleeing from the direction of the commotion. A scary thing to witness - not knowing what's going on, but my wife moved towards the location of the situation. She saw a younger female being lead towards a house, yelling and very upset. She called 911. The police arrived, a statement was taken and a little blurb in the newspaper gave us some closure - the bastard'd been caught.

The point isn't in the story itself, but you can pull a great lesson from all of this.

After everything had calmed down, we had a great chat about how she used the O O D A loop - even without consciously thinking about it. It's amazing how, even with the slightest amount of mindset training, it takes over in the face of crisis. She was able to put together her most rational decision and act on it.

These types of situations can happen anywhere. People lose their tempers all the time, and sometimes those scenarios can lead to medical emergencies - now there's a number of variables involved. It can occur at your cottage, in the suburbs, at a coffee shop or in the country. Human emotion is not limited by the same constructs that our feet are.

Take tomorrow as an opportunity to practise honing your auditory and visual skills. Just take a moment to stop and listen. Picking up on what's going on around you while still interacting with your environment. Can you explain what's happening around you while having your eyes closed?

Also take a moment to think about the differences between the types of 'outbursts' you could hear from a person. Think about what your reaction might be - and the legal, ethical and moral boundaries that might prevent you from doing what you think is 'right'.

Review: Professional Survival Solutions

Book Review: James Shepherd-Barron.

Professional Survival Solutions; “Everything that follows is based on recent, real-life experience that has been proven to work.”

Review by: Forest Sight

          In short, this is the best urban and deep field survival guide I have read… and I have read a lot. The author here has wonderfully put together a book with everything you should know if traveling abroad, be it vacationing in Europe or fighting in the theater of war in the Middle East.

This information is some of the most logical and descriptive solutions I have ever read up on. The author who by trade was a NATO peace-keeper and aid worker has presented all the necessary tips, skills and philosophies to get you through the experience of deep-field operations. The book is filled with real life dramas and situations that arise when in natural disasters, crisis relief efforts and military negotiations. If you ever wanted to get a start on being a real life MacGyver or James Bond, this is the book for you. The info that the author and his aid worker friends describe here run the gambit from first aid to hostage negotiations, to how to survive a riot. The chapters are filled with all sorts of things to consider in worst case situations as well as cultural differences and customs.

          This book is a dump truck of knowledge and common sense solutions to the most unthinkable occurrences in foreign countries. Half way through the read I thought to myself “I hope our troops over seas have read this and why isn’t it required reading?” I wish all of you could have a chance to browse this beauty.  I’m no operator or specialist but this should be common reading in high school or for anyone traveling to a 2^nd or 3^rd. world nation, for fun or humanitarian reasons. Again, anything from running from dogs to dodging bullets is contained therein these pages. The stories to the preparedness aspects of deep field scenarios are a genuine look into real world realities.

          To sum up the whole of this work is that you can’t go wrong with this helpful information. With only 237 pages and at a cost of $10.99 CAD this little gem will have you chuckling to almost trembling. By the way Page 237 is my favorite.

: Professional Survival Solutions; “Everything that follows is based on recent, real-life experience that has been proven to work.”

Publisher: www.penguin.com