Article by Bob Rinear, InvestYourself.com
I was asked to write an article for an outdoor website about Concealed Carry, and I thought that I might visit that topic with you all. It is a topic I’m pretty passionate about, so maybe some of you newer readers will be interested.
First, why should my opinion even count? Well, I am partner in a company that teaches the Florida concealed permit classes. We do two classes a week that average 18 to 30 people each. Secondly, our main instructor is an ex-sniper for the military, and between him and our other military/LEO instructors we have trained Florida Highway patrol, SWAT, Active shooter, home defense, military defense, long-range, close-range, auto-fire, etc. Most classes are in our indoor shooting range, but some high intensity training; however, is on our 15,000 acre ranch. So, I think I have the credentials to at least toss my hat in the ring. It doesn’t mean I’m right, just that I’m exposed to it a lot more training and information than most.
First off, why would anyone want a concealed carry license? The reasons vary. The cops come because they have to. The active-shooter response team comes, because they have to get trained. But I’m talking about the average every-day person that pays his fee and comes to class….
The reasons run the whole gambit. MOST people actually don’t come to class because THEY were assaulted, robbed or what-have-you, but almost ALL of them know someone who was. I can’t tell you how many girls come, because their sister/friend was assaulted. I can’t tell you the dozens that have come because their neighbor’s house was robbed, WITH the people inside. Or the folks that show-up, because someone in a car near them did something stupid and someone else’s road – rage and dragged them out of the car and beat them to a pulp. They don’t want it to happen to them.
I bring this all up because a lot of common thinking is that if you want a carry license, you must want to be some form of mutant Rambo, and act tough and get your testosterone off. Nothing could be further from the truth. The reason to become licensed has NOTHING to do with being tough, or wanting to act like John Wayne. It’s because you want to be LEFT ALONE. You don’t want trouble of any kind. You want peace and safety. Nothing else.
In a thread started on that outdoor website by “Easy reader” the other day; he asked “would you carry if you legally could”. I found some of the responses to his thread “interesting”. So, all I want to do is toss some ideas at you for you to chew on.
First off, the responsibility portion of the equation. When you slide that weapon in your pocket, you have to understand that every single bullet that comes out of that gun will have a lawyer’s number printed on it. In other words, IF you have to fire that puppy, you ARE going to face legal ramifications. It doesn’t matter if you’re right, or you’re wrong, you’re going to be spending time with cops, lawyers, and courts. It is going to cost you money. I don’t care if you shoot some scumbag that’s trying to abduct a 4-year-old-child while smoking bath salts and wearing a Jason hockey mask. His mother is going to sue you for shooting her poor misunderstood child. Realize it as reality.
Because of that very fact, it is imperative that you obtain self-defense insurance. I have personally interviewed all the big names in that space, and have decided that the people at SelfDefenseFund.com are indeed the ONLY outfit to go with. If you are ever in a situation where you needed to use a gun, knife, club or what have you to protect yourself, and you are charged criminally and/or civilly, Selfdefensefund.com will come to your assistance with unlimited funds, powerful attorneys and expert witnesses. Yet, the best part is the price. They offer this service for just 12.50 a month. You cannot, I repeat, cannot carry a weapon and not have this protection. I have it, my readers have it and we all sleep better.
So, that tool in your pocket carries with it the most serious life-changing power you’ll ever face. Thus, it is imperative that it remains concealed at all times during even some of the “touchiest” of trying times. It is imperative that you never, ever, use it as an ego-inflator or a reason to be the fool. The only time it should come out of your pocket is when there’s simply no other choice, because you or someone else is about to be seriously damaged to the point they could die and even then there will be a price to pay.
The big problem with this world is that we don’t get to tell the evil people what time is good for them to attack us. We don’t get to make appointments so we can make sure we’re carrying that day. I wish it was that easy, but it isn’t. So, a very big part of successful carry is this…
It has to be with you at all time, that it is legal to do so. You cannot pick and chose the days you’ll carry. I see some saying they carry in bad-areas, but don’t in others. Or they carry some days, but not when going to their buddy’s for a barbecue. Sorry. Evil doesn’t care about economic status, or how nice a neighborhood appears. The laws of probability do not respect your particular carry days. You could just as easily be put in a life-threatening situation waiting for the bus in front of your house, as you could in a McDonald’s in any-town U.S.A. So again, job one is…you have to carry your weapon. All day. Every day. Sure you could get away with carrying it now and then. But you can bet the ONLY day in your whole life you need it, it will be home in the safe.
All that said, always remember this. MOST people that do indeed faithfully carry their weapon NEVER have to use it. We’ve got “carry people” that have never shown their weapon in 20, 30, 40 years. We’ve got COPS that have never pulled their weapons. Good. That’s PERFECT. We don’t want to. Ever. Because for us to pull that weapon, there’s evil going on that NO ONE wants to happen.
HOWEVER ,what we do preach until we’re blue in the face is AWARENESS. The most important “mindset” is being aware of your surroundings, who’s in it, and how close. Most people are totally oblivious to what’s going on around them, and that’s the bad guy’s favorite target. There’s no way to quantify it, but we feel comfortable saying that 70% of all bad encounters could be avoided simply by paying attention to what’s going on.
Why? Usually the “predators” don’t like to be spotted. They want the surprise-factor. So, make eye contact with those around you. Don’t “eyeball them” and get in their face, just make eye contact and let them know that you’re aware of them. Instantly, you become less of a “mark” to the bad guy. If you’re aware of your surroundings, you can get that “vibe” that says “something doesn’t feel right here, let’s move on”. Situational awareness is unquestionably one of the single most important aspects of personal safety and defense.
Here in Florida we pump our own gas. One student (Justin) came in to class still nursing bandages on his head. He had pulled into a gas station, and used his credit card and then started pumping gas. In his own words he said “I was thinking about the football game on TV later. I had friends coming over. I was blankly staring at the side of my car while the pump was running. I never saw the guy that walked up behind me, cracked me in the head, and took off in my car.”
When we saw the security video, sure enough the “bad guy” walked at least 85 feet at a leisurely pace toward this kid who was obviously paying no attention to anything. He looked around twice, and then whacked this kid in the head. He hung up the pump, and calmly drove off with the kid laying on the ground. If Justin here had looked around when he pulled in, he’d have seen this guy “standing around” in an area where there was no reason to be hanging around. He’d have seen this guy walking towards him trying to keep the baseball bat hidden. Chances are, it probably wouldn’t have happened to Justin. The next person “daydreaming”; however, was in for a bad day.
I don’t want people obsessing over the gun in their pocket. I want people learning how to be aware of their surroundings without being paranoid. THAT is good mindset.
Do you need to train? Yes, you do. But again, make sure you’re training for the right thing. Plain old target shooting is fantastic. You want to learn a perfect grip, trigger control, etc. You want to put your bullets in the target and practice out to 21 feet. You want to completely understand your gun. Every facet of it. Train for jams. Train for a loose magazine. Does your gun slide lock open on last shot, or close up again? Know the difference. Do you know where to carry an extra magazine? Do you know which way to face it, to make the grab and load in one-motion? Do you know how to “clear” your clothing? Think about it folks. If you use an inside the waist belt clip holster, what’s the motion to clear your shirt? Where do you put your free-hand? What do you do in your car? Is it buried in your pocket, and you couldn’t get it out if you tried because of the seat belt?? Is it in the glove box? Ever practice trying to get to it quick? See the point?
Find a good range with a good instructor that will listen to the questions YOU ask, not just the agenda he has for your session. Most people want to be proficient and safe with their weapon and no further. Others like the training and will take ever more advanced classes. That’s fine, but please…know the basics as well as you can know them, before worrying about timed pop ups, and hip draws.
About Bob Rinear
Bob Rinear started life at the New Jersey shore. Born and raised on the edge of the bay, he spent much of his youth exploring the bays and rivers of coastal New Jersey. After High School, Bob went to Gem City College in Illinois to learn the art of watchmaking, clockmaking, jewelry repair and design, and hand engraving.
After successful completion of he school work, Bob went to work for a local Jeweler, mostly doing jewelry repairs and watch cleaning. A year later, Bob went out on his own and opened his own repair shop, ultimately doing contract Jewelry repairs for some 18 different stores.
It was during this time of buying gold and silver products, that Bob realized that the price of gold constantly changed, often dramatically. What was behind the movement? He didn’t know, but he set out to find out. What he found was intriguing. Political issues, global economics, currency moves, interest rates, etc. all combined to move the price of the precious metals.
With his interest piqued, he began learning about Wall Street, and investing. What he really learned was that what people were being told, is not what was really going on. Wall Street was one big lie after another, and what the financial media was telling people was not how things really worked.
Bob started personally investing in the early 90’s, and became quite good at it. Soon word spread and people wanted to know the secret.
Well there was no secret, there was simply the work of finding out the truth, versus what Wall Street was peddling.
In 1995 Bob began a small private newsletter that circulated amongst a half dozen investment clubs, and as the popularity rose, he decided to “bring it to the masses.” He developed and founded InvestYourself.com in October of 1997, offering a free weekly newsletter and a pay-for subscription area for his members.
As Bob became more well known, he was invited onto over 200 radio shows. He was interviewed live on Fox business TV, he was quoted in the Wall Street Journal and in Barrons. He’s talked at 22 seminars covering such topics as options trading, gold and silver miners, short selling etc. Now, some 20 years later InvestYourself is still growing and Bob’s still writing.
However, one of life’s lessons taught Bob that people didn’t just need help trying to navigate the markets. He became a silent partner in a self defense weapons training company. He’s written dozens of articles about self defense, concealed weapons, handguns, ammunition, and protecting your home.
Leaning on the experience of folks that had military deployments in third world nations, Bob learned a lot about “prepping” for emergencies. Water filtration, food storage, home defense, alternative power, and a host of other useful skills. So on any particular day, Bob’s newsletter might not focus solely on markets, it might be “which carry gun is best for you?” Or, “how to stay cool when the powers out.”
Bob’s guiding statement is simple. Believe in God, always try and do the right thing, help as many as you can, and never stop learning. He’s been doing that for all of his 60 years.
Bob’s been married to a wonderful gal for some 33 years, and has two boys. He lives in Sarasota Florida, but still keeps a small place on the Jersey shore which he escapes to now and then to meet up with old friends, and chase Striped bass, weakfish and tuna.
Bob’s review of SelfDefenseFund.com:
http://priceofbusiness.com/buy-this-today-really/
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