"On Sheep, Wolves and Sheepdogs"

I have referred hundreds, if not thousands, of people to this piece by Col. Grossman, primarily my students. I don't know why it has taken me so long to put it on my blog but here it is. While a very few people in the self-defense industry will disagree with it, there are a few. In my experience, the ones that disagree are self-aggrandizing and think they have a better analogy that will bring their disciples closer to them. Personally, I don't know how it could possibly be described any better! 

Read it, think about it and read it again. Then use it to help analyze your own ability and willingness to stand up to the wolf. 

Train like your life depends it, because it very well might someday!

******

 "On Sheep, Wolves and Sheepdogs"

By LTC Dave Grossman (RET), author of “On Killing.”

Honor never grows old, and honor rejoices the heart of age. It does so because honor is, finally, about defending those noble and worthy things that deserve defending, even if it comes at a high cost. In our time, that may mean social disapproval, public scorn, hardship, persecution, or as always, even death itself. The question remains: What is worth defending? What is worth dying for? What is worth living for? – William J. Bennett – in a lecture to the United States Naval Academy November 24, 1997

One Vietnam veteran, an old retired colonel, once said this to me:

“Most of the people in our society are sheep. They are kind, gentle, productive creatures who can only hurt one another by accident.” This is true. Remember, the murder rate is six per 100,000 per year, and the aggravated assault rate is four per 1,000 per year. What this means is that the vast majority of Americans are not inclined to hurt one another. Some estimates say that two million Americans are victims of violent crimes every year, a tragic, staggering number, perhaps an all-time record rate of violent crime. But there are almost 300 million Americans, which means that the odds of being a victim of violent crime is considerably less than one in a hundred on any given year. Furthermore, since many violent crimes are committed by repeat offenders, the actual number of violent citizens is considerably less than two million.

Thus there is a paradox, and we must grasp both ends of the situation: We may well be in the most violent times in history, but violence is still remarkably rare. This is because most citizens are kind, decent people who are not capable of hurting each other, except by accident or under extreme provocation. They are sheep.

I mean nothing negative by calling them sheep. To me it is like the pretty, blue robin’s egg. Inside it is soft and gooey but someday it will grow into something wonderful. But the egg cannot survive without its hard blue shell. Police officers, soldiers, and other warriors are like that shell, and someday the civilization they protect will grow into something wonderful.? For now, though, they need warriors to protect them from the predators.

“Then there are the wolves,” the old war veteran said, “and the wolves feed on the sheep without mercy.” Do you believe there are wolves out there who will feed on the flock without mercy? You better believe it. There are evil men in this world and they are capable of evil deeds. The moment you forget that or pretend it is not so, you become a sheep. There is no safety in denial.

“Then there are sheepdogs,” he went on, “and I’m a sheepdog. I live to protect the flock and confront the wolf.”

If you have no capacity for violence then you are a healthy productive citizen, a sheep. If you have a capacity for violence and no empathy for your fellow citizens, then you have defined an aggressive sociopath, a wolf. But what if you have a capacity for violence, and a deep love for your fellow citizens? What do you have then? A sheepdog, a warrior, someone who is walking the hero’s path. Someone who can walk into the heart of darkness, into the universal human phobia, and walk out unscathed

Let me expand on this old soldier’s excellent model of the sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs. We know that the sheep live in denial, that is what makes them sheep. They do not want to believe that there is evil in the world. They can accept the fact that fires can happen, which is why they want fire extinguishers, fire sprinklers, fire alarms and fire exits throughout their kids’ schools.

But many of them are outraged at the idea of putting an armed police officer in their kid’s school. Our children are thousands of times more likely to be killed or seriously injured by school violence than fire, but the sheep’s only response to the possibility of violence is denial. The idea of someone coming to kill or harm their child is just too hard, and so they chose the path of denial.

The sheep generally do not like the sheepdog. He looks a lot like the wolf. He has fangs and the capacity for violence. The difference, though, is that the sheepdog must not, can not and will not ever harm the sheep. Any sheep dog who intentionally harms the lowliest little lamb will be punished and removed. The world cannot work any other way, at least not in a representative democracy or a republic such as ours.

Still, the sheepdog disturbs the sheep. He is a constant reminder that there are wolves in the land. They would prefer that he didn’t tell them where to go, or give them traffic tickets, or stand at the ready in our airports in camouflage fatigues holding an M-16. The sheep would much rather have the sheepdog cash in his fangs, spray paint himself white, and go, “Baa.”

Until the wolf shows up. Then the entire flock tries desperately to hide behind one lonely sheepdog.

The students, the victims, at Columbine High School were big, tough high school students, and under ordinary circumstances they would not have had the time of day for a police officer. They were not bad kids; they just had nothing to say to a cop. When the school was under attack, however, and SWAT teams were clearing the rooms and hallways, the officers had to physically peel those clinging, sobbing kids off of them. This is how the little lambs feel about their sheepdog when the wolf is at the door.

Look at what happened after September 11, 2001 when the wolf pounded hard on the door. Remember how America, more than ever before, felt differently about their law enforcement officers and military personnel? Remember how many times you heard the word hero?

Understand that there is nothing morally superior about being a sheepdog; it is just what you choose to be. Also understand that a sheepdog is a funny critter: He is always sniffing around out on the perimeter, checking the breeze, barking at things that go bump in the night, and yearning for a righteous battle. That is, the young sheepdogs yearn for a righteous battle. The old sheepdogs are a little older and wiser, but they move to the sound of the guns when needed right along with the young ones.

Here is how the sheep and the sheepdog think differently. The sheep pretend the wolf will never come, but the sheepdog lives for that day. After the attacks on September 11, 2001, most of the sheep, that is, most citizens in America said, “Thank God I wasn’t on one of those planes.” The sheepdogs, the warriors, said, “Dear God, I wish I could have been on one of those planes. Maybe I could have made a difference.” When you are truly transformed into a warrior and have truly invested yourself into warriorhood, you want to be there. You want to be able to make a difference.

There is nothing morally superior about the sheepdog, the warrior, but he does have one real advantage. Only one. And that is that he is able to survive and thrive in an environment that destroys 98 percent of the population. There was research conducted a few years ago with individuals convicted of violent crimes. These cons were in prison for serious, predatory crimes of violence: assaults, murders and killing law enforcement officers. The vast majority said that they specifically targeted victims by body language: slumped walk, passive behavior and lack of awareness. They chose their victims like big cats do in Africa, when they select one out of the herd that is least able to protect itself.

Some people may be destined to be sheep and others might be genetically primed to be wolves or sheepdogs. But I believe that most people can choose which one they want to be, and I’m proud to say that more and more Americans are choosing to become sheepdogs.

Seven months after the attack on September 11, 2001, Todd Beamer was honored in his hometown of Cranbury, New Jersey. Todd, as you recall, was the man on Flight 93 over Pennsylvania who called on his cell phone to alert an operator from United Airlines about the hijacking. When he learned of the other three passenger planes that had been used as weapons, Todd dropped his phone and uttered the words, “Let’s roll,” which authorities believe was a signal to the other passengers to confront the terrorist hijackers. In one hour, a transformation occurred among the passengers – athletes, business people and parents. — from sheep to sheepdogs and together they fought the wolves, ultimately saving an unknown number of lives on the ground.

There is no safety for honest men except by believing all possible evil of evil men. – Edmund Burke

Here is the point I like to emphasize, especially to the thousands of police officers and soldiers I speak to each year. In nature the sheep, real sheep, are born as sheep. Sheepdogs are born that way, and so are wolves. They didn’t have a choice. But you are not a critter. As a human being, you can be whatever you want to be. It is a conscious, moral decision.

If you want to be a sheep, then you can be a sheep and that is okay, but you must understand the price you pay. When the wolf comes, you and your loved ones are going to die if there is not a sheepdog there to protect you. If you want to be a wolf, you can be one, but the sheepdogs are going to hunt you down and you will never have rest, safety, trust or love. But if you want to be a sheepdog and walk the warrior’s path, then you must make a conscious and moral decision every day to dedicate, equip and prepare yourself to thrive in that toxic, corrosive moment when the wolf comes knocking at the door.

For example, many officers carry their weapons in church.? They are well concealed in ankle holsters, shoulder holsters or inside-the-belt holsters tucked into the small of their backs.? Anytime you go to some form of religious service, there is a very good chance that a police officer in your congregation is carrying. You will never know if there is such an individual in your place of worship, until the wolf appears to massacre you and your loved ones.

I was training a group of police officers in Texas, and during the break, one officer asked his friend if he carried his weapon in church. The other cop replied, “I will never be caught without my gun in church.” I asked why he felt so strongly about this, and he told me about a cop he knew who was at a church massacre in Ft. Worth, Texas in 1999. In that incident, a mentally deranged individual came into the church and opened fire, gunning down fourteen people. He said that officer believed he could have saved every life that day if he had been carrying his gun. His own son was shot, and all he could do was throw himself on the boy’s body and wait to die. That cop looked me in the eye and said, “Do you have any idea how hard it would be to live with yourself after that?”

Some individuals would be horrified if they knew this police officer was carrying a weapon in church. They might call him paranoid and would probably scorn him. Yet these same individuals would be enraged and would call for “heads to roll” if they found out that the airbags in their cars were defective, or that the fire extinguisher and fire sprinklers in their kids’ school did not work. They can accept the fact that fires and traffic accidents can happen and that there must be safeguards against them.

Their only response to the wolf, though, is denial, and all too often their response to the sheepdog is scorn and disdain. But the sheepdog quietly asks himself, “Do you have and idea how hard it would be to live with yourself if your loved ones attacked and killed, and you had to stand there helplessly because you were unprepared for that day?”

It is denial that turns people into sheep. Sheep are psychologically destroyed by combat because their only defense is denial, which is counterproductive and destructive, resulting in fear, helplessness and horror when the wolf shows up.

Denial kills you twice. It kills you once, at your moment of truth when you are not physically prepared: you didn’t bring your gun, you didn’t train. Your only defense was wishful thinking. Hope is not a strategy. Denial kills you a second time because even if you do physically survive, you are psychologically shattered by your fear helplessness and horror at your moment of truth.

Gavin de Becker puts it like this in Fear Less, his superb post-9/11 book, which should be required reading for anyone trying to come to terms with our current world situation: “…denial can be seductive, but it has an insidious side effect. For all the peace of mind deniers think they get by saying it isn’t so, the fall they take when faced with new violence is all the more unsettling.”

Denial is a save-now-pay-later scheme, a contract written entirely in small print, for in the long run, the denying person knows the truth on some level.

And so the warrior must strive to confront denial in all aspects of his life, and prepare himself for the day when evil comes. If you are warrior who is legally authorized to carry a weapon and you step outside without that weapon, then you become a sheep, pretending that the bad man will not come today. No one can be “on” 24/7, for a lifetime. Everyone needs down time. But if you are authorized to carry a weapon, and you walk outside without it, just take a deep breath, and say this to yourself…

“Baa.”

This business of being a sheep or a sheep dog is not a yes-no dichotomy. It is not an all-or-nothing, either-or choice. It is a matter of degrees, a continuum. On one end is an abject, head-in-the-sand-sheep and on the other end is the ultimate warrior. Few people exist completely on one end or the other. Most of us live somewhere in between. 

Since 9-11 almost everyone in America took a step up that continuum, away from denial. The sheep took a few steps toward accepting and appreciating their warriors, and the warriors started taking their job more seriously. The degree to which you move up that continuum, away from sheephood and denial, is the degree to which you and your loved ones will survive, physically and psychologically at your moment of truth.

**********

In Liberty, Cope Reynolds (@Desertscout1) 

Colts and Kimbers are what you show your friends.  

GLOCKS are what you show your enemies!

Assault Weapons?

OK, it's time to clarify something here... What is an assault weapon? 

People are constantly trying to correct others over the use of the term, "assault rifle" or "assault weapon". I think some of them are desperately trying to make themselves look more knowledgeable than they really are or, maybe they are just trying to make a political point that really doesn't exist. Either way, they are making way too big of a deal out of it. The point is, it's starting to make them look silly.

Their big argument is that a rifle cannot "assault". They say assault is verb, not a noun. OK, fair enough, I get it. However, when you carried that rifle onto the beach at Normandy to conduct the assault on the enemy thereon, did your rifle not become the tool to facilitate that assault? An assault rifle, so to speak? Even your bolt-action rifle?

Others use the example of the German StG 44 or "Sturmgewehr 44" to make their argument, saying that it was the first actual assault rifle. Why? Well, because "sturm" means to storm or assault in German and "gewehr" means rifle or shotgun. Over the years, it has kind of become the standard term for military-style rifles. So, Sturmgewehr literally means assault rifle. Why? Because it was used to assault. Was it the first assault rifle? No, it wasn't, but it was the first to be named as such. Additionally, since the StG 44 had full-auto capability, the nitpickers claim that in order for a firearm to earn the title of "assault weapon", it must also have full-auto capability.

 

Balderdash! 

 

It doesn't matter if a firearm is short, long, heavy, light, convenient, full-auto, semi-auto, high-capacity or has a folding stock, forward pistol grip or a heat shield. What matters is what it is used for. Daniel Boone's Kentucky rifle was an assault rifle, at times, as was the 1873 Springfield and the Remington '03-A3.

Golf club is a noun. It's used for golfing, that's why they call it that. Do you know what they use a cutting board for? Yep, it facilitates the cutting of meat and potatoes. How about a punching bag? Anyone want to hazard a guess as to what those are used for? You got it! Punching! This noun's only job is to hang there and let you punch it. How about a shooting rest or a fishing pole? Butcher knife? And so it is with the assault weapon.

Oh, and guess what a "hunting" rifle is used for. But hunting, is a verb. How can that be?

PARTISAN BARS

 I pulled this article down for a few weeks while I contemplated the benefits of commercializing this recipe. Several people have encouraged me to do it but, I have decided against it. Some things are more important than money. With times being as they are, I think the benefits of sharing this recipe freely, outweigh the benefits of profiting from it. The recipe below may help some of you with your preparedness efforts and that is worth it to me, so here you go...

I know that there are no less than 863,439 people throughout history that have come up with a similar idea, but, as the Marines say of their rifle, "There are many like it, but this one is mine!" I'm talking about Partisan Bars.

For the last several years, I've had a staple of some type on my mind. I didn't really know what it was but I wanted something that would last a long time without refrigeration, taste fairly decent and be somewhat healthy. Hardtack, from days gone by, was a similar concept. The original hardtack would literally last for many years without refrigeration but didn't taste all that great and it's heath benefits were questionable and it was just boring. I wanted something that was a little less primitive but not really a recreational snack either. I wanted a staple. Something that would get me by comfortably for quite awhile without any additional supplement except water or perhaps a good companion for my Survival Tabs. I didn't necessarily care if it lasted for years but a few weeks or maybe months would be nice.

A good friend of mine came up with something she called Freedom Biscuits and she shared the recipe with me. They were pretty darned good and I'll be saving the recipe but they were still not just exactly what I was looking for. I give her credit for getting me started on this journey!

Enter the Partisan Bars (we'll talk about the name later). I think I have come up with the perfect recipe for ME. Your mileage may vary. You may not like them at all but I do, and I am who I made them for.

The recipe below makes 24-4"x4" bars over 1/2" thick. That's 12 bars each in two, 12"x16" cookie sheets. The bars are fairly heavy and later on in this article I will compare the nutritional value between them and oatmeal cookies and granola bars.

Here we go...

• 6 tbsp of cultured buttermilk powder.

• 4 c. high altitude, whole wheat flour. (All-purpose flour works fine but I much prefer the nutritional value of wheat flour.)

• 4 c. instant oatmeal or old fashioned rolled oats.
  

•  4 tsp baking powder.

• 1 c. crushed nuts of your choice. I use walnuts. The nuts are mainly for protein. I also add one, heaping scoop of protein powder for additional protein. If you're allergic to nuts or would rather not have them, add 2 additional scoops of protein powder.
  

• 1 tsp baking soda.

• 6 tbsp peanut butter. (Shortening works fine but, again, I prefer the nutritional value of peanut butter).
  

• 4 tbsp brown sugar.

• 1 c. raisins.

• 3 tsp cinnamon. 
  

•  6½-7 c. very hot water.

(To change the flavor up a little, you can add some crushed, dried banana chips,  cocoa powder, vanilla, or any other shelf-stable product that you find tasty).

Put ALL the dry products, including raisins, in large bowl and mix thoroughly.

Put your peanut butter (or shortening) in a small container and pop it in the microwave for a minute or so. While it is softening, pour 6 cups of very hot water in the bowl and begin to mix. When your peanut butter is ready, add it into the  mix (a rubber spatula is helpful for removing all the peanut butter from the container). Now mix everything thoroughly. I use hot water to keep the peanut butter or shortening soft while mixing.

I said 6 cups of hot water to start with but now you can add water and mix until the dough reaches the desired consistency. 6 cups will make a very thick dough that can be made into individual bars or cookies if desired. I make mine much thinner by continuing to add hot water until the mix is relatively self-leveling. Pour half of the mix into each pan and spread the dough evenly over the entire area of the pans. It will raise slightly and make your bars over ½" thick 

 

Bake at 375° for 30 minutes.  45 minutes makes them a little drier, which is fine.

Now you can put them in the cookie jar, freeze them, vacuum pack them or put a few in a box in the truck so you'll always have a nutritious snack. Each bar weighs about 5 ounces so a couple of them actually makes a light meal instead of a sugary snack. Great for hunting, traveling or eating on the run!  Drop one in the toaster, slather with peanut butter, get you a class of cold milk and you'll know what they eat for breakfast in Heaven! Don't fret if they get hard. Just eat them!

Now, here's how you make them last...

Just dropping them in the cookie jar (after they cool) will only give you a week or so before they start molding because of the moisture still in them. Ziploc bags are no help. Fold-top sandwich bags are a little better but not much. Just wrapping them in a paper towel worked great because it allowed for complete air circulation and it helped them to dry and harden somewhat. Vacuum packing with your Seal-a-Meal works well but I don't know how well yet. I put several of the bars in all the containers listed above on 29 November and today is 3 January. The ones wrapped in paper towels and the ones that were vacuum packed still don't show any signs of molding so the test continues! Putting them in the fridge extends the life greatly and, of course, vacuum packing AND freezing them will make them last virtually indefinitely. 

Now then, here's the deal. Our air fryer has a dehydrating mode. 2 hours at a 120 degrees and the perfect survival bar is born! It dries them completely but because they are kind of fluffy to begin with, they are not rock hard. They're probably a little too hard for people with bad teeth but a little milk or water will remedy that. Remember, the purpose of the Partisan Bar is to offer a nutritious, convenient, compact way to provide healthy sustenance over long periods of time, not a recreational, fattening snack.

Here's the nutritional breakdown by weight as best as I could figure. One Partisan Bar weighs 5 ounces. That's about the same as 6, medium sized, oatmeal cookies and 3.3 Nature Valley Granola bars.

 1 Partisan bar                   6 cookies                 3.3 Granola bars

Calories - 182                      360                              462

Fat - 7g                                 15g                             13g

Sodium - 40mg                    192mg                         215mg

Carbs - 26g                           54g                              82g

Fiber - 4g                             1.8g                                7g

Sugars - 3g                           26g                              23g

Protein - 7g                             4g                              10g

 

This is nearly the perfect snack and could easily be considered for a meal. Based on recommended daily allowance, established by the Institute of Medicine, the average person should consume 45 to 60% of their daily calories from carbohydrates and 10 to 35% from protein. This means that a 2000 calorie diet should provide 225-325 grams of carbohydrates and 50 to 175 grams of protein. That's a ratio of roughly 4.5 carbs to 1 gram of protein.

 

I'm not suggesting that one should try to live on these bars for an extended period of time, however, if you were to eat 3 Partisan bars, 3 times a day, you would consume approximately 1638 calories. 234 from carbohydrates and 63 from protein (again, you can alter your protein with powder). That's 3.7 to 1 and makes the Partisan Bar fairly diabetic friendly! This is assuming that you use walnuts, peanut butter and 1 scoop of protein powder.

The cost?

This will vary slightly, depending on how much protein powder you use, what kind of powder you get, whether you buy the ingredients in bulk, etc.

At December 2022 prices, using crushed walnuts and 1 scoop of protein powder, the whole recipe for 24 bars, costs $6.96. That's a little less than 34 cents per bar.

 

Now, the name...

 

Most of you know that I'm heavily into preparedness. I work outdoors and travel a lot. I'm an outdoorsman and a patriot.

Since every conceivable combination of names for bars, cakes and cookies involving protein, power, preparedness, survival, etc. has pretty much been used up several times over, I decided that my bars should be named something that represents a mindset and a lifestyle.

 

In military terminology, a Partisan is a member of a party of light or irregular troops engaged in harassing an enemy, especially a member of a guerrilla band engaged in fighting or sabotage against an occupying army.

So, the Partisan (or Rebel, if you prefer) Bar was born.

 

You're welcome!

 

 

 

. 

 In Liberty, Cope Reynolds (Desertscout1)  

Colts and Kimbers are what you show your friends. 

GLOCKS are what you show your enemies!

Food Shortages Are No Joke!

You've all heard this before. The difference is, this is the last time...

A lot is going on in our country right now. Prices of virtually everything are sky high. We are seeing the beginning of hyper-inflation. Fuel prices are making it hard to do any traveling that is not absolutely necessary. Even just going to work is a difficult. Lumber prices are through the roof which is dramatically affecting new home prices. Groceries are WAY higher than they have ever been and continue to rise and food shortages are becoming very apparent. To top it all off, the chances of being launched into WW III continue to be a concern. 

You guys know all this. Most of you also know that I have been heavily involved in disaster preparedness for my whole life, literally. I have taught many, many classes on it, written a book about it, researched and sold products concerning it and have tried to help people at every turn. I am also the Emergency Preparedness Coordinator at my church.

Food, water, medical supplies and the training to use them, alternative power, defense and communications are all vital issues that will affect how well we weather this storm.

I've warned you this whole year about the upcoming price increase for Survival Tabs. Every time I ordered, I thought it would be the last time I could get them at that price. I know y'all have been thinking I was crying wolf but it's finally here. I got a call last week from the sales rep that I dealt with when I had my store and the price is definitely going up at the first of the year. Its not going to be pretty. Beyond any shadow of a doubt, this will be the last time I'll be able to order at this price. Not only is the price going up, demand during these turbulent times is higher than ever. 

 

 The average price on Amazon is $45 for a single bottle but I am offering this potentially life-saving product for $28 one last time. In order to get this price AND free shipping, you will have to order a minimum of 5 bottles.  Ordering information is at the bottom of this message.

 

YOU LITERALLY CANNOT GROW YOUR OWN FOOD FOR THIS PRICE!

I've posted this several times but for those of you that are not yet familiar with Survival Tabs, here's the deal...

 

 Survival Tabs are lightweight, compact, very inexpensive and can keep you alive and healthy for long periods of time, maybe even indefinitely.

The following is from the last email to refresh your memory and for the new folks...

"I have personally used and sold Survival Tabs now for about 15 years. They are nutritious, long-lasting and compact. The average person only needs 12 tablets per day to provide all the nutrition necessary to get by with no other supplement except water! I'VE DONE IT! 180 tablets in a bottle provides you with 15 days worth of food for only 28 bucks!! You literally cannot grow your own food this cheap and you can put a year's supply for one person in a small suitcase. They are invaluable for trips, camping, hiking, emergencies or long-term food storage. They come in 4 delicious flavors; chocolate, strawberry, butterscotch and vanilla malt and have a shelf-life of 25+ years!

I'm doing this for friends, family and students because I feel a sense of urgency. This company has not raised its prices for a very, very long time but they are  doing it by the 1st of the year.

 

Note: Again, the price increase is here now! They will never be offered at this price again."

If any of you have any questions or concerns about this or any other preparedness issue, PLEASE don't hesitate to give me a holler! I will help as much as I can. You can message me on Gab or Facebook for payment information and my phone number will be provided to those that receive this via email or text.

Because I am offering these tablets at such a low price, I cannot accept credit cards because of the fees. I have, in fact, closed my PayPal account which is how I used to take cards so here's how you can pay...

* Zelle, using this email address... Username: Desertscout1

I wasn't going to allow Venmo this time either but out of necessity, I must so for Venmo, the username is also Desertscout1.

* Postal money order to:

Cope Reynolds
650 N. Penrod Rd #554
Show Low, AZ 85901

* If you are local, of course I will accept cash or check
If you have any problems, get a hold of me and we'll work it out.

I plan to make this order on Friday, December 30th so I will need to have payment in hand NLT that day! I know it's short notice but if we're going to beat this price increase, we don't have a choice.

In Liberty,
Cope Reynolds

 

Oh Gee, I'm Sorry!

The firearms community has learned a lot about gun safety over the years, particularly in the last 20 years or so. Some things that are considered a gross violation of the safety rules today was commonly accepted not that long ago. You wouldn't believe the number of times that I have been called a "safety nazi", or something similar for pointing out the ridiculously stupid things that some gun owners do, even experienced gun owners.

"Experienced" isn't always the equivalent of "good"! Jason Duncan was on the range with me as an assistant instructor during the training of nearly 2000 students before we each went on to other things. Jason and I have seen some things that would make your hair white and your teeth curly but we NEVER had an accident with injuries of any description because we realized that you only get one chance to do this right. There are no "overs" or "I'm sorry's". You get one chance.

The following story is one of MANY that involves "trained professionals". We have seen cops, soldiers, even special ops soldiers that sometimes do stupid things. The saying that is SO common amongst neophyte shooters is, "Oh, I was trained by So-and-So. He was a cop so he obviously knows what he is doing", or he was in the Army or whatever.

The point is, even these "trained professionals" are not immune from this kind of stuff happening to. Understand this... YOU CAN NEVER, EVER TAKE GUN SAFETY FOR GRANTED! When you are handling a firearm, 100% of your attention should be on that gun 100% of the time! PERIOD!

ALWAYS assume that any firearm that you handle it is loaded!

ALWAYS be conscious of where the muzzle is pointing and NEVER allow the muzzle to cover anything that you are not willing to destroy!

ALWAYS be absolutely certain to keep your finger OFF the trigger until you have made the conscious decision to fire!

ALWAYS be aware of what you are shooting at and what is in line with your target!

(I have embellished the 4 universal safe gun handling rules just a tad for emphasis.)

The officer in this story learned a very, very hard lesson about violating every, single one of these rules!

.

https://www.fox13news.com/news/affidavit-brevard-county-deputy-thought-gun-was-unloaded-before-jokingly-shooting-twice-at-fellow-deputy?utm_campaign=trueAnthem_manual&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook

RADIATION POISONING?

              Radiation Poisoning?

With the current threat of a nuclear exchange in which 2 or more countries may be involved, including the U. S., we are beginning to see renewed endeavors to warn people of impending doom. While many of these efforts are well-intentioned, much of the information that is disseminated is nothing but fear mongering and misinformation, oftentimes in an attempt to sell some service or product. Currently, there is a plethora of posts, articles, ads, podcasts, etc. concerning radiation poisoning and what you can do to prevent it or treat it. Much of this well-intended information comes from individuals that are trying to help but are not armed with enough facts. This article is very long but, with the help of a trusted friend in the medical profession that has spent a great deal of time in this field, I think you will find it chock-full of helpful information.

To begin with, there’s much confusion about what “radiation poisoning” even is much less what to do about it. Radiation poisoning or radiation sickness is caused by a large dose of radiation, that was received rather quickly, that does damage to the body internally. Obviously, the amount of radiation that the body absorbs will determine how sick the individual will get.

Now, here’s where the confusion starts… While certain symptoms of radiation poisoning can be treated, there’s no such thing as an “anti-radiation" pill or treatment, contrary to what you hear on the news or see in the movies. The vast majority of people assume that potassium iodide (KI) or potassium iodate (KI03) is some magic cure or preventative for radiation sickness. It is not. KI and KI03 does one thing and one thing only. They protect the thyroid gland from iodine isotopes or radioactive iodine that is found after nuclear detonations or accidents, by filling it with good iodine until it cannot accept anymore, thus preventing the contaminated iodine from entering.

Iodine is a beta emitter, Beta radiation is high speed positrons or electrons They can be stopped by a layer of foil or even heavy clothing.

The half life of the iodine isotopes is about 8-9 days. It is NOT recommended to take KI for more than 10 days UNLESS there is an extended hazard IE multiple detonations.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE IN

KI and KI03?

While both products are considered good thyroid blockers and the names are sound nearly the same, that is where the similarities end. Long story short, potassium iodide is superior in every way to potassium iodate.

Potassium iodate is not approved by the FDA where potassium iodide is. The FDA has gone to great lengths to get KI03 pulled off of store shelves but it can still be found on the internet if you look hard enough. Since it is not regulated nor approved, the chemical make-up of KI03 may not be consistent. KI, on the other hand, is consistent, stable, effective, inexpensive, and has a very long shelf life.

According to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, KI tablets have a 10+ year shelf life when stored cool and dry (KI liquid lasts 5 years). However, they also say that the chemical make-up of KI is so stable that it still good much, much longer than that. They say that after 10 years, the tablets may become harder and not dissolve as readily. The solution is to crush the tablets up and mix with juice or something and the effectiveness is unchanged.

The remainder of this article will pertain to potassium iodide (KI) only!

WHO SHOULD TAKE KI?

Infants (including breast-fed infants)

Infants have the highest risk of getting thyroid cancer after being exposed to radioactive iodine. All infants, including breast-fed infants need to be given the dosage of KI (potassium iodide) recommended for infants.

· Infants (particularly newborns) should receive a single dose of KI. More than a single dose may lead to later problems with normal development. Other protective measures should be used.

· In cases where more than one dose is necessary, medical follow up may be necessary.

Children

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that all children internally contaminated with (or likely to be internally contaminated with) radioactive iodine take KI (potassium iodide), unless they have known allergies to iodine (contraindications).

Young Adults

The FDA recommends that young adults (between the ages of 18 and 40 years), internally contaminated with (or likely to be internally contaminated with) radioactive iodine take the recommended dose of KI. Young adults are less sensitive to the effects of radioactive iodine than are children.

Pregnant Women

Because all forms of iodine cross the placenta, pregnant women should take KI to protect the growing fetus. Pregnant women should take only one dose of KI following internal contamination with (or likely internal contamination with) radioactive iodine.

Breastfeeding Women

Women who are breastfeeding should take only one dose of KI if they have been internally contaminated with (or are likely to be internally contaminated with) radioactive iodine. They should be prioritized to receive other protective action measures.

Adults

Adults older than 40 years should not take KI unless public health or emergency management officials say that contamination with a very large dose of radioactive iodine is expected.

· Adults older than 40 years have the lowest chance of developing thyroid cancer or thyroid injury after contamination with radioactive iodine.

· Adults older than 40 are more likely to have allergic reactions to or adverse effects from KI.

Some adults with certain cardiac arrhythmias should limit KI doses. High levels of Potassium can cause heart rhythm changes.

As with all medications it should not be taken for “Just in Case.”

KI Tablets are sometimes in short supply but may be available in bulk powder form. There are many ways to prepare the powdered form of KI.

For those that reload their own ammunition your powder scale can weigh out accurate doses using this formula:

1 grain by weight equals 64.8 mg of KI.

Dosage of KI:

Adults 135 mg once every 24 hours until radiation hazard is past.

Children under 12 or 100 lbs 65 mg.

The best for storage of KI powder, but the hardest to do, is to make capsules. Capsules and the kits to fill them are available on Amazon and other places for around 20 bucks. They take a little practice but make great capsules.

If the proper amount of KI is not sufficient by volume to fill the capsules you are using, crush vitamin C tablets to a powder and use that to make up the difference.

Making a Potassium Iodide Liquid Mixture:

1. Put one 65 mg KI tablet into a small bowl and grind it into a fine powder using the back of a metal teaspoon against the inside of the bowl. The powder should not have any large pieces.

2. Add 4 teaspoons of water to the crushed KI powder in the bowl and mix until the KI powder is dissolved in the water.

3. Take the KI water mixture solution made in step 2 and mix it with 4 teaspoons of low fat white or chocolate milk, orange juice, flat soda, raspberry syrup, or infant formula.

4. The KI liquid mixture will keep for up to 7 days in the refrigerator. It is recommended that the KI liquid mixtures be prepared weekly. Throw away unused portions.

 

The amount of KI (65 mg tablet) in the drink when mixed as described above is 8.125 mg per teaspoon. The number of teaspoons of the drink to give your child depends on your child's age as described in the following table:

* 12 to 18 years of age and less than 150 pounds - 8 teaspoons = 65 mg dose. 

* 3 to 12 years - 8 teaspoons = 65 mg dose. 

* 1 month to 3 years - 4 teaspoons = 32.5 mg dose. 

* Birth to 1 month - 2 teaspoon = 16.25 mg dose. 

This method works well for adults that are unable to take solids also.

The simplest method with bulk KI is to weigh out the dose and place it in a shot of water and drink it down. But it is NASTY!

So there you have it! Buying huge quantities of KI is unnecessary unless you’re buying for friends or other family members. With that said, don’t wait too long to get it either. During the Fukishima meltdown in 2011, I saw many, many 15 dollar bottles of KI sell for $100 on eBay. If there is a nuclear accident, or if nuclear war becomes more likely, the harder it will be to find and the more expensive it will be.

While you’re buying, get a dosimeter for each member of your family and an inexpensive Geiger counter. Make sure your Geiger counter detects Alpha radiation!

Again, nuclear war is totally survivable. Get educated, keep your wits together and stay prepared!

 

NUCLEAR ARMAGEDDON?

There’s much wailing and gnashing of teeth right now over the increasing possibility of nuclear war. Personally, I don't think the chances are all that great but it certainly does remain a possibility. Without going into the politics or who's to blame for this yet to materialize event, let's discuss it from a preparedness and survivability aspect.

Understand that I am not a specialist or expert in this field but we had frequent training exercises for such an event when I was in the military and one of my dearest friends was a 54E, an NBC NCO, in an elite military unit for a number of years. For you non-military types, that's a Nuclear, Biological and Chemical non-commissioned officer (they don't call them that currently, but that's close enough). HE is an expert. Over the last 20 some-odd years, we have discussed this a number of times and have made some preliminary plans and preparations for our homes and acquired as much related protective equipment as practicable. The following is a culmination of information from some of these discussions as I understand it. I hope that it will help some of you to be better prepared, just in case, and less stressed out about your future!

The common consensus amongst the average folks on the street is if we engage in a nuclear war that all will be lost, the country will be destroyed and pretty much everyone will die. That is simply not so. Nuclear war is quite survivable assuming that you are not at "ground zero" or close to it. Quite obviously, the further you are away from the blast, the higher your chances are of survival. Take Hiroshima, Japan for instance. Did people die as a result of the atomic bombing of the city in August of 1945? Unfortunately, yes, quite a number of them did. By the end of that year, around 140,000 people were dead as a direct result of that single bomb. However, Hiroshima is a bustling city of over 1,000,000 people today. We began safely assisting the Japanese in rebuilding the city less than 2 years after it was totally destroyed. There are still people alive today that were less than 5 miles from the center of the blast when it happened. Yes, there are much more powerful weapons available today but they are, nonetheless, survivable

NUCLEAR DEFENSE

Of the three NBC threats, nuclear is the easiest to defend against. Nuclear follows very specific rules of physics, where chemical and biological agents are at the whims of nature.

The biggest thing to remember about nuclear is time and distance. The longer you are away, and the further, the better.

Types of Radiation

Alpha – these are fast moving helium atoms. They have high energy, but due to their large mass, they are stopped by just a few inches of air, or a piece of paper. Long-sleeved shirt, pants, gloves, hood and a protective mask will adequately protect you against these particles.

Note: It would behoove all of us to purchase numerous pairs of cheap, disposable coveralls for outside activities, such as decontamination efforts, in the aftermath of the event. 

Beta – these are fast moving electrons. Since electrons are a tad lighter than helium atoms, they are able to penetrate further, through several feet of air, or several millimeters of plastic or less of very light metals. Beta requires a little more protection than Alpha. Alpha and Beta are just as dangerous to the body as Gamma but they are easier to shield against. Obviously, the farther away you are and the less time you are exposed, the better off you will be. Alpha and Beta particles are both too small to see with the naked eye but may be carried on larger particles or debris that you can see and they can be carried by the wind. This is called fallout.

Canned food, most food in heavy packaging and water stored in barrels, water cans, etc are in no danger of becoming contaminated by fallout. Simply rinse with water, soapy if possible and use as normal. However, surface water will be contaminated.

Gamma – these are photons, just like light, except of much higher energy. X-Rays and gamma rays are really the same thing, the difference is how they were produced. Depending on their energy, they can be stopped by a thin piece of aluminum foil, or they can penetrate several inches of lead. If the blast is a few hundred miles away, Gamma rays will be of little or no concern.

Nuclear detonation is extremely destructive, but less so than a runaway reactor. To get maximum destruction the device needs to be detonated in the air. Ground bursts do not have the same “power”. Also, air bursts are much cleaner. The 15KT device we used on Hiroshima and the Trinity device detonated in NM were the same. As mentioned above, Hiroshima was being rebuilt just 2 years after device detonation. The Trinity site is still too contaminated to safely spend much time on. Why? The bomb was detonated at 1900 feet. Trinity was detonated at 100 feet. Essentially a ground burst.

Reactors, on the other hand, when they melt down, cause much greater contamination due to the fact they melt and then the steam build-up in the reactor vessel builds to a point that it blows the reactor and scatters much more dirty contaminants.  

Another serious hazard is dirty bombs. This is where some group steals nuclear material from hospitals waste areas or hijacks a transport and mixing that material in a regular terrorist device (ANFO for example) and detonating it in a stadium town center etc. No one knows a nuclear device has been used until people get sick from the radiation..

Alpha and Beta decontamination

The way to treat someone that has breathed in or ingested Alpha and Beta particles is to just remove them. In the early days of the nuclear age when workers were contaminated with alpha radiation. Beer. Lots of it and right now. It was first used for all alpha radiation then mainly for Tritium (radioactive Tritium is what makes your night sights glow)

But the idea is what’s called “water turnover”. So, lots of beer means lots of urine. Also by adding in what’s called Prussian Blue, a dye used in the last century, It will bind with Cesium and Thallium in the digestive tract and keep them from being absorbed. A protective mask, commonly and mistakenly called a gas mask, WILL protect you from Alpha exposure. Over the years following the disasters of Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and Fukushima a lot of research was done on how to rid the body of radiation. And yes beer, Prussian blue. There is no real “Anti Radiation Pill” as seen on TV. Potassium iodide (KI) is sold to a lot of preppers but it only works on radioactive iodine. Plus KI only works for 24 hours and excessive use is dangerous. I will have a separate article on KI very soon.

The gamma rays are in and out at nearly the speed of light. They can and do cause damage and there is no true decontamination procedure. The best was found to be Zeolyte. For those unfamiliar with that name, it used to be the active ingredient in the first generation Quikclot. It was also used by spreading on the ground to absorb ground contamination. It works by attacking the heavy metals that are part of radiation absorbing them and then letting the body eliminate them. Mixed in a dilute solution, it binds with the radioactive particles, letting the body eliminate it naturally.

DECONTAMINATION PROCEDURES

(Proper decon procedures will require a functional, accurate Geiger counter)

Gross Whole-Body Contamination

1. Begin by carefully removing all of the victim's clothing outdoors or have victims undress themselves, working from head to toe. Removal of shoes and clothes can reduce contamination by as much as 90%.

2. Place all property of each victim in a single, airtight container e.g., property bag. Label property bag with victim's name, date and time of collection, location of collection and radiation warning label. 

Store property bags in secure outdoor location for appropriate disposal later.

 

Separate property bags from one another to avoid creating high radiation areas within contamination zone.

3. Perform whole body radiation survey.

Mark on victim's skin, using waterproof felt tip marker, any areas of high level contamination found by radiation survey.

 Ensure that meter-to-skin distance is consistent in all surveys to minimize inter-survey errors.

Record initial and all follow-up survey results for an individual victim on a body diagram include name, and time and date of initial and all follow-up radiation surveys.

Update body diagram after each decontamination cycle or use new body diagram for each cycle.            

4. Conduct decontamination in the following order:

*Whole body

*Radioactive shrapnel

*Open wounds

*Body entrance cavities: nose, mouth, ears urethra vagina rectum

*Localized skin decontamination starting with area of highest contamination noted on radiation body survey.

* Goal of whole body external decontamination is to decrease external contamination to a level of no more than .2 times of the background radiation level.

* Perform two decontamination cycles if feasible, with a whole body radiation survey after each cycle. 

* Use tepid decontamination water.

Avoid cold water which tends to close skin pores, trapping radioactive contamination. Cold water may also cause hypothermia.

Avoid hot water which tends to enhance absorption of radioactive material through vasodilation and increased skin blood flow. Hot water may also cause thermal burns.

Add mild soap (neutral pH) to water to emulsify and dissolve contamination.

* Direct contaminated waste water away from patient, rather than over the rest of the body.

* Stop whole body external decontamination efforts after 2 decontamination cycles and handle patient with standard precautions if the second whole body radiation survey shows:

 a. External Contamination in excess of 2 times background radiation level. 

 b. Additional whole body external decontamination efforts do not further reduce contamination levels by more than 10%.

* Consider that attempts to remove all contamination from skin may not be feasible or desirable.

Some radioactivity may be trapped in outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) and will remain until normal sloughing occurs (12-15 days).

* Attempts at vigorous decontamination may result in loss of normal intact skin barrier and an increased risk of internal contamination.

* Cover areas of residual radiation contamination with waterproof dressings/drapes in order to limit spread of contamination to other body sites, immediate environment, and others.

* Persistently elevated levels of external contamination after adequate decontamination efforts may also be due to internal contamination retained radioactive foreign bodies (shrapnel), contaminated wounds, or contaminated body orifices.

Decontamination of Your Environment

In preparation for a nuclear event, stockpile dish soap or liquid hand soap, extra HEPA furnace filters, a large roll of heavy-duty sheet plastic, several rolls of duct tape and a heavy-duty stapler and extra staples. Also, if you feel that an event is imminent, dig drainage ditches around your house if possible for later decontamination efforts. Help protect your home or business by stapling or taping plastic over all doors, windows, vents, chimneys, etc.

 After the initial event, use large amounts of water (if available) and soap to literally rinse your house off. The soap helps keep the particles in suspension. The ditches will help carry the contaminated water away from the house. Take care not to further contaminate areas like fresh water sources, garden areas, your neighbor’s house, etc with your contaminated water.

Garden areas, fields and the soil surrounding your house can be decontaminated by scraping off the top 2 or 3 inches of soil and burying it with earthmoving equipment.

Lastly, pray that we do not have to use these measures!

Holsters 101

Interesting observations and opinions regarding holsters; stolen from Larry Correia. While maybe not the most eloquently stated, every word below is true. I have stated as much myself many times during some of my classes. 

Here's Larry:

"Because Facebook keeps showing me advertisements for shitty holster companies, here is some advice for your concealed carry rig (I'm talking worn at the waist, strongside or appendix, not whatever goofy esoteric method* you are married to for whatever bizarre hipster reason)-

1. If your holster doesn't protect the trigger and prevent the trigger from being actuated while holstered, your holster is trash. If it is fabric and you can activate the trigger through the holster, that's a disaster waiting to happen. 

  

2. If the holster is floppy and closes on itself, so you need to use your other hand to get the gun back in, your holster sucks, and one of these days you will shoot yourself in the hand. 

    

3. If your holster flops around while you do anything even sorta strenuous, your holster is garbage. It needs to stay fixed to your body in about the same position it started the day in, or it's junk.

      

4. If your holster doesn't retain your pistol if you are forced to move fast, and the gun flops out, you are a danger to yourself and others, and one of these days you are going to shoot yourself or some other poor dumb bastard while you reflexively try to catch it. 

        

5. One Size Fits All means it doesn't fit anything well. Get a holster designed for your specific weapon. The only addendum to this is holsters that are designed to fit around a specific frame mounted flashlight, because those are designed for a specific fit, only in this case it's the light that its working off of. 

 

6. Avoid cheap garbage holsters with garbage attachments because they're going to break. 

    

7. Good concealment holsters don't need thumb breaks. They fit with friction sufficient to hold the gun in if you do a handstand or dunk a basketball, neither of which I can do, but that's theoretically possible for some of you. 

 

8. Holsters require maintenance too. They get worn out. Screws get loose. Check your stuff periodically. 

     

9. The gun must be secure, but it also must be accessible. If the design is such that you can't get a good grip on it for the draw, it's stupid, and it's going to slow you down unnecessarily. If you have to do stupid contortions to get your hand around it, that's dumb and pointless. 

      

10. It needs to be comfy enough to wear it so you don't cry and whine and then leave it home. Quit being a dork and glue some foam on those edges that bug you. My AIWB rigs look like pillows that hold a gun inside because I'm a fat guy who hates stuff rubbing on me. 

  

11. It doesn't matter if it is leather or kydex, all the same rules apply. 

         

12. Serpas have been banned from a whole bunch of places and courses for a reason. I don't need to rehash this, and if you disagree I don't care and don't feel like arguing with you. The only reason they still get used is Blackhawk is super good at having a variety in stock to ship to gun stores and they've got a great mark up. They suck as actual holsters. 

        

13. If you can't draw while sitting down, your holster is lame. Like that goofy ass lift the giant flap and the pops up above your belt rig FB keeps showing me. That's just dumb. They had to put a magnet in the new version to keep the guns from falling out, which makes it slightly less unsafe yet still stupid. Just get a normal rig. 

       

14. If you pay attention to this stuff you'll notice that most of the people who take it real serious and actually practice and train tend to pick from a handful of companies that follow all these. Ironically, those companies aren't usually advertising their magical super gimmicks to gullible dupes on Facebook. 

        

15. No matter how good your holster is, it's going to suck if you hang it off a cheap, floppy belt. You want a quality, rigid, non-stretchy belt. Belts that offer clicks or tension adjust are more forgiving than traditional belt holes, as you can adjust better to keep that gun in the comfiest spot. 

    

16. I didn't name any shitty brands because inevitably when I do, somebody is going to get butt hurt and cry "But It Works For Me!" and It's "Just As Good!" And frankly I don't have time for your hurt feelings today. If your holster doesn't fit these basic criteria, you should get something better.      

 

17. Test your gear. Dry fire with it a whole bunch. Wear it around. Be honest with yourself, and all the shortcomings will become abundantly clear. Don't tie your self-esteem to your purchases. All gun people have bought stupid shit at one time or another. We all pay the derp tax. Just recognize it, move on, and get something better. Then test that too.

 

On your goofy esoteric methods- 

* Small of the back is dumb. 

It is stupidly slow. And it doesn't actually conceal any better. You just think it does because it is behind you so you can't see it. Pointless. Zero advantages. 

* Pocket. 

Designed for tiny guns, all the holster rules still apply, except it's main job is to cover the trigger and serve as an anchor so your pocket rocket stays in the same place.  

* Ankle. 

A weird and incredibly slow method that is rarely used now, which I've got almost no firsthand knowledge of because I've not used it much other than basic demonstrations in CCW classes a long time ago. 

* Belly Bands. 

Peak 1990s deep concealment technology. Which depending on how crappy the brand is may or may not actually retain the gun, probably collapses, and more than likely needs two hands to holster. An Enigma does the same thing better in every possible way. 

* Off The Body.

Crap like purses, briefcases. Lame. If you ever set it down, congratulations, you just left a loaded gun uncontrolled in public. Also super slow and hard to access. 

* Gunderpants. 

Which is my wife's joke name for any of those athletic shorts that come with a holster. Same rules apply, and they'll probably fail on the retention, safety, and floppy bits. 

* Shoulder Holsters

Look great in gritty cop shows. Comfy. Suck to actually use. Slow. Requires a bigger covering garment. And nobody ever trains with them because you can't use them without flagging half the range. 

* Cross draw. 

Most of the disadvantages of shoulder holsters, only you don't get to look like a grizzled homicide detective.   

If you've got some other weird ass method that I'm not thinking of, ask yourself why you're the only person who uses this brilliant system, and then just try not to shoot yourself or somebody else. The only times I've seen most of these make sense is somebody has an extremely specific role because of their lifestyle, or dudes who carry multiple handguns in different positions because they do weird dangerous shit for a living. Those are bell curve outliers. They probably aren't you. Quit being weird and get a normal holster. 

Also, an addendum... Magnet car holsters are stupid. Your car isn't a holster. If you carry in a holster that isn't an uncomfortable piece of shit then you're not out there manipulating your loaded gun in public to stick it onto your goofy car magnet holster, which would need to weigh about 80 pounds to actually retain that gun in order to not lose it during a crash. Every time I see these ads pop up on here it makes my eye twitch."

Do there you have it! Take it from those of us that have BTDT; use these guidelines when looking for the proper holster to carry your weapon. 

Telling It Like It Is!

My next blog post was going to be on Home Security but I hadn't written it yet when this popped up. This letter was first posted about a year ago but it has resurfaced and I thought I would add it here. Excellent, excellent piece!

                   **************

 An Open letter to General Mark Milley, by a retired FBI agent, now Citizen Writer: Quentin L. Smith

 General Milley:

 During testimony before the Congress of the United States you stated:

 “I want to understand white rage, and I’m white...What is it that caused thousands of people to assault this building and try to overturn the Constitution of the United States of America?...I want to find that out.”

 Well, General, I am a 76-year-old white man, a former officer in the United States Army (1967-70), a retired Special Agent of the FBI with nearly 29 years of service (1971-1999). I attended Trump’s rally on January 6th and I think I may be able to help you understand the reasons for “white rage.”

 You impugn the motives of hundreds of thousands of patriotic citizens, whites, blacks, Hispanics, and Asians, male, female, young and old. They weren’t trying to overturn the constitution! They wanted nothing more than to make their voices heard and, if possible, delay the certification of an election they believed, with probable cause, was stolen. You and the media repeatedly claim Trump’s allegations of a “stolen election” are false. Neither you, I, nor anyone else know whether this is true or not because the evidence (hundreds of witness affidavits signed under penalty of perjury, pristine mail-in ballots, xeroxed ballots, the synchronized shutdown of ballot counting in 5 swing states until observers were removed from the election headquarters, etc.) has never been tested in court or disclosed to the people.

 Apparently, my presence in Washington, DC on January 6th qualifies me, in your estimation, as one of those “outraged white people” you want to understand. Since you appear to be somewhat intellectually challenged, let me give you just 13 easy to understand reasons for my “white rage” as you like to call it.

 1. I’m outraged that a duly elected President, the most effective President in my lifetime, was harassed, falsely accused of being a Russian agent, undermined, and lied about by “Deep State” career officials like yourself and a media that has become the mouthpiece of the Democrat Party; he was impeached and acquitted, not once but twice, during his entire 4-year term of office on clearly fraudulent charges.

 2. I’m outraged that BLM, Antifa, and other Marxists rioted during the summer of 2020 in cities across the country, and “heels-up” Kamala Harris led an effort to bail those who were arrested, out of jail. Over 500 people, arrested for trespassing and vandalism at the Capitol on January 6th, remain in jail without bail and, in some cases, are held in solitary confinement. This is not a defense of vandalism, but, how does the damage from the riots of summer 2020 compare to that at the Capitol on January 6th?

 3. I’m outraged that a president who accomplished more for the American people in 4 years than his three immediate predecessors did in 24 years, e.g. restored the US economy, cut taxes and regulations, made the US energy independent, brought unemployment rates down to their lowest level ever, destroyed ISIS, brokered peace deals between Israel and other Arab nations, defended our southern border, put America first, etc., etc., was fought every step of the way by Democrats and the Deep State.

 4. I’m outraged that this same president, who received 11 million more votes than he did in 2016, was questionably defeated in an election in which election laws were unconstitutionally changed in the days, weeks, and months immediately preceding the election, supposedly because of a virus.

 5. I’m outraged that a senile 78-year old career politician, who can’t put a coherent sentence together, who accomplished nothing during his 36 years in the US Senate and 8 years as Vice President, who didn’t campaign and seldom left his basement during the campaign for President, and who could never draw a crowd of more than 200 people at one time, was declared the winner over a President who drew tens of thousands of enthusiastic supporters at each of his multiple rallies, daily, during the campaign.

 6. I’m outraged that Candidate Biden bragged about having put together “the most extensive and inclusive voter fraud organization in the history of American politics” (it’s on video!) during an interview on October 24, 2020, with Crooked Media, a left-leaning media company founded in 2017 by former Obama staffers, and the media says that Trump lies when he claims the election was stolen!?

 7. I’m outraged that on January 28, 2018, before the Council on Foreign Relations, Joe Biden bragged how he once threatened to withhold $1 billion in authorized military aid to Ukraine unless the former President of Ukraine “fired” the prosecutor who was investigating the corrupt energy conglomerate, Burisma, with whom Biden’s son, Hunter, was being paid $84,000 per month to serve on the Board of Directors. Can you say, “quid pro quo?” But, when Trump congratulated the newly elected President of Ukraine, who campaigned on fighting corruption, and encouraged him to follow through on his campaign promise, Rep. Adam Schiff blatantly lied about what Trump said and Trump got impeached!

 8. I’m outraged that the FBI was given Hunter Biden’s abandoned laptop computer, the hard-drive of which contained emails reflecting the corrupt practices of the Biden family vis-a-vie Ukraine and China and the FBI did nothing with it since crazy old’ Joe was running for President. Can you say: “Hillary Clinton and unauthorized servers containing top secret documents”? Do you see a pattern here?

 9. I’m outraged that the “New Oligarchs” of high tech are censoring virologists of their right to voice their thoughts and opinions when those opinions are in conflict with the Democrat Party or the CDC.

 10. I’m outraged that an agency for which I proudly worked for nearly 29 years was politicized and corrupted by James Comey who was accurately described as being “out of his mind” and a “crooked cop” by a former Deputy Director of the FBI.

 11. I’m outraged that 13 US Marines were recently killed in Afghanistan by the Taliban just because our senile President was too arrogant to follow the blueprint put together by President Trump and his military advisers for the “conditioned” withdrawal of forces from Afghanistan. Perhaps, you and our incompetent Secretary of Defense objected but were either too cowardly or too busy promoting Critical Race Theory to push back and provide needed oversight of this withdrawal. You succumbed to “Trump Derangement Syndrome” and now, as a result, you have the blood of 13 dead Marines on your hands.

 12. I’m outraged about how the precipitous withdrawal of US military personnel from Afghanistan was carried out “before” securing the removal of tens of thousands of US citizens, Afghani interpreters and others who assisted the US military over the past 20 years, leaving them and Afghani Christians to be tortured and killed by the Taliban. And, you didn’t even give advance notice to our NATO allies! 

 13. I’m outraged that you and Lloyd Austin carried out the withdrawal of the US military without first securing the removal of $85 billion worth of military equipment, weapons, ammunition, Humvees and aircraft, which you left behind for the Taliban, al Qaeda, and a re-emerging ISIS to use. I agree with a retired British Colonel who recently publicly stated that President Biden shouldn’t be impeached, but rather he should be court martialed. You should be, as well...for dereliction of duty and cowardice.

          

 I could go on but I believe you get “my drift” as to why I and so many others - white, black, Hispanic, Asian, male and female, rich and poor, young and old - are experiencing flashes of “rage” and “anger” against this current administration. If you had any honor and decency, you would resign and retire.      

Quentin L. Smith