HAPPY THANKSGIVING

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!  HOPE YOU AND YOURS HAVE A GREAT DAY.  

PLEASE SAY A PRAYER FOR THOSE THAT ARE ON DUTY INSURING ARE SAFETY AND FREEDOM!

Pa Act 235 Classes

The Double Action Pa Act 235 School will be conducting its first of several classes on January 11, 12, 18, and 19, 2014.  This is a 40 hour program that will be held on two consecutive weekends.  Each day’s class will be approximately 10 hours long. 

The cost of the school is $350.00 and that will include:

1.  A complete and comprehensive Student Manual

2.  All of the ammunition, targets and range safety equipment and

Firearms if you do not have your own.  Minimum caliber for revolver is 38     special, and 9mm for semi-auto.

3.  Certificate of completion, once you have successfully passed all the required

     venues of the Act 235 Program. 

The cost of the Application fee, Fingerprints, Medical and Psychological Examination are not included in the school fee.

You can obtain all of the necessary information and forms by going to the following web site: www.lethalweapons.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/lethal_weapons_training_program/7611

Or, by coming in and picking up a complete package at the school.  A $5.00 fee will be charged - refundable when you enroll in a class at this school.

Classes are subject to cancellation if the minimum number of students for the class is not obtained.   We will notify you via e-mail ONE WEEK prior to the class start date if the class is going to be cancelled.

IMPORTANT

YOU WILL NOT BE PERMITTED TO REGISTER & ENROLL IN EITHER THE INITIAL BASIC TRAINING CLASS OR RENEWAL PROGRAM UNLESS YOU HAVE RECEIVED YOUR (APPROVAL TO ATTEND TRAINING) LETTER BACK FROM THE PA LETHAL WEAPONS TRAINING COMMISSION, PA STATE POLICE.

The letter will have to be brought to the school when you enroll.

40 HOUR BASIC TRAINING CLASS….A CASH DEPOSIT OF $175.00 IS DUE UPON ENROLLING IN THE CLASS WITH THE REMAINDER DUE PRIOR TO THE START OF THE CLASS.   

A FULL REFUND OF THE DEPOSIT WILL ONLY BE GRANTED IF THE SCHOOL IS NOTIFIED AT LEAST ONE WEEK IN ADVANCE OF THE START DATE OR UPON THE DECISION OF THE SCHOOL DIRECTOR AFTER ALL FACTS HAVE BEEN EXAMINED.

Please check our website for future dates of classes

We are planning on conducting the 8 hour renewal training class at least once a month.  Again, the class will be subject to cancellation if we do not get at least 5 students enrolled in the 8 hour class.  The cost of this 8 hour class is $125.00 with a $75.00 deposit required at the time of enrollment.  Balance due prior to the start of the class.  Refunds will apply in the same way as they do to the 40 hour class.

First date (Renewal Class) is scheduled for Wednesday, January 15, 2014.

ADVICE, FROM AN EXPERT

HANDGUN COMBATIVES

The thought that any handgun, regardless of caliber, having true stopping...read that RAPID INCAPCITATION POWER...is ludicrous if you take time to stop and give it critical thought. Think for a moment...the gun has a barrel that is 4 to 5 inches long, a sight radius not much longer, launching a bullet no bigger than your thumb at a speed of 1,000 to 1,300 feet per second. Take your thumb and place it next to your chest...move it around. Its not very big and there is A LOT of surface area. Now take into account the pandemonium that accompanies a close quarter gunfight. You are moving, your opponent(s) are moving, screaming, yelling, reduced light...is it really any wonder that handguns are anemic?

We carry them because they a portable, not because they are effective...or even efficient! They offer a stand off capability in a package we can carry and conceal. Yet when someone writes an article on the topic of handgun stopping power people stop and debate which is better, fast expanding or slow and large...do you really want to be standing in front of any projectile? I get the "what's best" question regularly. Recently it was something like "if all things are equal and no one is moving and you have perfect shot placement and no one is wearing body armor what is best, the .357 SIG or 10mm?" WHAT?! When will this happen?! What are you smoking?! When will there ever be a time when "all things are equal"?! For fu*ks sake...

I focus on the combative application of the handgun because it is most likely to be the weapon you will have with/on you when you need a weapon. It is also the hardest platform to shoot well and master...after almost 40 years I am still working towards that goal just in time for arthritis and poor eye sight! Understand that practice is not training. Training comes after proper instruction and then worthwhile repetition of the essential skills. You see, training is preparation! Practice is just shooting bullets at a tin can. Training requires proper mindset and imagery of life threatening events while launching bullets. Practice does not...

Carry the gun you can control in rapid fire, reach the trigger properly and can afford to buy ammo and practice. Are .22 conversions ok? Sure, as long as you mix in full power ammo of the caliber you carry (and can find .22!). My "Two Second Drill" is a good test of recoil control...from ready at 20 feet on an 8 inch square, four rounds in two seconds. It should break down to the first shot in 1 second or less and the three follow up shots in .33, .33, .33. If you can go faster, great! But everyone who carries a gun for personal security should be able to do this.

Train hard, image well and quit worrying about stopping power as it probably doesn't really exist...at least as we want it to happen. As Dr. Vincent DiMaio once said "It comes down to where you shoot them and how many time you can shoot them."

Dave Spaulding

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

HAPPY VETERANS DAY

Remember in your prayer's those who serve and have served our GREAT COUNTRY! 

Good Article...Good Information

Spreading Lies

23-Sep-13 – 11:39 by ToddG

An interesting conversation onpistol-forum.com over the past few days raised the specter of “too accurate” as it is being taught at some fairly high places including some programs at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center.

The theory, in a nutshell, is as follows: Rather than put multiple rounds into a small concentrated area, it’s better to shoot wide open and hit someone in lots of different places all over his body because he’ll bleed from more places and become incapacitated faster.

Presumably, this is taught in the same class explaining that the Moon is made of green cheese, socialism is sustainable, and similar ridiculous myths. Now admittedly, I am not a doctor, don’t play one on television, and didn’t sleep at Holiday Inn Express last night. But when the guys who study this stuff professionally — like Dr. Gary “DocGKR” Roberts and retired FBI Ballistics Research chief Buford Boone — all scoff at this death by a thousand cuts approach, well, it’s hard to argue with stuff like “science” and “fact.”

When it comes to lethal confrontations and typical handgun caliber rounds, I like to group anatomical target areas as follows:

Group A: places where bullets are likely to cause substantial immediate trauma to critical life-sustaining organs

Group B: places where bullets aren’t doing a damn thing

So why does this lots of fast hits anywhere on the target theory keep coming back into vogue? Lazy instructors. It’s easy to teach people to launch unaimed bullets out of a pistol really, really fast and still hit a 30″ high, 18″ wide target at 3yd. It’s particularly fascinating to a certain subset of law enforcement instructors who’ve been told their entire career that firing six shots in 30 seconds at 25yd was fast enough and taught officers everything they needed to know about combat.

I still remember attending a ridiculously bad class put on for some military & law enforcement folks about a decade ago. The instructor literally had us stand less than a yard from a giant B27 target and the “challenge” was to hit the target five times in one second (measured from first shot to last, so 0.25 splits). The SWAT cops from one local department were so impressed and inspired that they were almost brought to tears… because he taught them to shoot blind quarter-second splits while keeping everything within — literally — 2,200 MOA.

When a few of us offered that we could probably do the same thing from ten times farther away while keeping our hits in a much, much smaller area we, too, got the old “make ‘em bleed from as many places as you can!” story. It was wrong then, and it’s wrong now.

Speed is good. Speed is important. But speed only matters if the thing you’re doing speedily is hitting vital structures in a way that will promote rapid incapacitation. Slicing up a bunch of distal arteries and capillaries might make for a gruesome appearance and could eventually cause someone to bleed to death, but not before he’s had enough time to kill you, bury your corpse, and drive himself to the local hospital.

Hit what matters.

Train hard & stay safe! ToddG

HAPPY BIRTHDAY USMC!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Handgun Combatives

"The essentials of a successful gunfight remain, precision, power and quickness. The elements are equal, but they are surpassed by one other thing and that is attitude. It is great to be quick, accurate and powerful , but it is more important to be ready. The readiness to take the irrevocable step is what will save your life. The Weaver firing stroke will do the job, but only if you are emotionally ready to employ it."
- Jeff Cooper

"Conflict is 10 percent skill and 90 percent attitude"
- Kelly McCann...

"Advanced skills are the basics mastered"
- Bruce Lee

"I don't want you to die for your country...I want you to make the other son of a bitch die for his!"
- Gen. George Patton

"Then you have just fulfilled the first rule of law enforcement...make sure when your shift is over you go home alive!"
- Sean Connery in "The Untouchables"

Keep in mind if you have made the effort to get someone to love or at least care about you then you don't have the right to quit!!! Dying is out of the question! Its not up to you any longer...you made a promise! NOW STAND UP TO IT!!!

I like this pic

"If you seek peace, prepare for war!"
                                              George Washington

YOUR THOUGHTS

\

DISCIPLINE, RESPONSIBILITY & ACCOUNTABILITY, YOU THINK!

THOUGHTS ON THE AMMO SHORTAGE

Handgun Combatives….Dave Spaulding

More on the ammo shortage from a few folks I really respect. All are commenting on an article from FORBES Magazine that I will link at the end. Admittedly, I don't know what is up and I think Rich and Michael have probably hit on in in the "perfect storm" theory. All I know is I want the damn situation to pass!! While I never liked the government purchase theory, this administration has made me quite uncomfortable with their actions to reengineer our society. These guys dismiss that idea which makes me feel better since they are on the inside of the industry more that I am these days. While filming the Ruger TV Show RUGER INSIDE AND OUT this past summer, I did speak with Steve Hornady and he confirmed pretty much what Michael says here:

From TACTICAL WIRE Editor Rich Grassi:

All the ammo insanity over the past year and you'd think people would calm down. The link is to a decent piece on ammo supply along with input from manufacturers and NICS data. NRA posted it on bookface. So, what are the comments?

"Ammo companies are like big oil, limiting supply to drive up prices."
"FEMA bought (fill in the blank) millions of rounds, what do they need it for?"
Blah - blah.

This comment was interesting:

"Walmarts in my area get shipments twice a week. LARGE shipments. People are lined up and buy the shelves bare almost immediately. Stop with the soldiers conspiracy crap. They're not government robots, they have families too. None of them are buying it up for the freaking base you idiots, they're buying a ton of it for the same purpose as you: personal stockpile.

"I was just at my local Walmart. It's a large one and very busy. And they had plenty of .45, .40, .380, .223, and 9mm. The shelves are empty because they only get two shipments a week and sell out fast to people who know the shipping schedule."

From writer, trainer and shooter Mark Moritz, the man who coined the ultimate truth "The first rule of gun fighting is to have a gun!" :

"OK, I never believed the conspiracy stuff, but the article still does not explain the shortage.

“There are more new gun owners.”
Fine. But there is a difference between “gun owners” and “shooters.” I have several friends who are first-time gun owners. They buy two boxes of ammunition, one for familiarization/practice (because who needs more than one box?), and one to keep in case they need to defend themselves. That’s it. (One of my friends made a point of buying hardball for his new 9mm pistol. He didn’t want to buy hollow points, because “I don’t want to kill anybody!”) How many of those non-shooting new gun owners does it take to offset guys like us, who actually shoot a lot? I’m shooting a whole lot less than I ever have. All my friends who are shooters are shooting a whole lot less. Those of you on this email list; aren’t you buying a lot less ammo than you used to? I used to buy a case of ammo about every other month, say six cases a year. That stopped last December, when every online ammo seller suddenly was out of stock. If we, the people who used to burn through thousands of rounds a year, have reduced our shooting (and eliminated our buying), how many new gun owners, with their 100-round “hoards,” does it take to make up for us? It doesn’t compute.

“Stores get ammo, and hoarders buy it up immediately.”
OK, I have seen that happen. I have stood in line at WalMart at 7 a.m., waiting for the chance to buy three boxes of ammo. I have been shut out when the people in front of me bought up all the .45 – 3 boxes at a time – before I got to the front of the line. However, since December, I have never, repeat never, seen them get .22LR. It’s not that they get .22 and people buy it as soon as it comes in – they don’t get .22, period. I know Federal and CCI say they are running 24 hours a day; I believe them. But the ammo is not getting to WalMart. It is not getting to the local gun stores. I repeat that they are not selling it as soon as they get it – they are not getting it. Just before the Connecticut shooting, I happened to order a couple bricks of Federal .22 from Midway, not to hoard, but just because I used to burn through a lot of .22, and I was getting low. It has been back-ordered since December, and the website still says “Date expected – unknown.” My consumption of .22 is way down, isn’t yours? My purchase of .22 is down to zero; isn’t yours? Regardless of how much Federal and CCI are producing, they are not shipping it to WalMart or Midway or Natchez Shooting Supply or any of the gun stores around here, are they? Same is true of practice .308. I see .223 come in at WalMart, and I see it get bought immediately, but I have never seen them get .308 FMJ.

So, where is the ammo going? I don’t know. I don’t have any theories. The “new gun owner” theory doesn’t persuade me, because those people don’t buy much ammo. The “stores sell it as soon as they get it” explains part, but not all – like .22 and .308.

The article is fine as far as it goes, but it doesn’t go very far. It does not explain the shortage."

From SHOOTING GALLERY host Michael Bane, who probably knows more industry people than anyone on the planet! :

"I've been saying for a while the only way the ammo shortage makes sense is as convergence, a perfect storm, if you will, of a number of major trends:

1) Increased number of shooters
2) Even though we are all shooting less, the larger majority of shooters are shooting more...we've been very successful in increasing the shooting sports, which has...duh!...resulted in a greater use of ammo than even a few years ago
3) The endless wars have leached a huge amount of ammo out of the marketplace
4) Even if the war stops tomorrow, the national reserves are pretty much down to zero and will have to be replenished
5) People are just plain scared about the future, and ammo is a tangible "prep" they can afford...this is a major net change in buying habits...people who once routinely bought 50 rounds of .22 now (when they can) buy a brick of 500, "just in case"
6) The world is unsettled; foreign ammo makers are getting large orders from countries ramping up for an uncertain future...some of the larger foreign makers are seeing larger civilian orders in their home countries, which have priority
7) There is greater competition for commodities used in ammunition manufacture from economies like China, India, Brazil, etc.
 The great WW2 and Cold War hordes of surplus ammo in Europe are gone baby gone...we shot 'em up
9) Since we also bought guns to shoot up all that surplus ammo, we've now created additional markets for what we used to think of as "exotic" ammo, (5.45, anyone?) which puts more pressure on ammo makers to fill that void
10) Ammo makers have been at max capacity for some time now, and that puts huge pressure on both the machines and the work force...in a "just in time" environment, to doesn't take much to destabilize the system
11) And yes, people like me are HOARDING THE HELL out of ammo...get over it!"

The article from FORBES Magazine:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/frankminiter/2013/10/20/is-the-obama-administration-the-cause-of-gun-ammunition-shortages/

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

This was posted by Handgun Combatives, and is some really good information from one of the most highly respected and experienced trainers in the world:

Handgun Combatives

While NOT LEGAL advice, John has some thoughts on how to deal with burglars trying to break into your house...

Shooting Burglary Suspects!

I've been peripherally involved recently in several cases where homeowners
shot burglary suspects who were attempting to break into a home. In some
cases, the homeowner shot the suspect from the inside through a window or
door. Much trouble, even on the criminal side, with these cases!

Best advice is this:

When a burglary suspect is attempting to force his way into your home, and
you're on the inside:

>Wait to shoot until he actually breaks something. Let him break the
window, screen, door, etc. Broken things will be strong evidence in your
favor, showing, among other things, a proclivity for violence on the part of the
suspect.

>Use verbal commands when practicable. Upon discovering someone is
actually home, many, probably most, burglary suspects will break it off and
depart, having no interest in confronting an irate homeowner who may be armed.

>Have motion-lights all around your home. I know few burglary suspects
who are inclined to stand directly under a floodlight while trying to force
open a window! When lights come on, most flee.

>When compelled to defend yourself with gunfire, shoot with sufficient
volume and accuracy to stop the threat quickly. The suspect(s) will likely
run away, whether he has been hit or not. That is a good thing! Once the
suspect(s) clearly no longer represents a threat, stop shooting! Don't go
looking for him! Stay separated and call police.

>Don't try to hold suspects at gunpoint until police arrive. Encourage
them to run away, which they'll likely be more than happy to do! Don't
stand between them and an exit. When all they want to do is leave, we will let
them!

When you adhere to the foregoing, you'll probably be on pretty solid
ground. But, there are no guarantees! In the aftermath, make sure you have
competent representation, an attorney who knows how to make things go your way.

Join ACLDN (Armed Citizens Legal Defense Network)! You'll be way ahead of
the game!

/John

John S. Farnam

This is what scares me!

Are our Police and Law Enforcement Officers going to just follow orders that defy GOOD JUDGEMENT AND COMMON SENSE.  Or are they going to respect the the CONSTITUTION and uphold the laws that they swore to protect!  The BILL OF RIGHTS!

WOW, We are finally official!

Well, it's finally official!  We just received our  Certificate of Certification and are now an approved PA Act 235 Lethal Weapons Training School.  Our classes will take place at the Double Action Indoor Shooting Range, in Yeadon, Pa.  If you are not familiar with this facility, I can assure you that it is one of the cleanest and most professionally run ranges in the Philadelphia Region.  Our highly skilled instructor staff will be comprised of some of the most experienced law enforcement professionals from this area.  We will be conducting both the Basic and the Re-certification Classes.   A schedule of classes will be available in the near future.

Training will held to the highest standard with NO EXCEPTION!

RED FRIDAY

VIEWPOINT OF A TRUE HERO

Dear Mr. Football Player,

I saw on Twitter you think it’s easy and takes no skills to kill people. Well, let me tell you this. It takes mad skills and madder smarts to be an infantryman. Everyone thinks we’re dumb and borderline illiterate but some of the smartest people I know are in the military and they have amazing people killing skills.

Think about it. Is there any more useful skill in this world than killing people when the shit hits the fan? In case you’re wondering, the answer is no.

But it’s not just about pulling a trigger. Any idiot can do that. Hell, being a NFL player, I’m sure you know how to do that better than me. Then again, when I tried it your way by holding my M9 sideways, I ended up missing my target and killed a local sheikh’s prized goat.

There is so much more to this than you could possibly imagine. I’d try to explain it to you but I’m sure the Asian kid you cheated off of in college isn’t reading this letter to you. So I’ll put it in football terms.

We are a team organization, like you, but instead of having a world-class training staff, ours is a disgruntled medic who gives out Motrin and tells us to quit being a pussy. Our coach is a 22-year-old Lieutenant who’s calling plays based off of a college degree and no experience. Our owner is an American public who left the game at halftime to go fucking shopping. And when was the last time you were tackled in the back by a guy who’s supposedly on your team?

Shit, in our game, there’s no timeout. We don’t get a break to pick a play. There’s no trophy for us at the end of a battle, except for our medals and combat badges and shit, but regardless, we don’t do this for the glory. There’s no platoon of supermodel gold diggers waiting for us when we come off the field. We marry fat chicks so we can make about an extra thousand a month.

I know it must be a difficult life for you, living under the constant pressure of performing once a week on game day using all your skills. We only have to spend a year or so using our non-existent skills in a country where people throw grenades at us instead of plastic cups filled with beer.

Also, is it true you’re a free agent? Hopefully, that high school football coaching job comes through for you. If not, I’ll see you in the unemployment line when I get out of the military in a couple of months. If I’m feeling charitable, I might give you the number to my recruiter.

Sincerely fuck off,

Private Joe Snuffy

John Mittle and Smelly Infidel contributed edits.

TRAIN HARD / FIGHT EASY!

Excellent Article

A TRIBUTE TO ALL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER!


By; Bob Lonsberrt

The cops amaze me.

Some days I honestly don’t know how they do it.

Like yesterday, at the Navy Yard.

We know about the bad guy, we know about his military record and his criminal record. And we know what he did.

But we don’t know much about how he came to stop doing what he was doing.

We don’t know much about how they took him down.

But what we do know is impressive.

Which gets back to the cops.

Yesterday morning about 8:20, the first 9-1-1 call came in of trouble in Building 197. Moments later, an alert was broadcast and officers began speeding toward the Navy Yard from across the District of Columbia.

Regular patrol officers.

Some from schools, some from speed-enforcement details, all from the first hour a new shift and a new week. Old, young, male, female, black, white. They just came. Primarily from the Metropolitan Police Department and the Federal Park Police.

Officers whose lives were going from zero to 60 in the blink of an eye. Officers who went from the sleepy good morning of a Monday dawn to the real-world battlefield of an active shooter.

They began to arrive almost immediately.

And quickly formed up into an assault team.

They didn’t wait for the SWAT team. They didn’t stand back and wait for the armored personnel carrier. They formed up and went in.

Specifically, seven minutes after the first call, an ad hoc team of park police and district police with AR-15s ran into the building in their patrol uniforms.

They ran to the sound of the gunfire.

They closed with the enemy, and engaged him, and killed him.

And by every account some 10 minutes after the first word of trouble had breathed across the police radio, regular patrol officers had killed the gunman and ended his assault.

He fought the law, and the law won.

It’s impossible to calculate how many lives that saved. It’s impossible to calculate how much expertise that took.

It’s impossible to grasp the mindset of readiness that must permeate the men and women of law enforcement. Without notice, the police can be thrown into life-and-death situations where every second and every decision counts.

And sometimes, like yesterday, they must operate in an environment that is heartbreaking and troubling. The responding officers at the Navy Yard ran past the dead and dying, their blood pooling where they lay, in order to press their attack against a monster.

And that was just yesterday.

Every day it is different, every call it is different. Sometimes they are comforting heartbroken children, other times they are knocking on the door to inform someone of the death of a relative. Sometimes they are spat upon, other times they are vomited upon. They are hated and loved, cursed and praised, sometimes on the same call.

They see the carnage of the highways, the sorrow of abused and neglected children, the collapse of a battered wife. They talk the despondent off bridges, they catch the drunk drivers, they try to mediate family and neighbor disputes.

And half the time they do it while being cussed by one group or another. Maybe it’s the neighborhood people. Maybe it’s the pastors. Maybe it’s an activist with a cell-phone video.

The politicians trash them, the residents trash them, the police brass trashes them. They’re ready to lay down their lives for strangers, but heaven help them if anybody thinks they were impolite to a citizen. Heaven help them if they disrespected somebody’s culture.

They fight crime all day, every day, and usually it is a pretty low-key affair. Until there’s a glint of sunlight or a stumbling drunk or a dispatch on the radio.

That’s when it’s Superman time.

That’s when the next 10 minutes of your life are going to be some of the most important in your life.

Like yesterday at the Navy Yard.

Across a big city, the routine of the morning worked its way out. Until there was a cry for help, and the sirens began to roar, and a crew of men and women from at least a couple of departments ran toward the danger.

And killed it.

Before he could kill anybody else.

The cops amaze me.

·          

Read more: http://www.wham1180.com/pages/boblonsberry.html?article=11659502#ixzz2fFEBJ4yH

A SOLDIER'S VIEW POINT

I CAME ACROSS THIS ON THE INTERNET, I CAN'T AGREE WITH IT MORE!

“A good friend of mine and fellow Soldier posted this as his status this morning, I believe it is a well stated and current Soldiers need to read and see how you can properly state an opinion.

Some people are asking me what I think about Syria, so here it is.

I’m tired. I’m tired of people watching their children grow up via Facebook and Skype. I’m tired of hearing a man tell his wife ‘I love you’ followed by ‘I miss you’ for an entire year. I’m tired of watching the military divorce rate shoot sky-high. I’m tired of overhearing some teenager tell his mom over the phone, “I’m going over there” and hearing her cry from 20 feet away. I’m tired of Veterans waiting years to get the help they deserve and need. I’m tired of empty seats at Christmas dinner every other year and anniversary presents in the mail flying overseas. I’m tired of new men and women walking around with invisible wounds that don’t heal. Our flag is a beautiful thing- but I’m tired of seeing it draped over a casket. I’m tired of men and women missing pieces of their bodies, minds, and souls.

I want peace in Syria. I want people to stop killing each other in Syria, as well as anywhere else in the world. I want to look back on wars, not anticipate them. I want to make plans for the next year, and the year after that don’t revolve around being in a foreign country. I want proof that the people we’re helping aren’t the people who have been trying to kill us for more than a decade. I want to know that the people we’re attacking are the ones who used the Chemical Weapons. I want to know how Syria’s problem is a threat to America, our Freedom, and our people. I want to know why we’re doing this alone, when the use of Chemical Weapons should get an international response.

I can’t protest in uniform or speak against the leaders of our country. But I can address people.

Stop worrying about Miley Cyrus rubbing her ass on Beetlejuice. The next season of The Walking Dead will be available on DVD and Netflix and I promise, it won’t change from what they’ve shown on television. Unless you play football, and your income depends on that next game, stop obsessing over a sport for a bit. The clubs, bars, honky-tonks, and juke joints will be there all year. Ben Affleck isn’t a real hero, so it doesn’t matter what he does in a Batman costume at this point. You might want to turn your attention to this for just a minute, and maybe say how you feel about it- one way or another.

Because a whole lot of people are going to die real soon, no matter what. It’s just a matter of who they are.”

The author is unknown at this time.

DISGRACE, ONE YEAR LATER!

THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME ACCOUNTABILITY AND JUSTICE FOR THIS DISCUSSING ACT.  I DON'T JUST MEAN FOREIGN.  THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BUT OF COURSE POLITICS JUST GOT IN THE WAY.  WE WORRY ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS TO PEOPLE EVERYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD, BUT ABANDON OUR OWN CITIZENS!      

NEVER FORGET OR FORGIVE!

The reason this pic seems to be distorted is because it is in the background of the names of all the victims of that tragic day.  Please say a prayer for all those people and their families, as well as all of the fallen and wounded members of our armed forces that have given their all in answer to that violent tragic day!  GOD BLESS YOU ALL!

HAVE A GREAT LABOR DAY WEEKEND!

From ZT KNIVES

NAME OF THE GENTLEMAN IN THE PICTURE

For those of you who do not know who the
GENTLEMAN/MASTER HANDGUNNER, in the picture is, let me introduce you to the late Col. Retire Marine, founder of the the GUNSITE TRAINING ACADEMY, & FATHER OF THE MODERN COMBAT PISTOL, COL. JEFF COPPER! 

THIS IS SO TRUE!

I don't know the origin of this, but truer words have never been spoken.

Test....Do You Know Who This Is?

I will post his name in a couple days.

Handgun Combatives….Dave Spaulding

After yesterday's post, I received a number of e-mails asking what drills I regularly practice or what I thought of this drill or that drill. FYI my current column in HANDGUNS Magazine discusses shooter fascination with certain drills. Let me reiterate here...A DRILL IS NOT THE FIGHT! Too many shooters are relating combat competency to particular drills and I think this is dangerous! It is obviously due to no frame of reference as few people have faces death in armed conflict. While I mentioned the 2 Second Drill as a self-evaluation of particular skills I do not practice any particular drill...I PRACTICE SKILLS! To successfully complete any drill, whether it is shooting or open hand combat, the skills in the drill should be practiced...trigger control, drawing from the holster, reloading, presentation from ready...not the drill itself. It does not matter if it is the 2x2x2, the FAST or the El Prez', shooting the drill over and over is a waste of...

AWESOME COMBO!

NOW IT'S JUST A MATTER OF GETTING THE PROPER
TRAINING.  YOUR GEAR IS IMPORTANT BUT YOUR TRAINING IS MORE IMPORTANT!

EXCELLENT ANALOGY OF THE GEORGE ZIMMERMAN INCIDENT

The Unmeritorious Prosecution of George Zimmerman

Analysis by Marty Hayes, J.D.

Note: We deviate from the format of our normal lead article to give Network President Marty Hayes, J.D. the leeway to analyze the recent criminal prosecution of George Zimmerman, as viewed through Hayes’ experience as a former police officer, expert witness and self-defense instructor. The reader will recognize that Hayes’ opinion permeates this article, as removing his observations would reduce the lessons armed citizens should learn from this incident. —Editor

As I absorb the details of the jury trial and acquittal of George Zimmerman, several issues are foremost in my mind. These I would like to share with our members, and unless a new Federal charge is brought against Zimmerman (which I doubt) or a civil suit against him from Trayvon Martin’s estate (more likely), this will conclude our discussion of the Zimmerman case. Additionally, this review of the case is drawn from the court proceedings and other evidence that may not have made it into court.

Pre-Confrontation

Most trial watchers and the media have finally acknowledged that Zimmerman did not ignore or disregard the dispatcher’s orders not to follow Trayvon Martin. Media commentators and other ignorant individuals persist in calling Zimmerman a “night watchman,” though. This is pure, unadulterated crap. The term “night watchman” conjures up images of a guy walking around at night, flashlight in one hand and billy club in the other, keeping an eye on things. This was not George Zimmerman, nor does it describe the role Block Watch plays in our neighborhoods.

Recently the media-driven narrative has shifted from asking, “Why did Zimmerman follow Martin?” to “Why didn’t Zimmerman confront Martin, identify himself as a Block Watch representative, and question Martin’s actions?” This is not the role of the Block Watch program, either. The purpose of neighborhood watch is to observe and report suspicious activity and be a good partner to law enforcement.

The Retreat at Twin Lakes neighborhood in Sanford, Florida had been beleaguered by burglaries and at least one home invasion robbery. In response to these crimes, the neighborhood invited the Sanford Police to help them form a Block Watch program. Zimmerman was later appointed by his neighbors to act as Block Watch captain, also referred to as a Block Watch contact. This took place several months before the incident we’re discussing, and during the time leading up to February 26, 2012 Zimmerman had called the police non-emergency line at least five times to report suspicious persons, in addition to the call he made to the non-emergency line the night of the shooting, which we have all heard.

Many, many people have called George Zimmerman an idiot for getting out of his car. I fully disagree. He was perhaps guilty of being naïve and uneducated about carrying a gun for self defense (so much for the efficacy of mandatory training for obtaining a concealed carry license), but I cannot see a single thing he did wrong. Let me repeat. HE DID NOTHING WRONG! Are we becoming such a nation of wimps, that a full-grown man cannot even keep an eye on a suspicious person in his neighborhood?

He was part of the neighborhood watch program, for God’s sake! Frankly, I think I would like George as a neighbor. He seems like a stand-up guy. For those who ask why he got out of his car to keep an eye on a suspicious character in his neighborhood, I say, “grow a set.” As we know, Zimmerman got out of his car to keep an eye on Martin after Martin circled Zimmerman’s car, all the while having his hand in his waistband, according to Zimmerman. After Martin started running from Zimmerman, Zimmerman apparently tried to keep an eye on him but lost him in the darkness. (Remember, Martin was wearing dark clothing). The dispatcher, hearing the wind blow against the phone and Zimmerman breathing heavily, realized that Zimmerman was on the move and asked, “Are you following him?” He then told Zimmerman, “You don’t need to do that,” so Zimmerman turned back towards his vehicle. Zimmerman didn’t know his exact location, unable to see any street signs or house numbers, so he told the dispatcher to have the arriving cops call him and they would then rendezvous. With that call disconnected, the next several minutes went undocumented, except for Zimmerman’s statement after the shooting. We do know, though, that Martin did not go back to his father’s home (which was only a hundred yards or so away) but instead, hung around in the dark, talking on his phone to Rachel Jeantel. The Confrontation According to Jeantel, she listened to some of the initial discussion between Zimmerman and Martin, then heard a noise that sounded like a thud, and what she calls the sound of “wet grass.” She also relates hearing Martin tell Zimmerman to “get off, get off.” I do not find this credible because it is at odds with any other information from any of the eyewitnesses, nor is there any forensic evidence that Zimmerman was on top of Martin at any time. Zimmerman had grass on his back, but Martin did not. Martin had wet knees, but Zimmerman did not. Zimmerman had injuries to his face, but Martin did not. Martin had bruising to at least one hand (his left) but there was no bruising on Zimmerman’s hands. Two bleeding lacerations on the back of Zimmerman’s head coincide with his report that his head was being beat against the concrete sidewalk, and of course, Zimmerman’s nose was broken. It seems more likely that what Jeantel heard was Zimmerman telling Martin to “get off, get off” right before the beating and screaming started. Indeed, the best eyewitness, John Good, testified that he saw Martin on top of Zimmerman throwing punches down on Zimmerman. The screaming lasted about 30 seconds. The Martin family identified Martin’s voice as the one heard screaming when a neighbor called 911, and the Zimmerman family identified Zimmerman as the man screaming for help, as did others. Jeantel identified the voice as Martin’s. What was supposedly being done to Martin to make him scream for help for 30 seconds? Perhaps it was when Zimmerman attacked Martin’s fists with his head. Commentators made much about why the screaming stopped immediately after the gunshot. Well, gee, maybe it was because Martin stopped hitting Zimmerman. Without question, Zimmerman shot Martin after being beaten. There is no evidence that Martin suffered any wounds except for the gunshot that killed him. [Continued...]

Articles from the Journal

·         The evidence, as brought forth by expert witness and pathologist Dr. Vincent Di Maio conclusively showed that Martin’s hoodie sweatshirt was in contact with the muzzle of the Kel-Tec 9mm, but that the muzzle of the gun was a few inches away from Martin’s chest when the shot was fired. This can lead to only one conclusion: that Martin was above Zimmerman when the shot was fired. This is the narrative the jury heard, one born out by the facts, and often in Zimmerman’s own words from earlier recordings. This goes against the whole prosecution narrative that Zimmerman pursued Martin and when he caught up to him, he shot him in cold blood. The prosecution narrative was chock full of lies, deceit and emotion. One only had to watch the prosecution’s opening or closing arguments to see that the prosecution did not have the facts on their side.

·         The Prosecution

·         I watched about two-thirds of the trial and recognized a desperate attempt by the State of Florida to convince six jurors that George Zimmerman criminally used deadly force against Trayvon Martin. Because the facts were not on the prosecution’s side, they needed to twist the facts, and bring up witnesses who either lied or massaged their testimony to lend credence to the narrative that Zimmerman hunted down and executed Martin.

·         I was reminded of Massad Ayoob’s theory that juries are not comprised of twelve people too stupid to get out of jury duty, but rather are made up of twelve separate and functioning bullshit detectors. Though numbering only six in the Sanford, FL courtroom, those jurors saw through the web of lies and emotion to understand the facts as they truly were.

·         I have often seen the same dynamic played out in other cases when other juries saw through the prosecutions’ lies and deceit.

·         I was enthralled watching defense attorneys Mark O’Mara and Don West tear apart the prosecution’s case point by point. A lot of commentary by the talking heads wondered if the defense needed to put on a case at all, seeming to believe that the prosecution failed to prove the elements of second-degree murder. Of course, O’Mara and West understood that the judge in this case could likely give a manslaughter instruction, too, and thus they did need to put on a defense. And so they did.

·         The defense introduced solid witnesses, like the Federal Air Marshal who was Zimmerman’s friend. They brought in expert testimony by Dr. Vincent Di Maio, who taught the jury about the facts of the altercation.

·         And then there were Zimmerman’s own words, clearly heard, presented courtesy of the state of Florida, although Zimmerman himself did not testify in his own trial. In an attempt to prove that Zimmerman was criminally liable for the death of Martin, the state chose to play for the jury the police recording made the night of the incident, then played the recording of the next day’s scene walk through with Zimmerman and Detective Serino, and then, to top it all off, they played Sean Hannity’s interview with George Zimmerman. The State hoped to highlight some minor inconsistencies in these various statements to prove that Zimmerman was being deceitful and thus was guilty of murder.
 

·         We here at the Network have long understood and promoted the argument that one should not give detailed statements to the police immediately after the incident. In this case, it worked out in favor of Zimmerman, but this is the exception that proves the rule. I am really fascinated that these statements were theoretically not admissible in court because they are considered hearsay statements. The defense could have objected to bringing the videotapes into the trial.

·         What would have been the likely outcome? Without the video statements, the jury would not have known the story as told by George Zimmerman. As a result, he would probably have needed to take the stand in his defense, so the jury could understand his side of the story. But, if Zimmerman had testified, the State would have been able to present the video tapes as an exception to the hearsay rule, stating that the video tapes were rebuttal evidence to Zimmerman’s courtroom testimony. Or, perhaps the tapes would have been admitted over objection anyway, as they could have been offered as exception to the hearsay rule by virtue of being statements against interest. Were they really statements against interest? I am not sure, but given the nature of Judge Debra Nelson and her obvious bias against the defense, I suspect she likely would have allowed them in. In any event, the tapes were golden for Zimmerman, because it allowed him the luxury of not needing to testify, but yet to have his story told in his own words, without being cross-examined.

·         The Verdict

·         As we all know, the jury deliberated for about 16 hours and came back with a verdict of not guilty.

·         I am frankly amazed that this jury seemed to be unaffected by what they heard about the case ahead of time. I believe they would have convicted Zimmerman of either manslaughter or murder if given half a chance, supported by at least a few facts to bolster the prosecutor’s theory of the case. One juror has publicly stated that she wanted to convict George Zimmerman but because of strict reading of the law, she had to vote for acquittal.

·         What might have been the outcome if the State could have shown even a hint of malice? For example, what if there had been evidence that Zimmerman had a history of racism, if he had tweeted or otherwise left a digital trail of racist comments? At that point, the prosecution would have had their hook, and likely convicted Zimmerman of murder.

·         Lessons Learned

·         So, what lessons can members of the Armed Citizens’ Legal Defense Network take away from this case?

·         We can start by understanding that there are many people in this country who hate armed citizens. They hate everything we stand for. They will jump on any excuse to eliminate our ability to own and use guns in self defense. Attacking the armed citizen as the State of Florida attacked George Zimmerman is just one example. I saw it several years ago in Arizona in the Larry Hickey case, and I saw it again earlier this year in Pennsylvania, in political prosecutions of innocent men who did nothing more than defend themselves in a reasonable belief they were in danger of dying or suffering great bodily injury. And of course, the prosecution of George Zimmerman was political.

It is not the way it should be, but it is reality. Accept this reality and take legitimate steps to counter it. “What steps,” you ask? Well, first we can live our lives squeaky clean, free of any hint of racism, gender bashing, or any other type of activity that could be brought up in court to show hatred against any group of persons. Face it, if you are a white male and in self defense kill someone who is a member of a minority class typically protected by the liberal left, AND you live in a jurisdiction that has an anti-gun prosecutor, your case of self defense will very likely become headline news, if not nationally, at least locally. It is my understanding that early on in the Zimmerman case, the Martin family hired a public relations firm to bombard the news media with pro-Trayvon information and anti-Zimmerman information. Once Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and others got involved, the script had been written. If YOU are the next George Zimmerman, and there are hints of racism or other prejudice in your history, then you might not come out of the trial as well as Zimmerman did. Besides, clearing your head of prejudicial thoughts is good for the soul. Secondly, you need to make sure your training resumé is current and up to date. When was the last time you took a class from a well-respected firearms instructor, one who understands the legal system and who would be an asset to you in court? First, we go to class to learn how to shoot and to learn the legal issues surrounding use of deadly force in self defense. But, are we going back to train once a year or so? If you don’t keep training, you will lose a step or two. Plus, it would be handy to have your latest instructor on the witness stand to explain how your actions were consistent with the information he taught you in that class last year. Zimmerman could have used that kind of material witness. Having had recent and current training in deadly force law might just keep you out of court. It did just that for a student of mine several years ago. The quick story is that a student had pulled a gun and threated a couple others who were threatening him with pool cues. Later, when the student was charged with assault, his training records from my shooting school went a long way towards convincing the prosecutor that a plea bargain was a better option than prosecution. I was prepared to testify on his behalf and the prosecutor knew this. I saw the same outcome for another student of mine a couple years later. Of course, the Network DVDs are a big help, but there is nothing like a local, upstanding citizen on the stand looking their neighbors (the jury) in the eye and telling them what they need to hear. Third, inspect your hardware, and make sure it doesn’t offend. Would a 75-year-old great grandmother who has never touched a gun in her life be offended by the appearance of your gun? I once testified in a case in which the defendant had nickel plated his Taurus PT-40, gold plated the trigger and had his name inscribed on the side of the gun.   [Continued...]

Articles from the Journal

Perhaps that was not the best move. Now, it is all the rage to have cutesy little designs inscribed on the back plate of your carry Glock. I have also seen the skull and cross bones depicted more than once, and the small inscription “smile and wait for the flash” engraved on the exposed barrel crown of your pistol is an invitation to be prosecuted. Next comes the decades-old advice to never alter your carry gun to reduce trigger pull weight below five pounds or deactivate a safety on the gun. In the 1980s and 1990s, a lot of people pinned the grip safeties on 1911s because their shooting grip would not depress it. Browning put a magazine disconnect safety in the Hi-Power pistol design, but many people remove it. A long time ago, I bought a Walther PPK from a student who received a gun collection in a divorce. On the Walter’s right side grip panel was glued a CIA logo. I have long since parted with the Walther, but kept the “strange ranger” grip as a curiosity, though I would never use it. No wonder my student divorced the guy! Just last night I reviewed a trial transcript where a state crime lab firearms examiner spent a good 15 minutes on the stand discussing the safety features and trigger weight of a Glock pistol. If she had found any anomalies, then these would have become a large part of the case. As the gun was stock, she was not able to raise any issues. If George Zimmerman’s Kel-Tec 9mm had been somehow modified, I can only imagine what would have been said in trial! Keep your guns stock, and if you do modify a gun, do it for the right reasons, like a grip reduction to make the gun fit your hand better or install better sights. These upgrades can be explained easily enough, but that is not true for some of the others previously mentioned. The fourth lesson to be learned also has to do with hardware, but the expendable kind. Ammunition selection is important in a self-defense case. By the close of the year, I will have testified in four cases where the specific ammunition brand was a talking point of the case. These inquiries delved primarily into gunshot residue and powder stippling (for close range gun shots) and recoil dynamics in two of the four. Without being able to obtain the same type of ammunition for the testing procedures (done by myself in three of the four cases, and done by the crime lab in the fourth case), the facts would not have been as clear for the juries. In the Zimmerman case, two forensic pathologists opined on gunshot residue and stippling. Much can be determined about distance and orientation by the stippling pattern. That is why the ammunition you use should be easy to obtain, either over the counter or from the manufacturer. [Continued...]

It should NOT be a rare, exotic design, but instead a traditional hollow point. And, the icing on the cake would be if it was the same caliber and type as your local police officers carry.

Point number five has to do with choosing attorneys and being able to pay for them. Zimmerman ended up with two fine defense attorneys, both who outclassed the prosecution in a big way. I liked watching O’Mara and West because they complemented each other. While I don’t know their background in self-defense law, they seemed pretty up to speed on what they needed to accomplish. Perhaps the seven educational DVDs from the Network that I sent them early on helped in some small way. I was also very interested in watching the fund-raising efforts, as seen athttp://www.gzdefensefund.com/donate/index.php/how-has-money-been-spent.

If you don’t want to take the time to read through that link’s online reporting, understand that according to the Zimmerman fund website, he has raised and spent over $400,000 for his defense, which includes $95,000 for the bail bondsman, money he will not get back.

That is likely a record for a self-defense case, and one that I sincerely hope we never try to break. But, the expenses are now fact, so let’s address the issue of legal costs and the Network Legal Defense Fund.

The Network is now closing in on having $300,000 in the fund, and we should be there in another month or two. Obviously, a case like George Zimmerman’s would hit our fund hard. Recognizing this, while we watched the fund grow over the past several years, we have put into place procedures to administer the money. The first check point is the Advisory Board, consisting of Massad Ayoob, Dennis Tueller, Tom Givens, John Farnam, James Fleming and Manny Kapelsohn, along with Vincent Shuck and me as ex-officio members. The advisory board will ultimately decide how the fund is disbursed, but having said that, as President of the Network, I would scream very loudly and stomp my feet if they decided to spend over half the fund on any single case.

If Zimmerman had been a Network member, he would likely have received $125,000 at the most. This would have given him a pretty good start, but obviously additional fundraising would have still been needed. That is where the power of the Network could and likely would come into play. There is nothing stopping each and every member of the Armed Citizens’ Legal Defense Network (all 7,500 of you, at this writing) from kicking in money for defense of any individual member.

If George had been a member, and we needed to raise additional money, I would have asked the membership to kick in another $50 or so per member.
 

Assuming we all participated, thinking, “There but for the grace of God, go I,” we could have raised an additional $350,000 pretty darn quickly. Plus, we would have likely raised additional money from outside Network membership using publicity as the Zimmerman defense team successfully did with www.gzdefensefund.com. So, please understand, folks, that the likelihood of a member needing serious financial assistance and not having it available is fairly remote. The power of the Network first and foremost lies in the strength of our members and the ability for us to go directly to the membership for more help, if needed. Occasionally we receive emails questioning the ethics of our Legal Defense Fund disbursement oversight, implying that it is set up as a means for the advisory board to simply refuse to help any member. It is insulting, but apparently these folks think we intend to keep the money for ourselves. It pains me to even address this issue, as the people we have recruited for the board are the highest caliber of people I know. When they are called to make Legal Defense Fund decisions, I have full trust that they will do their job correctly and efficiently and with the utmost integrity. Since up to now, members have only needed us to pay deposits against attorney fees, we have yet to need to go to the Advisory Board with a funding request, but I suspect that day is coming. Finally, although the Legal Defense Fund is technically a financial asset of the Network (since it allows us to provide the financial assistance part of the member benefits), we view the fund as a separate asset kept in separate bank accounts, not a cash cow for the Network. Watching the Zimmerman case has brought up a plethora of attorney selection questions and requests for related advice. Please do not fret that you do not have Mark O’Mara’s card in your wallet. Remember that for the first couple of months after the shooting, Zimmerman either had no attorney or had another attorney involved in the case. It is perfectly acceptable and commonplace to switch attorneys early in a case as Zimmerman did. If a member ended up embroiled in such a high profile case, the Network would likely take the steps to recruit a “dream team” including lawyers who’ve successfully defended similar cases, even if it means bringing them in from out of state, if necessary. Conclusion The astute reader will have, by now, realized that the lessons we took away from the Zimmerman case by and large centered on the normal issues in any self-defense case. We have discussed most of these issues before and it is not lost on me, that despite the extreme notoriety and public discussion about race and self defense, when it all came down to it, George Zimmerman’s case was just another self-defense case. Except for the publicity, it was no different than most any other self-defense case out there.   [End of Article.