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Posted on January 11, 2021 by in Training

WAKING UP ON NEW YEARS DAY OF 2021

WAKING UP ON NEW YEARS DAY OF 2021

Like probably many other concealed carriers, I am always concerned about my personal security, and after what all took place in 2020 there is probably good reason to have at least mild concerns about what 2021 holds.

There is an old saying that goes “it is what it is.” In other words, acceptance of a current situation does not necessarily require our approval. I believe that there is at least a reasonable possibility that the following might occur in the future:

  • Additional protests in which violent persons with a criminal history are involved. This may likely be in response to a deadly force encounter between law enforcement and a private citizen. My personal opinion is that there is nothing to suggest at this time that the national media will change the way that they report such events, which in the past has often proven to be both inaccurate and manipulative.

  • An increase in property crimes and simple assaults. This may be caused by longer police response times as well as a certain confidence on the part of the criminal offenders that the local district attorney will not prosecute crimes that they consider to be minor.

  • A greater unwillingness by law enforcement to enforce the law in some of the larger urban areas (but not all). This might be a result of department policy or officers being fearful that they could get caught up in an incident that causes them to be condemned by the media (which can also have a negative impact upon their family members), suspended, fired, or criminally charged. The very action of an officer being vindicated in a court of law may kick off additional protests in some instances.

  • A greater need on the part of concealed carriers and armed homeowners to take a more active physical role in their own defense (I am sure that I stole this line from some other trainer, possibly Dave Spaulding). This means staying on top of what is happening around me, whether at home, work, travel, or shopping. It also means understanding Use of Force laws, knowing how to use simple movement in order to make it more difficult for others to get into a position in which they are able to successfully assault me, acquiring and maintaining core defensive firearm skills, and keeping the proper defensive tools in a position in which they can be quickly accessed.

  • If law enforcement is unable to respond to my plea for assistance quickly, then the chances are good that emergency medical services may not be able to either. Taking a Stop-the-Bleed course or tactical medicine course from a trainer like Caleb Causey or someone like him is a must. Having a properly stocked emergency medical bag in the vehicle and at home is recommended. I try to always carry a tourniquet and pack of QuikClot medical gauze on my person for those times I am away from my truck or home.

Naturally, where each of us lives and works can increase or diminish the chances that what already has happened in some of our urban areas may happen to us in the future. Before I am accused of spreading fears of doom and gloom, please be advised that many of my friends and I have been living our lives in a constant state of preparedness for years, and if asked if we had been living in constant fear the entire time, we would say no.

It is perfectly possible to be prepared without being paranoid. If anything, the “enemy” (real or imagined) possibly thrives on my living my entire life in fear. My plan is to not give the “enemy” that satisfaction.


Steve Moses

Steve Moses has been a defensive firearms trainer for over 26 years and is a licensed Texas Personal Protection Officer with 7 years of experience performing as shift lead on a church security detail for a D/FW area metro-church. Steve is a co-owner and Director of Training for Palisade Training Group, LLC based in Dallas, Texas. Moses is a retired deputy constable and spent over 10 years on a multi-precinct Special Response Team. He owns multiple instructor certifications, including Rangemaster Advanced Handgun Instructor and Defensive Shotgun Instructor, Red Zone Knife Defense Instructor and Adaptive Striking Foundations Instructor, Modern Samurai Project Red Dot Sight Instructor, and State of Texas Personal Protection Officer Instructor. Steve holds a BJJ Brown Belt in Relson Gracie Jiu Jitsu. He is a content contributor for CCW Safe and writes weekly articles on various subjects of interest to concealed carriers. Moses shoots competitively and holds an IDPA Expert rating. Steve is an annual presenter at the Rangemaster Tactical Conference.