By: Paul Foreman
Do you have a plan to go on vacation? You probably have a destination all planned out, or at the very least you have a date picked for when you plan to leave and get back home.
Do you have a plan to survive a tornado? Do you know where the nearest shelter is? Do you have a plan thought out if you were attacked while walking to your car after work? How about a plan of action if you suddenly awoke during the night and discovered a stranger had broken into your home?
Have you planned for what you would do after you shot the bad guy? Would you call 911 first, or after you got your gun and confronted the midnight thief? Would you go searching through the house to find the bad guy, or would you retreat to what I like to call, a “defensible position?”
I have asked a lot of questions here, and as usual, asking questions always seems to open up a can of worms with a dozen “new” questions.
We have all heard of the witness to an emergency or crime who just “froze,” unable to do anything and precious moments were wasted while someone was in pain or even bleeding to death. About ten years ago my wife and I, along with my brother and his wife, were vacationing in North Carolina. While out searching for waterfalls and hiking trails, we came across a very seriously injured motorcyclist. My family was frozen in place without a clue as to what to do. I had a plan! I do not mean to sound like I am bragging, but as a deputy sheriff on vacation, my brain automatically knew what to do and my body followed. The experience was not a “shock” to my system. Years of experience and training guided me to get help on the way, access the injuries, and render First Aid with the priority of stopping the bleeding.
Meanwhile, my brother was standing there, looking totally helpless with a cell phone in his hand. I yelled down to him from where I was applying pressure to a heavily bleeding arm wound, “Tell them we are seven miles west of Franklin on Wayah Bald Rd, just past Wayah Creek Cottages.”
My brother yelled back, “I have no cell phone signal!” He had never planned on how to get a better signal on his phone! I told him, “Drive back up the road, get out of the valley, and try again.” The rescue ambulance finally arrived, and the victim was rushed to the hospital in Franklin and then airlifted to Charlotte NC Trauma Center.
Do you have a plan on what to do if someone is kicking in your back door at 3:00 a.m.? What your plan might be depends on how many family members are in danger. If there are multiple family members in danger, you may want to get everyone alerted and aware of what is happening. If it is just you and your wife, the wisest thing to plan on doing is to have her call 911, while you arm yourself, and both of you retreat to a safe and defensible position.
I have heard and read about so many incidents where the victim got their gun and then went searching through the house only to discover an armed burglar, and a deadly shooting was the result. You may think the “bad guy” deserved what he got, but the resulting nightmare of prosecuting attorneys, courts and the expense of paying for a defense attorney to stay out of jail could end up being a nightmare that goes on for years. Can’t you just hear the prosecutor in court asking, “Why did you go looking for the young teenager? Were you looking forward to KILLING him?”
After the shooting you need a plan too. You have already dialed 911 and the cops are on the way. Are you prepared for all their questions? Do you know why you shot the intruder? Were you in great fear for your life or that of a loved one? Or, were you so mad at this intruder, you shot him because he deserved it?
Part of a good self-defense plan is having insurance coverage such as that offered by the National Rifle Association and others groups that will pay for your legal defense if you ever need it.
By: Paul Foreman
