Being Prepared

You don't have to have been a Boy Scout to know that the Boy Scout motto is "Be Prepared". As the newest video commentary from Dom Raso makes clear, Islamofascists are going to target gun-free zones. These include night clubs like in Orlando and shopping malls like in Kenya.

And it doesn't have to be only Islamofascists. A suicidal man who wanted to achieve notoriety with his death targeted the Von Maur Mall in Omaha, Nebraska. He killed eight people in that gun-free zone.




You do have some choices. First, you could just avoid shopping or visiting a place that is a gun-free zone. It might crimp your social life but shopping shouldn't be too hard given the growth of Amazon Prime. (Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial.)

Second, you could still obey the gun-free zone signs but have a plan. In other words, be prepared. That preparation should include your family if you have one. Have an agreed upon meeting place if you have to suddenly exit, have an alert word that everyone knows means get out now, and make sure everyone knows where the exits are including the less obvious ones. This is just a start.

Third, even if you aren't allowed to carry a firearm you can carry a knife, an ASP baton, pepper spray, or other weapon. Gun-free doesn't have to be weapon-free.

Finally, you can carry a firearm regardless of the signs. Note, I am not advocating disobeying the law. You should know the law of your state or the state which you are visiting. You should know if the gun-free zone signs have the force of law or are they merely a suggestion. You should know the legal consequences of disobeying the law and weigh them in your own mind compared to the alternatives.

Would having a gun make a difference? It did in a South Carolina night club just last Sunday night.

Deputies said 32-year-old Jody Ray Thompson pulled out a gun after getting into an argument with another man and fired several rounds toward a crowd that had gathered out in front of the club.

"His rounds struck 3 victims, and almost struck a fourth victim, who in self-defense, pulled his own weapon and fired, striking Thompson in the leg," Lt. Kevin Bobo said.

Bobo said the man who shot Thompson has a valid concealed weapons permit, cooperated with investigators, and won’t be facing any charges.

I don't know the South Carolina law on carrying in clubs and don't know if the legal concealed carrier actually went into the club but I do know it stopped a mass shooting.