By now much of America has seen and heard Congresswoman Maxine Waters’ call for harassment against members of President Trump’s cabinet. Here is the video (skip to the 4:30 mark for her comments):
Just the other day the attorney general of Florida, Pam Bondi, was harassed, surrounded, and threatened by a menacing mob. DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen was surrounded in a Mexican restaurant and harassed by a threatening mob of “Democratic Socialists.” Although Sarah Sanders was not surrounded by an angry mob, she and her family were told to leave the Red Hen restaurant.
But the story did not end there — after they left to go to another restaurant … the owner of the Red Hen FOLLOWED members of the Sanders party to the other restaurant and harassed them there!
And of course we have such wonderfully tolerant people like Peter Fonda publicly hoping that 12-year-old Barron Trump would be put in a cage filled with pedophiles.
Last but not least, even 4-year-old Chloe Trump, President Trump’s little granddaughter, was recently threatened by a Canadian TV writer.
All these verbal and physical threats of violence against President Trump, his family, his staff, and his supporters are just the tip of the iceberg. It was just last year that Antifa was regularly rioting and violently attacking Trump supporters. How much longer before we see these enraged, explosive, and violent Leftists not merely surrounding people like Pam Bondi, but actually physically attacking them?
What would you do if you were in that situation? What can you do legally if you find yourself surrounded by a group of irrational people, screaming and threatening you with physical harm? Here are three steps to follow.
1. Retreat.
This does not sound very heroic or macho, I know. But it is the smart thing to do. In some states (like my home state of Ohio), you have a duty to retreat. That means, if you can extract yourself from the situation peacefully, you must do so. If you hit someone when you could have just walked away, then you are at fault.
Some states (like Florida) have “stand your ground” laws, and you do not have a duty to retreat. In that case, you must decide if the wisest course of action is to just peacefully leave (as Sarah Sanders did) or to fight.
My advice is to leave if you can. (You never know how many people the mob has on their side and can marshal against you.) These people harassed in restaurants certainly did not feel that they needed to fight for their lives in a restaurant, so they left.
2. Call the police.
I am glad that a trooper was nearby so that the mob was not able to physically attack Pam Bondi. Why she or the theater owners did not call for extra police to remove the protestors I do not know. However, in such a confrontation, just get the police there ASAP. Have your friend call them while you or someone else films the whole scene with a phone.
It is important to demonstrate that you did not start the confrontation and that you are not escalating it. It is also important to make sure you clearly say for the recording that you do not want a fight, you only want to be left alone. If you feel threatened with severe injury … make sure you clearly say that for the recording. All this can be used later in a court of law.
3. Attack only as a last resort.
Notice I said that you should do this ONLY as a last resort. That means that if you neither started the conflict nor escalated it, if you are surrounded and cannot get out, and if you are convinced that a physical attack by the mob is imminent — then in that case your only choice will be to save your life and attack first. But isn’t it illegal to strike first? It may be in some jurisdictions (check with the laws in your state).
Yes, I have often heard the old saying “better to be judged by 12 than carried out by 6,” and I do agree with it. If fighting is my only option to preserve my life or the lives of others, I will take that option.
Why a pre-emptive attack? Because if you let the bad guy throw the first punch, you may not be able to block it or evade it, and if that punch lands, it may indeed break your jaw or face, rendering you unconscious, and your head will hit the pavement hard. You could wind up dead or crippled for life in that case. You never let the bad guys get the drop on you.
If you must strike, then strike first (without “telegraphing” your strike), aim for vital targets (such as the eyes, throat, jaw, bridge of the nose, or side of the neck), and strike with extreme violence.
Have your hands up in a non-threatening posture … keep your hands open. If onlookers see you with closed fists, you will look like the aggressor. Then, with open hands, and without warning, launch your attack with a double palm heel strike to the jaw or face, or attack with a Y-hand strike to the throat, or a finger jab to the eyes. Follow up immediately with powerful strikes. You cannot be “nice” or half-hearted at this point. If you must fight, then fight like a mother grizzly bear and ruthlessly destroy them. Your life is on the line.
(If you have pepper spray or a pocket stick/kubotan on you, you may want to use that in your first strike.)
You must attack the instigator or leader of the mob, disabling him immediately with rapid brutal strikes and creating an “escape route” to run through as quickly as possible. Note that in such a scenario against a mob, your chances of survival are slim. You had better hope the cops arrive quickly.
I can hear people now saying, “Well, I’ll just pull out my gun and blow ’em away.” Or: “If I pull out my gun, they’ll all run away scared.” You know the old saying, “no plan survives the first punch.” Also, “the plan of theory is no match for the mess of reality.” Think about what you are saying.
Although the stories I have cited are very alarming, none of them called for using any kind of gun. In fact, none of them called for striking anyone (as I described in a worst-case scenario).
If you pull out a gun because you believe your life is on the line, just remember that after all is said and done … if you survive you are still going to be put on trial and you had better be able to prove that your use of a gun was justified.
I am a CCW instructor and I carry. I pray I never have to use my gun. You never pull out a gun to brandish or threaten. I know that if I ever do have to pull it out, it will ONLY be because it is a life or death situation, I cannot retreat, and the threat is real and imminent. And I had better not miss. I am responsible for every bullet that exits my gun. If I miss, and an innocent bystander is hit by my bullets … then that is on me.
I hope and pray that none of us ever faces these kinds of horrible situations. I sincerely hope that this escalation of violence by the Left (even by members of Congress!) soon decreases and that cooler heads will prevail. However, now is the time to prepare and train, just in case.
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