Recently, a friend told me about his trip to Africa and his first opportunity to hunt Cape buffalo. While he did not have a problem and, in fact, successfully harvested a very nice buffalo, he was surprised at the amount of stress the encounter created for him. Of course, like a lot of us, he had grown up reading all the books and articles about hunting dangerous game in Africa, stories often filled with an overabundance of blood and gore. While my friend called it stress, what he was actually dealing with was fear—and I am happy he overcame it.
Fear is a natural part of human life, and all of us certainly have a fear of being injured or killed. However, as armed citizens we should do what we can to process and suppress that fear. All of which is easier to say than to do.
To begin with, in our society, criminals have to make the first move before we can take action, which often puts us in a position of reacting instead of acting. If that’s not bad enough, the criminal is often younger and in better physical shape than we are. And, on top of all that, he or she has more than likely had a lot more experience with actual violence than we have. It’s enough to make a smart person concerned. Therefore, it is critically important to suppress and control our fear so we can act quickly and effectively.
Those of us with law enforcement or military backgrounds learned to control our fear through peer pressure. We functioned as part of a team, and it was important to us to not be the weak link that let the team down. Parents may also be affected by an outside pressure in that they will do what they must do to protect their children and other loved ones. But, the best way to suppress fear is by being informed, being equipped and being trained.
By being informed, we have a much better idea of what to expect, so our criminal encounter is not such a surprise and mystery. Just as we study our local laws regarding the use of force, we also study the types of violent crimes found in our area. And we want to know how these crimes are being committed, how the carjackers got the victim stopped and how the home invaders got into the house. The more we know about how criminals actually operate, the less surprised we will be if it happens to us.
And once we have a better idea of criminal operations, the easier it is for us to devise a plan that will—at least in part—survive the encounter. Crooks expect us to be surprised and frozen in fear. Our understanding of the dynamics of the criminal attack will often help us suppress our fear and function effectively.
While good gear does not overcome poor tactics, there is absolutely nothing wrong with having the best defensive gear we can afford. We need firearms, ammunition and related gear that function reliably and accurately. We select that gear not because it is what’s currently popular, but because it works for us. For example, I had some experiences where I was pleased to know that the gun on my hip was the one I had just used to win the previous weekend’s combat-shooting match.
And once we get that gear, we further increase our confidence and suppress our fear by getting professional training. Any good defensive-shooting instructor can show us a number of ways to shoot quicker and more accurately. He or she will spot mistakes that we are unconsciously making. They may also help us choose guns and gear that suit us better.
Another value of professional training is the opportunity to spend time with those who have dealt with more actual violence than we have. While many of us don’t care to talk about actual encounters, the tips that are offered are generally based upon those actual experiences. And, besides all that, when you look at some of us you will figure, “Well, if he could survive it, maybe I can, too.”
It may be human nature that we generally prefer not to think about bad things. We often just push them out of our mind. However, the armed citizen in today’s society simply can’t afford to do that when it comes to dealing with violent crime. When those crooks are in your face, you can bet the police aren’t going to get there in time. My friend Ken Campbell likes to say, you are your own first responder. You know what? He’s right.
We suppress our fear by understanding it and by finding ways to function in spite of it. And, I suggest the best way to do that is by being well informed, well equipped and professionally trained.
