People Stealing From YOU! At Gas Stations!!! "Sliders"

Characteristics of stab wounds

http://www.forensicmed.co.uk/wounds/sharp-force-trauma/stab-wounds/

 

This looks bad, but it looks like a single stab, he could have been carved, sliced and diced, into a hamburger, he has good odds of surviving this with a little luck.

Girls Be Careful !!

Share this please ..

1) What should a woman do if she finds herself alone in the company of a strange male as she prepares to enter a lift in a high-rise apartment late at night?

Experts Say: Enter the lift. If you need to reach the 13th floor, press all the buttons up to your destination. No one will dare attack you in a lift that stops on every floor.


2) What to do if a stranger tries to attack you when you are alone in your house, run into the kitchen.

Experts Say: You alone know where the chili powder and turmeric are kept.And where the knives and plates are. All these can be turned into deadly weapons. If nothing else, start throwing plates and utensils all over.

Let them break. Scream. Remember that noise is the greatest enemy of a molester. He does not want to be caught.

3} Taking an Auto or Taxi at Night.

Experts Say: Before getting into an auto at night, note down its registration number. Then use the mobile to call your family or friend and pass on the details to them in the language the driver understands .Even if no one answers your call, pretend you are in a conversation. The driver now knows someone has his details and he will be in serious trouble if anything goes wrong. He is now bound to take you home safe and sound. A potential attacker is now your de facto protector!

4}What if the driver turns into a street he is not supposed to - and you feel you are entering a danger zone?

Experts Say: Use the handle of your purse or your stole (dupatta) to wrap around his neck and pull him back. Within seconds, he will feel choked and helpless. In case you don’t have a purse or stole just pull him back by his collar. The top button of his shirt would then do the same trick.

5} If you are stalked at night.

Expert Say: enter a shop or a house and explain your predicament. If it is night and shops are not open, go inside an ATM box. ATM centers always have security guards. They are also monitored by close circuit television.
Fearing identification, no one will dare attack you.

After all, being mentally alert is the greatest weapon you can ever have.

Please spread it to all those women u care & spread awareness as dis is d least we can do for a social & moral cause and fr d safety of women.

Expert Tips To Stay Safe While Running Alone « CBS Pittsburgh

Expert Tips To Stay Safe While Running Alone « CBS Pittsburgh

Supernatural pickpocketing skills!! Awesome to watch! - by Apollo Robbins

The only solution is to carry a fake wallet in the back pocket, I have saved my old expired Visa, ID and other cards so it looks like a wallet with real content a little cash. 

Options for Consideration Active Shooter Training Video

Insane recommendation, what kind of idiot comes up with such a plan.

Source: 

New York Post

• By S.A. MILLER, Post Correspondent
• Last Updated: 5:44 AM, January 31, 2013

WASHINGTON — Is your workplace getting shot up by a crazed gunman?

No problem — just grab a pair of scissors and fight back!

That’s some of the helpful advice in a new instructional video from the Department of Homeland Security that was posted on the agency’s Web site just a month after the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut.

“If you are caught out in the open and cannot conceal yourself or take cover, you might consider trying to overpower the shooter with whatever means are available,” says the narrator in the video, which shows an office worker pulling scissors out of a desk drawer.

DUCK AND CUTTER: A Homeland Security video shows these scenes as helpful advice to workers on what to do if a mass killer strikes their office — grab any weapon at hand, and hide under a desk. 

The video, titled “Options for Consideration,” also advises that people who get caught in an “active shooter” situation should run away, hide under a desk or take cover out of the line of fire.

The nearly four-minute-long video opens with chilling scenes from the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre, the 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood in Texas, and the 2011 attempted assassination of Gabrielle Giffords.

But the video quickly shifts to hokey footage of office workers scampering under desks, crouching in corners and racing into closets to hide from a rampaging gunman on the loose.

“To protect your hiding place, lock the door if you can. Block the door with heavy furniture,” recommends the male narrator, speaking in measured, authoritative tones.

Other survival strategies promoted in the video include hiding “behind large items such as cabinets or desks. Remain quiet. Silence your cellphone or pager. Even the vibration setting can give away a hiding position.”

Richard Feldman, president of the Independent Firearm Owners Association, said he has a better option for consideration than a pair of scissors when confronting an armed mass murderer — a legal firearm.

“That’s why I prefer a gun, and I usually do carry a gun when it is lawful to do so,” said Feldman. “Clearly, you use whatever you can” to fight for your life, he said.

So if scissors are all you’ve got, grab them by all means.

The video is part of the Obama administration’s ongoing campaign to reduce firearm violence in the wake of the horrific mass murder last month of 20 children and six teachers in Newtown, Conn., said a Homeland Security official.

Homeland Security has operated an active-shooter preparedness-training program for years, and the “Options for Consideration” video was in production prior to the Dec. 14 shooting in Newtown.

The video was released to coincide with President Obama’s sweeping proposals to curb gun violence in America, said the official.

Obama’s most controversial proposals include a ban on military-style assault rifles and high-capacity ammo clips, as well as expanded background checks for firearm purchases.

Security consultant Andrew Scott called the information in the video “adequate.”

He conceded that Homeland Security was correct in recommending that people use scissors to attack a gunman but only in a “last, worst-case scenario.”

“Just the suggestion [to fight back] is a positive move,” said Scott, a former SWAT commander in North Miami Beach. “You don’t want to be sheep for the slaughter.”

But if you do arm yourself with shears, the narrator warns you to drop them when cops arrive.

“Put down any items. Immediately raise your hands,” is the closing advice.

India political party hands out 21,000 knives to defend women from rapists

India political party hands out 21,000 knives to defend women from rapists

‎THROUGH A RAPIST'S EYES

‎

"THROUGH A RAPIST'S EYES" (PLS TAKE TIME TO READ THIS. it may save a life.) Click Share Button to share it on your Wall.

It seems that a lot of attackers use some tactic to get away with violence. Not many people know how to take care of themselves when faced with such a situation. Everyone should read this especially each and every girl in this world.

THOUGHT THIS WAS GOOD INFO TO PASS ALONG...

Through a rapist's eyes! A group of rapists and date rapists in prison were interviewed on what they look for in a potential victim and here are some interesting facts:

1] The first thing men look for in a potential victim is hairstyle. They are most likely to go after a woman with a ponytail, bun! , braid or other hairstyle that can easily be grabbed. They are also likely to go after a woman with long hair. Women with short hair are not common targets.

2] The second thing men look for is clothing. They will look for women whose clothing is easy to remove quickly. Many of them carry scissors around to cut clothing.

3] They also look for women using their cell phone, searching through their purse or doing other activities while walking because they are off guard and can be easily overpowered.

4] The number one place women are abducted from / attacked at is grocery store parking lots.

5] Number two is office parking lots/garages.

6] Number three is public restrooms.

7] The thing about these men is that they are looking to grab a woman and quickly move her to a second location where they don't have to worry about getting caught.

8] If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they get discouraged because it only takes a minute or two for them to realize that going after you isn't worth it because it will be time-consuming.

9] These men said they would not pick on women who have umbrellas, or other similar objects that can be used from a distance, in their hands.

10] Keys are not a deterrent because you have to get really close to the attacker to use them as a weapon. So, the idea is to convince these guys you're not worth it.

POINTS THAT WE SHOULD REMEMBER:

1] If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage or with you in an elevator or stairwell, look them in the face and ask them a question, like what time is it, or make general small talk: can't believe it is so cold out here, we're in for a bad winter. Now that you've seen their faces and could identify them in a line- up, you lose appeal as a target.

2] If someone is coming toward you, hold out your hands in front of you and yell Stop or Stay back! Most of the rapists this man talked to said they'd leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed that she would not be afraid to fight back. Again, they are looking for an EASY target.

3] If you carry pepper spray (this instructor was a huge advocate of it and carries it with him wherever he goes,) yelling I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY and holding it out will be a deterrent.

4] If someone grabs you, you can't beat them with strength but you can do it by outsmarting them. If you are grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch the attacker either under the arm between the elbow and
armpit or in the upper inner thigh - HARD. One woman in a class this guy taught told him she used the underarm pinch on a guy who was trying to date rape her and was so upset she broke through the skin and tore out muscle strands the guy needed stitches. Try pinching yourself in those places as hard as you can stand it; it really hurts.

5] After the initial hit, always go for the groin. I know from a particularly unfortunate experience that if you slap a guy's parts it is extremely painful. You might think that you'll anger the guy and make him want to hurt you more, but the thing these rapists told our instructor is that they want a woman who will not cause him a lot of
trouble. Start causing trouble, and he's out of there.

6] When the guy puts his hands up to you, grab his first two fingers and bend them back as far as possible with as much pressure pushing down on them as possible. The instructor did it to me without using much pressure, and I ended up on my knees and both knuckles cracked
audibly.

7] Of course the things we always hear still apply. Always be aware of your surroundings, take someone with you if you can and if you see any odd behavior, don't dismiss it, and go with your instincts. You may feel little silly at the time, but you'd feel much worse if the guy really was trouble.

FINALLY, PLEASE REMEMBER THESE AS WELL....

I know you are smart enough to know these pointers but there will be some, where you will go "hmm I must remember that" After reading, forward it to someone you care about, never hurts to be careful in
this crazy world we live in.

1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do it.

2. Learned this from a tourist guide to New Orleans: if a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you.... chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car: Kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won't see you but everybody else will. This has saved lives.

4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit
(doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc. DON'T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU CLOSE the DOORS, LEAVE.

5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:

a. Be aware: look around your car as someone may be hiding at the passenger side, peek into your car, inside the passenger side floor, and in the back seat. (DO THIS TOO BEFORE RIDING A TAXI CAB).

b. If you! U are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.

c. Look at the car parked on the driver's side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard /policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)

6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot).

7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; and even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN!

8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP IT! It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked "for help" into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.

I'd like you to forward this to all the women you know. It may save a life. A candle is not dimmed by lighting another candle. I was going to send this to the ladies only, but guys, if you love your mothers,
wives, sisters, daughters, etc., you may want to pass it onto them, as well.

Send this to any woman you know that may need to be reminded that the world we live in has a lot of crazies in it and it's better safe than sorry.

If u have a heart or compassion share this photo.

WE CAN SHARE JOKES AND SPAM MAILS TO OUR FRIENDS & NETWORKS
PLEASE FOR ONCE SHARE THIS AND
LETS TRY TO HELP THEM.

‘Helping hands are better than Praying Lips’ – give us your helping hand.
SHARE IT WITH ALL UR FRIENDS.

AT LEAST PEOPLES WILL KNOW WATS GOING IN WORLD.

Friends So Please Share....Your one share can Help to spread this information. We share So many Stupid Things on Facebook and ignore these types of things which can save so many lives’s...


Take care.

snopes.com: Shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut

A must read for those who use social media as news and information source, bad idea.
snopes.com: Shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut

Gavin de Becker on Mosaic - Assessment of Student Threats

Rauch's Rules

1. All predators are always killers. When they attack, your options for
self-defense are very limited.

2. The predator is smarter than you. Act and react accordingly.

3. Predators will use all the force necessary (and then some) to achieve
their goals, without regard to consequences.

4. Predators evaluate their targets before attacking. If you are attacked,
the predator has determined he will succeed without a heavy cost to
himself.

5. If you are about to become a victim, you have already made serious
mistakes.

6. Believe what you see; don't go into denial. Your attacker won't.

7. In a lethal confrontation, you will only have time to choose one course
of action – and your life depends on making the right choice.

8. Predators rarely act alone, although the ones that do are the most
dangerous. (If there's one, look for two; if there are two, look for
three, etc.)

9. Fear is the predator’s friend and your enemy.

10. Talk and negotiation rarely work.

11. Predators do not have a conscience. Don't waste time and effort
appealing to any sense of mercy or kindness.

12. Some people cannot be frightened or intimidated. Displaying a weapon
may well not solve and, in some cases, may exacerbate the problem. Be
prepared for this.

13. "Bullets don't work." Gene Zink, Former H&K Law Enforcement
Trainer. No hand-held firearm fires a guaranteed "one-shot-stop"
round. Anticipate needing follow-up shots.

14. Firearms don't work all the time and may well not work when you need
them most.

15. Carry only the biggest-caliber gun you can control.

16. Don't be overly concerned about caliber. No one wants to "leak" or
have holes put in him.

17. Carry a reload

18. Carry a second gun.

19. Be able to get to both handguns with either hand

20. Don't assume you can prevail in the conflict due to your superior
tactics and training. The predator only has to be lucky once. Avoiding
him is still the best defense.

21. The honest citizen pitted against a predator is an unequal contest.
The predator is a professional. Most honest citizens are amateurs.

22. No competition or training, no matter how well learned or practiced,
can equal hands-on experience.

23. Predators constantly validate their training with hands-on experience.

24. Getting hands-on experience can be fatal, but survivors learn their
lessons well!

“The Gift of Fear” by Gavin de Becker is a must read, but as a good friend told me to be careful to use advices about personal protection geared to famous and rich people and use it by people who aren’t in the same category, he has a very good point, but it still is a very valuable book to read. Here is a personal experience that I find valuable to read.

http://thestretch2012.com/2012/08/29/my-gift-of-fear/

Total knife ban, totally rational or not?

This is an article I was requested to write and was published the 12. September 2008, I have added a few comments as a lot has changed since it was written, some sentences have been changed as it can’t be translated completely to match the exact words to English.

Total knife ban, totally rational or not?

Kim H writes on weapons legislation in general and knife ban in particular. Is it useful?

I will touch briefly on why bans on more knife design are not well thought out. Afterwards, I will explain why I consider the knife as a suitable self defence weapon, and why it is sometimes better than a firearm. This is not an appeal to carry a knife for self defence, but a critique of the existing laws regarding the design of knives, and why the liberalization of the Firearms Act necessarily must include knives as self defence weapons.

Regarding why weapons should be legal from a libertarian perspective, I recommend reading the article Weapon! written by Daniel Beattie. Carrying a weapons will not make criminals weapons disappear, but it makes the odds more even than if you had nothing. Rape criminals usually goes after the weak victim, if the victim pulls a gun, he would rather find another victim that he can tackle. Generally criminal human predators search for prey they consider they can handle, as other predators in the wild.

The right to live must also include the right to defend that right. Laws can not defend ourselves when we are victims of violent crimes: It does not stop crimes, it only punishes the guilty, when the deed is done. Criminals who commit violent armed robbery, murder, robberies and rapes do not think about that they break the Arms Act, and what the consequences which might ensue. They commit the crimes that are worse than the violations of the Arms Act. The less their victims have to defend themselves, the greater power and leeway criminals have, the police can not be everywhere all the time. Cameras and increased monitoring does not have a magical ability to get criminals to disappear. They can only assist investigation to catch and convict them. There is a huge amount with surveillance videos of knife attacks on the Internet, and the victims of these videos were not magically rescued by fear of the camera surveillance.

The increasing media focus on the use of knives for violent crimes has caused an outcry without equal among politicians and the media with demands for more restrictive legal requirements for the type of knife that can be purchased. Some will even have a total ban, and there is competition for who would impose people the highest penalties for possession of knives among politicians to get more votes.

The website knivfri.dk(knife free.dk) says:

"With the increasing focus on knife crime, it is understandable that some may be nervous. But statistics show that the risk for the individual is still very small in Denmark. There is less persons that carry a knife, than you might think, and even fewer who would dream of using it.

Despite the violent incidents there is statistically no increase in knife crime - the problem has risen in the media and public awareness. "

On the Crime Prevention Council website on the study of violence in Denmark 1995-2005 from the Ministry of Justice, University of Copenhagen, the National Police and the Crime Prevention Council:

"In recent years, the use of the knife often been discussed. In 1995 it was 2.1% of the victims who faced an offender with a knife. This figure rose slightly to 2.9% in 2005. So it is still relatively rare to meet knife armed perpetrators. You should be aware that these figures do not tell anything about the chance in the number of threats with a knife, but only for cases where the knife has been used. "

Norway, a good example

"In Norway, five years ago a total knife ban was introduced. Since then, the number of stabbings fell by 40 percent, and the number of confiscated knives has also fallen significantly. "

There have been many statements by politicians and in the media with the claim that a total ban in Norway had a positive effect.

I tried for a very long time to investigate the case, but it was veritable impossible to determine whether it had a positive effect, since the Statistisk Sentralbyrå, which is the Norwegian Institute of Statistics, shows no statistics of stabbing or knife-related crime, such as illegal possession and confiscation.

I could find statistics on all crimes and categories, but not with knives. I abandoned finding statistics as I could not find anything where weapons were generally involved, such as confiscation or crimes committed with weapons.

I contacted a Norwegian friend who has friends in the Norwegian police, and asked if he or the police could find some statistical studies, but even the police had no idea about it because they did not collect data and could not create statistics without it. I later found one who had family working for the institution who takes care of releasing prisoners from jails, and he claimed that there has been a decrease in knife attacks, but I could not get any data than hearsay.

However, I found out that the later adopted total ban restrictive regulation for combat knives did not have the desired political effect. There was a lot of new stabbing despite of the regulations. How they will define combat knives will be interesting, as folders and butterfly knives are already illegal.

It is doing it wonderfully easy for politicians to say that a law helped when you can not measure the effect of it, but have to rely on a subjective assessment of how a few high ranking police officers think it is. Norwegian police are not armed with guns, so their resistance to knives understandable, since they do not have a slim chance if they are attacked with a knife. So also in Norway are restrictive law regulations performed on the basis of individual cases.

How the Norwegians know that crimes committed with a knife has fallen, I do not know. Perhaps from reports of stabbings from hospitals, but confiscated knives is not something that hospitals do. I can not come up with concrete numbers, and the data underlying the claim I would like to know more about. I anyone has any please inform me.

The Danish total ban

Parliament passed before the summer recess a restriction of the law relating to knives. The Ministry of Justice justifies the restrictive regulation that it will have a preventative effect, but the National Association of appointed lawyers publicly stated and recommended another solution:

"There is no prospect that fewer will take illegal knives in the city when the penalty is increased from a fine of US$500 to minimum seven days' imprisonment". (The maximum imprisonment has been changed to potentially a year but it will be very unlikely.)

"It would, instead of the usual requirement for raised penalties be desirable to take initiatives for an attitude change of particularly young people."

In connection with the restriction from the Ministry of Justice had not provided any concrete numbers for the spread of illegal knives in the nightlife. Also the defence lawyers points out that there is missing information about the use of illegal knives that had been used to violent crimes.

Symbolic political messages do not change the criminal's behaviour. It only sends a message to young people that it is socially unacceptable. We can not just leave it up to the state to regulate children's criminal violent behaviour: It is the parents who have the primary responsibility and should educate them to be responsible citizens with respect for others' property, liberty and life.

Seized knives in Copenhagen from 2002 to 2008, according to the Copenhagen police:

2002: 1841

2003: 1732

2004: 1936

2005: 2507

2006: 3113

2007: 2553

2008 to August month: 1291st the total figure for 2008 is guesswork, we will have to wait and see.

The first restriction of the Arms Act was the first April 2004 as a political response to a specific case: The murder of 19-year-old Italian tourist Antonio Curra, portrayed as an act of random gang related violence in the media, but very few know it was a quarrel about the price for a bag of cocaine he tried to purchase that turned into a deadly fight. One can see that there has been an increase in seizures, so either have the political signal not had the desired effect, or the increased focus by the police with such visitation zones only led to more seizures.

Earlier in Denmark, the chief police inspector Per Larsen said he hoped the increased penalties for possession of knives would have a deterrent effect. January this year he told Ritzau: "It is of course only one hunch, but I can not imagine anything other than that it would rumour that there is a much higher risk."

Svend Foldager, police inspector Copenhagen Police, has stated to the media that "those who from their home plan that they will have a to use a knife because they are planning to get into situations where they need it, you can not deter with seven days prison sentence.”

Alan Gordon, vice-chairman of the Police Federation in Britain, has made a similar statement to BBC News about the latest restriction of the Arms Act due to a specific case where a boy of 14 years was murdered: “People that seem to have such a scant regard for human life, I don’t think are going to be dissuaded in their actions by new legislation. […] It is a very difficult tightrope for the home secretary to walk – as to whether he should introduce new legislation to try and show toughness. […] But actually, how effective it is going to be is debatable.”

Responsible citizens who carries and know how to use a pocket knife in a responsible manner, must not be punished for an act that does not infringe the freedom of others. Hunters, anglers, scouts, kayakers and divers have always used them responsibly, but now the restrictions negatively affect them. Some sports and recreational activities would be downright dangerous to do without access to the knife as a tool.

The knife, which is perhaps the oldest tool man has used, has the primary function as a vital tool, in addition to use in the kitchen, at many outdoor activities and crafts. It can be used as a weapon to be compared to how much it is used for legitimate and practical purposes. To kill or harm people with a knife was already illegal before the knife ban, and thus there was no need for further regulation or prohibition of knives. Compared to how much they are used for legitimate purposes in relation to crimes, they make to put it mildly a very small percentage.

Total ban has even been criticized by Flemming Steen Munch, information officer at the police because he did not think we should make policy on the basis of individual cases, because we should not criminalize law-abiding citizens who responsibly carry a small pocket knife.

The recent ban which dictates that even the police should not be carrying a knife, is mildly grotesque. How should they cut a rope over if a person is bound, a man to be cut free by a belt in a burning car after an accident or other scenario? By shooting it into pieces with their service gun or bite it with their teeth? They have now been issued a Leatherman with no lock on the knife, they can carry a gun but must risk loosing a finger when using the knife.

All Danish citizens can acquire an illegal knife in many of our neighbouring countries such as Estonia, Poland and Sweden, so if you want to buy an illegal knife is very easy.

A knife is a knife. Most kitchen knives, especially filet knives are just as well suited for murder as a so-called combat knife. And then they are cheaper, easy to acquire, legal to buy and better to commit murder with than folding knives. Fillet knife are very sharp, very thin and do not jam between the ribs if it is inserted in the torso, and can easily puncture the lungs and heart.

Locks, blade length and the Law

With the new knife law, which has been implemented, it is legal to carry a folding knife of max. 7 cm, which can not be locked. Locks on the knives are there to protect the users from harming themselves, so the blade does not fold over the knuckles by accident. Apparently consumer safety was not given a second thought when the new knife law was adopted. For all other products there will be an outcry if someone made a product that could create damage due to lack of security, which could easily be built into the product. In this case, the choice is to have products that are dangerous to the consumer by law.

The locking mechanism does not make it easier to kill others with knife: It takes just as long to get a folder deployed out as a knife in a sheath. I could see the point that the maximum blade length should be 7 cm long, but actually don’t agree with that point, as the problem is how deep the blade penetrates the body and affects vital organs. Nevertheless, even 4cm is enough to be able to hit vital organs, as 2 doctors interviewed on the news stated. You can also still buy boy scout daggers and kitchen knives, which have often been used to assault and murder, so the ban will not change anything for people who intend to use them for criminal purposes. They can always buy a kitchen knife in the supermarket. You can not stop the production of dangerous pointy sharp knives, unless we ban all larger than dull vegetable knives less than 4 cm without tip, or only have pre carved and cut all vegetables and meat we buy in supermarkets, so we do not need kitchen knives.

Folders

The ban on them was originally implemented because they were used frequently to assault, but that has not stopped the use of knives to attack. Many legitimate folding knives can still be opened with one hand: It requires very little training, and the fact is that they can be opened almost as fast with two hands. It may be easier to hide a folder, but a knife can be concealed easily under all circumstances. Even the most secure maximum security prisons in all countries can’t stop the use of homemade knives. A scout knife or kitchen knife is just as easy to hide as a folder, folding knifes or neck knife down the pants or under a sweater. Folders have the advantage that they can be used in emergency situations where one hand is injured or entangled in something that you need to cut free from.

Throwing Knives

Throwing Knives belong in a circus. It is almost impossible to hit a moving target with a throwing knife. The rotation of the blade makes it impossible to always hit with the tip. One can, after many years of training learn how to throw a knife against a target at a fixed distance. It is foolish to throw a knife against an opponent: If it does not penetrate the target, then you have given him a weapon. There is no one who throws a loaded gun to the head of his opponent in a battle for life and death. That they are illegal surprised me a lot, because many are not sharp. All throwing knives used by professionals entertainers are pointy but have a dull edge. However, you can buy a few models that have a sharp blade, for hunting.s

The knife in self defence weapons

Many people might think that the knife is bad as self defence weapon in relation to a gun, but this is not entirely true. In certain situations, the blade is better than the gun.

It takes no training to use the knife to fend off attacks by threatening to use it because all are instinctively afraid of knives. It has a very strong psychological deterrent effect: All have tried to cut themselves and know how it hurts.

The first self defence use is to cut the assailant on the wrist or hand, which he will not die from. If the situation requires more damage to stop the robber or assailant, one can resort to muscle destruction of arms with the possibility that he might survive, if he is being treated by a doctor, so he does not bleed to death. In extreme cases, you can stab and slash repeatedly the assailant until he doesn’t move, resulting in a high probability of death due to organ damage and bleeding.

In short, you can escalate the degree of how much you want to use the knife, from threat to small or serious injuries and finally a defence with fatal outcome. However, serious knife injuries can be harder to treat than gunshot wounds.

It does not require a high IQ or training to use a knife. That is why so many idiots and persons with no training can use it successfully.

To shoot someone just a little bit is difficult as the bullet has a fixed velocity. You can shoot for the legs, but it can also kill if it hits a vein and innocent passers-by. With firearms can not escalate the degree of damage very well, as it is hard to aim at a moving target and choose a safe place to shoot.

Firearms also run out of ammunition, knives don’t. All violent confrontations at close range and at less than 6 meters the knife is considered being more dangerous than a gun by many self defence instructors. Therefore, it is ridiculous when the media accused the police of going too far when they shoot someone who is armed with a knife. When you consider how short their batons are, it is almost suicide to use them against the blade.

Firearms are expensive, they must be maintained constant so as not to cause it to malfunction and stored properly and safely. Knives are cheap and everyone has them in their kitchen without being very concerned that children have access to them. Most of us do not have a problem with those children learn to use a dagger and an axe responsibly as boy scouts, but the media and politicians would probably freak out in outrage if they learned how to use guns.

Many will say that the danger is that the knife might be used against them. But the same applies to guns, tear gas and other weapons.

Recap of the main arguments

What would you rather prefer to have in the hand against a gang of criminals who will attack you: Nothing or a weapon? What would you rather have, your daughter, girlfriend, mother or wife had if she faced a rapist?

To hope that others come and help, if there are any present, is not very likely. Many women have been raped and have called for help when no one came or helped by calling the police, even when a crowd of people could easily hear the victim. Sadly the Bystander effect has been proven that the odds for being helped decreases when the amount of people passing buy grows.

Training martial arts is no guarantee of safety. Techniques and dirty tricks don’t always defeat a physically superior opponent. Otherwise there would not be weight classes for tournaments. They are not there to protect the big boys against a tiny opponent.

But martial arts organizations are obviously a business like any other, although many are state subsidised non profit associations and a few are private companies in Europe. They also need new members not to become extinct, and besides offering one to get in shape and learn self-discipline, they lure students by promising them security against bigger and stronger opponents. They could have a higher chance to defeat an untrained person who is the least dangerous of all categories opponent, but larger, physically stronger, armed, martial arts trained individuals or more opponents is far more difficult to tackle without weapons. Yes it is almost impossible unless you have trained for countless hours every week for many years with realism as a starting guideline. A lot of very skilled martial artists have been killed with a knife, as it was not a big part of their training. But many women with no training have defeated a rapist armed with a knife, this shows clearly that martial arts training does not guarantee safety.

In addition, many young violent thugs train martial arts and test their skills on the street. Recently, we have seen hooligans from White Pride practicing martial arts in municipally-premises. Some clubs and social projects funded from the municipality teach maladjusted young men martial arts, which is quite silly as they might save a few of trouble, but has trained the rest to become more effective criminals.

There are many who have used and are using knives responsible for leisure activities. They should not be punished because a few abuse them. Compared to how many legitimate and essential purpose they used to, so is the abuse of them a tiny portion.

Criminals, who use knives, are indifferent to tougher penalties for illegal possession of a knife, because the crimes they commit with them are far worse than violation of the Arms Act.

Laws do not stop criminals beyond educational reach, they can only punish them.

To make policy based on individual cases is not wise, even police people have been against it and when even the police can not carry a knife now is decidedly idiotic.

A ban on certain design of knives is unimportant: A knife is a knife, kitchen knives is just as dangerous and is used very often for crimes.

The prohibition folders have no deterrent against their use for criminal purposes, criminals can buy a kitchen knife, fixed blade legally or illegal folders in our neighbouring countries.

Locks are there to protect the user. It can not be right that we knives have an inverse relationship to consumer safety.

Knives are suitable for self defence, they are cheap, available everywhere, easy to use even without training, it is possible to escalate the degree of damage, whereas with firearms is difficult to control the degree of injury and can hit innocent bystanders. So if you are in favour of liberalization of the Firearms Act, knives must also be included.

Many violent criminals trains martial arts and most likely more skilled as they have real life experience and not only friendly dojo training, so it's not always enough just to train self defence, which many also requires a long time before you can use it. A weapon, like a knife, can scare a potential assailant to go away.

The right to live must also include the right to defend this. The law can not defend ourselves when we are victims of violent crimes, it does not stop crime, and it punishes only the guilty, when the deed is done. The police can not be everywhere all the time and have recently shown that they do not always respond when you call and need them.

Appendix

Example

An example of a knife, which has been used for self defence in Denmark without prosecution, the victim would not have had a chance without. Four young people, three men and a woman, chose Friday night to set after a 24-year-old and his girlfriend and start a regular orgy of violence started:

"Should I pull the ring out of his nose at you," cried one of the four to the man. The mood was rampant, and the man's girlfriend ran into a nearby apartment and called police. Meanwhile the group were in a frenzy of violence. First with kicks,  then slap to the face. Finally, when the man lying on the ground with his head pressed down against the asphalt, a kick in the head. A so violent kick, the imprint of the shoe could still be seen on the forehead following day. The victim manages finally to fish one four centimetres knife-like object back and put it in the thigh of one of the perpetrators. The police arrive, the four are accused of violent assault, while the 24-year-old is off the hook.

"It could have happened to you and me. The 24-year-old has defended himself by reasonable means, so he will not be charged, "said Copenhagen police central security manager, Niels Book-Grarup.

Excerpts from the Danish knife law

Act to amend the Arms Act

(Prohibition of carrying a knife, etc. as well as stricter penalties for illegal possession of knives, etc.)

First § 4, paragraph. 1 is replaced by the following:

"In public places, colleges, youth clubs, leisure facilities and the like, it is prohibited to carry a knife or dagger, except as part of a profession, for hunting, fishing or sport or another similar creditable purpose. The ban does not include folding knives with blades of more than 7 cm, which can not be locked in the unfolded position. "

Second § 4, paragraph. 3 is replaced by the following:

"Subsection. 3rd Justice may issue rules prohibiting the introduction, by transfer to acquire, to possess, carry or use, to transfer or to leave other possession of:

1) Sharp or pointed weapons with a blade exceeding 12 cm, knives with transverse grip designed to shock, folders, jumping stilettos, case knives, stilettos, folders, which are designed so that in normal condition can be expanded by using one hand , folding knives with two-piece butt if the blade folds out using one hand knives designed to hang around the neck or shoulder, and from this location can be pulled using one hand, throwing stars, throwing knives and swordsticks and other similar weapons, which presents itself as an object.

NOTE

§ 14 PARAGRAPH. 3:

Daggers and knives with a blade exceeding 12 cm, regardless paragraph 1, point 1, WITHOUT PERMISSION, used in business. Household or by hunting, fishing, scuba diving etc., if they are designed to do so.

Those weapons can be acquired, held and carried to such use.

2) Other sharp or pointed weapons, which can not be assumed to have no creditable purpose.

"Subsection. 3rd Violation of § 4, paragraph. 1 or 2, punishable by a fine. The penalty may increase to imprisonment for 2 years, when the former is punished for violation of § 4, paragraph. 1 or 2 Penal Code § 81 paragraph. 1 shall not apply. "

Cheap home alarm security system.

While waiting for the police to come, this is an excellent solution, forget about help from others, the bystander effect and peoples fear to be involved helping others will prevent anyone to help you. But being annoyed by loud noise will make everyone curious and will do anything to see what it is and how to stop it.

Maul meets Santiago - 26th November 2008

I would love to try this with resistance and on a non compliant training partner, but there are 2 major problems, I probably can’t do it perfect and I have never seen any videos with a resisting opponent. Most of it can be explained easily with the standard response, the techniques are too dangerous to do with full speed and intent that will leave you with no chance to try it against an opposing training partner, sometimes it’s true but other times it’s possible to drill it with opposition. I find their techniques very interesting and like to watch their videos, but it lacks a demonstration against an opposing person, I have been told that the biggest problem with their seminars was the lack of realism, that it was flashy stuff with no combat value. I don’t like to judge other system by what other perceive as right or wrong, but the critique was from a very experienced high ranking FMA Grandmaster, I will go to a seminar if they are close to where I live to make my own judgement.

In a few seminars that I have attended curious to see and feel it had anything to offer, to improve my skills I had to listen to a similar argument, if you do it more than 5 times your are going to die, the man in front of me did not know that I have been smashed on that spot for hours training with the strongest man I know with bones of steel, I was amazed of how easy it is to scam people in martial art, I sometimes compare Martial Arts with New Age groups as many search for a spiritual component, believing that 5 minutes of meditation before and after training makes you more spiritual. What  is even worse are the no touch KO Kyusho practicioners, some of them lie and are hypocrites, they publicly state that they don’t believe no touch KO, but privately they believe it works and to avoid being ridiculed they need to lie.

I teach by asking everyone to constantly ask themselves what if something violent happened now, when they navigate around in public spaces and test what they feel is an acceptable moral response in a specific situation, this could be while being on a train and 3 loudmouth drunks enters the train and sit near you, or while having a drink in a bar see a big guy being intimidating by his body language, the list is endless creating scenarios at home is something most will not do as they have a hard time imagining various scenarios. By doing it while moving around in public spaces you get the scenarios that are closest to what you will encounter, as most people have a life that consist of routines the odds that something will happen where they spend most of their time in public spaces is very high. to what you will encounter, as most people have a life that consist of routines the odds that something will happen where they spend most of their time in public spaces is very high. 

Deconstructing the Aurora Colorado Shooting and What We as Responsible Citizens Could Have Done to Help

Posted: 23 Jul 2012 10:20 AM PDT In one of the deadliest U.S. shootings since Fort Hood, where Army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan fired into a group of soldiers preparing for deployment, James Holmes killed 12 innocent movie-goers Friday, when he began shooting into a crowded theater in Aurora, Colorado. Leaving more than 50 injured, those killed included a U.S. Navy Sailor and a U.S. Air Force reservist. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those involved in the tragedy, the victims, their families and those who lived through the terrifying ordeal. My goal in this article is to deconstruct the shooting from the news I’ve been able to gather and discuss what we as responsible citizens could have done in a similar situation. The Aurora Shooting On Friday, July 20th, 2012, James Eagan Holmes, 24, parked his white Hyundai within 25 yards of an emergency exit door behind the Aurora, CO Century 16 theaters. Having purchased a ticket to the midnight premiere of Batman: The Dark Knight Rises, Holmes entered the theater which his car was parked behind. At some point during the movie, Homes slipped out the emergency exit door and propped it open. Back at his vehicle, he donned an assault vest, riot helmet, gas mask, black clothing similar to that of a SWAT officer and grabbed a Smith and Wesson M&P AR-15, two Glock .40 caliber pistols (G22 and G23), a Remington 870 Express Tactical 12-gauge shotgun and tear gas canisters. Fully armed, he re-entered the theater through the propped open door, deployed two tear gas canisters and began open firing into the crowded theater. Witnesses describe him walking up the stadium seating staircase, shooting at those closest to him. As he noticed people trying to escape the gunfire through the emergency exit door, he adjusted his fire towards them. Witnesses also describe the gunfire lasting no longer than 1-2 minutes, with 50-60 shots fired. Reuters Holmes eventually made his exit through the same door he entered, where he was arrested by Aurora Police near his vehicle. While the timetable of the shooting is still unclear, audio of the incident shows the first dispatch at 12:39 a.m., when reports started to come in. Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates is quoted as stating that some 25 officers were on scene within a minute and a half. Oates applauded his officers for being able to pick up on a particular piece of equipment that helped responding officers distinguish Holmes as the shooter and not a SWAT Officer. He declined to get into specifics. After his arrest, Police learned from Holmes that they might find explosives at his apartment. What Police found was a failed diversionary booby-trap he’d set up to kill anyone walking through the door. The trap was set with loud music, triggered to start after Holmes had left his apartment. Ultimately Holmes hoped the music would generate a noise complaint by neighbors and maim anyone who responded. Stephen Mitchell / The Denver Post Investigators believe the explosion from the booby trap was also meant to lure available resources from his real target at the theater and lessen their response time to the shooting. Police have only recently detonated the incendiary explosives at Holmes’ apartment and deemed the area safe for neighbors to return. Holmes awaits a Monday arraignment at 8:30 a.m. and is currently being held at in solitary confinement at Arapahoe County Jail. Thoughts on the “Why” The shooting by James Holmes was one that didn’t seem to have a clear-cut motive, beyond authorities speculating they were based on gaining notoriety or wanting to pay back society for the wrong he’d been caused in his life. I did read reports of Holmes being unhappy, being unable to secure a job anywhere but McDonalds and dropping out of his PhD program at the University of Colorado. Beyond that speculation, nothing concrete has been produced to provide a “why.” I’ve been intrigued lately by the criminal mind, after reading The Gift of Fear by Gavin De Becker. In the book, De Becker states that people who commit terrible violence choose their acts from among many options that we’re all capable of imagining. Just the fact that we’re all capable of being able to conceive terrible violence is evidence that anyone can do the same, even those willing to act on it. The real lesson from De Becker in this situation is that to work towards prediction and prevention, we have to accept that these acts are done by the “we” of humanity not by interlopers who somehow sneaked in. Karl Gehring / The Denver Post / AP Something we’ve also been seeing in the news reports from this incident are interviews from people who knew Holmes as a quiet guy, or someone who kept to himself. De Becker talks about this too as a hackneyed myth and that a more accurate statement should be “neighbors didn’t know anything relevant,” but instead news reporters present non-information as if it’s information. De Becker states that by the frequency of this cliché, you could almost believe that normalcy is a pre-incident indicator for aberrant crime. It isn’t. However, one of the most common pre-incident indicators, is violence in one’s childhood. I’ll save the rest of De Becker’s perspective for a write-up I’ll be doing soon on The Gift of Fear, but it’s given me fantastic insight into the power of intuition and other survival signals that protect us from violence. Of course, these pre-incident indicators would have been seen by his family and close friends, which I’m sure are being heavily questioned right now. It will be interesting to learn more about Holmes’ childhood as further details emerge, but from what’s being presented currently, he appears to have had a normal childhood. The Police are also doing a good job in assembling evidence of “calculation and deliberation.” My opinion is that this information will be crucial in the trial to ensure that Holmes doesn’t get painted as mentally incompetent, or a “spur-of-the-moment” criminal. I believe evidence will show that these murders were premeditated and the timeline for purchasing firearms, equipment and ammunition reflects this. This of course doesn’t suggest anyone buying firearms consecutively is planning something like Holmes did, just that putting the timeline into perspective after the fact is revealing of him ramping up for the shooting. Holmes’ purchases are interesting to look at from the timeline perspective and also from the sensationalism perspective the media is trying to manufacture. Guns and Ammo In looking at what Holmes purchased, it’s somewhat clear that he didn’t have much in the way of training to employ his preferred weapons effectively. Most notable is his choice to run a 100 round drum magazine that was recovered from the scene. Anyone that’s had the opportunity to fire one of these can testify to their poor reliability, at least that’s been my experience. It’s also come out that Holmes’ AR-15 “jammed” on him, forcing him to discard it and choose another gun. However, photos show an AR-15 near the emergency exit door Holmes used with what looks like a regular AR magazine attached. He could have tried to change mags during the malfunction, not properly knowing how to clear it, then discarded the AR when he couldn’t get it working again. In a span of two months leading up to the shooting, Holmes obtained his firearms from various retail outlets in Colorado. The first Glock was purchased at the Aurora Gander Mountain on May 22nd, the shotgun from Bass Pro Shops in Denver on May 28th and the AR-15 on June 7th. The other Glock pistol was purchased July 6th back at the Denver Bass Pro Shops. The total ammunition acquired by Holmes from online retailer bulkammo.com consisted of 3,000 rounds of .223 for the AR, 3,000 .40 cal rounds and 300 rounds of 12 gauge for the shotgun. On July 2nd he shopped at online retailertacticalgear.com and purchased a Blackhawk Urban Assault Vest (black), Blackhawk Omega Elite Triple Pistol Mag Pouch (black), Blackhawk Omega Elite M16 Mag Pouch (black) and a Blackhawk Be-Wharned Knife (silver). All totaling around $300 with shipping. If you notice in this video, ABC improperly calls the Blackhawk Assault vest purchased a “bullet proof vest” when the screen clearly shows the make of the assault vest from Blackhawk and even displays “Assault Vest” on the screen. It makes me question whether Holmes was truly wearing body armor or an armored helmet. As many shooting enthusiasts reading this will agree, the ammunition count is not hard to accumulate if you’re taking your training with firearms seriously and practicing your skill-set. Yet the media is painting this with all their buzz words about being enough ammo to for a small army and sparking their debate for another assault weapons ban. Even one of the blogs I read on a daily basis, Mashable, managed to jump on the bandwagon. “It’s a scary list: Assault rifle with 100-round magazine, powerful .40 caliber pistols, a 12-gauge shotgun. Holmes was armed with enough weapons and ammunition to kill hundreds — if not thousands — of people. Is it a good idea to make it so easy to acquire such weaponry along with its associated ammunition? Maybe instead of gun control, activists should be calling out for ammunition control.” What I believe is that guns are just tools and like all tools, their impact is in the hands of the user. Just like the 9/11 hijackers were able to commit their heinous acts without firearms, people intent on doing bad can and will use whatever is at their disposal. Restrictions on guns and ammo are only going to hurt the lawful citizens protecting themselves, their families and those they haven’t met yet. Not to mention the 2nd Amendment implications. Gun-Free Zone Concealed carry is legal in Aurora, like the rest of Colorado, but the Cinemark theater where the shooting took place is a “gun-free zone.” Cinemark apparently has a company policy that does NOT allow its customers to carry concealed. Some critics of Concealed Carry used this incident as an example to show how armed citizens failed to act, yet didn’t bother to research the laws preventing them from carrying that night. Cinemark is headquartered in Plano, TX and I often go to a local Texas Cinemark carrying concealed. With the Texas Concealed Handgun Law, there have to be very specific criteria met in order to legally prevent patrons from carrying on their premises. The law states that written communication has to be given in English and Spanish, appear in contrasting colors with block letters at least one inch in height and displayed in a conspicuous manner clearly visible to the public. That written communication is a card or other document which is written with this exact language “Pursuant to Section 30.06, Penal Code (trespass by holder of license to carry a concealed handgun), a person licensed under Subchapter H, Chaper 411, Government Code (concealed handgun law), may not enter this property with a concealed handgun.” I’m stating this example of Texas law to convey that as a CHL holder, if I don’t see the 30.06 sign placed in a “conspicuous manner,” I’m carrying in that establishment unless otherwise notified. There are of course other restrictions set up by that law regulating carry into government buildings, sporting events, etc. To me, if a company chooses to display the 30.06 sign or further restrict concealed carry, I’m going to think twice about spending my hard earned money with them, or take the proper precautions to still ensure my safety and that of my family. What Would You Have Done? From reading what I could of eyewitness accounts, the scene was one of chaos and panic; A dark theater erupting with gunfire and tear gas. One particular account I want to share comes from 22-year-old Jennifer Seeger, an EMT student and one of the few people I’ve read about thus far with a sheepdog mentality. Jennifer described Holmes as wearing a gas mask, a kevlar vest and appearing like he was on the SWAT team. Her details are very well presented in her interview as she describes Holmes entering through the emergency exit at the right side of the theater. His gun came within inches of her seat, which was almost the first he came to as he entered. As he passed her on his way up the stairs, she jumped into the aisle telling people that that when he runs up the stairs, they needed to crawl out. She also recounted that it was the opposite side stairs he was moving up due to what she heard. As she moved to crawl out herself, she noticed that everyone was running back into the theater because Holmes was shooting people who were trying to escape. “Why didn’t he take me…I honestly didn’t know what to do or what to think, I just tried to move and get out of the way and pray to god that I didn’t get shot.” Seeger states that she was one of the last people to get out and ran into a teenage boy who was still alive and moaning. She checked his pulse and noticed it was fading, so she started telling others that “we need to get this guy out of here, he’s really critical.” She tried to pull him out to safety, but was told by others to leave him because the gunman was coming back. She felt horrible about leaving him. “All I wanted to do is help the guy and I definitely would have given my life for the man.” Could you have been effective in this situation? Would you have responded like Seeger did, or would you have just added your yelling to the chaos? How long would it have taken you to recognize the danger of the situation and even if you could have been carrying, how well could you have placed the shots you needed to stop the attacker? Don’t forget to imagine the dark theater filled with people running everywhere, mass panic, gunfire and tear gas. How do you carry, do you practice shooting from that concealment? Do you train under low-light conditions or at dynamic moving targets that could possibly be armored. Do you know your capabilities and the capabilities of your carry gun. Do you know what the ammunition you carry can do? If you carry home defense ammo, have you ever shot with it? Do you know how it will cycle through your gun? A concealed permit is only a portion of the battle we all face as responsible citizens, I’ve personally seen people who are licensed to carry that couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn. Training is even more important than what most tend to focus on, such as what kind of gun to buy. No matter what you own, train to use it in every out-of-the-box situation you can imagine yourself being placed in one day. Without a Gun or EMS Something important to ask is whether carrying effective medical equipment to treat gunshot wounds would have saved lives. That’s the first thing that crossed my mind, what if many people in the audience had a pack of Combat Gauze in their back pocket, would they have been able to treat people quickly at the scene until EMS arrived? As mentioned earlier, the first dispatch was at 12:39 a.m. and shortly thereafter in the audio recordings, you hear an officer ask for permission to take some of the victims by vehicle to the emergency room, as there are no ambulances on scene yet. I’m willing to bet that they didn’t have proper medical equipment in their squad cars to treat people either, but I sincerely hope I’m wrong. This is what I’ve been preaching for years; when you need it, help isn’t coming. You can just look at typical EMS response times vs. the time it takes for someone to lose enough blood to be beyond saving. Not to mention in a situation Law Enforcement might find themselves in where it’s still to dangerous for EMS to even enter the scene. At the very least you should get trained in basic First Aid, understanding direct pressure, how to pack a wound and place a tourniquet. Then carry what you need to do so. This is the reason we developed our EDC Trauma Kit, to fit in the back pocket of your jeans when you’re out in town and have hemostatic gauze (QuikClot Combat Gauze), a pressure dressing / makeshift tourniquet and a pair of gloves at your disposal. The techniques I mentioned would treat the leading cause of preventable death in a situation like this, extremity hemorrhage. AKA, bleeding out. “Keep the blood in the body,” it’s a simple phrase to memorize and one I’ve always remembered since it was taught to me years ago. I have no doubt that when we learn about the causes of death from this incident, it will closely follow the empirical research from WWII until today on the leading causes of preventable combat death; 60% extremity hemorrhage, 33% tension pneumothorax and 3% airway obstruction. Remembrance Like you, I wish these 12 people were still alive today and the other physical and emotional injuries could have been prevented as well. My hope with this article is to try to learn from this tragedy and honor the memory of the brave people in the theater that night. There were sheepdogs among the audience and whether you believe in that terminology or not, these people acted to protect their loved ones and help those around them. I trust we’ll continue to hear about the heroism amongst them as new details get released, but there’s a few I’d like to mention specifically. First off, Jennifer Seeger, whom I mentioned earlier. She was inspirational with the courage she displayed in maintaining her composure while directing people, rather than adding to the chaos. The fact that she mentioned gladly giving her life for another if she could, is something I can certainly relate to. There were also three heroes who died saving those they loved. 26-year-old Jon Blunk, who shielded his girlfriend Jansen Young; 27-year-old Matt McQuinn, who was shielding his girlfriend Samantha Yowler and 24-year-old Alex Teves, who jumped on top of his friend Amanda Lindgren. These three women made it through the attack because of these brave individuals. In addition to the fallen were Alex Sullivan, just celebrating his 27th birthday; John Larimer, a 27-year-old U.S. Navy Sailor; 24-year-old Jessica Ghawi, who recently survived the Toronto Mall Shooting; 23-year-old Micayla Medek; 18-year-old Alexander “AJ” Boik, who recently graduated high school; 51-year-old Gordon Cowden, a father of two; 32-year-old Rebecca Wingo; Jesse Childress, a 29-year-old Air Force reservist and six-year-old Veronica Moser-Sullivan, whose mother Ashley Moser is in critical condition. President Obama has ordered U.S. flags flown at half-staff at federal facilities, public buildings, military bases and U.S. offices overseas until sunset on July 25th. I’m currently typing this from my house on Sunday, looking out my office window at our flag at half-staff, remembering those we’ve lost and all that we can do to ensure we learn what we as responsible citizens can do to prevent another tragedy like this. Sources: http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/aurora-dark-knight-shooting-suspect-identified-james-holmes/story?id=16818889#.UAwc4-19m-J http://news.yahoo.com/ap-source-assault-rifle-jammed-colo-attack-121634899.html http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/aurora-shooting-suspect-james-holmes-jailed-solitary-inmates-talking-killing-article-1.1119173 http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-07-20/colorado-shooting-kills-12-at-movie-police-arrest-suspect http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/21/us/shooting-at-colorado-theater-showing-batman-movie.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/nation/deadliest-us-shootings/ http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_21119829/aurora-theater-shooting-police-and-fire-department-scanner http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57477290/investigators-track-colo-shooting-suspects-ammo-shipments/ http://www.fox11online.com/dpps/news/national/west/suspect-in-colorado-shootings-identified-by-official-nt12-jgr_4244948_4244948 http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Hollywood/2012/07/20/Ebert-Gun-Free-Theater-Proves-Concealed-Carry-Doesnt-Work http://www.examiner.com/article/full-list-of-victims-killed-aurora-colorado-shooting-at-dark-knight-rises http://www.news10.net/news/national/202147/5/Aurora-theater-heroes-sprang-into-action http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2012/07/20/in-wake-of-movie-shooting-bloomberg-calls-for-tough-gun-policy/?mod=e2tw http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/mother-ids-alleged-colorado-gunman-james-holmes-gut-instinct-16819748?tab=9482931&section=1206833 The Gift of Fear by Gavin De Becker Main photo credit: Karl Gehring / The Denver Post