We carry firearms to defend ourselves and our loved ones from those who would do us harm. While this is a fairly simple statement, it relates to a rather complex issue wrought with legal and moral pitfalls. Despite the way that some in our news media would portray us, we are not cowboys, heroes, or "wannabe cops" because we choose to carry a gun. On the contrary, the absolute LAST thing we want to do is have to use our weapons. If it comes down to having to use deadly force in any encounter, it's obvious that things have gone VERY wrong.

Therefore, it would seem logical that the best way to avoid a violent encounter is to not be where one occurs or is likely to occur. I've been asked more than once by non-gun owners questions like, "Do you really think you're going to need your gun?" The answer I give them usually confuses them at first. That answer is, "No. I don't think I'm going to need it.” Once the puzzled looks appear on their faces, I continue on with, “If I was going somewhere I thought would require me to go armed, I would refrain from going there." In theory, it's really that simple. Unfortunately, the predators of our society often bring the confrontation to us, despite our best efforts of avoidance. It is for this reason that we go armed.

So, if avoidance is our first line of defense, how do we effectively do so? While many of us constantly engage in the process of educating ourselves and training to become more proficient at using our weapons safely, properly, and effectively, one of the areas that a lot of us tend to overlook is situational awareness. Also known by the abbreviation "SA", situational awareness is the first thing that separates us from the herd of sheep who sit fat, dumb, and happy just waiting for the wolf to strike. Effective SA requires one to be observant and pay attention to detail. The most common form of SA that almost all of us are exposed to (or should be) on a daily basis is defensive driving. We were (or should have been) taught by our driving instructors to maintain a regular scan of our mirrors and blind spots as we drive. This allows us to recognize potential danger on the road and avoid it if possible.

Likewise, as defense-conscious individuals going about our daily lives, we should maintain an active scan of our surroundings so as to recognize potential threats and position ourselves to avoid them if possible. Some will say this is paranoid, but I would argue that there is a significant difference between paranoia and awareness. When discussing this subject, folks will sometimes complain that it sounds as if I'm telling them to live in fear. Nothing could be further from the truth. If we are more conscious of what's happening around us, why would we be afraid? It's far better to be unafraid due to awareness than to be unafraid due to ignorance.

Improving your Situational Awareness is not a difficult thing to do. Some who teach SA have developed methods such as a color-coding system to describe various levels of alarm, such as white being completely unaware, and red being full alarm with the fight-or-flight reflexes kicking in. Whatever works the best for you and your situation is something you need to decide for yourself, but you should choose some method. As I've often said, criminals are predatory and as such they prey on the weak and infirm, those unable to defend themselves. They observe their potential prey and have a simple but effective method of victim selection.

One of the best ways to appear as a worthwhile target to a criminal is to be unaware. After all, if you're happily strolling along on your way to Grandma's house and the Big Bad Wolf is able to sneak up on you with a knife because you had no idea he was there, the gun you keep in your basket for "protection" isn't going to be of much use to you. You can't out-draw a knife that's a foot in front of you. Sure, there are unarmed knife-defense techniques that you can learn, but knife fights are always ugly and often result in both parties (even the survivor) being badly wounded. Wouldn't it have been better to have been aware that the wolf was there ahead of time, depriving him of the element of surprise? Better still, if you had been more aware of your surroundings, the wolf would likely have noticed this and would possibly have removed you from his list of potential victims altogether.

Look around you. Know where the exits and entrances are. Leave yourself an avenue of escape. Pick a seat where you can see as much of the room as possible. Have a plan that you share with your family so that there's no confusion and everyone knows what to do if the wolf shows up. Observe the people around you. Don't be paranoid, but do keep a grain of suspicion in your mind and scan your surroundings on a regular basis. Most importantly...

Stay Safe.