I train and prepare people to prevent and survive incidents of violence. Prior to the COVID-19 shutdown I did these things daily and all over the country. I have a passion for giving people the practical skills and tools that they need to keep themselves safe. and I can do this very successfully. What I cannot do, however, is make them care about themselves, their kids, their employees and clients as much as I do! I am mistaken, many times, for being overly harsh and almost displaying anger in the way I attempt to trigger people to do something to ensure that they are prepared to prevent and survive incidences-of-violence. The fact is that what people are seeing is passion that is being mistaken for harshness. Now, I will admit, however, that I do get angry at times. Why? Because I see people being victimized by criminal acts all day, every day. In schools, businesses, churches, and even in their own homes. The victims? Kids, adults, the elderly, families… basically everyone!
The immediate question that follows victimization? Why? Well, I’ve been trying scream the why from the top of a mountain, but few really hear me! And for those that do hear, they listen and then…do nothing.
So, for those that hear this, let me tell you why we see victims? Because those who do nothing to prepare either themselves, or those that they are responsible for, truly don’t believe that they will ever be victims. And then something happens. The results? Victim counts pile up! And, many times those victims are the people that we love most in life! Those that we were responsible for preparing and, we just didn’t.
Here’s the deal and this is likely going to sound harsh and maybe even angry. This time, however, both may be correct:
The world is becoming more and more dangerous every day; especially in the United States. Not just the big cities but small towns as well. The news has been dominated by COVID-19 and politics so we don’t hear about these incidents however, there are acts of mass violence happening daily and, on some days, numerous times each day. Is this, however, only about acts of mass violence? Certainly not because even a one-on-one incident can severely injure or take a life.
It’s critical that you understand this:
It only takes one incident to make you realize that you should have believed that it could happen and that you should have done something to prepare yourselves and/or those that you are responsible for. Is this responsibility limited by the cost and the time that it takes to obtain such education and training? That’s not something that I can answer for you.
So, my appeal to you? Please, please, please believe that it can happen! If you do truly believe this, and I mean TRULY BELIEVE THIS, you will do what you need to do for both yourself and those that you may be responsible for.
One more thing:
Just because you live in an area where nothing has ever happened, its doesn’t mean that it will never happen and, ask yourself this question:
Do you or your kids ever leave this area where nothing has ever happened and venture into areas where it happens regularly?