Current Events – Page 7 – The Laughing Wolf

Medical Resources, AKA Books!

Unless you are fortunate enough to have an EMT or other medical professional in your family, or have in your circle an 18D, you need one other thing besides as much training as you can get and good kits. That thing is knowledge resources, aka books that you can reference (before ideally) at need. This post is intended to follow up on this post on kits, and a bit on this post on the need to be aware and preparing.

For a true disaster (i.e. something that is lasting 30-days or longer), it won’t hurt to have things like Gray’s Anatomy and some basic diagnostic manuals around. For that matter, it wouldn’t hurt to have some basic public health guides (older ones likely to be much better) as they cover epidemic prevention, where to site and how to build outhouses, and other delights.

For more general use, one of the first books I bought back around 1970 was “Being Your Own Wilderness Doctor.” It was in my pack all through Boy Scouts and afterwards. No idea if my original copy is still intact, but glad to see it is being put out as a classsic, for it is. I used some of the information to treat myself (not sure about others) when we were out away from civilization.

While I’m not a fan of pain, I will admit to having even done some very minor surgery on myself at need. Things that needed a quick fix and could be patched up with bandaids or butterfly clips and (liberal) doses of antiseptic/anti-microbial ointment. Some of the knowing what I could do at need (and what I shouldn’t do) came from that book. Really need to get a new copy and review it to see how it holds up today.

There are a number of books out there now of a similar, but expanded take. Two I’ve seen are “Wilderness First Responder” and “Wilderness Medicine: Beyond First Aid.” Another is “Medicine for the Outdoors.” One of the key things is that they are not just about first aid. They are about prevention, identifying the (real) problem, and then treating. Remember that in any situation you need to accurately assess, stabilize, treat, and evacuate at need. Even better, you need to recognize and prevent potential problems as that is the best first aid you can give in any situation.

For the purposes of the Heads Up post, here are two books that we all (sadly) need to read: “Tactical Combat Care and Wound Treatment” and “Tactical Emergency Combat Care.” Getting and reading the books is a very good idea (adding to my wish list), and if you can get training along these lines, all the better.

Before I do anything else, I do think I need to repost my take on what constitutes an annoyance, an emergency, and a disaster. As I noted in the Preparedness Pays series, there are three types/levels of emergency and they are based on duration. The book-in-progress (sigh, still) breaks it down very nicely, but a rough idea is that 1- to 3-days is an annoyance; 3-days to 4-weeks (or so, forget the exact time frames I used) is an emergency; and anything beyond 4-weeks is a disaster.

A general knowledge of first aid and how to deal with boo-boos will get you through annoyances and even some emergencies. Knowing advanced first aid is essential for emergencies and/or dealing with a mass casualty situation. Having knowledge of (and better yet training in) emergency care and the books to go with it is essential for disasters.

While I mentioned the venerable Gray’s Anatomy earlier, here a few other potential resources: “The Ultimate Survival Medicine Guide,” “SOLO Wilderness First Responder” (would LOVE to take that course), and “The Complete Medicine Survival Handbook.”

One reason I keep pushing wilderness medical is that in a true disaster or emergency (as opposed to an annoyance), you may not have access to “normal” medical care even if in an urban area. I live a block away from a major medical center; but, in the event of an emergency or disaster, I don’t count on it being operational. Too many hospitals have adopted ‘just in time’ logistics which work very well when things are going great. When they’re not going great…

Books are always a good investment, and the right books in an emergency or disaster can make a world of difference on several levels. For the record, I don’t get anything off the links here — I want to be free to recommend what I like and for you to know I’m making recommendations off what I think is good, not what is good for my wallet. It’s why I depend on donations, as your gifts help me keep going and keep the blog going.

Feel free to chime in via the comments with books you recommend in regards emergency medicine. Share what’s worked for you, or even what hasn’t. For all the good books out there, there are a lot of junk books as well. It can be a very good thing to help people avoid them.

Meantime, be prepared. Keep your family and friends close, and your things where you can find them in the dark.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. If you want to know some of what it is going for, read here. There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

Medical Kits And Training

In this comment, Steve White asks about my trauma kit. Along with a couple of comments over at Instapundit where Sarah A. Hoyt kindly linked me, it reminded me that I haven’t talked much about medical kits and training, or at least not in a long while. It’s important, so let’s take a look at the topic.

We’ll start with the basic trauma kit I carry. It actually is the current version of the medical kit that I wore on my embeds in Iraq. Everyone carried a pouch with clotting pressure bandages, tourniquets, and other delights so that if you were hit the medics could pull from your pouch and not waste time rummaging through other bags, etc. A lot of the troops carried the pouch in the same place on their webbing, to make things faster and easier at need.

Inside my current pouch are a couple of clotting pressure bandages, some standard clotting bandages, kerlix, gloves, a tourniquet (I need to get a couple more to replace one lost to time, when you need them you often need more than one), epi-pen (allergies including to some of the clotting products), some hemostats, paramedic shears, and a CPR mask round out the major items. I also usually have a specific antihistamine in case of allergic reaction short of needing the epi pen.

Frankly, looking at dates, I need to start buying some new items to replace those headed out of date. Nice thing is, clotting bandages have come a long way. I’m glad a lot of them are now based on things other than shellfish shells, as I’m highly allergic to the shellfish. As I noted to a medic at the time, anaphylaxis is negotiable, bleeding out is not. Use the bandage, get the antihistamine into me, and hope for the best. There are a lot more options out there now, and also prices have come down.

Keep in mind that you do need one or two pressure bandages. The cause of major trauma doesn’t matter, what matters is you or others have taken major damage and getting bleeding under control is essential. You really need to be focused on that before almost anything else. Use tourniquets as needed, and pressure bandages along with clotting agents can keep things under control until proper medical care is available.

This kit is a decent sized pouch, but it is not so big that it is unwieldy to carry. You want something you can carry easily, and in fact it is not a bad idea to have a much smaller kit that can slip in a pocket or such as well as something larger like this. Having an even larger trauma kit at your Church, social hall, or home is also not a bad idea. Keep in mind that many places already have what I call an “ouch” kit, that is a basic everyday first aid kit with bandages, ointment, etc. Those are needed as well, as life is full of ouches.

You really need training for both. There are a lot of opportunities for training for cheap or free. Some places do Red Cross or other training at no- or low-cost, and that is a good way to start. The last time I took such, however, I was disappointed to see that the basic class was more on not-doing than doing, which seemed to be a reflection of both liability issues and ‘waiting for the experts to arrive.’

Fact is, experts are going to take minutes (or hours if they even show up at all) and in the event of trauma you have seconds in which to act. When I was in the Boy Scouts an eon or two back (and my thoughts on current Boy Scouts are best left unsaid), our training was focused around the fact that we may be the experts. This reflected the reality that Scouts were, at the time, intended to augment law enforcement and governments on several fronts, including emergency medical back in the days before paramedics. It also reflected that Scouts were often out in the back-of-beyond in the days before cell phones and the like, and it could be days before someone could be packed out to a place where ‘professional’ help could be contacted.

Side note: the late, great Jerry Pournelle wrote a series of short stories about Scouts (and especially Eagle Scouts) stepping up and doing things post disaster and post-apocalypse. Well worth the read as they are fun and full of practical advice and even planning advice.

So, short version is to get as much training as you can. Not saying everyone should do some version of combat lifesaver, but the closer you get to that the better off you and yours will be. You need to know how to handle the ouches in life for a start. From there, you need to know how to apply a tourniquet, control bleeding (one reason I have a couple of hemostats is that if needed I can use them on an artery or vein as opposed to trying to clamp such with my fingers), clear an airway, etc.

Again, back in the day most of us in my Boy Scout troop knew the theoretical process for performing an emergency tracheotomy with a knife and ball point pen. We also knew how to splint broken bones, reduce and control a compound fracture (where the bone has broken the skin), and a host of other things that would have our current credentialed non-elites screaming in horror and the liability lawyers salivating. My personal opinion is that you need to get as close to that today as you can. There are too many situations where the professionals are either going to be late, or not able to get there at all. That’s when it drops on you. Be prepared.

I will note that it is good to know CPR, and to understand that it is an emergency procedure rather than a medical procedure. I’m a little biased here as I actually got to work with the late Les (Leslie A.) Geddes, who helped revolutionize several parts of the (bio) medical field. In fact, I worked with him on a project to improve CPR. For years, no one had done research on the process, including how much force was needed to achieve the compression called for in the CPR standards. In the field, it was oft said that if the ribs weren’t cracking, you weren’t doing it hard enough. Broken ribs were and are a standard injury with CPR. Also, the success rate with CPR is so low that were it a medical procedure it would have been tossed long ago.

Les did that missing research, and built off the idea a former graduate student had of a system of CPR that used abdominal-only compressions. Much improved blood flow, no broken ribs, much less force needed, and it even caused the patient to breathe on their own without the need for mouth-to-mouth. Sadly, the person who took over the effort when Les passed then tragically passed themselves before much else was done. No idea where the process is, or if it is still even in development. It should be, but that is no guarantee. For me, if we have a rotary impeller moment I would use it even though it is at best experimental. Yes, I was trained on it and even performed it on Les in a demonstration (one of the scariest moments of my life TBH).

All that said, learn CPR as some chance is better than none. If you can, try to lay your hands on an AED unit. There are some organizations that give them out to Churches, schools, etc. for free. A much better alternative if you can get it.

One thing that you also need to keep in mind is liability. Not all states are equal, and I’ve been fortunate enough to mostly live in states that had some form of Good Samaritan law. These are laws that give you at least some protection from lawsuits for rendering first aid. These vary and rarely are true blanket laws. Learn what applies in your state and factor that into your planning. For some people out there have and will sue the person who saves their life. Read just recently about someone who sued the person who gave them CPR because their certificate was out of date. Again (and again) be prepared.

Now, sing it with me: get as much training as you can — even on things you don’t think you will ever need. It could be from how to suture a wound to inserting a urinary catheter. Knowing how to do basic medical care as well as emergency medical treatment is likely to come in handy in life. Find free courses and take them all. Find reduced-rate courses and take as many as you can. Training, and some basic gear, will always pay off.

Be prepared. Keep your family and friends close. Keep your things where you can find them in the dark.

Heads Up

Bouncing back, and wish this didn’t have to be the first new post up after the medical. Keep your heads on swivels, and if your Church does not have security or a security plan, get one. Keep in mind that there have actually been three events recently, with the two worst being the terrorist on a boat firing into a restaurant and the Church ramming and shooting.

With all the vitriol being lashed out at “Christian Nationalists” and “fascists” (etc., etc., etc.) I’m surprised more haven’t cut loose — yet. For the record, I think that a number of accounts on anti-social media who are doing this are doing so to extend kill orders. I’m looking at Gavin’s account as being but one.

Why? Because they are losing. If they had a counter to Charlie Kirk, they would have used it instead of shooting him. Given that the government spigot through the NGOs has been tapered down (still not off but getting there), funding is low. Soros and others are picking up the slack, but it’s not the same and a lot of things, including the paid protestors, training, and travel are now able to be more easily tracked and traced.

Yet, it is an abundance of riches that is not yet easily taken advantage of. For all that Pam Bondi — who has led an amazing job on winning the court cases against the over-reaching (and IMO corrupt) judges and desperate, frivolous lawsuits seeking to hamstring the Trump administration — and Kash Patel are having to work without a solid base, or even a trustworthy legion. DOJ and FBI need to be fumigated and honest operators recruited. That is going to take a while, no matter what. The upcoming shutdown may drive out more of the swamp, or at least make it easier to fire them, but you still have to get people in who are honest, will honor their oaths, and follow the Constitution and the Law.

I really do hope there are mass-resignations and walkouts resulting from the Comey indictment. Comey is one of the larger sleazeballs in DC, but far from the largest or worst. Really hoping that the current indictment is a holding action so that more charges can be brought against a man who bragged openly about the illegal things he did. The Statute of Limitations may apply to many of those, but betting it doesn’t apply to all. Also wondering how conspiracy issues (and charges) could change that a bit. I can but dream. The faster we can root out and get rid of those who forswore their oaths and pursued political vendettas in violation of the law and Constitution, the better. That goes double for those involved with J6 and the malicious prosecutions afterwards.

Which brings me back to the fact that those of the “godless authority” that is progressive politics are losing right now and know it. They see power slipping from their grasp and they will stop and nothing to try to recover it. Note who has not tamped down the rhetoric (progressives) and who has been trying to keep things from exploding (almost everyone else). Fact is, between the losing and the rhetoric, I’m surprised more hasn’t already happened.

There are a lot of idiots out there who want Civil War 2.0 and are doing all they can to make it happen. And (again, and again, and again) I say they are idiots not living in or dealing with reality no matter what “side” they are on. The communists/socialists are going by a playbook that hasn’t been reality in almost a hundred years. The WEF-types are in the same boat (those that aren’t part of the communist/socialist progressives). Things have changed. Their playbook hasn’t.

I think things are going to get better if we can hold on and keep things from exploding. Long term. Fact is, the short term is going to get worse, potentially a LOT worse, before it gets better. A lot of the lunatics are going all-in, and throwing more than just gasoline on the fire. That is going to push the least-stable to act. I think that is not going to go well, or at least not as they think it will go.

Just look at Antifa being designated a terrorist organization and investigations opened into operations, funding, etc. Not what they expected (or at least not this soon). Again, though, the problem is enough honest people in place to conduct, evaluate, and coordinate actions and charges. Trump needs to keep going nuclear on appointees, and they need to step up recruitment of good people to go in below them.

Which is all well and good, but leaves us — The People — with a problem. We can’t trust the FBI, most Federal LE, or even that much local LE and prosecutors (I wouldn’t trust our local prosecutor with anything). So, we need to step up.

Keep your heads on swivels. If you can do so without a lot of fanfare, beef up security at your Church, events you are involved with, etc. When you are out, be prepared for terrorist attacks such as those that have just happened. And, yes, those were terrorist attacks as they were designed not only to inflict casualties, but fear so as to change behaviors. Don’t care what “side” anyone behind them was, I condemn and reject them utterly.

When out, be prepared. I’ve started carrying my personal trauma kit with me places, especially to Church. Might I suggest that in addition to whatever other preparations you may undertake, make sure you have appropriate first aid with you that you can share at need. Also, keep in mind cover and concealment when eating out and such.

Meantime, pray. Pray for those at the Church shot up yesterday, pray for those at the restaurant, and pray for our Nation and the Republic. If your first thought yesterday was to go on a rant that they were not “real” Christians, please talk to a priest as you are missing the point of being a Christian. We can argue dogma later, after they aren’t trying to kill us all. As for me, I’m praying for those at the Church, those at the restaurant, and for all of us. For we need Divine Grace to get through the days ahead with our Republic and our souls intact.

Be prepared. Keep your friends and family close, and your things where you can find them in the dark. And Pray. Often.

Nasty Winter Ahead?

Looking around, my back is getting a nasty itchy feeling about this coming winter. I fear it is going to be a nasty one, on more than one level.

I’m trying to set some preparations for the fact that I’m worried it may be a very cold and snowy/icy winter. There are some signs and portents that it may be so. As for the weather guessers (my name for forecasters), they seem to have a spread that would make Vegas proud. That said, number of interesting people are in the nasty winter camp.

I really want to get at least one more Mr. Buddy emergency heaters, and stock up on propane. Between camp stoves and heaters, I will be able to stay warm and cook — and people who’ve been there know what a difference a hot meal can make. I’m pretty well set on blankets and such, and am continuing to experiment with solar power additions to the power and lighting game. The more options you have for power and light, the better.

I’m even trying to get the landlord to invest in some power backups and a small generator, but not sure I’m going to have any luck. Did add some options to my Amazon wish list in that regards.

Snow, ice, and storms can bring down power lines in a hurry. It’s not too late to do trimming around power lines and such to keep ice from bringing them down. I’m also encouraging that around here.

Thing is, I’ve got an itchy feeling about why this could be a nasty winter on another level. Frankly, I’m amazed that the anger I’ve been talking about hasn’t broken yet. Part of it is the “safety valve” that is provided by naming, shaming, and inflicting consequence culture (as opposed to cancel culture) on those saying and doing the worst of things. Part seems to be something else that I can’t quite put my finger on. But, they are holding for now.

How long they can hold is the interesting question. Ian makes some good points, and I would add that if the “ghouls” are not brought to heel, there’s a good chance the safety valve may be clogged. Also consider this food for thought from The Scuttlebutt. And in regards part of it, I do sometimes use the word “Normies” (usually in quotes) but with affection and a small amount of envy as there are days I wish I was one of them as I live here in flyover country.

All it will take to make this a truly nasty winter is one idiot, one person having a bad day when they respond to said idiot. We do not want to see here what many have seen elsewhere when civil war breaks out. Riding the ragged edge short of that won’t be nice or pleasant, but it will do far less damage. It may set some things back a year or two, but a civil war will change the country and potentially set back a great future (interplanetary species, advanced medical and health, and other things that are about to happen/break loose) by a century or three. Humanity is likely to survive, but our current level of civilization is not. So, let’s avoid going there if we can.

Let’s get through the winter and hope that it is not cold and nasty on multiple levels. Me, I’ve got things I want to do/am planning to do next Spring. Things that bring growth on many levels, and not necessarily just for me.

Fixing the problems that face us will not be easy or fun. Nor will it be easy to keep them short of that ragged edge. It is, however, the best shot for humanity and our future. Pray.

As always, be prepared. Keep your family and friends close, and your things where you can find them in the dark.

And Rumors Of Wars

I suspect I am like many right now, still processing the assassination of Charlie Kirk. I wasn’t a huge fan. I wasn’t his enemy. I knew he was out there, doing his thing and sometimes I agreed with him and sometimes I did not. I wish I had watched more of the full videos of his debates, as he was good at it and a happy warrior with it. He didn’t pull stunts, dodge, or belittle his opponents. He sought to change minds, and that takes a different approach.

Clearly he was good at it, and it got him murdered for talking. Those who are now calling to cool down and talk things out need to realize that’s not going to work this time because you murdered the man who was willing to truly talk and engage in discourse.

It’s also because a large part of the public, the “normies” if you will, who are not terminally online and such, not only saw Charlie assassinated before their eyes (how many millions have now seen the videos?) but they also watched as their neighbors, doctors, nurses, and teachers ripped off their masks and openly celebrated the death of someone simply because he talked and had beliefs that a bit over half the country hold. The normies realized that those people truly do want them dead and would celebrate their death just as they did Charlie’s death. And, this comes on top of Iryna’s death in Charlotte, which reached them and horrified them even before Charlie’s political assassination.

They have seen behind the masks, and are repelled by what they saw. They are catching on to the manipulation and outright lies being arrayed against them. They believe their lying eyes, and that’s both a good and a bad thing. It’s good in that they are waking up and facing reality.

It’s also bad in that this is a group where there is a LOT of anger out there. They have seen friends and family (or even themselves) cancelled for the made up ever-changing ‘sins’ of the woke. They saw their lives turned upside down during COVID. And then, cancel culture and control doubled down again. They have seen us go from a high-trust moderate-crime society to a low-trust high-crime society, and they are not happy about that either. The amount of anger out there frightens me, and I know it scares others too. That’s why several of us have been hammering away at the ‘keep calm’ and related messages. It is only going to take one idiot being idiotic to release that anger.

I honestly thought for a short time that the idiot who assassinated Charlie had done that. Thankfully, at least for now, the majority of the public (and let’s face it, the true progressives are less than a quarter of the population, like not even an eighth I suspect) is doing the normie version of rioting, looting, and burning: getting people fired for being uncivilized jerks. Unlike the woke, it’s not over made-up imaginary sins; rather, it is for the true sins of no impulse control and being willing to murder their fellow citizens simply for holding a different opinion. That’s not acceptable under the Social Compact (which I fear went out the window an couple of decades ago, along with having a high-trust society), nor is it theologically acceptable to Christians and a number of others.

On top of that, the normies are now having to think about things a number of us already have been thinking about. Will I or my family receive sub-optimal medical care simply for our beliefs? Will our schools target our children over our beliefs? (the answer is yes BTW). Et cetera et cetera et cetera. They realize that such people are a direct threat and responding to it in the nicest way they can — for now.

Thing is, the woke have never had consequences applied to them before. They have been coddled, protected, and shielded from even a harsh word, much less real-life consequences to employment and such. Why, that was only for the great unwashed, the victims of their cancel-culture antics, not them. They are not happy at having consequences apply to them, which sadly does up the ‘stupid-doing-something-stupid’ odds. Now that they are seeing their normal obfuscation via the media isn’t working, yet more are getting upset and scared. Which, again, ups the ‘stupid-doing-something-stupid’ odds. Then, add in that all the lies they are telling are getting the majority even angrier, and ramping up the trantifa contingent, well…

Seriously, pray. A couple of days ago, I started handing it over to God, as “ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” I think we will skate the razor’s edge once more, hopefully without really bad things happening. I expect further bad things; but, the reaction of the majority to the assassination gives me some hope, and a reminder that the woke are a small but vocal minority. They have held an outsized grasp on power, but it is slipping.

One thing I will recommend is that if you are on anti-social media of any type, and you are connected to anyone calling for war, especially now-now-now, disconnect. Unfollow, unfriend, mute, even block. Do the same to those spreading disinformation, quit giving them attention as they thrive on it and often get paid (openly or otherwise) for it. I may also cut back on my time online, as I have a lot of things to do, for both my future and for the pilgrimage. Those I can do something about. So, I will work on them and trust in God for the rest.

I’m going to leave you with some reads I’ve enjoyed or at least appreciated over the last few days. There are more I should link, but… Read this and this from the Bugscuffle Gazette; this one in regards Kipling from LOdlO; and, this one from Holly Math Nerd. Some good food for thought there.

As always, Be Prepared. Keep your family and friends close, and your things where you can find them in the dark.

Two To Share

I want to share two videos. Yeah, I know. I rarely do or post videos as I am primarily a reader. I love the written word, and had to be dragged kicking and screaming into doing videos when I was a part of Blackfive. These two, however, need to be shared.

First up, a moving tribute to Charlie Kirk from an Orthodox Priest. Take the time, as it is worth it. Main link here, will try to embed the video.

Next up, the interview he referenced between Charlie and Father John Strickland.

Just wanted to share.

9/11

In the past, this has been a hard day for me. I watched it unfold at work at NASA, made the calls duty required, and wondered. I knew someone who was supposed to be in the towers that day (they lived, co-worker changed out with them), and had friends in the Pentagon. Still get a smile at the NASA worker who thought President Bush had been hit in the knee by someone with a baseball bat when I called out to my boss (former SAC) that the President was NEACAPed (i.e. AF One was in the air and had assumed duty as the National Emergency Airborne Command Post). A day of horror, a day we kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, yet also a day when we still had hope.

Around the country, I was aware of specialized burn and trauma centers activating emergency plans and preparing for a flood of victims from NYC and DC. I heard that every military and civilian Nightingale (medical evac planes) went to hot pad status. And waited in vain.

No survivors came out of the wreckage. No wounded. Only the dead and later I watched as NYFD worked to find the dead even as the boots melted on their feet.

I remember them today. The living and the dead. God Bless Rick Rescorla and all those like him who went in and tried to save lives. Rick was last seen going back up a third time (I think) trying to save yet more when he had already saved hundreds. If you don’t know his song, you should. It is well worth knowing and singing unto the generations.

The memories of that day fade a bit each year, and with it the raw emotion. Today, though, I feel worse than I have in years. It’s not just the assassination yesterday (and, yes, I suspect it was done in part to tie into today) and what it means for the social compact and a representative democracy. Thing is, I just can’t shake the feeling that the people behind the Biden Regency let in such a large number of people who bear America ill-will because they were planning something much larger and worse than the first 9/11.

Such an attack could be used for either cementing power for a long, long time; or, it could be used as a Gotterdamerung if they lost. Either way would work for those pulling the strings. I very much agree with Sarah that a wounded/dying beast is far more dangerous, and woke is wounded and dying. Thing is, the win of individual liberty and the principles of the Great Experiment is not guaranteed even now. Stupidity can still set us back decades, or even centuries potentially though I prefer to think optimistically. As I’ve said before, woke is not just going to roll over and call the game.

We can survive a good bit, and push forward for further victories. Provided stupidity doesn’t get in more hits. We do not want the switch to flip, and I have to admit I never thought of Charlie as the first target. Honestly, I thought they would go at Trump (the boogie man in their fevered dreams), JD (largest real threat), or Pete (who is working hard to turn around the military) first. For that matter, I half expected a go at part of the Supreme Court, which Schumer and company have pushed hard and long.

Thing is, they couldn’t have picked a worse target (but then again, they are stupid). Charlie stood for discourse, debate, and discussion. They hated him because he was effective. In killing him, they have created a secular and religious martyr. When you cut out someone’s tongue, you do it because their words scare you and you don’t want them heard. Taking out the man who stood for discourse really was incredibly stupid as you have just confirmed his words as dangerous to you, and indicated in the strongest way that they were true and powerful. Add to it that you took out a Christian who spread the word and encouraged others to Christ, and you have created a religious martyr on top of that. Synergy is guaranteed to take that double whammy and turn it into something even more powerful.

I really do hope for the best case, and that TPUSA grows by leaps and bounds. Didn’t know him personally, but think he would be delighted if that happened. Worst case is, of course, that the thousands he reached have been shown that peaceful discourse is not going to happen, and… Not the way I hope or want things to go. The people behind this (and I don’t think it happened in isolation) truly failed to consider first or second order effects, much less third. Awakened a sleeping giant? Maybe. Shown thousands that peace is not an option, and that violence will come for them who are already shunned and marginalized by the woke? Oh yes. The only question is the response. Hence my first choice above.

More than ever, I am waiting for the other shoe to drop. And praying that sanity, and not stupidity, rules the day.

Go Read

Then think, then pray. The assassination of Charlie Kirk was not just a horror and tragedy, it was stupid. A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that we needed to talk about how, despite all that has been accomplished in a short time by Trump, one or more stupid people doing stupid things (here and abroad) could have catastrophic consequences. This is one of them.

As usual, L’Ombre de l’Olivier posts a very good one. Go read his post. I’m also going to link to it on my post from yesterday. The anger that has been building in the majority of our citizens just got hit with a blast of pure oxygen. It may or may not flip the switch, and I hope it doesn’t. But it won’t take much for stupidity for it to be thrown. Seriously, pray.

Charlie Kirk

Not sure I ever met him in person, but his online presence was hard to miss. He was tenacious, hard working, and built an organization that worked hard to reach students, especially those that were a product of public indoctrination. I agreed with him on some things, disagreed on others, and appreciated him making his case openly.

His murder today is horrific, and terrifying. It is horrific that a man known for debate and intellectual prowess was murdered for his ideas. A father to young children, husband, mentor and more taken simply because others couldn’t stand disagreement.

His murder is terrifying in that I have to agree with Larry Correia that on top of the murder in Charlotte, attempts against Trump (and who leaked that he was going to that restaurant needs to be found, ASAP), and other political violence, we may indeed see the switch flipped. What switch? The one that most of the world has when it comes to violence. The progressive woke faction sees violence as a rheostat to be turned up or down at need. Almost everyone else sees it a switch that is either on or off. We really don’t want to see that switch flipped as it could destroy our Republic (and the attempts to restore it) faster than the woke mind virus.

I have prayed for Charlie’s soul. I have prayed for his young family and all those he leaves behind. I’ve also prayed for our country and that we avoid what comes with the flipping of the switch. Please join me.

UPDATE I: Go Read This. You really want and need to do so.

Charlotte

First up, please help stop the stupidity. There are those trying their best to start a race war. They are stupid. Don’t be stupid. I suspect a number of them are bots, and I’m wondering how many of those bots are run from China (and Pakistan)? Point, laugh, and short-circuit as much of that as you can please.

One of the more horrifying things to me was that, as someone who regularly uses public transport, I had a good idea that something was going to happen even before Iryna Zarutska sat down. Something about him was setting off alarms from the start, and there are reasons I am not on my phone a lot while riding public transport. Between bad suspension and the need to keep my head on a swivel (esp. on certain lines) it’s just not a good idea.

I also don’t blame her for not being more aware. In Eastern Europe, Ukraine, and Russia, the trains and such are still largely safe. There is security. It’s a different experience. It used to be that way in Western Europe, but with all the immigration that’s no longer true. Used to be in the Paris subway the worse you had to worry about were pick-pockets. Sigh.

Here, public transport is not clean, fun, or safe and that seems deliberate. Busses and even subways/light rail are often unofficially used to house and move the mentally ill/homeless, particularly in winter or other bad weather. You also run into people who feel very privileged because of their victim status, and are not shy about deserving to ride for free, special stops, etc. Some in that class have been told for years that whites are the enemy who has always abused them. Which means you run into some very nasty racism, such as the elderly black lady who tried to spit at me simply because I was white and on “her” bus. You do meet some nice people on occasion, but…

She was lied to on many fronts, and she paid for it with her life. The look of fear and shock on her face will stay with me for the rest of my life. Fact is, she was already dead at that point, she simply didn’t know it. Those blows probably took out one or both carotids and the jugular. Any chance she had was lost when it took some 90 seconds to come to her aid — none of those around her did a thing for her. Not allowed to say some of the words I want to say; but, I also remind myself there wasn’t a lot that could be done absent clotting/pressure bandages and a surgeon.

I’m also going to ask you not only to pray for her soul; but, to pray for the man who did come to her aid from elsewhere, and the lady who joined him. Dollars to donuts he (and maybe her) is playing the “what if” game right now: what if I had moved faster, what if I had done things differently, what if… It’s a thing, and it haunts more than one combat medic I’ve known and it eats at a lot of first responders. I hope they both are smart enough to get some help, or find some people who’ve been there and done that to help them through the aftermath.

For the thug and those who sat there and did nothing, not even ask or check to see if they could help her, I’m asking the Lord to illumine them. To open their eyes and minds. May justice be done.

Your safety is your responsibility. It can’t be delegated, it can’t be hired out, and it can’t be ignored. You have to be paying attention and you have to be prepared. Over the years, I’ve been able to de-escalate a few situations; and, to avoid even that by being aware and avoiding situations. It can be as simple as taking the next bus, or going with an alternate route or plan.

Thing is, be aware. Keep your head on a swivel, have a plan, have backup plans, and know what you can, should, or will do. If turning and walking away works, do it; but, if it drops in the pot aggressive and forceful action quite often causes the other party to break off and run. Stealing from Instapundit this morning, here’s a post on just that. Ambush close: turn in, engage, destroy. Sarah A. Hoyt has a good post on the lies we tell our children, lies that get them killed. Finally, from The Lawdog Files comes the truth in that everyone is a lesson.

There are a lot of good things happening in America, but we are not out of the woods yet. This is a reminder that local elections matter. Vote for your health and safety, and that of those you love. Hold your local government, prosecutors, judges, etc. accountable. It’s not just in Charlotte that they have blood on their hands.

Teach your children well. If you don’t teach them, and more importantly show them in everyday life by your actions, they don’t have a chance.

Keep your friends and family close, and your things where you can find them in the dark. And, as you see the photos and videos, go give your kids an extra hug.