26 Jan 2020
āWhen you know who controls, you clearly see whom you may not criticize.ā
Tacitus
When speaking of the 6 Dec 19 terrorist attack that occurred at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, FL, our current Secretary of Defense said that he will increase āroving patrolsā on the base, in an effort to āprovide military families a much higher degree of confidenceā in their own safety.
Higher than what?
Wasnāt everyone supposed to have a āhigh degree of confidenceā on the day of the fatal shooting?
Who did, belatedly discovered their āconfidenceā was misplaced.
It still is!
His dubious āhigher degree of confidenceā doesnāt inspire any!
Had āroving patrolsā been doubled on that day, it would likely not have altered the outcome in the slightest!
And yet, a simple alteration in rules would have actually blunted the attack, like permitting/requiring concealed carry on the part of officers and S/NCOs, that is:
Actually trusting them with guns!
Such a notion is beyond consideration!
No discussion of such a thing is even permitted!
Why, when our gallant soldiers keep and bear arms, next theyāll get the crazy idea that theyāre personally responsible for their own safety!
They might even righteously exercise some personal initiative!
Unthinkable!
So, nothing changes.
Careers are protected. Everyone goes back to sleep.
Our soldiers remain vulnerable, defenseless, unprepared, profoundly unsafe, and the next successful, lethal base attack is thus assured!
āWe let ourselves get so used to ābeing fine,ā that we lose track of just how ānot fineā we are.ā
Martina Boone
/John
