8 May 13
Student Story:
Here in the Midwest, a woman we knew came to us for training last week. She received defensive handgun training from Vicki and afterward decided to buy a pistol for personal protection. In this state, state-issued CCW permits are not hard to get, and she is currently applying.
This woman owns a local restaurant, and we have been her customers many times. We thought we knew her, but during training, she told us a troubling story:
Three decades ago, her younger brother was killed (likely murdered) as a result of an “accidental” GSW to his head. As a late teenager, he was at a house, and he and three trashy friends were playing Russian roulette with a 38Spl revolver. They were all high on drugs at the time. Trashy parents, who owned the house, were likely there, and high as well.
State police investigated the shooting. They were not called for at least six hours. They found the body, but all evidence, blood, blood-spattered clothing, etc had been removed and/or cleaned. The revolver in question had been unloaded and thoroughly cleaned as well. The body had been moved.
The “Russian roulette” story was weak and suspicions. Nonetheless, no one was ever charged in connection with the death, nor was anyone ever charged with evidence-tampering, nor obstruction of justice.
My student readily acknowledged that her brother was foolish to associate with this bunch. Still, since that incident she has been frightened of guns, particularly pistols, and has lost all confidence she may have once had, in police and the entire criminal/justice system.
We made progress together at the shooting range, but her story made me wonder how many other people there are who have had unlawful violence touch them and/or their families, and who are similarly confused, angry, frightened, and disappointed with a system that seems to encourage uninterrupted victimhood, while simultaneously failing utterly to do anything effective about real, violent criminals. Yes angry, but still disinclined to get relevant training for themselves, because of an abiding fear of guns and other weapons.
We successfully turned this woman around! After all these years, she is now over it and determined to take personal control of, and personal responsibility for, her life and her surroundings.
The joy and satisfaction associated with these cathartic transformations is, of course, the main reason we’re in this business. “Miracle” may be presumptions, but, either way, we perform them routinely, one student at a time.
Victory is the only reality in the universe!
“We’re face-to-face with our destiny, and we must meet it with high, resolute courage. For ours is a life of action, of strenuous performance, of duty. Let us live in the harness of striving mightily. Let us run the risk of wearing out, rather than rusting out.”
TR
/John
