Mark LeClair
Smart Tactics
April 2013
THE WORLD WE LIVE IN
It is a sad time indeed, for the United States: bills being voted on that go against our constitutional rights, people deliberately breaking the laws and cover-ups occurring (blatantly at that), media cannot be trusted due to their bias influence, public figures stating you “can’t” do one thing and get busted actually doing what they are trying to ban, a medical system that is failing miserably, lemmings that demand that someone be blamed for everything bad that is occurring instead of those that are truly guilty being brought up on charges and terrorists attacking one of the greatest cities of all times. Truly a sad time indeed.
One cannot look at someone that seems to be acting suspiciously and accuse them of being a terrorist because they are too afraid to:
1)Hurt their feelings
2)Be wrong and take the chance of being sued for racial profiling
3)Be called out for being a racist
It is not racist to look at someone that is making the hair on your neck go up and get suspicious. Usually, if you get a bad feeling about something or someone, there is usually a good reason for it. Would you rather take the chance of being wrong and ensure everyone around you is safe or sit back, do nothing and then become news at 5pm while they scrape parts of you off of the wall 30 feet from where you were standing? This country is slipping further and further into the abyss.
CROWDS
Especially in a crowded situation where there are many people closer together for whatever reason, more so than normal, it is important to be watchful, aware of your surroundings and the actions of those in your area. If there are many people around you that means it will be harder to get away from that area if something were to go wrong. Once something goes wrong, it becomes mass hysteria and mayhem and some people will get trampled on because others had no regard for others because they want to escape the area by any means necessary.
That’s right, some of the same people that like to post on social media sites that they would do “such and such” to the bad people, or they would “hunt down” the bad people and so forth, are the same ones that are grabbing the old ladies in front of them and throwing them into a wall just to be further away from the bad area or situation. Not all, but there are some and you can expect that sort of reaction from most people (running when bad things are happening-fight or flight usually turns into flight for most).
When in a crowd situation, such as on a train, on a bus, on the subway, at a concert, at a sports venue or large gathering such as the Boston Marathon, it is important to look at those around you. By looking at the others around you, you would be able to see those that stay around you because of location. Then, if someone were to walk up into your area and they were not there previously, then you would notice that and be able to key into specifics:
-Hair color
-Height
-Weight
-Facial features
-Identifying marks, scars or tattoos
-Language/voice
-Clothing
-Accessories (backpack/buttpack/Unusual jacket on warm day, etc)
If someone were to carry a backpack and that backpack seems “out of place” or “excessively packed” then you may want to exit the area. If the person carrying it seems out of place or nervous or very anxious, that is another great reason to leave the area and tell someone. It is very wise not to just pick up your phone and shove it into the face of a stranger and take a picture, so that is not advised at all. On the other hand, if you were to point your phone towards them and they get really nervous and try to run away, that may be an indicator as well that they did not belong there. I would advise against it especially today because of the possible bad things that have been happening.
There are some telltale signs that someone should not be in a location, all you have to do is look for those signs:
Marathon:
People are cheering others at the finish line as they are crossing the line, in this location, everyone is seemingly going to be watching the runners as they are coming by. Everyone that is watching is waiting for their loved one, friend or family member to cross the line so their focus is on the finish line. Very difficult to try and stay focused on anything else. Then someone walks up with a large bag while wearing a big heavy jacket and beat up shoes (not running shoes). Their attention is away from the finish line and there is no excitement in their expressions nor are they cheering anyone.
Little warning signs. Be watchful of your area.
It is a huge tragedy that people were killed by these terrorists and I cannot say that I would have been any more watchful or observant than these people that were immediately affected by the explosion were and that is sad because I pride myself in trying to stay watchful and teach safety throughout my lessons (firearms, home protection, etc.).
Why would I have not been so watchful? Because I too would have been focused on the finish line and would have been cheering on the runners, despite not knowing anyone in the race, because that is what the residents of Boston do: they have immense hometown pride and love for events and others. These terrorists took advantage of that and people died and suffered because of that. Sad events indeed.
When you are stuck on a subway car or train, it would be difficult to get yourself to a safe area if the train is crowded. This is why you find a safe location, one that does not lock you into a corner with no escape. Find a location where you are close to an exit but with rear security: a location where you would not have to worry about someone sneaking up towards your back or blindspot.
I know that we as society, tend to get complacent with our security and awareness but when we do bad things happen and will continue to happen because bad people are taking advantage of the horrible situation the US is in and it seems that they are getting away with it. This is why each and every person must be accountable for their safety and not be too scared to find law enforcement and call in someone that is acting suspicious. It used to be called your right to do so and also your duty.
KNOW YOUR EXITS
When you go to a concert or location where there are many, many people, it is advised that you know where the exits are. Wherever you go, ask yourself one thing: If the lights go out, could I find my way out….with the hundreds of people trying to trample over me crying and screaming? Know where the closest exits are located, know possible hiding places such as bathrooms or utility closets, etc. By knowing where they are located, you could possible get to that location in a bad situation and actually survive it.
Bad people are everywhere and they will continue to figure out ways to destroy happy way of life, or ways to crush any sort of happiness that exists because of their beliefs or because they are absolutely off of their rocker. IT happens. If your State allows it, look into firearms training and conceal carry licenses. Some people prefer not to be armed and that is their right and I respect their rights. On the other hand, some people should not CARRY a gun nevermind hold one (or even draw one on a piece of paper for that matter). Each person is different and each person will have their own comfort level with a firearm.
Being armed does not mean you will be bullet proof. Being armed does not mean you will survive a threatening encounter. Being armed does not mean you are a vigilante. Being armed does not mean you are a badass. Being armed does not mean you are the best shooter in the world. Being armed does not mean you know everything about guns. Being armed DOES mean you should have pursued as much information as humanly possible regarding safety, safe gun handling, fundamentals of marksmanship, storage and cleaning of firearms before carrying that firearm.
Many people believe that they already know about firearms because they grew up around them. I grew up watching medical documentaries but I cannot perform brain surgery. Some people believe that because they have watched a bunch of videos on the internet, that they have enough knowledge to survive a dangerous encounter. These people are the ones that end up shooting themselves with their own gun or end up hurting someone else because of mishandling of said firearm.
Bottom line: be responsible for your safety and be watchful. Even though you are on vacation and in a location where there is happiness and excitement around you, there may be evil people that want to destroy others because that is their “mission” or “purpose in life”. Whatever the reason, my only hope is that these idiots end up calling their own devices with their cell phone and explode inside their vehicle, away from innocent people, instead of hurting innocent people around them. Evil will always exist but if you are more proactive about your situation, watchful and aware of your surroundings, safety conscious everywhere you are/go, then you will be ahead of most and hopefully more apt to spot something “out of place”.
As always, be safe, be aware and get trained. Being trained is better than being stuck in a location, frozen, because you cannot think of what to do. Shoot straight!
Smart Tactics 