Northern Colorado Firearms Safety Training

Refuse To Be A Victim - Secure Your Home Wireless Network

2012-02-15T19:40:00.000-07:00

By: William P. Flinn

(Oh No – You Mean My Wireless Home Network is At Risk?)

Part of what we teach as part of the NRA's "Refuse to Be a Victim" program is online security to keep you safe while on the Internet. The most common type of home network these days is a wireless network. Wireless networking allows for much easier setup without all that cable installation that we had to do to set up our home networks back in the day. But wireless networking brings with it some added security concerns that you may want to consider. From where I sit in my office on the second floor of my house, for example, I can detect at least five wireless networks from here. And not all of them are secured networks. Practically anyone can join an unsecured wireless network and surf to their heart's content. This article is intended to give you some ideas on how you can make your wireless network a little more secure.

WARNING: There is a lot of "geek-speak" in this article. If it doesn't make sense, just email me and I will explain it to you.

So now that your wireless network is all set up, no worries, right? I mean so what if someone in the ‘hood' steals a little of your signal, connects to your network and surfs for themselves. The cable company won’t know and the bandwidth they steal probably won’t affect you! Well – here’s the deal with that: If anyone can get on your network and surf the web, then that means that they can also get to the files on your computer(s) if they are smart enough – and these days it doesn’t take much to hack into an unprotected system. They are completely bypassing your firewall and they are now on the inside. Inside and free to get to all of your personal information, tax records, personal letters, email files, you name it.

But so what if they aren’t after your stuff, but rather just want an Internet connection so that they can surf for free – or worse, like doing illegal things – gambling, porn, child exploitation, download some copyrighted movies…. And it isn’t just your neighbors – it’s those nasty little WAR drivers, driving around with laptops and programs likeNet Stumbler orAirSnort, scoping you out so they can come back later and steal your signal or hack your systems. Then they can make maps of where all the wireless networks are located and share with their buddies.

Small business owners, you should really listen up here – there are liability issues: Guess who get’s tagged when someone decides to crack down on illegal Internet activities through your service provider’s records or other means. You do! Current legislation limits the ISP's liability for illegal activities, and the account owner becomes the responsible party since your name is on the account. There may be no evidence on your computer, because you weren’t doing anything wrong. But all they know from their investigations it that the suspicious traffic came to and from the connection into your network. And after you get your computer back (after months of forensic investigation) you will be in the clear. But can you do without your computer for that long? Worse yet, can you do without your data for that long? Stealing your signal for free Internet access is one thing. Using your network for illegal purposes is another – and since you have no idea what the attacker’s real intentions are, you really should be just keeping unauthorized users off in the first place. So, let’s just nip this little problem in the bud and protect ourselves by using some of the built in features of the wireless equipment and our own common sense.

Your New Router/Wireless Access Point:

You have just purchased that new combo router/access point and pulled it out of the box. They are all configured the same, meaning that they all have the same default settings for administrative passwords, router name, IP address ranges, and network broadcast names (more on SSIDs in a bit). Immediately change those factory settings. Every bad guy in the world knows that the default password for a Linksys router is “Admin” and the default SSID – the network name that it broadcasts is “Linksys.” These settings change slightly depending on manufacturer, but they are similar, and more importantly, they are all well known. In other words, if you have a router/access point right out of the box and you don’t change anything before placing it in service in your network, all the little WAR drivers will know it, and they already know the information they need to log in to your router and change its settings to accommodate their needs.

At a minimum:

Change the default password
Restrict which addresses can access your network
Encrypt to make your network a secured network
Change the default wireless network SSID
Disable wireless router management
Give your router a name

If they can’t get an address, they can’t surf:

Two addresses are important: The MAC address (physical address), and the IP address (logical address). The easiest of the two addresses to restrict on your wireless address is the MAC address, by the way. The MAC (Media Access Control) address is an address that is hard coded into the network card on your computer. This is often referred to as the physical address. You can configure your wireless access point so that only the MAC addresses in your approved list will be able to connect to your network. MAC addresses can be very easily spoofed, however, but the attackers have to know the exact MAC address(es) listed in your access point authorized list in order to spoof the right one. This isn’t fool proof by any means, but at least it will give you something a bit more secure than no restrictions at all.

The IP (Internet Protocol) address is the "192.168.1.6" type address that computers use to communicate - often referred to as the "logical" address. All computers on a network have an IP address if they want to communicate, especially if they want to communicate with your router to get to the Internet. The IP address can be given to you automatically by what is known as a DHCP server (dynamic), or it can be hard coded (static) address. If you use a router, by default your router is using its DHCP feature to configure these addresses on your computer for you. If you are letting your router dish out addresses to your computers, then that means that they are likely to be available to anyone with a computer who can see your wireless network and “ask” for one. This is simple – just don’t make any available! Hard code all of your IP addresses into your computers, and tell your router not to make DHCP addresses available. I set all of the addresses on my computers statically. But one of the reasons this is a more complicated address to restrict is because using this method requires you to know something about IP addressing, subnet masks, DNS services, and default gateways. Because of this complexity, many people do not use this method, but I'm a geek, so.....

If you do this also, you can go one step further and make the subnet mask for your network non-standard. For example, many people at home use the private IP address range of 192.168.1.x. The default subnet mask for this range is 255.255.255.0. If you only have a few computers in your network, you can change your subnet mask to something like 255.255.255.240. That mask will allow you enough address space for fourteen computers. If you want more addresses, or need fewer addresses, you can adjust the mask you are using. The added benefit is that even if the attacker hard codes in their own address to fit the range you are using, they have to guess the right mask or they won’t connect.

Encrypt your wireless traffic:

One way that eavesdroppers can find out things like passwords and other things that you would like to keep private is that they can “sniff” the traffic on your network and see it in plain text. There are a variety of free tools out there, such as Ethereal, that allow people to see network traffic and get information right out of the very packets traveling across the network. If you encrypt the traffic, however, it comes across as gibberish and they can’t see this information. There are a couple of popular encryption schemes built in to home and small business wireless devices – WEP, WAP, and WPA2. WEP, which stands for Wireless Encryption Privacy, is a slightly older and somewhat unsophisticated encryption scheme. It is static, which means it never changes its encryption keys. You would have to periodically define new keys or pass-phrases. WEP is minimal security at best, but again it is better than nothing. A newer wireless encryption for home users, WPA and WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access) is a more dynamic encryption scheme, and is more secure than WEP. The keys are dynamically changed during system operation, making it more difficult for someone to sniff your traffic and find out the pass-phrase used. Not knowing the correct WEP or WPA keys and pass-phrases to enter into their computers makes even connecting to your network more difficult for the attackers as well.

The other thing that needs to be encrypted is your traffic between you and your router/access point management console. In most home and small business routers, you simply use a web browser to log into and manage your router’s configuration. The Linksys models (and most others) include the ability to select HTTPS (port 443) traffic between you and your router using an SSL certificate. This will provide security in that eaves-droppers cannot see your router administrative password in plain text if they are using a program likeWireshark to “sniff” your traffic from afar. Don’t confuse encryption with blocking access, however. Anyone who types in the correct address for your router will be offered an SSL certificate, and they can choose to install it. If they know the password, they can still get in. What keeps them out is that they don’t have the correct password, and you don’t want to make it easy for them to obtain it. This type of encryption keeps that password from being sniffed, and makes it more difficult to obtain.

Turn off the SSID broadcast:

The SSID is the network identifier that gets broadcasts by a wireless network access point. As I mentioned earlier, a default setting for a Linksys access point SSID out of the box is “Linsys.” You don’t need the SSID broadcast to connect because you can simply type in the SSID when you configure your computer(s). If configuration gives you a problem, turn on SSID broadcasts, configure your computers, then turn the broadcasts back off. The exception to this is earlier versions of Windows, such as Windows 98 and Windows XP without Service Pack 2. Actually, there was a patch awhile back to ensure that Windows XP SP1 would connect without the SSID broadcast, but SP1 is about to become a non-supported product. You really need SP2 to take advantage of the Windows XP security features anyway. But Windows XP is about obsolete, so upgrade if possible. Get Windows Vista or Windows 7 and you can really take advantage of much better security features.

Disable Wireless Management:

Disabling the ability to manage your router from a wireless connection will help ensure that people sitting out in the street stealing your wireless connection can’t get into your router and change settings. You will want to have at least one computer that has a wired connection so you can connect to your router and perform configuration changes. If you only have one computer, and it is a laptop, use the wired connection to connect directly to the router to do maintenance, and the wireless connection to provide your mobility and your normal day-to-day connections.

Additionally, you can ensure that “Remote Access” is turned off. With remote access, you can come into your router from anywhere else that has an Internet connection. I have mine turned on because I travel, and sometimes need to come in and make a change while I’m gone, in case the spouse or kids can’t get connected all of a sudden. But if you don’t need it, the rule of thumb is to just turn it off.

Other Security Measures:

Securing your wireless access points does not relieve you of the need to use other basic security precautions. Just because you have a firewall doesn’t mean that a personal firewall program on each computer won’t do you any good. I have my router locked down pretty well, but my personal firewall still alerts on, and blocks several inbound connection attempts. Antivirus software, anti-malware software, and keeping your computer up to date with the latest patches are still important requirements.

You play an important part in security too – if your personal firewall alerts you to something don’t just blindly say “Yes” to the event and move on, hoping for the best. Question everything! Just say NO! You can look at your router’s logs to find suspicious activity so that you will know what further steps to take. Look at the firewall logs for your personal firewall software also to find out who is trying to attack you, and what methods they are trying to use.

Wrapping it All Up:

Wireless networking provides an easy and extremely flexible medium for setting up your home or small office network. But remember: your network traffic is now traveling through free space, there for the taking for the little WAR drivers and other eaves-droppers. All kinds of things like passwords, personal data, and even access to the files stored on your computer is at risk. Even the inexpensive router/access points give you a number of security measures you can implement to help keep you safe. Nothing is fool-proof.

This article mentioned some simple measures you can take to increase your chances of being safe and protecting your network. Be sure to look into the specific configurations that your router/access point allows, and know what you can do with it. Given enough time and effort, there is nothing that a hacker can’t break into. But by securing your system you will more likely than not discourage a would-be hacker, and they will just move on to the other six networks on your block. Don’t be a target – protect your computers, your network, and your data.

For more information, see:

NIST Special Publication SP800-48: Wireless Network Security
WindowsSecurity.Com:Wireless Network Security for the Home
PC Magazine:Ten Steps to a Secure Wireless Network
Microsoft: How to Set Up Your Home Wireless Network

Getting Off The "X" - The Need For Tactical Training

2012-02-08T17:59:00.000-07:00

I recently had the opportunity to go back for some excellent tactical training - low light pistol operator course at The Makhaira Group. Excellent course - I highly recommend it. So anyway - I’m not sure exactly what prompted the comment, but I recently mentioned to someone that I had just taken some formal tactical firearms training to refresh my own skills. That prompted the comment: “Tactical training?! Why in the world do you need tactical training? You’re not a police officer or a member of the military special forces!” That’s true. I’m neither of those things. And I’m pretty sure I won’t be gearing up to storm a hardened complex or rescue hostages any time soon. But I am a “Sheepdog” - a concealed carry permit holder who loves his fellow citizens, and knows that I may very well be present someday in a crisis situation. If I am present in such a situation (and the police are not), I want to make a difference and help preserve innocent life while waiting for the police to arrive. Because of my commitment, I carry a concealed firearm for self-defense nearly always (except at work and when I’m in the shower). I have made the commitment to protect my family, my neighborhood, and the members of my church. That being said, I then also have an obligation to be proficient and have the ability to be as effective as possible if the opportunity for using my firearm in self-defense presents itself. And to be honest, standing on a line in front of static paper bulls-eye targets in no way represents the types of situations encountered in real-world self-defense crisis situations.

The obligation: First, let me say this about the requirement for training: I do not believe it should be mandated by law. The obligation to be proficient in firearms handling is a moral obligation, and each person needs to make the decision for themselves as to what level of training they think will give them the proficiency they need for their particular circumstances. But if I am going to be a "Sheepdog" - one who is willing to be present in a crisis situation and I am armed, I then I feel that I have the duty to not be the cause of harm to others or myself. If I freeze up, hesitate, or simply don’t know what to do, my chances of causing more harm are much greater. This can lead to a whole variety of legal implications for me, or even more serious physical and emotional implications for all those present at the scene. My goal then is to render aid to others, preserve life, protect the innocent, stop any imminent violence by the bad guys, and be an effective resource for the police who eventually arrive to investigate. Again, I submit that performing proficiency training that involves standing on a line and shooting at static paper targets in no way prepares me to do any of the above. But if I am engaged in a training regimen that teaches the concepts of moving, shooting, communicating, and making sound, decisions, my ability to be effective and prevent further harm greatly improves. Tactical training provides just that environment, plus it provides a multitude of "stresses" that static target shooting does not provide.

"The sheep generally do not like the sheepdog. He looks a lot like the wolf. He has fangs and the capacity for violence. The difference, though, is that the sheepdog must not, can not and will not ever harm the sheep. Any sheep dog who intentionally harms the lowliest little lamb will be punished and removed. The world cannot work any other way, at least not in a representative democracy or a republic such as ours." - LTC Dave Grossman,"On Sheep, Wolves, and Sheepdogs"

Enter a piece of terminology we in the self-defense circles fondly refer to as “getting off the X.” If someone is attacking you, and you stand there like a statue, you will get injured or worse - shot. It’s as simple as that. But if you move and make quick, decisive actions, your chances of winning the fight and avoiding injury are greatly increased. And if you can get the bad guy to “stand on his X,” then you further increase your chances of winning and stopping the attack. The “X” is the place that gives an adversary static predictability. In that case the person on the X might just as well be a paper target – easy to hit, and sure to be injured. Your goal is to stay off of your “X” and put the bad guy back on his.

(Example Tactical Training Course Activities)

So what is out there in the way of tactical training, and what does the term “tactical training” actually entail? Tactical firearms training, hand-to-hand (or “empty hand”) training, and sporting competitions all lend themselves well to this idea of tactical training to address immediate threats. The word “tactical” simply implies trying to make decisions to help meet an immediate or short term goal. The immediate goal in this case is that of stopping a bad series of gravely harmful events. Tactics nearly always involves movement, quick decisions, and having contingencies. Tactical training does not always mean donning forty-five pounds of web gear and playing Rambo. Receiving tactical training means training for a variety of events and environments, and with a variety of methods, skills, and tools.

Tactical Firearms Training: If you’re going to carry a gun for self-defense, you need to be able to deploy it beyond the paper targets at the pistol range. This can (and should) involve a variety of formal training environments where actual experts in this field of study are there to give you real-world insights. In Northern Colorado, we have one excellent resource at The Makhaira Group. Gunsite Academy (located in Arizona), Front Sight (located in Nevada), and Suarez International (various training venues) are all excellent examples of well-renowned and affordable firearms training venues to help you sharpen your tactical skills. The key here is formal training from experts in their field. Get a professional set of eyes (not your well-meaning buddy) on your techniques and use the guidance of a disinterested third party to improve your tactics through professional instruction, and honest criticism and opinion.

Hand-to-Hand Training: Often referred to as “open hand” training. You may not be able to draw your gun, you may not have your gun with you (shame on you!), or the firearm may just not even be the appropriate level of response. Tactics involves a variety of tools. Knowing how to stop an immediate threat through a variety of means, even your own body, is an important aspect of being willing to be that “Sheepdog” in a crisis situation. If you’re going to step up to help out in a crisis situation, you’re going to get hurt. That’s a fact. This type of training will not only help build skills to employ various empty handed defenses, but will help condition your body to be ready and will help make it “hurt” less. See your local health club, self-defense school, or other types of activities in your area. There are a variety of video courses that you can take, but the actual physical practice is irreplaceable.

Shooting Competition Activities: There are a wide variety of firearms recreational and sporting activities that lend themselves well to the idea of thinking on your feet and practicing tactical movements. IDPA, defensive pistol, and even steel challenge competitions fit right in with this category of training. Many shooting ranges even offer “combat leagues” and other dynamic events. Here in Northern Colorado, the Northern Colorado Rod and Gun Club hosts International Defensive Pistol (IDPA), Defensive Pistol, and Steel Challenge matches monthly. Participation is open to the public, and participation fees are minimal (usually $10 dollars). Not only are these events dynamic, but they are well attended, and you can meet many others who are trying to build up their skills and you can share ideas.

Professional Reading: You heard me right! I know reading doesn’t sound very “tactical.” Do some homework and find out what’s going on out in the real world. All those “armed citizen” reports and such are chock full of real-life examples where someone defended themselves successfully (or tragically not), and have some very detailed descriptions of what was done right, what was done wrong, and lessons learned for improvement. Learn from others. Monthly magazines from professionally written sources such as the US Concealed Carry Association (USCCA) and the National Rifle Association (NRA), for example, have sections devoted to reporting on these incidents and can provide valuable insight into what others went through. Those publications also have a plethora of well written articles that talk about holster and concealment techniques, equipment suggestions, and additional training ideas.

Regardless of how you choose to do it, you need to “get off the X” and make additional training an ongoing endeavor. Tactical skills tend to diminish rapidly as they are largely a matter of muscle memory and ingraining behavior so that it becomes second nature. To keep skills sharp, you need to continually practice and get training in updated techniques. Getting off of your X may mean being able to putting bad guy back on his X in a crisis situation. There are no points for second place in this game – you need to be in it to win it.

At Northern Colorado Firearms Safety Training, our mission is to foster the proper knowledge, skills, and attitudes for owning and using firearms safely. Our philosophy is that a firearm is only as safe (or as dangerous) as the person using the firearm, because firearms in and of themselves have no ability to spontaneously operate themselves. We teach that a firearm is a tool to employ in a variety of appropriate circumstances: sport shooting, hunting, or self defense. And above all, we teach firearms safety!

The Decision to Become an Armed Citizen

2012-02-05T21:04:00.000-07:00

By: William P. Flinn

Note: This is a reprint of an article I wrote a few years ago, but thought the ideas are still relevant today.

Choosing to be an armed citizen takes a lot of thought and preparation, not to mention the right equipment:

Why are there no mass
shootings at firing ranges?

What is it that makes a normal, every day computer geek who lives in a small town decide to carry a concealed weapon? After all, the town I live in is not an extraordinarily high crime area. I live in a good neighborhood and work in a fairly secure building. I have a family, two dogs, a bunch of mundane hobbies, and I don’t purposely hang out in dangerous areas. I have never personally witnessed a crime, and have never been the victim of an armed criminal. Although I have noticed that the local mall, even in this small town, seems to attract the dregs of society that hang out there with nothing to do except size up other people and decide who to harass – but that’s another part of the story.

A decision to carry a concealed weapon, after all, carries with it an awesome responsibility – why would I decide to be responsible for the myriad of issues that comes with it? By deciding to carry a concealed weapon I have decided that I am willing to take a human life if necessary. I have decided that I am willing to be put in the position to quickly decide in an emergency situation whether or not to run, shoot, or even if my decision will be the correct (and legally defensible) one. Finally, this decision carries with it a notable change in lifestyle.But despite all that, I made a conscious decision to carry a concealed weapon. In this article, I would like to document and share my decision making process with you to help you understand what makes a normal citizen make such a potentially life changing decision. This article will chronicle the decision making process, the social responsibilities of carrying a concealed weapon (as I understand them to be), and the significant lifestyle changes that one goes through once getting the permit and carrying a firearm.

Making the Initial Leap:

First, I’ll tell you a little bit about the “how” of my decision making processes. This is not, or certainly SHOULD not be an easy decision. In my case, it took a great deal of thought, prayer, research, and certainly training. Thought and prayer in this decision were the easy part. I felt that if I placed my trust in the Lord’s hands, that He would guide me toward the answers – and I believe He did. Faith that God designed us to be responsible for certain aspects of our lives, self defense being one of them, led me to what I believe is the right conclusion about carrying a weapon during my daily life.

For the research, I consulted many sources, among which being the National Rifle Association, the U.S. Concealed Carry Association, and various other Internet discussion forums. Then, there are numerous blogs, discussion forums, and news sources documenting the many instances where an armed citizen was able to save themselves and others around them by carrying and calling upon their weapon.

For the training, I relied partly on my prior experiences handling firearms, which told me that constant training is always needed. It started out as a venture to take my spouse to a basic pistol course, to get her familiar with firearms, and to pick up new insights on concealed carry for myself. From there, training evolved into regular visits to the range, getting involved in competitive shooting events, and constantly reading articles and books from noted authors on concealed carry and self defense. Training and gaining new knowledge about firearms and self defense is a daily part of my routine these days.

Now for the seemingly more philosophical yet most important part - the “why” part - of this whole decision process: It has become painfully clear to me that even in a small town like the one in which my family and I live, there are still bad people who wish to do others harm. We still hear about home invasions, store robberies, people getting robbed in their own driveways, and various other violent crimes, right here in our part of the state! A major city with noted gang activity is not far away – it is only a matter of time before the criminals get bored and decide to take their show on the road. And because I have a spouse, children, and two dogs, all of whom I love very much, I am willing to protect them. My willingness to protect them includes using deadly force if necessary.

The Philosophy and the Reasoning:

My willingness to protect my family goes beyond a mere philosophical need to prove that I am a good person and provider, however. I believe that I have a personal responsibility to protect them and provide for their safety. This responsibility is found in Biblical teaching, and further rooted in my own beliefs. The Supreme Court has made it perfectly clear that the government and police have no obligation to protect us as individuals (a noteworthy example being the 2005 case of Castle Rock versus Gonzales). In a more recent case in Madison Wisconsin, a young woman (student) was slain. She had called 911 but her call for help was ignored, the 911 operator hung up, and police were never called to investigate. So I am responsible for myself as an individual, and for my family as individuals. I accept this. I am perfectly willing and able to take on this obligation and do my part.

Why do I carry a
concealed weapon?
THIS is why!

But I feel this obligation even transcends my obligation to just my family. Research has shown that areas that have more armed citizens experience fewer violent crimes. The more armed citizens there are the more uncertainty the criminals have. Who is carrying a weapon and who is not? This dramatically increases the criminal’s risks of being stopped, injured, or even killed during the commission of their crime. Studies by people such as Dr. John Lott have shown that an entire community is safer because of the population of people who carries concealed weapons. In fact, even noted anti-gun advocate and University of Pennsylvania professor David Mustard has had to admit that citizens who carry do not add to gun violence and do in fact make their communities more safe:

"When I started my research on guns in 1995, I disliked firearms... My views on this subject were formed primarily by media accounts of firearms, which unknowingly to me systematically emphasized the cost of firearms while virtually ignoring their benefits. I thought it obvious that passing laws that permitted law abiding citizens to carry concealed firearms would create many problems. But research has convinced me that laws that require right-to-carry permits to be granted unless the applicant has a criminal record or a history of significant mental illness reduce violent crime and have no impact on accidental deaths."

Source: "Culture Affects Our Beliefs About Firearms, But Data Are Also Important," 151 U. Penn. Law Review, 1387, 2003

I want my family to be safe, but beyond that, I want my entire community to be a good and safe place to live. If my carrying a concealed weapon contributes to the uncertainty and uneasiness that the criminal vultures feel about committing crimes in my community, then I am not only perfectly happy with that, but I feel that I am part of the solution and not just a passive bystander to a greater threat.

The Practical Side of Carrying a Weapon:

By the way - this isn’t by any means meant to be a recipe for others to follow. My strategies won’t work for everyone. And there are far greater numbers of experts out there who can tell you more about tactics, training, and self defense than I could ever hope to. Rather, I hope to give some examples of some things that have helped me, and to help you decide for yourself what will work best for you.

So now that I have made this decision, how does it affect my daily life? Surely, one doesn’t just strap on a gun and go walking around. There are certain places an armed citizen can and cannot go, and certain things an armed citizen has to do a bit differently than before. As I mentioned before, the decision to be an armed citizen affects not only the person who is armed, but practically everyone around them. There is still a lot of fear and apprehension about guns out in the community. Some people believe in the right to be armed, but simply choose not to be. Then there are others who don’t believe that citizens should have guns at all, as well as those who are morbidly afraid of firearms. The latter is a result of lack of education (about firearms) and misinformation from a biased media in my opinion, and I will speak more to that in a later segment in this series.

Oh, What to Wear:

A recent cartoon I saw on the Internet depicted a person who was carrying a concealed weapon making the statement: “Having a concealed weapon is like wearing Power Rangers underwear; both are very cool, but you don’t dare show anybody.” There is a lot of truth to that. Having a concealed weapon, in my opinion, means that it stays concealed – period! There are a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that we keep our handguns concealed primarily because it keeps the bad guys guessing and gives us the element of surprise. Secondly, quite a few states have “shall issue laws for concealed carry permits, but not all of those states have “open carry” laws. This means that if you have a concealed firearm, it must stay concealed, lest you be arrested for public menacing. And finally, firearms just make some people frightened. I submit that those fears are irrational, but those fears are very real to those people; why put them through needless worry and stress? They have every right to feel as comfortable in their surroundings as we do. And their worry and stress tends to lead to unwanted attention drawn to yourself, and perhaps the requirement to explain yourself to law enforcement when those more frightened people freak out and call the police.

Wardrobe decisions are just something that has never plagued me before. I was in the Navy for twenty years – my daily attire was chosen for me. After leaving the service, I have been mostly a jeans and t-shirt kind of guy. Even when I am at work, jeans and a decent sport shirt or polo shirt are considered appropriate for my office. But carrying a concealed weapon means that your attire has to support concealment. Flaunting a weapon for the reasons that I have already discussed is just not something that I want to do. Colorado is an open carry state, and I have a permit, so either way I am covered. But the fewer people who know I am carrying the better. In fact, when I took my daughter to the mall recently, she had no clue I was carrying my handgun. Concealed means concealed – it’s as simple as that for me.

The particular handguns that I carry at the moment both seem to be most conducive to being holstered. They are fairly small (compact, but not sub-compact), but I feel I can retrieve them from a paddle holster on my hip better than some of the other types of holsters I have tried. And I tried several holsters before making this decision. I have a few other holsters that I try from time to time. As moods change and clothing changes, so too can the holster if needed.

My main carry gun, the Bersa .45 UC, is large enough, however, that an in-waist-band holster scheme doesn’t seem to feel very comfortable at all. The paddle holster keeps it fairly high on my hip, but I still need to wear a long shirt or sweat-shirt to keep it concealed. I just bought some long shirts and leave them un-tucked – voila! Seems to work well in cooler weather, but in the summer I have to change that strategy a bit. Concealment vests are a good idea, but the looks of some of them on a person seems to scream out “Hey! I’m carrying a gun!” I found that a photographer's vest is a good choice as photography is a popular hobby in these parts. A small fanny pack works well when I go to the gym or am wearing sweats for a long walk or something. Sweats and exercise shorts don't usually have pockets, so it is perfectly normal to see someone in such attire wearing a small fanny pack for carrying wallet, iPod, keys, etc.

What About Other Gear:

The type of holster and how to conceal were really the biggest decisions I had to make. Once I chose the best way to conceal my firearm so I could comfortably carry it around, the big issues were over. Beyond that, however, there are other things that I feel are necessary. Being in the information security biz, the term “defense in depth” is a large part of my daily vocabulary. Securing information takes a variety of tools to keep networks, computers and data safe. Self defense is really no different. A firearm is not always going to be the best or only method for defense from an attack.

There are many types of attacks, and there are many types of defenses. Criminal attacks are not the only attacks. And certainly there are people who feel bold enough to get in your personal space because they are angry for whatever reason, but they aren’t really intent on committing a violent crime. I live in an area with lots of wildlife. We have foxes in the neighborhood regularly. Bears and mountain lions have been known to come down out of the mountains, as have coyotes. There are stray dogs as well. For example, at least twice in recent weeks while walking my dog, some stray dogs have attacked me and one other person near me while I was out. My dog is small, so I picked him up, and kicking the attacking dogs was enough to send them off. On a walk the other day, a gentleman and his dog were attacked by a large dog, and the dog drew blood. If I had not turned around to retrieve a forgotten item from the house before the walk that would have been my dog and me getting attacked. But had that happened to us, would drawing my weapon and shooting the dog been a viable solution? Certainly not! It was simply a case of a large, strong dog getting away from its owner. A good shot of pepper spray would have likely turned the dog away, and the dog would have lived. The owner would have been upset, but that would have been their problem. When animal control showed up, I think they had enough to worry about explaining how their big dog got away and attacked someone.

The point is that a firearm is not always the best or even most responsible defense. Shooting a dog or their owner, or even just shooting an obnoxious jerk that is getting in your face, for example, will probably land you in jail. But using the amount of defensive force commensurate with the attack is usually considered reasonable and prudent. If someone refuses to get out of your face and is getting close enough to be a threat, a shot in the face with pepper spray may do the trick. A potential attacker approaching in a dark parking lot may be scared away when a tactical grade flashlight is shined in their eyes, temporarily blinding them. I don’t care how “bad” you think you are – someone flashing a tactical grade flashlight in your eyes gives you pause to think about what else that person might also be carrying. So carrying other defensive tools might also serve as a deterrent in that it says that you are prepared and willing to act – and escalate your actions if warranted.

Having multiple tools at your disposal is a wise decision. So for that reason, besides the firearm, I carry other items such as a cell phone, pepper spray, a knife, and a flashlight. I consider these items the absolute minimum. And the beauty is that these additional items are relatively small, and I don’t have to feel like I am carrying a hardware store around in my pockets. Even if I am in a place where I cannot carry a gun for legal or other reasons, the other items are usually acceptable and legal.

By choosing the right types of self defense items, you will also have useful tools to deploy in multiple ways. For example, a good defensive flashlight and certain types of pepper spray come in the same shape and size of a kubotan stick. These can then be easily used to jab into bony or fleshy parts and inflict a great deal of pain in a close-in encounter. Surefire, for example makes flashlights which have a crenellated strike bezel which can also be used as a close-in striking tool to inflict injury and pain. A good tactical flashlight will help you look inside and underneath your car in a poorly lit parking lot, and will also temporarily blind someone who is approaching you.

Having defense in depth provides a greater deal of security than simply replying on one single tool – just as you have many tools to do all your household chores, so should you have many tools to provide for your safety.

The Mental Side of Being an Armed Citizen:

And NO – I am not referring to anything even hinting of those of us who carry having mental illness, being a mental defective, or any such nonsense. In fact, all of the gun owners and CCW permit holders I know are at the top of the list of the most mentally and emotionally stable people I know. Having acute awareness and mental abilities is a key factor in the persona who carries a concealed weapon. Mindset is an important ingredient in self defense, and being mentally prepared for the worst is a part of my strategy. Thinking about the various scenarios and knowing what actions I will take is one of my most valuable weapons.

In the following sections, I would like to focus one of the most valuable self defense weapons available – the human mind. And while I am by no means a psychologist or expert of emotional well being in any way (I am a computer geek, after all), I do know that being aware, mentally prepared, and decisive in action is a key ingredient to survival.

Situational and Environmental Awareness:

In all honesty, I feel that a significant part of our society is made up of unaware, self consumed individuals. For example, I ride a motorcycle – and I can’t begin to tell you the number of times I have been cutoff and almost hit by people on their cell phones or engaging in other activities while driving which distracts them to the point that they can’t even pay attention to what is going on around them. These people can’t stop for simple stop-signs, and even by one woman I observed was eating a bowl of cereal (I’m not kidding) while driving her minivan. Some people seem to always be on their phones, and the funny thing is, they don’t really seem to be talking about anything earth shattering.

Then there are just those who seem to be looking at their shoes all the time, or are obviously in another place while they are out and about. I have a name for these people: they are simply the “unaware” of our society. Unfortunately, the criminal element is aware of these people as well, and they have their own name for them: “Victim!”

In my refusal to be a victim or to allow myself to be caught unaware by some piece of street scum who is looking for his next victim, I am chosen instead to be aware of what’s going on around me. I wish I could offer some advice on how to train yourself to do this, because for me it just comes naturally. I was in the Navy, and spent a great deal of my time on the flight deck, and working around aircraft. Our saying was: “Keep your head on a swivel.” To this day, I find myself being aware of everything around me. I was fortunate; this is part of the incidental training that I received due to my profession. For those of you who need some training in this arena, I suggest you read “How to Win a Gunfight: Gaining the Half-Second Advantage” by Tony Walker (ISBN 0-7414-4341-4. This wonderful book is full of insights on how to become more aware, and how to practice some of the other elements of self defense.

Stress Relief and Physical Fitness:

I read somewhere that anger has no place in the life of someone who carries a concealed weapon. That really struck me as profound. One of the wildest stereotypes that the anti-gun people have of us is that we will get angry and go on a wild shooting rampage. Well for one thing, multitudes of studies have shown that the “wild west” and “road rage” aspects of regular citizens carrying concealed weapons has never come to pass. In fact, the more articles I read, the more I am convinced of something I already believed; law abiding citizens who carry weapons tend to be more polite and avoiding of situations that would illicit an armed response. If someone is unhappy with me, I simply nod and walk away. They may call me names, and they may insult me. But that is just something that I have learned to live with over the years. Getting into any type of altercation, armed or not, has just never been worth the outcomes.

So what does one do to get rid of the stress and anger? We all get angry, we all get stressed. And in the case of having to walk away from a situation, it is likely that pride and dignity will suffer to some extent. For me, physical fitness plays an important part of that stress relief. I’m not a spring chicken any more, so going to the gym regularly helps to relieve stress, but it also helps to add longevity and quality to life. In fact, one of the other aspects of self defense is agility, stamina, and the ability to gain (as Tony Walker puts it) that “half-second advantage.” An hour in the gym and I feel totally different and recharged.

But since I’m mentioning stress relief, there is another technique that my wife and I use for stress relief: going to the range! And no, I’m not talking about taking along effigies of our most hated co-worker or anything like that. We participate in a weekly shooting league at our favorite indoor pistol range. Each week, the targets are varied, the distances of the targets are varied, and the scoring is varied. For about an hour a week, we go to the range, the shooting scenario unknown to us until we arrive, and we spend that time concentrating on those targets and getting the best score that we can. During that time, we are thinking of nothing else! All thoughts of our hectic work day have literally vanished, and we are all consumed in having fun at the range. We share ideas on shooting techniques, we meet new people, and we enjoy talking with the proprietors on the gun shop. This relates to physical fitness also because we are practicing new and varied ways to shoot, different types of targets, and shooting at different ranges. In other words, we are getting a frequently changing look at the dynamic of shooting and practicing with our weapons. We go home and talk about the evening at the range and just enjoy the fact that we have yet another activity that we enjoy doing together. Having that aspect of my life in solidly good shape allows me personally to put everything else into place as well.

Thoughts While Out and About:

So what am I thinking about while out there running my daily errands? Mostly on my minds is how to be as completely invisible as possible. I want to be the person that no one notices. So to that end, I don’t go out of my way to attract attention, and I certainly don’t go out of my way to give any clue that I am carrying a weapon. What this means is that I am careful about how I get out of my car, lest my firearm be exposed, and I am aware of what other types of people are in the area. For example, if a mother and her young children are in the area, I especially don’t want the youngsters seeing my gun. I know that some people are afraid of guns, no matter how much we have proven that there is nothing to be afraid of, and I don’t want anyone needlessly feeling afraid or uneasy around me. So for those reasons alone, I am very cognizant of making sure that my concealed weapon is just that: concealed!

A very important part of my thought process is in knowing where I can or cannot go if I am carrying a firearm. I know that some establishments don’t care either way, while still others adamantly refuse entrance to holders of valid CCW permits if they have weapons. So essentially, I do the best I can to know who has what policy, and to respect their wishes. But I will say this about the establishments who refuse to allow law abiding citizens to carry their concealed weapons into their businesses: I won’t give them my business period. But it’s not because I think they possess some liberal, anti-gun mind-set. It is specifically because they have made the statement that I am not welcome to use my chosen method of self defense while on their premises. If I or my family were to be in one of these types of places, and an armed gunman appears, they are disallowing me the means to defend myself. They have no intention of providing for my protection while I am there, however, as seen by the lack of armed guards in any of these places. Additionally, my state law makers have made it clear to me that I cannot hold them legally liable for damages, death, or injury if I or my family is harmed in their “gun free” zone.

Constantly on my mind when I am out and about is an awareness of other people, particularly who are the “good guys” and who are the “bad guys.” I try not to be judgmental, but let’s face it: you can just tell sometimes, who are the average citizens walking around, and who the lower forms of human existence are. Going to the mall, for example, it is painfully obvious who the vultures are because you can see them sizing up everyone, following people around, and in general looking like they have no purpose in life other than to find their next victim. This is the same behavior seen on nature channels when the jackals are sizing up their next meal. It is just obvious, sometimes, that they aren’t there to do their shopping and leave – they just seem to be there perpetually as if that is their place of employment. Well, perhaps it is. I’m suspicious of everyone, and I spend a lot of time observing people. Unless you are completely unaware of your surroundings, you kind of have an idea who you can (mostly) ignore, and who you need to keep your eye on. Being aware is to be prepared, and being prepared means you are watching them more closely than the rest. The best thing I try to do is just avoid the places where these maggots seem to congregate the most, but sometimes what you need is at the place where the vultures hang out: The shopping mall and Wal-Mart seem to be the two most likely places where the dregs of society can be found here in my small town.

Wrapping It All Up:

So for these reasons, and more, I have decided to become an armed citizen. As you can see, such a decision requires a lot of thought, and for many people like me, is not an easy decision. But now that I have made the leap and obtained my permit, I have now stepped into a new life. In the next article, I will talk about how some of my daily wardrobe habits have changed to accommodate my carrying a concealed weapon, and the types of other things that I have to think about carrying. But as you will see, I don’t look on any of this as a burden or an inconvenience. I look at this as a necessary part of life as an armed citizen.

To me, carrying concealed means just what it implies. I don’t want anyone to know I am carrying a firearm, or any other weapons for that matter. It is important to me that the bad guys don’t know who is carrying – it keeps them guessing. And I know that there are a lot of frightened people out there who freak out at even the mention of firearms. Why put them through undue stress? In fact, as I am sitting here typing this from a public coffee shop, none of the people here have a clue that there is an armed citizen in their midst – and I intend to keep it that way. I’m not going to change their minds about the benefit of being armed in the time of our brief encounter – so why try? Why go through having to explain to them that their fears are irrational and that they are safe as kittens around me? It just isn’t worth it, but it is worth avoiding the situation altogether.

Beyond the act of concealment, I consider self defense to be a matter of employing the right tools for the job. That is why I carry a variety of self defense items such as cell phones, a knife, tactical flashlight, and pepper spray, and of course - my wits.

As you can see throughout this article, I have tried to illustrate that I do indeed consider being an armed citizen to be a serious and awesome responsibility. These aren’t the ravings of some “gun nut” who just wants to be able to carry his “toys” everywhere. This is the mindset of a free man who values his and his family’s safety above all else. Self defense is a basic human right. I owe it to my family to live a long life and provide for their well being and safety. This is my responsibility, not that of the government. I don’t want to rely on anyone else to carry out those responsibilities which are mine alone, but at the same time I don’t want anyone thinking that they have the right to take my abilities to perform my duties as a responsible citizen away from me. The founders of our country made it clear that we were endowed these rights by our Creator, and that idea is still valid today. Technologies have changed, and the population of criminals has increased from their day, but what was spoken then is still valid now. My right to defend myself and my family is absolutely and unequivocally non-negotiable!

"The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren’t enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible to live without breaking laws."

- Ayn Rand

Coming Legislative Issues for 2012 – Constitutional Carry

2012-01-27T17:13:00.000-07:00

By: William P. Flinn

Colorado gun owners andconcealed carry holders have already suffered their first partial defeat for2012. The bill introduced this year inthe Colorado Senate (S.B.25), that would allow law abiding Colorado gun ownersto carry a concealed firearm for self-defense without a concealed carry permit,was shot down by Colorado Senate Democrats. In case the intent of this bill isn’t clear, letme be try to describe what this bill would have allowed: any Colorado citizenwho is legally eligible to possess firearms can carry a concealed handgun forself-defense purposes while in their home state of Colorado. Stated another way, anyone who is a Coloradocitizen and can legally own a firearm can carry a concealed handgun without apermit as long as they are in Colorado. Andyet another way: any Colorado citizen, who has not been convicted of adisqualifying crime (felony or misdemeanor domestic violence), and has not beendeemed mentally incompetent can carry a concealed handgun in the state ofColorado for self-defense purposes. HaveI described this bill adequately? Good,because here is the reason why this bill was defeated: The reason for defeating this bill, say thosehow killed it, was because they didn’t want to circumvent safeguards already inplace that would prevent mentally defective people and criminals from carryingfirearms. Am I missing somethinghere? Did these people’s reasoning andintellect just go out the window? Thereare ALREADY laws and safeguards in place that prevent ineligible persons frompossessing firearms. Giving law abidingcitizens the ability to carry a concealed handgun without a permit does NOTdefeat those laws. Fortunately, there isa sister bill in the Colorado House (H.B. 1092) that as of the date of thiswriting has not yet been assigned to a committee, but is still alive.

Vicki Marble for Colorado State Senate, District 23
True pro-gun-rights conservative!

So before I get into all thereasons why this is the right type of legislation to pass, I first have toaddress the sheer nonsense of the above reasoning for defeating this type ofbill. Criminals are already disqualifiedfrom owning and carrying firearms. It iseven an additional felony for an already convicted felon to even touch afirearm. So what would this bill have doneto circumvent this? What safeguardswould be defeated? None, Nothing, Nada! The criminals already carry concealed firearms. They’re criminals! They don’t care about obeying the law. Evenwithout this type of law, does anyone honestly believe that a criminal will notpossess and carry a concealed firearm if they cannot get a permit from thelocal Sheriff? “Darn,I’m a convicted felon now, guess I better go turn in my guns…” Yeah, right – like that’s ever gonna happen. They possess illegal guns. They possess stolen guns, in many cases. And they have no regard for obeying ourlaws. The criminals will keep andconceal their tools of the trade so that they can continue to commit crimes. Thelaw abiding are the only ones who obey the laws. What part of that do our legislators not get?

So who was protectedby the defeat of this bill – law abiding citizens? No. The criminals were protected and enabled by the defeat of this bill. Who was penalized by the defeat ofthis bill – the criminals? No. The law abiding citizens were penalized. Same holds true for the mentallyincompetent. If they have been adjudicatedmentally defective, they cannot possess firearms, period! Then, all of the same logic as I havedescribed for the criminals applies. Every time I see insanity like this, I cannot help but wonder if our lawmakers embrace criminal behavior, and have complete disdain for people who playby the rules and live honest lives. Oris it a strong desire to show an overprotectiveness to shield the minority oftimid and the frightened citizens from the fact that us “Sheepdogs” are out there,and yes, we do carry guns? It’s eitherthat, or some of our law makers themselves have cognitive issues or learningdisabilities that should be addressed.

So why is ConstitutionalCarry (as these types of laws are called) legislation good for us? Well for one thing, let’s go back to thewording of the Second Amendment: “…the right ofthe people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” That seems to say enough, I would think. So if it doesn’t, let’s look at some cold,hard reality, then. Law abiding gunowners have proven time after time their exemplary ability to follow the lawand be good citizens. Crime rates withinthe ranks of concealed handgun permit carrying individuals has been proven tobe among the lowest of any segment of society. Constitutional Carry simply allows an already law abiding citizen tocarry a concealed firearm within the state of residence without a specialpermission slip. If they wish to carryoutside the state, they will still need to obtain a Colorado permit, and thestate to which they are traveling must honor that permit. And of the states who have adoptedConstitutional Carry (Alaska, Vermont, Arizona, Wyoming), we have yet to hearof any cases where the “streets ran red with blood” over wild-west styleshoot-outs, or even of any public safety surfacing because of it.

We gun owners have provenourselves as trustworthy, decent, and willing to help others. So why is it that we should need a permissionslip in order to enjoy a right that is not supposed to be infringed in thefirst place?

As I mentioned, H.B. 1092 isstill alive in the Colorado House. Thisbill has yet to be assigned to a committee. And there is still hope that this bill can be passed out of a committee,moved to the House floor for a vote, and eventually passed into law. So what can you do to help? My admonition is the same as it has been fromthe beginning of this election and legislative season: Get Involved! Write to your state representation andstrongly urge them to support this legislation. If you live in the districts of State House Representatives Priola andBrophy (or even if you don’t live in their districts) call and thank them forintroducing this bill. As soon as thisbill is assigned to a committee, start contacting those committee members andstrongly urge them to support this bill. Then, write to the State Senators who defeated this bill and ask, no, DEMAND them toprovide their reasoning for killing the Senate version of this bill (S.B. 25). And finally, join one or more of the gunrights activist groups with the clout and lobbying ability to fight for us atall legislative levels. In Colorado, weare fortunate enough to have RockyMountain Gun Owners fighting for us. Join the NRA and leverage their broad range of power in influencinglegislative action. It’s up to us,folks. We can either keep the fire undertheir feet to remind them that We the People run the show, or settle forstatus-quo when the chips fall where they may.

At Northern Colorado FirearmsSafety Training, our mission is to foster the proper knowledge, skills, andattitudes for owning and using firearms safely. Our philosophy is that afirearm is only as safe (or as dangerous) as the person using the firearm,because firearms in and of themselves have no ability to spontaneously operatethemselves. We teach that a firearm is a tool to employ in a variety ofappropriate circumstances: sport shooting, hunting, or self-defense. And above all, we teach firearms safety!

Coming Legislative Issues for 2012 – The Second Amendment

2012-01-24T18:45:00.000-07:00

By: William P. Flinn

I wanted to kick off this 2012legislative season by weighing in on some possible issues that may come up, orhave already been introduced, both at the state and federal legislative levels,with regards to Second Amendment rights and gun control. But in order to fully understand the issuesto be discussed in this article series, however, it is important to understandthe very amendment in the U.S. Constitution that protects the right ofindividual citizens to keep and bear arms. That’s right, I said PROTECTS! Contrary to the belief of some misguided folks in political office, theBill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution does not grant rights (nor was it meantto), but rather protects them. Inother words, the Bill of Rights spells out that upon which the governmentcannot infringe or take away. And whenour politicians are elected to office, they take an oath to preserve and defendthis document, and all of the intents spelled out therein. I feel that it is because of thismisunderstanding of the amendment’s intent (and as we will discuss in futurearticles in this series), a misunderstanding of terminology, or evenforgetfulness (or wanton disregard?) of the oath taken by those in office, thatsome rather bad pieces of legislation are introduced, and some good ones arevoted down. Man, I wish those peoplewould read the darn thing they took an oath to defend. I have some spare shirt-pocket-sized copiesif anyone’s interested.

The majority of the gun controlissues that come up this year will no doubt be born of a completemisunderstanding of what the Second Amendment is all about, and just exactlywhat our founders envisioned when that amendment was written. The Second Amendment is not about duckhunting, collecting firearms, or even our practice of shooting at papertargets. It is not about only being ableto own a certain type of firearm, or firearms with certain cosmeticattributes. I have even heard some poorfolk out there argue that even in our modern times, with our modern technology,if we want to meet the original intent of the Second Amendment, that we canonly own flint-lock muskets. Again – Ihave spare copies if any wish, I can send you one. I didn’t see anything in the amendment thateven alluded to such things.

The Second Amendment is aboutself-defense, and a citizen’s right to defend against tyranny. Law abiding and decent citizens have a right(and an OBLIGATION) to defend their families and their properties from ANYTHINGor ANYONE that would take away our rights to life, liberties, and the pursuitof happiness. Have you been reading thenews lately? On one hand, we have aneconomy out of control and violent crime caused by desperate peopleabounds. On the other, there are thosewho wish to transform us into a Utopian, socialist society. And then (I ran out of hands) there are thosewho hate us and wish to kill us in the name of Allah and make us adhere totheir religion. Our country was foundednot on socialism or the strict adherence to the dogmas of any particularreligion, but rather it was built on freedom, liberty, and God-given naturalrights. And the Second Amendment is whatprotects a United States Citizen’s ability to protect those rights.

Awhile back, Dr. SuzannaGratia-Hupp, in her testimony before the U.S. Congress (see video below), gavea very succinct statement of what the Second Amendment is about. She and her family were among the victims ofthe 1991 Lubby’s Café massacre in Killeen Texas that left twenty four peopledead. Dr. Hupp survived, but her parentswere tragically killed in that massacre. Ironically, these deaths could have been avoided if not for a Texas lawthat disallowed her from carrying her concealed handgun in her purse while in arestaurant. Look at events such as thatwhich took place at Virginia Tech. Aso-called “gun-free zone,” in which students were killed because a mentallyderanged person came on campus and began shooting. Again, ironically, in the many minutes ittook law enforcement to arrive, a well-trained student with a firearm couldhave possibly made a difference. Incontrast, take the case of the shootings at New Life Church in ColoradoSprings, December 2007. A concealedcarrying member of the church took down a heavily armed gunman before he wasable to inflict mass casualties on a church full of innocents. Only two innocents died, and the gunman wasshot before he could continue his rampage. In all of these cases, theseverity of the loss, or the saving of innocents, was contingent on whether ornot a right was being grossly infringed or allowed to be exercised.

A few states have already enactedlegislation to allow their law abiding citizens to carry a concealed firearmfor the purpose of self-defense without needing a special permission slip (theCCW permit). This has popularly becometermed as “Constitutional Carry,” and is enjoyed by Alaska, Vermont, and mostrecently Arizona and Wyoming. What thismeans is that a law abiding citizen who lives in these states, who is eligibleto possess a firearm, is allowed to carry a concealed firearm while in his/herown state of residence. They can stillobtain a state permit for the purpose of carrying their concealed firearm inanother state, as long as that state recognizes the permit (this is known as“reciprocity”). Hopefully, a few morestates will be able to pass similar legislation, and this trend will turn intothe same wave of acceptance enjoyed by the so-called “shall-issue” concealedcarry permits. The notion of the“streets flowing red with blood” if law abiding people are allowed to carryconcealed firearms never came to pass. Crime rates in areas that allowed concealed carry went down. And the rates of concealed carry permitholders who later commit crimes is well below the percentage of non-permitcarrying holders who commit crimes. Remember – criminals do not apply for permits, only the law abiding do. But regardless of the fact that this issue isabout self-defense, our politicians somehow think that it is about protectingsociety. And since Colorado Democratshave already shot our version of this legislation down again so early thisyear, I will have much more to say about this in the next article in thisseries.

Still further pieces oflegislation will possibly be introduced that attempt to ban a certain type offirearm solely based on the way it looks. Those “evil, black guns” out there, for example, were once bannedbecause they looked a certain way, or had certain cosmetic features. No regard was given to how the firearmactually operates, or of its capabilities (or lack thereof). Only that it looks “evil” and is somehowperceived as being capable of rendering massive damage and mayhem all on itsown. Or how about banning magazines thathave a capacity exceeding a certain number of rounds of ammunition? With complete disregard for the fact that lawabiding citizens in possession of these evil guns or high capacity magazinesare not the ones who commit the crimes, instead of going after the truecriminals, our legislators choose to punish the law abiding. This particular topic will be discussed muchmore in-depth in a later article in this series, but the point here being againthat misguided fear and a complete misinformed perception will, in many cases,drive our legislative actions towards becoming potentially draconian laws. The innocent will be punished, and thecriminals will be further enabled, all in an attempt for our government to showus that only THEY can protect us, or that they are trying to do somethingto “show” us how much they care. Andthey will do so even if that “something” is empty and meaningless, and onlyresults in further harm to our natural rights.

So what do all of these issueshave in common? Misunderstanding andmisinformation, for one thing, will be the primary factor in bad legislationbeing introduced. The lust for controland the belief that only the government, instead of our citizens, is capable ofprotecting society from harm will also be a factor to be sure. And largely, I think that far too many ofthese bad pieces of legislation, or the turning away of good legislation, willbe directed towards an inanimate object (the firearm) instead of being directedtowards the behavior of the people who use them. Instead of enforcing existing laws to punishexisting criminals, we will try to enact more and more laws that furtherinfringes on a protected right by law abiding citizen. If we all understood what the SecondAmendment is all about, perhaps we would not blindly vote for politicians withmisguided ambitions. If our politicianswould read the document that they swore an oath to protect, perhaps they wouldsave themselves a lot of unnecessary “mental gymnastics” (again – I have sparecopies if you need them sent to you). Insteadof infringing on the rights of law abiding citizens, how about for oncepunishing criminal behavior? The SecondAmendment is not about duck hunting. Itis about a citizen’s right to self-defense and defense against tyranny. The sooner our politicians (and engagedcitizens) remember that, the sooner we will have meaningful legislation in ourcountry.

At Northern Colorado Firearms Safety Training, our mission is to foster the proper knowledge, skills, and attitudes for owning and using firearms safely. Our philosophy is that a firearm is only as safe (or as dangerous) as the person using the firearm, because firearms in and of themselves have no ability to spontaneously operate themselves. We don’t teach our students about the deployment of weapons, we don’t teach that guns are only meant for killing. We teach that a firearm is a tool to employ in a variety of appropriate circumstances: sport shooting, hunting, or self defense. And above all, we teach firearms safety!

Defensive Pistol Storage in the Home

2012-01-22T14:40:00.001-07:00

By: William P. Flinn

One of the things that we emphasize in our firearms classes above all else is firearm safety. Of the NRA rules for safe gun handling, the third rule states “ALWAYS keep the gun unloaded until ready to use.” However, when teaching the “Personal Protection in The Home” course, we modify that third rule to tell you to always assume that the gun is loaded. The reason for that is because our personal defense gun is considered to be the “ready” or “in use” gun, and is therefore usually loaded. After all, it doesn’t make too much sense to have an unloaded gun for personal defense. Would you keep an empty fire extinguisher for kitchen fires? Safety is paramount, but we are talking about the safety and proper use of a tool that we will possibly use to protect ourselves and our families some day.

In my own household, where our youngest is a teenager, the risk of a small child accessing our guns and “playing” with them is extremely small. But what about that same teenager with nosey friends? What about burglars who break in while we’re gone? Part of my own philosophy about gun safety and responsibility says that I will not put guns in the hands of those who will intentionally do harm to others, but I will always have a firearm readily available when called upon to use it for defensive purposes. We as gun owners have as much of a DUTY to keep guns out of unauthorized hands as we do the RIGHT to own them.

So having said all that, I wanted to use this article to discuss the various aspects of home firearms safety versus accessibility. That is – the safe handling and storage of firearms versus accessibility to a “ready” firearm when you are in a crisis situation in your own home, and mere seconds count. Having a ready firearm available and accessible involves a certain amount of risk analysis. The risk of having a ready firearm that is accessible to unauthorized people versus the risk of not having a ready firearm available for self defense is a serious one and takes a great deal of consideration. And when we say “unauthorized people” this can be a child who finds the gun and decides to play with it, a nosey friend of your teenager just looking around your house, or a criminal who has broken into your house and steals your firearms. It is important to remember that safety not only applies to your own handling of firearms, but household members who could inadvertently hurt themselves, and also to criminals who steal your firearms and do harm to others.

To help illustrate this point - In my “day job” in the computer security biz, we often have to contemplate the balance between the need for keeping our computers and networks safe and our users being able to do their jobs. If we are too secure, our network will never be hacked, but our users will not be able to conduct business. If we are too lax or too open, we will be successfully attacked, our data stolen (or worse), and our business suffers greatly. To accommodate the fine balance needed between security and accessibility, we use something called “defense in depth” to make sure that we have various layers of security. Each layer is (hopefully) transparent to the end user, but presents a virtual gauntlet of protective measures that an attacker has to break through in order to get to our data.

Likewise is the risk analysis that we as gun owners have to perform when we make the decision to keep a loaded firearm in the house for personal protection. And just like the example above, we want to present a “defense in depth” of multiple security layers of protection. This article will present some different scenarios of safety versus accessibility, along with an analysis of each method’s safety versus accessibility profile. This is not meant to be an absolute recommendation of any particular safety strategy – only YOU can decide which is right for you!

NOTE: The following sections talk about doing drills and performing practice. Do NOT do your drill or practice with LIVE ammunition. Remove all of your live ammunition from your ammunition storage container, and put some dummy rounds, or “snap caps” in your storage container, and in the magazines you store in that container. Check, double check, and triple check that your firearm is unloaded before doing any drills or practice.

Strategy 1: Unloaded Handgun in the Storage Safe:

This scenario assumes the most safe and secure of all storage methods. In this scenario, we are describing the large fire-proof gun storage vault with a combination lock and/or a digital keypad. This strategy also assumes that the firearms kept inside are all unloaded, and in keeping with best practices, the ammunition is locked in a separate container. If there are young children in the house, this is by far the safest way to ensure that getting to the guns is extremely difficult, but that an unauthorized person loading the gun and accidentally hurting themselves is more difficult still. In the case of protection from burglars, this strategy makes stealing your guns and ammunition as difficult as it gets.

But what about accessibility in a home invasion situation? Can you quickly get the storage vault unlocked, and retrieve a firearm? Can you then quickly retrieve ammunition, load the gun, and make it ready for use? How long will this take you to do? In the mere seconds that it will take for a violent criminal to burst into your home and get to where you are, it is going to be very difficult to retrieve a ready firearm and protect yourself and your home.

Safety: High

Accessibility: Low

Recommendation:

If you are preparing for home defense, and accessibility is a concern, change your strategy to one that is more suitable and considers more of a balance between safety and accessibility.
If you are insistent that you are going to use this as your only storage strategy, then drill yourself to find out how long it takes to retrieve a handgun, retrieve the ammunition, load it, and be ready to use it. Practice doing this in the dark to see if you can do it, or to see how much longer it takes than doing it in the light.

NOTE: Do NOT do your drill or practice with LIVE ammunition. Remove all of your live ammunition from your storage container, and put some dummy rounds, or “snap caps” in your storage container, or in the magazines you store in that container. Check, double check, and triple check that your firearm is unloaded before doing any drills or practice. Get a second person to assist you with your drills. Have them verify that all live ammunition has been removed, and that your guns are unloaded and that only dummy ammunition is used in the drill.

Put loaded magazines or speed-loaders in your ammunition storage container for easier retrieval and loading.
Harden the target. Make sure that your home is as inaccessible to burglars as possible. Keep as many barriers between you and the home invader as possible. Those barriers might include dogs, locked doors, deadbolts, alarm systems, and a safe room in your house.
Make sure the gun and ammunition storage is in your safe room. Having a locked door between you and the person invading your home will at least buy you some time to retrieve the firearm, load it, and be ready.

Strategy 2: Loaded Handgun in the Night Stand:

This represents the other end of the safety/accessibility spectrum; from both safety and accessibility standpoints, this is in direct contrast to the strategy mentioned above. If there are no children in the house, then the risk of a small child getting to the firearms is relatively small. Your firearm is immediately accessible in case you need it. But it is also immediately assessable to unauthorized persons. If you leave the firearm in your night stand while you are out, and a burglar breaks into your home, it will be easy for them to find and steal your gun. A night stand, after all, is one of the most common places for people to keep pistols and other valuables.

Safety: Low

Accessibility: High

Recommendations:

If you don’t usually take your firearm with you when you leave the house, get a safe in which to lock up your firearms while you are gone.
Same goes for any other firearms you have in the house. Even if you don’t have a risk of children who can get to your firearms, there is still the risk of a burglar coming in and stealing your firearms.
Use some concealment methods to hide your firearms. Most burglars look for the low hanging fruit. They quickly look around for items to steal and get out before they are detected or the home owner comes home. Even if you keep your ready pistol in a handgun safe, consider concealing the safe. Many small pistol safes can be easily pried open if the intruder has a crowbar or other tools.

Strategy 3: Loaded Handgun in the Handgun Safe:

This strategy offers an excellent balance between safety and accessibility. The defensive handgun is readily accessible with the push of a few buttons, but is still locked up and secure from children and the amateur burglar. Always keeping your ready firearm in the pistol safe gets you in the habit of always retrieving your gun from that safe. In contrast to the scenario above, you develop a habit for going to that location for your defensive pistol, and do not run the risk of forgetting to move your handgun from the night stand to the safe each day when you leave. There won’t be that nagging “Did I leave my pistol out?” feeling.

Safety: High

Accessibility: High

Recommendations:

Make sure to buy a pistol safe that can be bolted to the floor or other solid structure.
Choose a location for your pistol safe that is quickly accessible to you, but not readily visible to children or burglars.

Drill yourself on how long it takes to open your pistol safe – including drills on doing it in the dark.

NOTE: Do NOT do your drill or practice with LIVE ammunition. Remove all of your live ammunition from your storage container, and put some dummy rounds, or “snap caps” in your storage container, or in the magazines you store in that container. Check, double check, and triple check that your firearm is unloaded before doing any drills or practice. Get a second person to assist you with your drills. Have them verify that all live ammunition has been removed, and that your guns are unloaded and that only dummy ammunition is used in the drill.

If you have a pistol safe with push buttons or other electronic technologies that require batteries, test the mechanism often, and change your batteries often. Perhaps coincide this with your schedule for changing your smoke detector batteries. (You DO have smoke detectors, right?)
Put a low intensity battery powered light near your handgun safe. This provides a quick way to get low level illumination on the safe so that you can see the buttons, and helps provide light in the immediate area so you can open your safe. I use one of those big push-button closet lights. You push the large dome for the light, and the light comes on. It is very low intensity so as not to hurt my eyes, but so that I can see the safe and the immediate area.

Put a high intensity flashlight inside of or in the immediate vicinity to your pistol safe. This will help you illuminate the area in front of you to make sure you are only aiming at the bad guy and not a family member. The high intensity light will temporarily blind the intruder as well.

When you travel, if you do not take your ready handgun with you (some states do not recognize your CCW permit), then take your handguns out of the handgun safe, unload them, and put them in your gun storage vault. Put the ammunition in your separate ammunition storage container.

Wrapping It All Up:

Safety versus accessibility, when it comes to firearms, involves a great deal of consideration and risk analysis. On one hand, if firearms are not secured, even though they may be highly accessible, unauthorized people can gain access to them. On the other hand, if secured too tightly, you may not be able to access and use them when needed during a home invasion or other personal attack.

Food For Thought: If someone breaks into your house, and you end up in the same room, it takes the average intruder only one and a half seconds to reach you from a distance of twenty-one feet away.

As I mentioned before, “unauthorized people” can be a child who finds the gun and decides to play with it, or a criminal who has broken into your house and steals your firearms. It is important to remember that safety not only applies to household members who could inadvertently hurt themselves, but also to criminals who steal your firearms and do harm to others. I certainly don’t want to be the one who is responsible for hurting a child, and I especially don’t want to be the one who enables a criminal with a new tool (my firearm) to use for committing their crimes and other acts of violence.

Use defense in depth! Build layers of protection around yourself and your firearms with good household locks, personal awareness, home security strategies, and common sense. Take an NRA Personal Protection in the Home course or attend an NRA or Refuse to Be a Victim seminar. In our NRA developed and approved courses, we will teach you how to have a plan, practice the plan, and use common sense to keep yourself and your family safe. These courses cover such things as designating a safe room, keeping your firearms secure yet accessible, and how to be aware of your surroundings.

Firearms security versus accessibility means practicing risk analysis to avoid risky practice. Practicing your methods and strategies is vital to successful deployment in a crisis situation. Having a plan and being able to react quickly can save your live and the lives of others. Your personal safety and the security of your family depends on it!

At Northern Colorado Firearms Safety Training, our mission is to foster the proper knowledge, skills, and attitudes for owning and using firearms safely. Our philosophy is that a firearm is only as safe (or as dangerous) as the person using the firearm, because firearms in and of themselves have no ability to spontaneously operate themselves. We don’t teach our students about the deployment of weapons, we don’t teach that guns are only meant for killing. We teach that a firearm is a tool to employ in a variety of appropriate circumstances: sport shooting, hunting, or self defense. And above all, we teach firearms safety!

Self Defense in Washington D.C.

2012-01-22T12:51:00.001-07:00

By: William P. Flinn

In this article I would like to discuss an aspect of gun ownership that many folks in other parts of the country take for granted, and probably don’t even have to think about too much: Defensive gun ownership rights – specifically, the concept of being able to own or even carry a concealed handgun for self defense. In most other states, people have the ability to apply for, and obtain concealed carry permits for the purpose of carrying a handgun for self defense. And to this day, despite 2nd Amendment victories won by the cases of D.C. versus Heller, and Chicago versus MacDonald, the people of Washington D.C. still find themselves facing difficult hurdles in order to even own a firearm, much less carry one. The city council, and especially the Washington D.C. Police Chief are still of the opinion that if these folks aren't allowed to have guns, that all the crime will magically disappear. Well, it hasn't yet (D.C. is one of the highest crime cities in the U.S.), and the Washington D.C. police do not have the resources to protect every single individual.

I realize how much I take my own concealed carry permit for granted every time I find myself in Washington D.C. on business. When I have some down time, my mind wanders and I find myself comparing the culture in this part of the country to the culture we enjoy in Colorado. While there on one particular trip, I was often asked by friends and colleagues what I did for fun the afternoon or evening before. My response was usually along the lines of walking the National Mall (before sundown) and looking at the monuments – I love seeing our national monuments, and take the time to visit them every time I am there.

The response:

“You didn’t walk the National Mall at NIGHT, did you?!”

Well – no, but why would they ask such a thing?

“

"Because it just isn’t safe!” was always the answer. Well – I knew that, thus my decision for not doing it.

Well – let’s talk about that for a moment. It’s not SAFE to walk the National Mall in Washington D.C.! And this sentiment in a city where the Police Chief, City Council, and Mayor have all made it clear that they do not like the idea of citizens being armed. But yet the Supreme Court has ruled (in the case of D.C. versus Warren and others) that the police do not have an obligation to protect individual citizens. My perception of how dangerous this city is can always be further perpetuated by the events of many late afternoons, when I am walking around the city, and there are police sirens whaling every so often, followed by something looking like a bomb disposal vehicle, followed by fire engines. “What the heck is going on here?” I have often thought. Why isn’t this place safe? What causes a place like this to be widely considered dangerous to walk around at night, but yet those charged with protecting it would regard armed law abiding citizens as a bad thing?

In talking with a few of the locals, I most assuredly have my impressions confirmed that Washington D.C. is just widely regarded as having a high rate of violent crime. Now this is not something new – I know that many of you have heard this all before. But what occurs to me every time I come here is that there is a very simple explanation: Citizens are not allowed to have guns for self defense, either in the open, concealed, or just locked in the trunk of their cars. Until last year, handguns where completely outlawed. But even though the Supreme Court has ruled the bearing of arms to be a right that these citizens should enjoy, the city leadership has been throwing up roadblock after roadblock towards allowing these people to arm themselves and put the violent criminals on notice that they want to defend themselves.

Washington D.C. is not unique in this. Cities like Chicago, New York, and some other large metropolitan areas also have very restrictive gun laws, and citizens are deprived of the right to carry concealed weapons or in many cases even own them. What do they also have in common? Very high rates of violent crime! The economy is certainly having an effect on the increase in violent crimes every where¸ but when criminals know that their victims cannot fight back, they are further enabled and feel emboldened to commit these crimes. And in this city in particular, it is even illegal to carry knives and pepper spray. So basically, everyone except the criminals, is rendered completely defenseless.

What does this mean to us as United States Citizens?! We’re all voters! With some very important elections coming up in 2012, we need to start NOW in looking for state candidates who will help protect our rights to bear arms, to ensure that Colorado will continue to enjoy the rights we have now with no further erosion of these rights, and national candidates who will take this message to Washington D.C. The current administration is moving at a furious pace to change our country – I am wondering how long it will be before our “privileges” of concealed carry disappear, and our RIGHT to keep and bear arms is taken away for good. Get involved, get the word out, and wake your fellow Americans up.

Concealed Carry Bill Fails:

National Concealed Carry Reciprocity Fails—But What Is Behind The Scenes?

The John Thune (R—South Dakota) Senate bill to allow concealed carry (CCW) reciprocity nationwide failed to overcome a procedural hurdle and get out of committee. According to the NRA Institute for Legislative Action:

“By a 58 to 39 majority, the US Senate voted last week to let concealed handgun permit holders carry handguns across state lines. Yet, it was two votes short of the 60 needed to overcome a filibuster. The legislation sponsored by Senator John Thune (R, SD) would have allowed reciprocity in permitting, as anybody would still be required to obey the laws of the states that they travel in. This is the same way driver's licenses work.”

Perhaps there was more to this bill’s failure than is evident on the surface, and there are other reasons why the bill failed despite a majority being in favor. From Dudley Brown, Executive Director for National Association for Gun Rights:

“It wasn't a "lack of unity" in the Republican party that led to the Thune amendment's 58-39 demise: The Thune amendment was never supposed to pass.The entire process was calculated to fail … but only after dozens of anti-gunners on both sides of the aisle could exploit the chance to dissemble on the record as gun rights supporters.It's Washington politics at its finest -- voting "yes" on an ostensibly pro-gun bill orchestrated to die just short of the needed number of votes, but that could still be used to dupe constituents.”

That doesn't surprise me a bit! Colorado Senators Bennet and Udall, two of the most extreme liberal Senators in office, both voted "YES" on this bill. They were dissembling, of course. NO doubt a ruse to make us think they supported our gun rights. I'm sure Reid coached them on how to vote. D'ya think?

There is no doubt that CCW privileges have come under fire from many in the gun control community. And in practically all of the cases of opposition, the fears and worries that would cause support for CCW to fail are unfounded. For example, some of the politicians had this to say about this bill:

“Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D, NJ) warned it is an "attempt by the gun lobby to put its radical agenda ahead of safety and security in our communities." Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D, NY) calls it a "harmful measure" that will put the public at risk. Senator Chuck Schumer (D, NY) said: "It could reverse the dramatic success we've had in reducing crime in most all parts of America."

As all of us who carry are well aware—the fears of the streets “running red with blood” that would surely have come about by CCW permitted citizens never came to pass. And the political wrangling that goes on to help politicians in danger of re-election in their districts, instead of addressing the real issues is something we should all be concerned with. The actions that took place behind the scenes on this bill should serve as a warning that we should be watchful of any future CCW related legislation, and ensure that our representatives are voting with reason instead of out of fear of losing voter support.

At Northern Colorado Firearms Safety Training, our mission is to foster the proper knowledge, skills, and attitudes for owning and using firearms safely. Our philosophy is that a firearm is only as safe (or as dangerous) as the person using the firearm, because firearms in and of themselves have no ability to spontaneously operate themselves. We don’t teach our students about the deployment of weapons, we don’t teach that guns are only meant for killing. We teach that a firearm is a tool to employ in a variety of appropriate circumstances: sport shooting, hunting, or self defense. And above all, we teach firearms safety!

Refuse to be a Victim: Defense-in-Depth for the Home

2012-01-22T11:36:00.001-07:00

By: William P. Flinn

Staying safe in your own home should be a pretty straight forward process. Go inside, lock the doors, and be safe. You’re not overly worried about an invasion while you’re at home, right? And if you leave lights on while you’re not at home, then that should deter most criminals, right? Don’t bet on it! Even in good neighborhoods these day, homes are being invaded and violent crimes committed in areas where we never thought we had to worry about such things. The criminals are taking their show on the road and selecting neighborhoods where they know they can walk away with your valuables.

Download the home security
self-assessment survey
from Jeffco Sherriff's Dept.

Criminals have found more ways to break into homes, and more ways to bypass what we think are the normal protective measures, such as locked doors and windows. They are also no longer limiting their invasions to times when they think the home is empty. Invading a home while the occupants are there (see link at the end of this article) has afforded criminals several opportunities for committing even more serious crimes such as kidnapping, rape and robbery. If they can abduct a person who can take them to an ATM to obtain cash, their reward from the crime becomes even greater. Likewise, if someone is home, then they can possibly force them to open safes, unlock secured storage, or gain access to other valuables. So as criminals get cleverer about their strategies, we also need to become craftier with our defenses. And this doesn’t mean that we have to turn our homes into hardened fortresses where everyday life is uncomfortable. We just need to find ways to be more aware and have multiple methods of protection.

This is where a term known as “defense-in-depth” comes in. If you create multiple layers of protection around you and your family to defend against potential invaders, then the chances of a criminal successfully getting in and doing you harm is greatly reduced. The idea here is that even if one or more layers of your defense are defeated, you will still be protected because there are other layers of protection in place to stop the attacker from getting in. Multiple layers of protection will also allow you to be more flexible in your protections while allowing you to still live your life. Remember – the idea isn’t to barricade yourself inside an impenetrable fortress and have not a life. The goal is to have a safe place of residence and still be able to live comfortably.

Attitude & Awareness: A secure attitude is the very first and most important building block of your home security strategy that you should develop. Just being aware of what is around you, and what condition your other security measures are in is really all we’re talking about here. Keeping the mind set of always locking doors (even during the day) and always being aware of your surroundings will go a long way towards ensuring your safety. Obviously you can’t be in a heightened state of awareness all the time. You like to sleep occasionally, right? But that’s where having multiple layers of protection will come into play, as we will discuss further in this article. And the importance of this attitude is to realize that you are not doing these things because you are afraid, you are doing them to protect yourself and your family.

Exterior Areas: Keep bushes and shrubs trimmed – don’t give criminals a place to hide. Find some attractive "thorny" bushes to put in front of your windows. Don’t leave tools and ladders outside and accessible where someone can use them to break into your home. Keep outside areas well lighted. Consider installing motion detectors for turning on outside lights when someone enters the area leading up to your doors. Make sure the garage door is closed. If you have large dog doors, make sure they are secured when not in use. When you come home, make sure you are aware of what's going on as you enter the house. If anything seems out of place upon your arrival home, leave the area immediately, go to a neighbor's house, and call 911.

Large windows on the sides of
entry doors allow potential intruders
to see in and see what's there!

Exterior Facing Door Areas: Install wide-angle peep-holes to allow you to see more area of the outside entry way. Covering windows that allow people to look inside is an important step in foiling would-be home invaders also, especially if you have an alarm system with a control panel that is visible in the front or rear entry areas. For example, some people have large windows on either side of the entry door that allows someone to view into the house. Many alarm installers will put the control panel for the alarm system adjacent to an entry door. If a potential intruder can peer in and see the alarm status lights, then they know whether or not your alarm system is even armed. Consider putting curtains or opaque window film over these windows. There are many attractive options that will still allow light to come in, but will make it very difficult for people to see details about the inside of your entry areas.

Alarm Systems: Consider installing an electronic alarm system with battery backup, connected to a centrally monitored alarm company via telephone. These types of alarm systems are very affordable, and can also detect smoke/fire and carbon monoxide, making them extremely effective in several different aspects of home security. Panic buttons are a popular feature of these alarm systems. A panic button can be hard mounted on a wall, but can also be a wireless device, and portable, resembling a key fob. Not only can you use the wireless devices to alert the alarm company in a panic situation, but they can also be used to arm and disarm your alarm system from anywhere in the house. These types of alarm systems can be very sophisticated, and allow you all sorts of options such as glass break detectors, motion detectors, and sensors to detect if windows are opened. The options are many and varied for these systems.

Dogs and Signs: Even if you don’t have an alarm system, a sign warning potential criminals can still be effective. They don’t know that you don’t really have an alarm, but such a sign makes them think that you do, and therefore they perceive that they have a higher risk by breaking into your home. This may be enough to make them bypass your house and look for an easier target (deterrence is another layer of defense). Likewise, even if you don’t have a dog, there are companies such as DutchGuard that make motion detecting devices that will emit a very realistic dog bark. Of course, actually having a big dog in the house will serve as a powerful deterrent. And if a potential intruder peers into the house and sees a large set of food and water bowls laying by the entry, that may be enough to give them reason to look elsewhere for an easier target. Even if you don’t have the big dog, put a set of food and water bowls meant for a large dog near interior areas visible to the outside.

Safe Room: Have more than one safe room, if possible. The safe room in many homes is a master bedroom because that is where many people keep their gun safes, and have other necessities such as a bathroom, water, and other comfort items in case they will be there for several hours. If your safe room is something such as a master bedroom, consider changing out the small screws for the door hinges and latch plate with the longer three-inch screws to make the door harder to break down. Install a solid core door if possible. Install key-lockable entry locks on the safe room entry door. Make sure your safe room has a phone (both landline and cell phone, if possible). If you have firearms for home defense, make sure they are in the safe room area. Have one of those remote alarm control device with a panic button, as mentioned above. Make sure all of your family members know where the safe room is. Have a code word that you use to tell everyone to get to the safe room quickly in an emergency.

If an intruder does break in, and you have all of your family members safely inside the safe room, STAY THERE! Dial 911, activate your panic button, and keep emergency services on the line until help arrives. Keeping them on the line is especially beneficial if you have a firearm as part of your home defense strategy. They are able to hear you as you warn the invaders that you have a firearm and that you will shoot them if they enter your safe room. This warning is recorded by the 911 operator, and may be helpful in the follow-up investigation, especially if you are forced to use your firearm for self defense.

Security Accessories: Make sure and keep additional items that will help you in various areas throughout the house. Flashlights with extra batteries can be kept in multiple places throughout the house. Your cell phone should be with you. Even keeping those old, un-used cell phones handy and charged up can be used. Even if a cell phone isn’t activated with an account, you can still make 911 emergency calls from them. A remote alarm system controller with a panic button is highly recommended if you have an alarm system installed. Pepper sprays and other non-lethal self defense items can also be beneficial. Also keep a first aid and 72-hour kits in your safe room.

Warning: Any of the practice drills mentioned below should be done with an unloaded firearm. Remove ALL live ammunition from the area before performing any practice drills. Use only unloaded firearms when practicing. Check and double-chek your firearm to make sure it is unloaded before attempting any drills or practice in the home.

Drills and Practice: Hopefully you already have fire drills in your home. But do you ever have a home invasion drill, possibly even in the middle of the night? Try it some time, and ask yourself the following questions to identify potential areas where you need to develop a strategy:

Does everyone know where to go?
How long does it take them to get there?
Would anyone have to get to the safe room by first going through a part of the house that might be occupied by the potential intruder?
If you have a child in another part of the house, away from the safe room, how do you venture through the house to get to that child to ensure their safety.
Do you have a defensive firearm? Do you know how to gain access to it, even in the dark?

If you have a defensive firearm in a handgun safe, for example, drill yourself on how much time it takes to get into the safe, access your firearm and other essential tools such as a flashlight. Do this both in the light, and in the dark.

Wrapping It All Up: Even if someone does break in and takes your property, property can be replaced. That’s what insurance policies are for. The purpose of having a home defense strategy is to keep you and your family members safe in case of a home invasion. The purpose of a home defense firearm should always be that it is the last line of defense in an attack, and then used ONLY to stop the attack. There are many layers that you can employ for your home defense strategy.

The home defense methods mentioned in this article are only some of the home defense techniques that can be used. The NRA’s nationally recognized “Refuse To Be a Victim” seminar taught by Northern Colorado Firearms Safety Training will give you a well rounded self defense strategy. We include information on keeping your home safe, staying safe while out and about, safety while traveling, and even safety while using your computer online. See our scheduling for an upcoming class, or ask us about private instruction.

For More Information: For a more complete self-assessment of your own home security, download this document. It is published by the Jefferson County, Colorado Sheriff's office, and can be used to help you assess your own home security and find out which areas need attention.

Follow Up: 1/8/11 - Just as I was finishing writing this, I saw the following article in which men with shotguns burst into an occupied home at 9:30pm demanding money:

Article: Home Invasion Suspects Arrested

At Northern Colorado Firearms Safety Training, our mission is to foster the proper knowledge, skills, and attitudes for owning and using firearms safely. Our philosophy is that a firearm is only as safe (or as dangerous) as the person using the firearm, because firearms in and of themselves have no ability to spontaneously operate themselves. We don’t teach our students about the deployment of weapons, we don’t teach that guns are only meant for killing. We teach that a firearm is a tool to employ in a variety of appropriate circumstances: sport shooting, hunting, or self defense. And above all, we teach firearms safety!

Refuse To Be A Victim - Online Safety While Traveling:

2012-01-22T10:35:00.000-07:00

By: William P. Flinn

More and more people are once again thinking of traveling, both for business and for pleasure. School will be out soon, making way for family vacations – although with the ridiculous price of fuel, I’m not sure how many people will be traveling. Even when only traveling for pleasure, many business professionals, as do I, take their laptops and PDA devices with them to be able to do work during a few “down” moments on their trip, or at the very least to have a way to keep tabs on their email and events at work. We geeks are such workaholics, aren’t we?

On a recent business trip to the east coast, I had the opportunity to once again enjoy my hobby of just sitting back and observing people. I was again reminded of just how complacent folks are about their security when it comes to using computers and other information technology enabled devices when on travel. This seemed to be especially true when using computers in public places – either their own laptops, or computers in hotel business centers. I am not sure if people are just in a hurry, or if they just really are not aware of the potentials for exposing themselves (in a “data” sort of sense, that is) while out and about.

There are a number of things I will talk about in this article having to do with ways to keep yourself (and your data) more secure when away on travels. Some of these things are as simple as using fundamental physical measures to shield your computer screen from curious eyes. Others involve the act of just taking the time to clean up after yourself when using a public computer, and yet other measures I will discuss simply involve the use of technology that is already built in to the devices that you are using. There really is very little to no cost involved in protecting yourself with these measures, but the cost of giving away your data can be huge and devastating. So let’s take a look at a few of the vulnerabilities we face everyday when on travel and some solutions for protection.

Shoulder Surfing:

If you are flying, your potential for vulnerability begins the very minute you get to the airport. Many people find that they have to arrive at the airport a few hours early just to make it through check-in and security, in order to make their flight on time. There is often a lot of “down time” here, so many people, as do I, pull out the laptop and the Blackberry, and do some work. In this setting, we are often in very close proximity to other people. Once we board the airplane, it is even worse. Unless you are lucky enough to be in First Class, you are sitting with your elbows right up against someone else’s, and their wandering eyes are just a foot or two north. Even if you aren’t flying, or have arrived at your destination, the local restaurant and the corner coffee shop are no different. When you sit down in that comfortable chair to enjoy your latte and do some work, there are countless wandering eyes trying to figure out what you are doing.

There are two main problems here. First of all, your neighbor (who is usually NOT minding their own business) is looking at your computer as you type in your username and password. If they can see your log-in box, they can see your username, and if your computer is joined to a corporate domain, they can see the domain name. As you type in your password, unless you are lightning fast, they can see you type the characters. I’m one of those “two-finger wonders” (I don’t touch type) so this is a particularly big problem for me. A devious person with intent on harvesting such information (and they are everywhere, trust me) will be very good at following your keystrokes and will be able to obtain all the credentials needed to log in to your corporate network. They now have your username, the name of your corporate domain, and your password. All they have to do is get access into that domain, and they are in. Your username and password exist on the domain, and are only cached on your computer, which means that they can access your account from any computer that can get access to your corporate domain, such as a VPN or other remote connection. Another danger is that if they are able to steal your laptop (more on this later), they will have access to the data on it. Remember – these people are everywhere. And if they are shoulder surfing to get your log-in credentials, they are also following closely to look for an opportunity to grab your laptop as well.

The second (and more common) problem with being in close proximity to others is that they are often able to view what is on your screen. Are you working on a document with sensitive personal or company information? Composing an offline email that you really don’t want others (especially strangers) to know about? How about that PowerPoint presentation chock full of corporate proprietary sales or engineering data? Whatever it is, you have to either make sure you are only working on things that are completely dull and unworthy of your nosey neighbor’s interest, or make the screen un-viewable. In other words, either pick non-sensitive stuff to work on during these times, or find a way to hide the screen. For example, I usually pick some low-level instructional or procedure guide to work on while I’m flying, or just do some professional reading. For example, I keep a lot of pdf white papers and “eBooks” from various online sources on my computer for reading while on the plane. My job is such that professional reading and just keeping are large parts of my work anyway – so it’s not like I’m goofing off.

Solutions: For the password problem, if you are on a computer that is joined to a corporate domain, use a local account on the computer (that does not have administrative privileges), and set a temporary password that will only be good for the duration of your trip. Of course, if you do this, you will have to make sure you know where to browse to on the computer to get to your documents in your “real” account, because the profile you log in with will have a “My Documents” folder in a different location. I get around this by accessing only documents that I have placed on a flash drive. If you are not joined to a domain, then just set a temporary password, and set it back to your actual password when you get home. One of the best solutions for this is to simply get a small finger print scanner to use to log into the machine. Many are small, portable, and just plug into the USB port. The newer laptops and tablet PCs even come with these built in. See my article on biometric devices for more information.

For the “prying eyes on the screen” problem, there are a variety of filters you can buy that will obscure the screen when someone tries to view it from other than looking at it straight on. This particular solution will also help to obscure your username and other login credential information as you log in. If they can’t see your username, the password will do no good. But again, don’t give them any pieces of the puzzle if at all possible. As I always tell people: “If they have even just your username, they then have 50% of the information they need to access your computer.”

Of course, being the wisenheimer that I am, if I notice someone trying to “catch a wave” on “shoulder beach”, I simply open a document, set the font to a larger size (to make sure they can easily read it), and then start typing in some juicy “official looking” verbiage. After a paragraph or two, I start a brand new paragraph, and type in “I think the nosey person sitting next to me is looking at what I am writing. I hope they enjoyed my previous two paragraphs. Now GO AWAY!” I have seen a red face or two resulting from that prank.

Using Flash Drives:

Flash drives are portable and can store a lot of data. Many people have resorted to using them because if they know they will have access to a computer at their destination, all they have to do is put their documents on the flash drive and leave the computer at home. Many cell phones and even iPods can be used for this purpose as well. The problem with these small flash drives is that they are easily lost or forgotten. It isn’t uncommon for someone to use them in a public or borrowed computer and then forget to take them when they are finished. A lost flash drive means lost data. Lost data can mean something as frustrating as losing work and having to do it all over again (if you didn’t have a backup copy somewhere else), or as devastating as putting sensitive information into a stranger’s hands.

Flash drives are cheap these days. If you lose the flash drive, you can just go get another one. But what about the data on the flash drive? Is it replaceable? Will it cost you if someone else has it? Another issue surrounding the ubiquitous nature of these things is that some people seem to have a whole lanyard full of them around their necks. Do you have a good inventory of how many you have? If one came up missing, how long would it take for you to notice? Kind of like the movie “Home Alone” where the family had so many kids that they didn’t notice little Kevin missing until they were in France!

Solution: The manufacturers of many of these drives have solved part of this problem for you. Flash drives have the ability to be encrypted, and the software to do that is often included with the flash drive itself. Typically, this encryption works by having you set up a password in order to access the data. You can encrypt all or only part of the flash drive’s contents. If someone gets a hold of your flash drive, they can access anything that is not encrypted, but will need to know your password to access the encrypted data. In some cases (depends on the drive and the encryption software), you can set your encryption such that if a number of unsuccessful password attempts occur the data on the drive will be erased. Know how many you have and keep track of them. If traveling, take only what you need – leave the other ones at home and in a safe place. I promise – they won’t miss you.

Using Common Area (Business Center) Computers:

Many hotels have business centers with computers to allow their guests to access the Internet and their web based email. In fact on my recent trip, I had full Internet access at the office I was visiting, but had to pay for Internet access if I wanted to use my laptop at the hotel. The only thing I needed after hours Internet access for was to check my personal email, and I wasn’t about to pay $10 just for 5 minutes of use. My remaining option then was to use the business center, since using those computers was free of charge.

A few problems present themselves in this scenario, however. One is that people use these public computers and often leave their surfing tracks for all to see. The other is that some people forget to just close out of their applications, and yet another is leaving those little flash drives plugged in for someone to come along and retrieve later. In fact, while in the hotel elevator on my most recent trip, I heard a woman telling her colleague that when he finished using the computer in the business center, he had left his email open, and she could have gone through all his email. Worse, she could have launched a few questionable emails in his name. This is truly a dangerous situation. What if it had been a stranger, and not a trusted colleague? That person could have read email, sent a few of their own (under the email account owner’s name), looked at the address book to get a list of names of people at the company, and just in general could do some serious damage. All this done under the name of the person who owns the account. How do you prove that it wasn’t you who did those things?

When I used one of the business center computers, I got curious and opened the browser history. I saw a plethora of email sites and surfing history. Wouldn’t be too hard to put together a few patterns and find out where some of these email servers existed. Depending on the cookies still on the machine, going to one of those sites may not even require me to log back in to access the account. The cookie would remember that I (or more accurately the email account owner) was just there and just let me right back in. This is especially true if the previous user had left the web browser open.

On a really malicious (and hopefully rare) side of things, a devious person could sneak into the hotel business center and put a keystroke logging dongle on the back of the computer between the keyboard and the computer, or in a USB port. Such a device is used to capture everything typed into the keyboard. Which means that they can get the URL to your banking site, the username and password for your banking site, and the contents of an email or anything else that you type into the computer. These key loggers have legitimate investigative purposes, but are inexpensive and can be obtained by anyone – including thieves. I say that this is (hopefully) rare, because most hotel business centers require a room key card to access – a person would (theoretically) have to be a paying guest in order to do this. But many public computers often do not offer such access protection as that provided by hotel business centers.

Solutions: For the reasons mentioned above, it is very important to pre-inspect the computer before and clean up after yourself after using a public computer. It takes a few extra minutes to do this, but you can’t put a price on the time it would take to straighten out the mess after you have been exposed because you didn’t have time to prevent these vulnerabilities. Here are some important steps to take when using public computers:

Do a quick inspection of the back of the computer and any USB ports to look for key logging devices. If you find something, and are not sure, contact the management immediately and have them investigate.

Never select the option to have “Windows remember me on this computer.” Do not allow the computer to store your username and password on the machine. Some web based email applications such as MSN will give you an option to tell it that you are on a public computer and not remember anything about your session.

Delete browser history, all temporary Internet files, and all cookies when you are finished using the computer.

Make sure you are logged out of any sites that you visited. Just closing the browser is not good enough. You must click the “Log out” link on the web site before closing the browser.

Close all instances of the web browser and all applications.

Make sure you take your flash drive when you leave.

Being the cheapskate that I am, however, my solution is that I try my best to only patronize hotels and coffee shops that provide complimentary Internet access to their guests. That way, I can avoid public computers altogether. But sometimes that just doesn’t work out, and I end up staying somewhere that makes me pay additional fees for access. In which case, the above solutions are a must.

PDAs/Blackberrys/Cell Phones:

Many of the same problems that exist with flash drives exist with these devices as well. They are small, easily lost, and can really store a lot of information. A Blackberry, for example is a phone, email client, and PDA all rolled into one. Emails, contact lists, to-do lists, documents, and personal journals are just a few of the things that can be kept on these devices. A lost phone device can not only give away sensitive data, but can give someone access to a free phone. And watch what you are discussing. What you say can be as revealing as anything else – especially if you are one of those people who puts everything on speaker phone, even when in public.

Solutions: Just as you can do with your flash drives, you can password protect and encrypt the data on your PDA as well. On my Blackberry, for example, I can password protect access and encrypt the contents. Not only that, but my Blackberry is set so that if someone types in an incorrect password ten times, the Blackberry erases all of the contents. Then, for added security, the data is encrypted, so that even if someone takes apart the Blackberry, and somehow gets the data off of the chip, the data is encrypted and unusable. Don’t discuss anything on your phone that you don’t want others in close proximity to hear. If you are sitting next to me on the plane, just don’t use your phone – period! I have no interest in what you have to say ;)

Laptops:

Saving the best and biggest for last: Laptops (and the data on them) need a lot of protection. They can carry a lot of data, and are very attractive to thieves. Keeping the laptop from being stolen is a job in and of itself, but if it does get stolen, there is more to worry about than just losing an expensive piece of hardware. Keeping the data on it from being compromised is the really important issue at hand, and if someone can access the data, they can potentially do a great deal of damage.

A big part of this problem is that even if they can’t log into the computer itself, and if they have the computer (physically), then they can remove the hard drive and put it into a computer that they can access. In fact, many data recovery techniques rely on taking the hard drive out of the failed (or in this case inaccessible) computer and “slave” it into a working computer. The working computer’s primary hard drive allows it to be booted up, and the slaved in hard drive contains data that can then be accessed. More clever people have freely available tools such as Knoppix (Linux on a CD) that they can use to boot up the computer, bypass the security on that computer, and access the data on the hard drive. In fact Knoppix can even be used to change the administrative password on a computer so that access can be gained through the more conventional method of booting up and logging in.

Solutions: There are some basic measures that will protect against access to a computer, but only if the computer is not stolen. In other words, these measures will work if you can keep the computer from being stolen. But once the computer is in unauthorized hands, these measures can be quickly bypassed. You can set a BIOS password that will prevent the computer from being booted into the operating system. But this is bypassed by simply taking the hard drive out of the computer and putting it into a different computer. Strong passwords for the operating system itself should also be used. As mentioned above, consider using temporary or “disposable” passwords. Small biometric devices, such as fingerprint readers, are fairly inexpensive, and many laptop and tablet computers have a fingerprint reader built in. Unfortunately, this can still be bypassed by putting the hard drive in another computer, or using a tool such as Knoppix to access the hard drive’s contents.

Encrypting the hard drive contents will help a great deal, even if the computer is stolen. Windows XP has the ability to do this using a built in feature. Windows Vista has a built in tool called BitLocker. Technologies such as that which is built into the BitLocker feature, for example, have the ability to protect data even if the hard drive is transferred to another computer. The downside of that is that you need to make sure you remember your password for logging into the computer, or set up what is known as a “recovery agent,” or you will lose your encrypted data.

Wrapping It All Up:

There are many other dangers that I haven’t mentioned here, such as accessing wireless networks while on the road, but that is a topic in and of itself. Wireless encryption, making sure you are not accessing an “evil twin” wireless access point, and a few other issues will be discussed in an upcoming article.

But for the purposes of this article, I wanted to focus mainly on the more ”physical” aspects of being secure on the road, as well as using built-in technologies to protect your data. Shielding your laptop screen from roaming eyes and preventing laptop theft are important ideas. If your laptop is stolen, knowing that you took measures to prevent the data from being usable by unauthorized people is also a very important idea. Other technologies, such as flash drives, cell phones, and PDAs represent things that are small, easily forgotten, or easily stolen. Those items contain sensitive data as well, and must have data security measures proactively applied. Once the data is in unauthorized hands, it must be assumed that it will be used for malicious or illegal purposes. Even if you retrieve your items, it must also be assumed that the information was copied and will be used – unless you took measures to make it useless in the event that a loss occurs.

It is easy to be complacent when traveling. And, unfortunately, there are plenty of people out there willing to take advantage of this fact. By taking a few extra moments to think about what needs to be protected, take inventory of your technology rich possessions, and take the extra time to protect your data, you will ensure a more worry-free travel experience. If I ever go into a hotel business center and see that you left your email open – man – I will hunt you down! (After I email a few jokes to your whole company, that is).

Additional Resources:

Article: Web Surfing in Public Places is a Way to Court Trouble

Article: Mobile Computing: Traveling Without a Notebook

Theft tracking tools

http://www.absolute.com/

http://www.stolenlaptop.com/

http://www.lojackforlaptops.com/default.asp

Product: The 3M Notebook Screen Privacy Filter
Article: Laptop Security Part 1
Article: Laptop Security Part 2

At Northern Colorado Firearms Safety Training, our mission is to foster the proper knowledge, skills, and attitudes for owning and using firearms safely. Our philosophy is that a firearm is only as safe (or as dangerous) as the person using the firearm, because firearms in and of themselves have no ability to spontaneously operate themselves. We don’t teach our students about the deployment of weapons, we don’t teach that guns are only meant for killing. We teach that a firearm is a tool to employ in a variety of appropriate circumstances: sport shooting, hunting, or self defense. And above all, we teach firearms safety!

When is a Gun Really a Weapon?

2012-01-22T10:20:00.000-07:00

By: William P. Flinn

One of the things we learn early in our training when becoming an NRA firearms instructor is the use of proper terminology. The use of correct terminology and definitions in the classroom is vitally important so that we can develop the proper knowledge, skills, and attitudes about firearms and firearm safety from the very first minute that a firearms class begins. Then, further use of correct terminology helps us to correctly describe the use of firearms as we go about our daily lives. Terminology is used not only to describe the “what” in many cases, but also implies the “how” that is appropriate to the term being used.

Personally, I think that one of the reasons that some people are so frightened of firearms is because of constant exposure to incorrect terminology. Over and over, people have (falsely, in my opinion) been led to believe that the firearm is always used as a “killing machine” of some sort, and that there are no other uses for firearms. The term “weapon” is commonly thrown around when discussing firearms, which seems to indicate that folks don’t really seem to understand the true concept of what firearms are or what they are used for.

What IS a firearm? A firearm, like any other tool, is nothing more than an inanimate, mechanical device. The firearm does not do anything in and of itself – it must be employed by a human being to perform some task. In fact to prove this notion, I placed a web cam near the gun safe to monitor their behavior, just in case something might be going on while I was away. You know – those darn, lazy guns just laid there! Not ONE of them jumped out of the safe and performed any violent acts.

Firearms typically have the ability to hold ammunition cartridges in various amounts, have a hammer and firing pin to cause the ammunition to discharge a projectile, have a trigger mechanism to release the hammer and cause it to strike the firing pin, and have a barrel to guide and stabilize the projectile along a straight and steady path. The firearm also has a handgrip and/or a stock to allow for stabilization of the firearm when it is in use, sights to allow for the proper aiming of the firearm at a target, and a frame to which all of the other components mentioned are mounted.

A firearm is a tool that can be properly used for sport shooting, hunting, and self defense – all of which are proper, legal, and constitutionally protected uses of firearms. The use of firearms is even a part of internationally recognized sporting events, such as the Olympics. Can firearms be used for illegal, violent, or improper purposes? Sure they can – in the hands of criminals or other negligent users. Can firearms be used as weapons? Sure they can – in the hands of our brave soldiers on a battlefield or law enforcement officers in the field.

So when is a gun a NOT a weapon? Are guns built with the sole purpose of being used for killing? I hear it all the time: “guns are meant to kill…” to which we in the pro-gun community typically reply “guns don’t kill, people do.” “But a gun IS a weapon…” is a common statement. The firearm in and of itself is not capable of using itself as a weapon. It takes a human operator with intent for it to be used as a weapon, just as it takes human intent for a knife to be used as a weapon against another human being as opposed to cutting a steak.

In order to answer those statements more fully and shed some brighter light on firearm terminology, firearms and firearm uses, let’s first get into some of the commonly misused firearm terminology:

Terminology Misuse 1: All Guns Are Weapons - If that were true, then it would also be true that all guns are built for the sole purpose of killing human beings (see Terminology Misuse 2 below). We don’t need weapons to harvest game, after all, we typically use hunting firearms instead of combat rifles. Is it necessary to “attack” that paper target or clay pigeon with a “weapon?” I personally have never had to “attack” any inanimate target with a “weapon.” Weapons belong appropriately on the battle field and in self defense situations. That being the case, then it naturally follows that none of my firearms are weapons until I enter the field of combat or against a violent attacker. As a regular citizen, I don’t take them into combat on a daily basis. Firearms can be used as weapons, but there is nothing in any firearms owner’s manual I have ever seen that expressly states that the firearm is always used as, or was built with the sole purpose of being employed as a weapon.

Terminology Misuse 2: Guns Are Meant For Killing - See Terminology Misuse 1 above. Guns are no more built with the sole purpose of killing than they are built for the sole purpose of being used as a weapon. The sole and entire purpose for which a firearm is built is to act as a mechanical device used to safely activate and discharge a projectile from an ammunition cartridge, and provide for a safe and effective launching platform for causing that projectile to emit from the firearm’s muzzle on a straight and consistent path towards a target. That target can be a piece of paper, a tin can, wild game, or a violent attacker. We can’t kill paper, we can’t kill cans, we don’t “kill” animals when hunting (we harvest game), and we don’t intend to “kill” a violent attacker (only to stop the attack).

Terminology Misuse 3: The Sole Purpose of Hunting is to Kill Animals - I only know of two appropriate uses for the word “kill.” Killing as it applies to ending a human life, usually caused by another human (with a car, with a knife, with a firearm, etc.), and when ending a process in the computing environment (kill the process, kill the application, kill the session). All other applications of this term are inappropriate, in my opinion, especially when it applies to hunting. Hunters harvest game. Hunters are responsible for some of the greatest strides in wildlife conservation through responsible and lawful harvesting of game. Hunters actually prevent animal starvation and promote conservation of the species. In sport shooting, the marksman shoots at a paper or other non-living target. That just doesn’t sound like “killing” to me.

Terminology Misuse 4: Violence is Caused by Guns – No: the gun, in and of itself is not capable of violence. Violence is a result of malicious intent, in my opinion. Firearms are not capable of expressing any intent whatsoever. Intent is a result of intelligent thought. Only humans can express intent. Guns can be used for violent purposes, but only by violent humans. Violence happens when an attacker rapes a woman and she has no way to protect herself. Violence happens when a man is stabbed at a gas station and robbed of his vehicle, and he has no way to stop the attack. Guns have actually been used to save lives by those who have intelligently made the decision not to be victimized. That’s not violence. That’s self defense.

At Northern Colorado Firearms Safety Training, our mission is to foster the proper knowledge, skills, and attitudes for owning and using firearms safely. Our philosophy is that a firearm is only as safe (or as dangerous) as the person using the firearm, because firearms in and of themselves have no ability to spontaneously operate themselves. We don’t teach our students about the deployment of weapons, we don’t teach that guns are only meant for killing. We teach that a firearm is a tool to employ in a variety of appropriate circumstances: sport shooting, hunting, or self defense. And above all, we teach firearms safety!

Training For Concealed Carry (CCW)

2012-01-22T10:08:00.000-07:00

By: William P. Flinn

When I got my pilot’s license, the old WWII vet who gave me my check ride handed me my temporary pilot’s license and said to me: “This is your license to LEARN how to fly an airplane.” What he meant by that was that I should practice my flying skills, practice those things that I wouldn't normally have to do except in an emergency, and seek further training. That thought has stuck with me over the years, and I find it especially relevant when talking about training for carrying a concealed handgun.

The Colorado requirement for proving the required training needed to submit an application for a concealed handgun license (often referred to as CCW or CHL) simply calls for handgun proficiency training. The Colorado Revised Statute says the following:

18-12-203. Criteria for obtaining a permit.

(h) Demonstrates competence with a handgun by submitting:

(I) Evidence of experience with a firearm through participation in organized shooting competitions or current military service;

(II) Evidence that, at the time the application is submitted, the applicant is a certified instructor;

(III) Proof of honorable discharge from a branch of the United States armed forces within the three years preceding submittal of the application;

(IV) Proof of honorable discharge from a branch of the United States armed forces that reflects pistol qualifications obtained within the ten years preceding submittal of the application;

(V) A certificate showing retirement from a Colorado law enforcement agency that reflects pistol qualifications obtained within the ten years preceding submittal of the application; or

(VI) A training certificate from a handgun training class obtained within the ten years preceding submittal of the application. The applicant shall submit the original training certificate or a photocopy thereof that includes the original signature of the class instructor. In obtaining a training certificate from a handgun training class, the applicant shall have discretion in selecting which handgun training class to complete.

Those who carry concealed handguns already know the enormous amount of responsibility they have accepted when they carry concealed. Most of the people I know constantly practice, participate in shooting skills building events, and attend further training. For those seasoned veterans of the CCW ranks, I commend you for your recognition of the part you play in ensuring that you are as proficient as possible.

So now I want to take this opportunity to reach out to those contemplating applying for their CCW permit for the first time. First of all – I am among those who believe that as law abiding citizens, we shouldn’t have to beg for permission to carry the appropriate tools for practicing the natural right of self defense. But since we do have to go through the application process, and some sort of handgun training (or accepted alternative such as military service) is a requirement, I wanted to talk briefly about that training. For those just starting out, basic pistol training is a great place to begin. NRA instructors offer the NRA Basic Pistol Shooting course, which includes such things as learning firearms safety and storage, the parts of a gun, how to select and maintain a firearm, and the basics of shooting a pistol. That training will give you the required training to apply for the permit, but does not necessarily give you the required skills to responsibly carry a concealed firearm.

Once you receive that basic training and apply for your permit, don’t stop there. There is a wide variety of things you can do to increase your skills. Participate in some skill building events. Many shooting ranges offer monthly International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA) and other defensive pistol shooting events. Various indoor shooting ranges in our area offer pistol leagues and events for building skills. Seek out additional training by attending NRA courses such as Personal Protection Inside/Outside the Home, or advanced handgun courses elsewhere.

Once you receive that basic training, and have received your CCW permit, you are legally permitted to carry. But remember – you have the additional moral obligation to be proficient – follow the old WWII vet’s advice: practice your skills and receive further training.

At Northern Colorado Firearms Safety Training, our mission is to foster the proper knowledge, skills, and attitudes for owning and using firearms safely. Our philosophy is that a firearm is only as safe (or as dangerous) as the person using the firearm, because firearms in and of themselves have no ability to spontaneously operate themselves. We don’t teach our students about the deployment of weapons, we don’t teach that guns are only meant for killing. We teach that a firearm is a tool to employ in a variety of appropriate circumstances: sport shooting, hunting, or self defense. And above all, we teach firearms safety!