Archives for March 2018

Can a Christian kill in self defense?

How would you handle violence? This is a discussion I have had with many people on several occasions. It seems that everyone has an opinion on the topic and they usually stand firm on their belief.

“When a strong man, fully armed, guards his house, his possessions are safe.”
– Luke 11:21

Jesus said, “But now whoever has a purse or bag, must take it and whoever does not have a sword must sell his cloak and buy one”.
– Luke 22:36

There is evil in the world. When evil threatens the safety of innocent people, I believe we have a duty to intervene. John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. My prayer is that I will never have to use my gun to protect myself or others. But if the day comes when evil threatens, I will use it to defend myself or others.

I have brought this topic to several Bible scholars and each had a different perspective on the subject. All could give very convincing rebuttals for how they feel and I respect that. So the discussion continues.

One of the arguments that I have heard is I don’t need a gun because God will protect me. Believe me in my 43 years as a Firefighter/Medic God has protected me on many occasions. But I am reminded of a story about a church that caught fire. All of the members of the congregation circled the church and began to pray for God to put the fire out. They prayed long and hard. When they were finished the church had burned to the ground. Then they ask God, “Why Lord did you not help us?” Immediately God responded, “I gave you a fire extinguisher.” Prayer is important and I pray frequently throughout the day. But many times prayer has to be accompanied with action.

In one of my discussions with a member of our church, he stated that he would never use lethal force against another human. God will protect me and my home. I asked this individual if he locked the door to his house before he left for church. He said, yes. I asked, why? He did not answer. I asked what he would do if someone broke into his house and started beating his wife. He had no answer. You will be hard pressed to convince me that God wants us to stand idle while evil people have their way with innocent people.

Now, I know some of you will disagree with this and you may interpret the Bible in a different way. And I’m not here to tell you what you should believe. That is between you and the Lord. I feel it is something each person must pray about and listen to God for your answer. It also makes for good discussion over Sunday dinner.

Developing Situational Awareness

By Tim Holman Leave a Comment

How aware are you about your surroundings and situations? Have you ever noticed people exiting a grocery store? Their arms are full of grocery bags and their cell phone is between their chin and shoulder. They are totally unaware of their environment or any possible threats. Bad people are on a constant lookout for vulnerable targets such as this. Increasing your situational awareness helps prevent you from becoming a victim.

Situational Awareness is defined as being aware of your surroundings and the environment in which you are in. It allows you to see possible threats before they become reality. Situational Awareness is the number one method for avoiding all types of danger.

Colonial Jeff Cooper developed a concept called Combat Ready. It refers to four distinct levels of awareness. Condition White is where many people live, including the the individual described exiting the grocery store. In Condition White people are unaware of their surroundings. They are oblivious of their environment and have no sense of possible threats.

Condition Yellow is described as being alert, calm and relaxed. This is where we want to exist. We are aware of our surroundings, scanning the environment and looking for possible threats. At the same time we are calm and relaxed. With practice, an individual can live in Condition Yellow very comfortably.

When my daughters were young we would play a game when we were in large parking lots. As we walked to the door of the store I would ask how many people do you see in the parking lot. At first they would have to look around and count. As time went on they were quick to point out how many people they saw as well as where they were located. Today my daughters are grown but they have a very high sense of awareness that can help keep them safe.

The third level of awareness is Condition Orange. At this level you sense that something is wrong. You may not be sure what it is but your gut tells you to pay more attention, to heighten your awareness. It may be something small. It could be someone just acting nervous but there doesn’t appear to be a good reason for it. Someone sitting in a car with the engine running that will turn his face when people look at him. Something just feels out of the norm. It may not prove to be an actual threat but if it had, you would have been aware and ready to act.

The fourth level of awareness is Condition Red. Now the fight is on. Your observations of the environment have proved to be correct. There is a confirmed threat and you are in immediate danger. You are now ready to confront the danger or attempt to escape. In many cases you may be able to escape because the threat was recognized early enough to take quick action.

Situational Awareness can be perfected if you practice the concept on a regular basis. No one can stay in the orange or red level all the time. It is mentally and physically fatiguing. But going about your day in Condition Yellow can help you stay alert to possible threats and may help you avoid dangerous situations.

Fight, Flight or Freeze

By Tim Holman Leave a Comment

What do you do if someone goes "postal" around you? What if you were sitting in a restaurant enjoying a meal when two men with guns enter. They begin shooting at random the people in the restaurant. You are a good distance from them at this point. What would you do?

There are three common reactions people have when faced with imminent danger. Fight, Flight or Freeze. Which one would describe you? Fight means you would resist and risk being shot by engaging the shooter. This may be an acceptable choice if you are armed and you can return fire without causing collateral damage by injuring innocent people. It may even be acceptable if you are not armed. If you feel you have absolutely no chance of surviving, then fighting to your death my be your only option.

Your next option is flight or attempt to flee. You can increase your odds of fleeing by remembering a few important techniques to follow. When entering the restaurant or other buildings, scan the area for your nearest exit. Most people will try to leave the same way they entered, even in an emergency when the exit is blocked. Instead look for an alternate way out. Most businesses will have more than one exit. Remember that your only viable exit may be a window. If things are going bad do not hesitate to break a window to escape.

Another key point is to always try to sit where you can see the main entrance. This will help you identify a threat sooner, giving you more time to react. Stay vigilant at all times. Constantly keep your awareness up.

The third possible reaction is to freeze. To freeze makes you a vulnerable target for the gunman. Chance of survival is greatly limited when an individual freezes in the face of danger. You can decrease your chances of freezing by having a plan that you develop before bad things happen. We will address this further in a future article.

Seizure…how can I help?

By Tim Holman Leave a Comment

So it is a warm and sunny afternoon and you are enjoying a minor league baseball game. Suddenly the man seated in front of you, dropped to the ground in a Grand Mal seizure (the full body is shaking). What would you do? Can you help him?

Here are few tips that you can use until EMS arrives. Make sure someone calls 911. First, understand that the whole body can sometimes shake violently. The patient has no control over his or her actions at this time. Protecting the head from injury is one of the most important steps you can take to help this individual. Place your hands behind the victims head and prevent it from hitting the ground or other object. Don’t try to restrainthe patient but gently let your hands go where the head goes. Your hands form a cushion.

Next, never attempt to place anything in the mouth. People can’t swallow their tongue and usually the mouth is clinched shut. Severe damage can be done to teeth and tissue when objects, that are meant to help, actually create harm. Also, keep in mind that if your fingers are placed in the victims mouth you could receive a severe injury from the victim clinching down.

Next, be prepared for the victim to vomit. If this occurs roll him or her on to
their side and allow the vomit to drain from the mouth. This helps prevent aspiration that could result in major complications.

Maintaining human dignity is always important. If at all possible protect the victim from the sight of bystanders. This is not always feasible due to the large crowds that form. Many people who experience seizures are embarrassed when they regain consciousness. So it’s always nice to try to protect their dignity.

Seizures usually don’t last very long. But it can be very frightening for those around the victim if they don’t know how to help. If you think of it, it is very helpful to EMS providers if you can tell them how long the seizure last.

Finally, when the seizure is over the victim may start to wake up or they may remain unconscious for a short time. As they wake up they may be confused and their memory may be somewhat foggy. This is normal and will pass, in most cases, within a few minutes.

Now EMS arrives and you can go back to watching the game, knowing you just helped make a bad situation much better.

Being Less Vulnerable While In Your Car

By Tim Holman Leave a Comment

Can you get out of a sticky situation? Have you ever noticed how people tend pull up to the bumper of the vehicle in front of them while in traffic? This is a bad practice and should be avoided if at all possible.

By pulling close to the car in front of you, you have eliminated any chance of escape if conditions around you go bad. Take for example you are in traffic and you pull close to the car in front of you. Suddenly gunfire erupts between two individuals in cars in close proximity to you. Your first reaction is, “I need to get out of here.” Unfortunately there is no path for escape.

To avoid situations like this and to always have an escape plan, avoid the center lanes at traffic lights. Also, make sure you can see the rear tires of the car in front of you. If you’re unable to see the tires you have pulled too close and will not be able to maneuver around it.

Another advantage to this mindset is a car behind you may be having a hard time stopping. You now have room to pull up to avoid a possible collision. Having a plan such as this, is not meant to cause paranoia, it is meant to help keep you safe.