What The Attack In Orlando Has Taught Us…

Sadly, as you've no doubt heard by this point, 103 people were either killed or badly injured in Orlando, Florida this past weekend. Our hearts and prayers go out to the families and victims of this horrid attack. There is never a reason to take innocent life. The people in the club that night weren't hurting anyone, and their sexual leanings should be the last thing on our mind at this time, no matter what we believe to be right.
Make no mistake, this was an attack on American soil. And, while you and I weren't necessarily the target (this time around), these victims were our fellow Americans. An attack on one of us, is an attack on everyone.
Let's take a look at what this means for America, as a whole:
First, San Bernardino was just a little over six months ago. And, the Chattanooga, TN shooting at the armed services recruiting center was only a few months before that. The amount of people killed in those two events were 14 and 5, respectively. Each incident also had people who were injured, as well.

There were plenty of other, smaller scale attacks since the time of 9/11, but they were a bit different in that most of them added up to a single death (most, though certainly not all them. Please keep in mind that I'm not discounting a single death. Just pointing out that they are different). It seems as though these terrorists are growing more brazen in the absence of any real American leadership.
Because the people in charge aren't willing to do what must be done to combat this, the toll is only going to rise from here on out. The state of America at this point, is weak because we are divided. We care more about a virtually non-existent race war, global warming, which bathrooms people use, and the lives of lions and gorillas to really be able to do anything about the enemy staring us in the face. That enemy is extreme radicalization and hatred towards America and her citizens.

Let me say what our leaders cannot: Our enemy is radical islamic terrorism.

A lot of people who're experts in this field have gone on to say that this is going to be the new norm for us, here in the land of the free. We've been told for a long while by these extremists that they were going to infiltrate our ranks and begin to attack. It seems as though they realized that one of the best ways for them to do this, is by using people who were born and raised right here in America.
While the Chattanooga shooter may not have had any ISIS affiliation, the last two did. If you haven't heard, the Orlando shooter called a 911 center to pledge allegiance to ISIS, just before he opened fire. Even more concrete, is the fact that they claimed responsibility for this massacre.
Friends…Patriots, I urge you to stay vigilant because this is going to happen again. With the steady recruitment of new terrorists, as well as the steady American influx of those who are already members of the Islamic state, it is inevitable at this point.

What can you do?

• Load up. First and foremost, you must have the ability to protect yourself whenever possible. For me, that looks like a main handgun on my strong side with lots of ammo. In addition, that looks like a small pocket pistol I can give to someone else, if needed.
• Communist state? if you live in a state like New Jersey where it is next to impossible to carry a concealed gun, use whatever you can. Learn the pocket knife laws, buy, and carry one of those as an EDC. It's a bad idea to bring a knife to a gun fight, but if it's all you can do without criminalizing yourself, that's what you've got to do. Can't carry a knife? Check out a tactical pen, like this one. Again, it's better than nothing. Not much, but a little.
• Remain situationally aware at all times. You should be doing this anyway, but if not, there's no time like the present. My head is on a constant swivel. It drives my wife nuts, but I'm always alert as to what my surroundings are.
• Practice: This is a gun-related website. As such, the primary topic is firearms. If you're not going to the range at least once per month, you should be—if not more often. I try to get to the range at least weekly. I have to because my shooting ability has gone down significantly due to medical reasons. Seriously, you'd think I was a pro-shooter by now. Truth be told, I have an inner ear issue that causes me to have a plethora of balancing problems. I basically had to re-learn how to shoot after it happened. I can hit a target center mass at 30 yards, offhand, but it ain't easy. And there are absolutely no tight groups. They are, however, all kill shots because I practice diligently.
• When you practice, don't just shoot at a target 7-10 yards in front of you. Push it out there a bit. Go for the 20-30 yard line (or farther if you can). If you do, you'd be surprised at how much better of a shot you'll be up close. You may have an active shooter a long distance away from you, so it's a good idea to get trained up in the skill of long-distance pistol shooting.
• Don't stop living your life. Go on like normal, with more vigilance. They want us to stop living, don't give them that satisfaction

Remember, this is a time we've been told for a while is coming. The attacks seem to be coming more frequently, and are growing to be more horrid. As the armed populace, we are America's last line of defense. Will you stand with me, lock arms, and prevent terror? Let me know in the comments below.