Could You Survive a Terrorist Attack?

The October 7th “low tech” terrorist attack shocked the world. It killed 1,400 people, wounded 4,500 more and captured over 200 hostages. It was the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust. Many are calling it Israel’s 9/11. while some are beginning to prepare for a similar style attack here in the U.S. Others are saying something like that could never happen here because we have the 2nd Amendment and an armed population. But could such a “low-tech” attack happen here in the United States? To answer that question, I think we need to put it in perspective. The attack on Israel was 36 times worse (per capita) and much more brutal than the 9/11 attack in America. An equivalent attack on a country the size of the U.S. would mean 50,00 Americans dead, another 162,000 injured, and the invading group of armed militants would have captured 7,200 hostages. That is roughly the population of Baton Rouge, LA, San Bernardino, CA, Tacoma, WA, or Huntsville, AL. Many American gun owners believe they would “band together” with others in their communities and fight off the terrorists, but a large-scale attack of that magnitude on the U.S. is unlikely. A more likely scenario would be a lone wolf style attack, which most gun owners are not prepared for. Stop for a minute and ask yourself, if an attack suddenly broke out where I am RIGHT NOW, could I defend myself? Could you fight off a lone wolf terrorist while you are at church, school, your workplace or restaurant? Most gun owners are not even prepared to deal with a carjacking, armed robbery or active shooter because they don’t carry their gun! I know you are probably thinking, I keep my gun in my car and in a situation like the attack on Israel I will run out and grab it”. Don’t “BS” yourself, go read the Larry Goldstein’s incident and see just how lucky he was to escape with his life. Larry now carries his gun everywhere he goes. For most gun owners it usually takes a life altering event like Larry’s to convince them to get training and carry a gun.

What would motivate you to get training and carry your gun?

For me, that life altering event happened in the summer of 2008, when my wife and I welcomed our 2nd son into this world. While we knew he may have some health issues we were not prepared for the events that lay ahead of us. Shortly after his birth he was diagnosed with Trisomy 13, a rare genetic condition that is not compatible with life. A few short days later we sat in a small room and took turns holding our baby in our arms as he took his final breaths. It took years for us even begin to be able to return to some sort of normalcy in our lives, but the event taught me two things. First, I don’t want to ever go through that kind of grief again, and second, I don’t think I could live with the guilt that would come from knowing I was not prepared to protect my family when they needed me most. This was the motivating factor that forced me to get my carry permit and stop using excuses like, “I’ve been shooting guns all my life”, “I don’t need any training”, and “The 2nd Amendment is right to carry”, and sign up for my first training class. What I learned in that class convinced to become an instructor and to try to help other people realize the importance of protecting their family.

Could you live with the guilt and grief?

I know you have seen the videos coming out of Israel where helpless men watched as armed assailants kidnapped their wives, sisters and girlfriends. I know you have heard the stories of children who were murdered while their parents were forced to watch. The truth is, if you are confronted by multiple armed terrorist or just a violent criminal, and your gun IS NOT ON YOU, you have very few options. Fight back and likely be shot or killed (which leaves your loved ones unprotected), comply and hope they don’t hurt you or your family, or watch in horror as they have their way with your family. Ladies, this also goes for you! Don’t rely on your husbands, fathers or boyfriends to be your sole means of protection. They may not always be around, or they may simply be using one of the excuses I mentioned above to avoid getting training and carrying their gun. I also know ladies that say they would rather die than have to shoot another person, but they would kill to protect their kids. News flash, those two statements don’t jive! You are worth protecting and your kids and families need you.

The stories of the brutality coming out of Israel are shocking and have convinced some Americans to at least question if they are prepared for such an attack. However horrific crimes happen every day in the United States. It just doesn’t hit as hard, because the shocking details are usually not shared in the news. Be honest with yourself. Would it be any less devastating if your entire family was killed or injured in a lone wolf style attack at Waffle House, instead of a mass casualty event perpetrated by a group of armed terrorists paragliding into your neighborhood? Would it be easier for you to take if it was simply a violent carjacking that wiped out your entire family? The answer is no, so stop putting it off. Turn off the football game, get off the couch, skip the hunting trip or little Johnny’s soccer game and take a class. It is a small price to pay to help ensure you and your family are around to enjoy those events long into the future.