Radical Terror Isn’t Going Away; Time to Take Your Training Up a Notch!
In the aftermath of another ISIS inspired attack, we see how well trained citizens, off duty police officers and former military can become a crucial force multiplier against attacks on society.
Perhaps, with proper training, civilians can become force multipliers also.
On Saturday, September 17, nine people were stabbed at Crossroads Center mall in St. Cloud, Minnesota. A man dressed as a security guard attacked individuals after inquiring about their religion and referenced Allah during the attacks. An off-duty police officer from another jurisdiction, who was coincidently at the mall, confronted and killed the suspect.
According to Wikipedia, force multiplication, in military usage, refers to an attribute or a combination of attributes which dramatically increases (hence “multiplies”) the effectiveness of an item or group, giving a specific number of troops (or other personnel) or weapons (or other hardware) the ability to accomplish greater things than without it. The expected size increase required to have the same effectiveness without that advantage is the multiplication factor.
Unfortunately attacks like the one at the mall are on the rise, and the facts are:
- A police force large enough to prevent crime and/or terrorism does not exist.
- Law enforcement cannot be everywhere at all times nor should it be.
- Longer response times mean people will die while waiting to be saved.
As the terrorists methods have evolved, so too must ours. The well-trained citizen, along with off duty officers and former military may turn out to be the de facto first responders to acts of violence, thereby multiplying the number of those willing and able to intervene.
The ugly truth of it all indicates that many social norms now fully accept that the scale of outrage of those disenfranchised by modern constructs now automatically equals the size of the offense. The world’s gone upside down. Whole segments of society no longer objectively seek to mitigate their grievances, rather these segments fully endorse the idea that the more angry and violent an actor becomes, the more the actor must have been violated. The very idea collapses upon itself when even simple logic examines the argument, yet here we are.
Not only are we losing the war of ideas with radical, hard to reach, illogical thinkers, we’ve forgotten to strap on the pads and prepare for the resulting stream of violence. We need more civilians taking responsibility for their own safety and the safety of others. We need more people willing to speak up when social constructs are broken in our communities, and we need more blue-collar and white-collar warriors ready to defend freedom and the civil society.
Calling all frogs …wake up! It’s getting hot in here!
