On Being Peaceably Armed

 As I said, I was out of town, so am just catching up with my reading file.  At Ammoland are two posts by John Farnham to which it is worth paying attention. The first is The Apostle's Advice: Live Peacably With All.

“When possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all” ~ The Apostle Paul’s advice to First Century Christians living in Rome (Romans, 12:18).

My long-time friend and colleague, Mas Ayoob, in a recent article, reminded us that, at least within this current civilization, the vast majority of lethal interactions in which we might find ourselves are probably avoidable when we stay alert, aware, informed, and don’t beg the question.

Mas’ advice is sage, as always!

My small addition:

Anger, like fear, is a natural emotion. With most of us, anger arrives suddenly and unbidden, gradually subsiding after we take a breath.

Bottom line, anger is a natural emotion. Being angry is not a crime. But shooting someone because you are angry is. Because we are armed, we must guard our emotions at all times and learn to evaluate them in real time.

Accordingly, don’t expect much sympathy from our criminal justice system when you choose to “go to the fight” and a “bad outcome” results.

Conversely, when “the fight comes to you” (through no invitation on your part), a forceful, protective response will likely be judged “reasonable” and thus lawful.

It appears Paul’s advice to the Romans, like Mas’ to the rest of us, is benevolent and taken seriously by the wise!

The other post by Farnham is High Holy Days-Stay Armed and Very Dangerous. On Saturday, the sabbath day to the Jews, people were enjoying a peaceful day of prayer and in one case music, when Israel was attacked and at least 600 killed in a brutal assault by Palestinians. Farnham compares the advice given to Jews in Israel to the advice given to most Americans:

High Holy Days.

In Judaism, Rosh Hashanah, “Jewish New Year,” and Yom Kippur, “Day of Atonement,” and the ten days between them, “Ten Days of Repentance (Aseret Yemei Teshuvah), are known as “High Holy Days” on the Jewish calendar. There are other important Hebrew holidays, such as Passover, but the two mentioned above are among the most universally observed/celebrated.

This year, Rosh Hashanah fell on 15-17 Sept, and Yom Kippur fell on 24-25 Sept.

Among “serious” Jews, this is a solemn time.

It is also a time of great concern for Israeli security forces and police, in Israel itself and among Jewish communities worldwide, as anti-Jewish factions often launch terrorist attacks specifically designed to harm innocent, unsuspecting Jews during this period.

Accordingly, my advice to Jewish friends is usually to stay far away from religious services/observances and facilities during this time, but of course, that defeats the whole purpose.

For that matter, Christians during the “Christian Holiday Season” at the end of December are well-served by the same advice, but of course, there is the same problem.

So for Christians and Jews determined to practice/observe their religion, remaining constantly alert and aware, staying away from large “gatherings” as much as possible (particularly those with religious/political overtones), and routinely going armed represents the next-best strategy.

There are no guarantees either way!

On that theme, Israel Police spokesperson Commander Eli Levi recently assured Israeli citizens that his security forces are now on high alert at “key locations,” as one might expect.

However, far more significantly, Levi strongly suggested Jewish citizens carry guns during the current High Holy Days for their own protection, even in “places of prayer and family entertainment!”

Constrast this with the typical American response. Don't carry guns into places of worship as these are intended to be peaceful; except when they are not. And what are you supposed to do with that gun while in these "peaceful prayer services?" They tell us not to leave it in a car because then they can be stolen. We are on to the Left, putting up "no gun" signs everywhere and pretending that the criminals obey these signs. They just don't want us armed, the better to defend ourselves. It's great to see that in Israel at least, the people in charge actually care about the people they serve.