Mr. Rawles,
The most vital point, I think, of Buckshot's piece is not that
feral dogs will eat us all alive, but that [applying] current attitudes
in future scenarios CAN
GET YOU KILLED!
You'd better get you mind wrapped around the hard decisions now the best you
can. Buckshot is exactly right: if you're making decisions on the fly
as a situation unfolds, you're dog food. The same goes for any, shall
we say, less-than-polite social encounters with humans. ARIES (Autonomic
Response In Extreme Stress) is an acronym we used when I taught self-defense. Most
guys would pooh-pooh the idea because they were super-fit and could kick
you right in the face with ease. They never got the idea of Spiritual
Point of Origin, a concept that one attains when you've wrestled with all
the moral-ethical dilemmas, as well as realizing one's physical capabilities
AND
limitations. The "dojo jock" never prepared for any real
conflict; it's all a game, but the minute things changed up, they end up
getting the cr*p
beat out of them. When you are under stress, you will become much less
coordinated, particularly in fine motor skills (read: sight acquisition,
operating safety levers, firing-and moving maneuvers) unless they have been
practiced
to the point of neuro-muscular memory (i.e. second nature). You WILL
perform AS you have practiced, not just WHAT you have practiced. Remember,
practice DOES NOT make perfect; practice makes permanent what is
practiced. Now
is the time to deal with the mental aspects of what you will need to
keep you and yours, safe and alive, not when the wolves (dog pack, murderous
thugs) are at your door. A perfect example is the horrific Manson Family
murders: while testifying at their trials the women of Charlie's lovely little
clan complained bitterly how hard it was to kill Sharon Tate, that she pulled
their hair and kicked and pushed them away. She possessed the will
to fight back, but apparently lacked either the skill to fight effectively,
or, more likely, the willingness to injure a fellow human being. Students
in self-defense classes get squeamish when the idea of eye-gouging or kicking
to the trachea comes up, but in reality, if you're not willing to do what
it takes to win the fight, WHY ARE YOU IN A FIGHT? Better to surrender now,
save yourself the beating, and pray that you will be rescued by some unforeseen
circumstance. Remember, suspect first, prospect later. You are
only paranoid if they're not out to get you. - Bonehedz