"Did you really think we want those laws observed?" said Dr. Ferris. "We want them to be broken. You'd better get it straight that it's not a bunch of boy scouts you're up against... We're after power and we mean it... There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there ar...

Facing and surviving an active shooter situation will probably be the most traumatic life event for most involved. The entire event and its aftermath will have life-long effects which should be prepared for in much the same way as preparing for the incident itself. The first step is to identify and be ready for the actions and procedures survivors ...

"Neither a man nor a crowd nor a nation can be trusted to act humanely or to think sanely under the influence of a great fear." ~Bertrand Russell We are a nation divided. One side recognizes the individual's rights and wants to be left alone adopting a live and let live attitude, the other side recognizes only the group and demands you become part ...

When we started writing on the theme of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, we intended to address only the first three: War, Pestilence, and Famine. What is to be said concerning the fourth: Death? But we've reconsidered, because there is a lot to be said about a perverse ideology that seems more widespread than any of us imagined when it first a...

A Vulnerability Assessment (VA) is the final step in a Security Analysis, based on information developed in all the earlier stages (Site Survey, Area Study, Threat Assessment, and External Assets Evaluation). It requires honest qualitative evaluation of strengths and weaknesses against various threats, from which we identify upgrades worth pursuing...

In many ways the current situation is deteriorating quickly. We can sense the whiffs of chaos on the horizon and each new day seems to bring a yet another data point. It can be difficult, if not impossible, to keep up with everything that is happening. And it is all too easy to be overwhelmed or, equally, distracted by one crazy story after another...

Much like the Rules for Gunfighting, here is a tongue in cheek list applying to the wider discipline of combat. It contains plenty of food for thought and some piercing insights for the battlefield. Talk to some outside the wire combat vets and see what they think. Ask them to teach you more, become their student. Not because you are going to march...

Active shooter attacks are happening more and more and, tragically, more and more are happening in schools and houses of worship. As with all natural or man-made disasters and emergency situations, the more we are prepared, the better we will fare. Family preparation for the active shooter situation must begin early as these events are happening to...

A Vulnerability Assessment (VA) is the final step in a Security Analysis, based on information developed in all the earlier stages (Site Survey, Area Study, Threat Assessment, and External Assets Evaluation). It requires honest qualitative evaluation of strengths and weaknesses against various threats, from which we identify upgrades worth pursuing...

Our main thrust is to teach you to be surveillance Aware such that you have the ability to spot untoward interest targeting you in many circumstances. In coming articles we will have much to say about creating Surveillance Detection Routes (SDR) as part of your Anti-Surveillance drills and even Counter Surveillance possibilities. We will talk about...

Recent SCOTUS decisions have boosted morale among liberty-conscious conservatives, but the Empire aways strikes back. Let's consider what these events mean, and what must be done to solidify resistance and exploit success.  Donald Trump, in the most lasting achievement of his presidency, left us with a conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme...

Hunger is common in the less-developed world, and famine is never more than a crisis or two away. For a century and a half, it has seemed remote and unlikely to most people in the developed world, but it demands our attention now.   We've previously spoken of famine as an eventual consequence of demographic and technological trends. Now we rep...

The idea that there are rules when you are fighting for your life, the lives of others or your way of life is as silly as wanting such a fight to be fair. The Olympic games, the boxing ring and the football pitch may be modern day surrogates for conflict, dressed up in civilized rules, traditions and pomp. But you will have failed miserably and are...

Whether a deranged teenager or a committed terrorist, the active shooter phenomenon is here and will continue to be a danger everywhere. Whilst Wyoming has not suffered many active shooter incidents in recent times, it would be very dangerous to assume it will not. The only thing a police officer hears more than "…it will never happen to me…" is "…...

There is an old line about somebody who has nothing left has nothing left to lose. The idea being that someone who is pushed and pushed, punished and penalized, stripped of everything they care about and loses it all finally becomes extremely dangerous and willing to do whatever it takes to fight back and take on their oppressor. While there is som...

As discussed in the previous two Standing Tall articles on gunfighting and the article on realistic firearms training, the aftermath of any violent confrontation can be as stressful as the confrontation itself. Most gunfights are over very fast, seconds in fact, but the aftermath to include investigations, court cases and civil liability issues can...

The internet world of prepping is peppered with people dreaming of or living out their plan of surviving in a remote, isolated location sitting on top of a mountain of stored goods and looking to take care of any situation that comes their way on their own or with just a couple of other people. Then there are the lone wolves who plan to hide out in...

"We don't even know how strong we are until we are forced to bring that hidden strength forward. In times of tragedy, of war, of necessity, people do amazing things. The human capacity for survival and renewal is awesome" - Isabel Allende This is part1 of a multi part series on basic survival. It is not intended to be the "one stop shop" for everyt...

To further our discussion of the world of surveillance and counter measures, we need to establish some standard terminology. Different practitioners around the country and around the world maintain their own definitions for different bits of the business but, for the sake of consistency here, let us use the following: Intelligence - useful informat...

Across the span of recorded history more humans have died of disease, and especially epidemic and pandemic disease, than any other single cause, war included. We've recently seen the damage done worldwide not by a respiratory virus, but by the misguided response of governments. COVID will no more go away than will the ineffectual meddling of co-opt...