This week we were upset to learn of the acts of a mental deficient at Sutherland Springs. We still mourn for the good lives lost that day, but are thankful that the threat was met and overcome by someone's who may not have been as prepared as some of those who frequent this site. Nevertheless, Stephen Willeford was more prepared than most are. He heard the gunshots and took off, without shoes or a spare mag, or even a full mag, to get into a gun fight at about twenty yards. He won by disqualification, because if your opponent commits suicide he DQ'd himself from the fight. The POS was prepared with equipment, Stephen was marginally prepared with equipment, the POS had willingness, but Stephen had more willingness, after all you have to be pretty damn willing to run barefoot into a gunfight.
I heard a good quote once - "I don't want to get into a gunfight, I want to be part of a perfectly timed assassination". What that means to me is that being prepared is part of the equation, planning on being in a serious situation like the Church shooting, may in fact be an easy way to make yourself over prepared for other, less serious (and far less frequent) violent situations. Sort of like planning for the Zombie Apocalypse knowing it won't ever come. We will never be prepared for every single thing that could possibly happen, that goes without saying, but we should strive to prepare as much as possible for the situations we can affect positively.
This means putting your shoes on. This means having loaded mags, this means medical kits and armor, this means the continuous training to put all those things in applicable use when the time comes for it.
When that time comes, and you just happen to be there, it will be your responsibility to take action.