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Take Nashville. The evening and morning news starts out, "Shooting in North Nashville. If memory serves me, channel 5 had a program, 4 weeks ago, about "Violence in Nashville." Never once was the elephant in the room even mentioned. The Elephant in the room, "A large number of the murders took place, in the minority communities, and in North Nashville." They put pics of all the people killed in Nashville last year, and yes it was terrible. Sensationalism at it's best! The majority, minorities. No one even mentioned that fact, nor what they were going to do about it. Georgeandsugar, you are correct, left wing democrats(mayor), in Nashville, have no clue, or inclination, to do something meaningful about violence in Nashville. They are too worried about mass transit and soccer at the fairgrounds. No doubt, the city of Nashville could do just as, the NRA, the Judiciary, and the state court and prison system did in Richmond Va. They could crack down on that area and stop "some if not most" of that carnage coming from a couple different areas around Nashville. Richmond Virginia did it and so did Corker clean up Chattanooga when he was mayor there. It is sad to say, but Chattanooga is slowly drifting back in the wrong direction again. ReeferMac, hit on a good point in his previous post. The neighborhoods need to be behind the Police and the people living in those areas need to be helpful and not stick their heads in the sand. Just my opinion!!!!

Something many of you veteran LEOs no doubt already know:“The US didn’t have a spike in violent crime in 2016.A handful of neighborhoods in the US did. A mere five neighborhoods in Chicago supplied one-third of the increase in violent crime in 2016. Murders in the U.S. rose nearly 9% last year, and one-third of that increase came from just a few neighborhoods in Chicago, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of the FBI’s annual 2016 publication, Crime in the United States. While violent crime (homicide, rape, assault, and robbery) also rose nationwide from 2015 to 2016 — over 4% — the data show the increase was not uniform, but rather concentrated in cities like Chicago and Baltimore. Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., meanwhile, saw “meaningful declines in violence [that] have been sustained since the 1990s.”This means the US doesn't have a violent crime problem. We have a violent zip code problem. This, of course, is hardly news. Anyone watching the country knows that the worst of criminality falls in a handful of places, typically poor neighborhoods in big cities, and the root of the problem is gang violence and turf wars. John Lott published a study in 2016 using 2014 crime statistics finding that murder in the US is very concentrated by location.In 2014, the most recent year that a county level breakdown is available, 54% of counties (with 11% of the population) have no murders. 69% of counties have no more than one murder, and about 20% of the population. These counties account for only 4% of all murders in the country.The worst 1% of counties have 19% of the population and 37% of the murders. The worst 5% of counties contain 47% of the population and account for 68% of murders. As shown in figure 2, over half of murders occurred in only 2% of counties.Murder has gotten more concentrated in fewer places. John Lott again:Murders actually used to be even more concentrated. From 1977 to 2000, on average 73 percent of counties in any give year had zero murders.Criminologist David Weisburg of George Mason University criminologist, released a study in 2015 that described what he called the “law of crime concentration,” and “the criminality of place”: a disproportionate amount of any city’s violent crime occurs in a small geographic area of the city. His data showed:Weisburg found that in large cities, 50% of crime occurs on just 4% to 6% of a city’s streets, while 0.8% to 1.6% of streets produce one-quarter of all crime.In many concealed carry classes you're dutifully told there's no such thing as a bad neighborhood that you can avoid to have no risk of violent attack. While I agree with the sentiment that you should always be aware of your surroundings and that lightning can strike in odd places, these statistics show that statement is just wrong. There are bad neighborhoods, and your chances of being involved in a violent crime are much worse in some places. If you don't have to go there, don't go. Complicating Weisburg and Lott's findings is the side effect of protests against police that have police vowing to have a lighter presence in the areas that need them the most. A Pew Research Center poll from January 2017 showed that an overwhelming number of police officers say widespread protests following high-profile killings of black suspects have made police less willing to conduct basic police work, such as stopping and questioning suspicious people in high-crime neighborhoods, and using an appropriate level of force to diffuse a situation.In Baltimore, violent crime rates were going down until 2015, when police officers “pulled back from a more proactive approach” following widespread city riots after the death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who suffered a severe spinal injury while being transported in a police van on April 1, 2015, and died one week later.Violence in Baltimore has stayed historically high following the riots, with arrests plummeting, shootings soaring, and the police force itself getting smaller.One thing that has been proven to reduce crime rates is more proactive policing. Yet the "Ferguson Effect" has caused an increasing reluctance of police to go into those neighborhoods, and more reluctant to carry out everyday tasks of policing. You might have noticed that the left is currently lobbying for all of the things that make the murder rate worse.Remember: it's not gun control we need. It's zip code control.”

I am tired of purchasing LED flashlights that don't last a year. I have a friend that purchased a Coast brand LED and it seems to be better quality than what I have been purchasing. I ordered one from Amazon and it was a tad too large to carry in a pocket. I went to Walmart yesterday and they had a 3 AAA Coast (370 max lumens) the size I wanted so I purchased it for 19.97. It does have a 90 lumen setting to conserve batteries. Do any of you guys have any preferences when it comes to LED flashlights? I looked at the Surefire and Streamlite brands but they are 50. 00 and up in price. Don't think I need one that bad.

In today’s Quip, Farnam added this:Addendumby John Farnam6 Jan 18Addendum to yesterday’s Quip:I’ve received many responses to yesterday’s Quip about lethal self-defense, as you might imagine, and I thank all who took the time to get back with me.Here are some particulars that need to be added:13) Don’t shoot unless you have to! It all comes down to that. When you need to shoot immediately in order to prevent yourself from being crippled/murdered, it will probably be blatantly obvious! When it isn’t, you probably don’t need to shoot!14) When you need to shoot, shoot with sufficient volume and accuracy necessary to produce lethal wound(s) and thus finish the fight quickly. The longer this fight goes on, the more deadly risk you expose yourself to. When there must be a lethal response on your part to a deadly attack, get the fight over with as quickly as you can. In legal parlance, you can’t shoot someone in a “non-deadly” manner, nor should you try!15) Don’t approach downed/wounded suspects. When a suspect has been wounded, even when he is on the ground and not moving, stay well away from him. He is still extremely dangerous!16) Whatever you do, or don’t do, it won’t be “perfect.” Understand and expect that many will come along afterward and point-out where, and how, your could have done it better. And, they’ll probably be right! Happily, the law doesn’t require you to be “perfect.” It does require you to be “reasonable,” however the System chooses to define the term.17) Join ACLDN (Armed Citizens Legal Defense Network)! They are a powerful ally, and one you’ll be glad you have!Some have asked for an expanded explanation of how to deal with responding police.For a competent explanation, you really need to come to a Class, but maybe the following, will be helpful:When confronting police in the aftermath of a lethal-force event, have no guns, nor other weapons, in your hands, nor showing.Your lines are:“ a) Officers, thank God you’re here! I’m the one who calledc) Those men attacked us.d) They tried to murder us.e) We were in fear for our lives.f) I will sign a complaintg) I will be happy to answer your questions, but not until my lawyer is here.h) I don’t feel well, and I may be injured. I need to go to a hospital, now”Each of those points, of course, needs expansion, but that is the base scenario.Even when you don’t believe you’re physically injured, it is a good idea to get to a hospital to be checked-over. You may be injured and not realize it!I suggest pointing-out to police:Ongoing threatsArticles of evidence that may not be obviousWitnesses who may have seen what happened but are not obvious.Aside from those exceptions, silence is your best ally in the short term. Your lawyer may eventually permit you to be interviewed by police, but only after you’ve had an opportunity to compose yourself, and even then, only in his presence.I hope the foregoing clears-up some questions, but none of it represents an adequate substitute for attending a Class.This is serious business, and you need to approach it seriously!/John

Farnam’s latest Quip is in response to an older gent, whose question may be relevant for a lot of us here; so I’ve taken the liberty of reproducing it below:Where is “Safety?”by John Farnam | 5 Jan 2018“Reasonable” Response.A student asks:“I’m in my 70s. When I’m the victim of an unprovoked attack by a younger, bigger, stronger person(s) who is using only his fists, elbows, knees, and/or shod feet, how much of a pommeling am I expected to absorb, and for how long, before I employ deadly force in order to stop the attack and thus prevent myself from being injured/murdered?We have seen several instances where a single blow from a fist to an unprotected head proved fatal, many others where such a blow caused permanent, disabling injury and/or disfigurement.Of course, ‘injury’ is easy to demonstrate AFTER it has been inflicted. But, the object of legitimate self-defense is to PREVENT such lethal/disabling outcomes. How can I persuasively demonstrate what didn’t happen?”My comment:No matter whom you ask, you won’t get a very satisfactory answer to that question, and mine (as follows) won’t be very satisfactory either!We all look for “safety” in “the law.” We ask ourselves, “When I strictly follow the law can I know that I will never be prosecuted?”In fact many naive instructors keep reiterating, “Know the law,” as if that were even possible, and as if that represents a guarantee that bad things will never happen to you.If you were to carefully read every law, ordinance, rule “guideline,” and regulation that could ever possibly apply to you as a gun-owner/carrier, particularly as you travel around the Country, there would not be enough years left in your life to complete the task!Even then, the task would be largely and exercise in futility, because we no longer have a “nation of laws.” We have a “nation of agendas.”Some laws, like our immigration laws for example, are openly, deliberately, and contemptuously violated every day, with no consequence! Laws against possession and use of marijuana are openly violated in entire states, with no consequence.So then, what is “the law” when it can be ignored by state governments? What other “laws” can we all ignore?I am today seeing officer-involved shootings which are completely justified, by any standard, not only being the subject of civil suits, where cities don’t even put up a fight, as they dole-out untold millions of taxpayer dollars to the “bereaved” families of vicious, violent, (and mercifully dead) criminals, but these innocent officers, who acted properly and did correctly the job we pay them to do, are also being viciously prosecuted by politically-active prosecutors, who cynically see an unjust conviction merely as a career stepping-stone.So, when you’re involved in a self-defense shooting, what will be important?The factor that will most sway prosecutors is usually the way the event is reported in the papers and other news media.When the headline is, “Local Gun-Nut Slays Honor Student,” you can bet the system will be under immense pressure to prosecute, while actual facts of the case shrink to irrelevance!When the shooting is cross-racial, hang on to your hat! You may find yourself being prosecuted merely in an effort to mollify rioters!When the shooting takes place during an election year, hang on to your hat! A political candidate may push for prosecution merely in an effort to court votes from a particular minority.We saw this exact phenomenon in the Zimmerman Case in FL in 2008!So, where is “safety?”There is none, but here are some things I can recommend:1) Be a good person! Heaven knows none of us are perfect, but good people ever strive towards goodness, decency, and personal honesty. At the same time, be very good at minding your own business!2) (a) Don’t go to stupid places. (b) Don’t associate with stupid people. (c) Don’t do stupid things. (d) Be in bed by 10.00pm (your own bed!). (e) Have a “normal” appearance. (f) Don’t fail the attitude test!3) When you go armed, keep weapon(s) discreetly out of sight. Don’t talk about your guns. Don’t “show” your gun(s) to anyone. Don’t brandish your gun except for good cause.4) When you must shoot, use your sights, press your trigger carefully, and hit with every shot.5) Stop shooting when the threat(s) is clearly neutralized.6) Don’t chase suspects!7) Don’t flee the scene, except as necessary to preserve your own safety8) Be first to the phone! Report the incident to police as soon as practicable.9) Know what to say, and what not to say, to police. Know your lines!10) Get your lawyer involved as quickly as possible11) Be prepared for an unpleasant aftermath, endless media lies, PTSD, complete disruption of your life. Don’t expect anyone to be sympathetic, nor “understanding.”12) Like any traumatic event, you’ll never really “get over it,” but as days and weeks pass, you’ll be able to put it in perspective, and move on.I realize the foregoing is inadequate and grossly oversimplified, but it may be helpful.There are no guarantees!/John

Farnam’s latest Quip is in response to an older gent, whose question may be relevant for a lot of us here; so I’ve taken the liberty of reproducing it below:Where is “Safety?”by John Farnam | 5 Jan 2018“Reasonable” Response.A student asks:“I’m in my 70s. When I’m the victim of an unprovoked attack by a younger, bigger, stronger person(s) who is using only his fists, elbows, knees, and/or shod feet, how much of a pommeling am I expected to absorb, and for how long, before I employ deadly force in order to stop the attack and thus prevent myself from being injured/murdered?We have seen several instances where a single blow from a fist to an unprotected head proved fatal, many others where such a blow caused permanent, disabling injury and/or disfigurement.Of course, ‘injury’ is easy to demonstrate AFTER it has been inflicted. But, the object of legitimate self-defense is to PREVENT such lethal/disabling outcomes. How can I persuasively demonstrate what didn’t happen?”My comment:No matter whom you ask, you won’t get a very satisfactory answer to that question, and mine (as follows) won’t be very satisfactory either!We all look for “safety” in “the law.” We ask ourselves, “When I strictly follow the law can I know that I will never be prosecuted?”In fact many naive instructors keep reiterating, “Know the law,” as if that were even possible, and as if that represents a guarantee that bad things will never happen to you.If you were to carefully read every law, ordinance, rule “guideline,” and regulation that could ever possibly apply to you as a gun-owner/carrier, particularly as you travel around the Country, there would not be enough years left in your life to complete the task!Even then, the task would be largely and exercise in futility, because we no longer have a “nation of laws.” We have a “nation of agendas.”Some laws, like our immigration laws for example, are openly, deliberately, and contemptuously violated every day, with no consequence! Laws against possession and use of marijuana are openly violated in entire states, with no consequence.So then, what is “the law” when it can be ignored by state governments? What other “laws” can we all ignore?I am today seeing officer-involved shootings which are completely justified, by any standard, not only being the subject of civil suits, where cities don’t even put up a fight, as they dole-out untold millions of taxpayer dollars to the “bereaved” families of vicious, violent, (and mercifully dead) criminals, but these innocent officers, who acted properly and did correctly the job we pay them to do, are also being viciously prosecuted by politically-active prosecutors, who cynically see an unjust conviction merely as a career stepping-stone.So, when you’re involved in a self-defense shooting, what will be important?The factor that will most sway prosecutors is usually the way the event is reported in the papers and other news media.When the headline is, “Local Gun-Nut Slays Honor Student,” you can bet the system will be under immense pressure to prosecute, while actual facts of the case shrink to irrelevance!When the shooting is cross-racial, hang on to your hat! You may find yourself being prosecuted merely in an effort to mollify rioters!When the shooting takes place during an election year, hang on to your hat! A political candidate may push for prosecution merely in an effort to court votes from a particular minority.We saw this exact phenomenon in the Zimmerman Case in FL in 2008!So, where is “safety?”There is none, but here are some things I can recommend:1) Be a good person! Heaven knows none of us are perfect, but good people ever strive towards goodness, decency, and personal honesty. At the same time, be very good at minding your own business!2) (a) Don’t go to stupid places. (b) Don’t associate with stupid people. (c) Don’t do stupid things. (d) Be in bed by 10.00pm (your own bed!). (e) Have a “normal” appearance. (f) Don’t fail the attitude test!3) When you go armed, keep weapon(s) discreetly out of sight. Don’t talk about your guns. Don’t “show” your gun(s) to anyone. Don’t brandish your gun except for good cause.4) When you must shoot, use your sights, press your trigger carefully, and hit with every shot.5) Stop shooting when the threat(s) is clearly neutralized.6) Don’t chase suspects!7) Don’t flee the scene, except as necessary to preserve your own safety8) Be first to the phone! Report the incident to police as soon as practicable.9) Know what to say, and what not to say, to police. Know your lines!10) Get your lawyer involved as quickly as possible11) Be prepared for an unpleasant aftermath, endless media lies, PTSD, complete disruption of your life. Don’t expect anyone to be sympathetic, nor “understanding.”12) Like any traumatic event, you’ll never really “get over it,” but as days and weeks pass, you’ll be able to put it in perspective, and move on.I realize the foregoing is inadequate and grossly oversimplified, but it may be helpful.There are no guarantees!/John

Thanks for the advice. What on line ammo company do you guys purchase from?

Purchased a 2.0 9C this morning(469.00) at local gun store(Splty Arms, Laverne). Grandson was with me and we just came in from putting several rounds through it, in my back yard. Found the mag springs stiff, but loadable (15+1). The gun is easier for me to hit with than the Glocks. How many rounds should I run through it to determine if it is trustworthy? Also what ammo do you guys recommend? Been using DPX in EDC, but don't have any in 9 MM. Grandson (13) shot it well also. He has medium size hands, as do I. He has a 22lr which is a lot like this gun in design. I will say my initial thoughts are pleasing. I believe it will work for me.

Looking at a new MP 2.0 9C. Have a Glock 19, but the grip is a little too big for my hands. Just don't feel comfortable to me. The 2.0's grip is adjustable with 3 different size back grip inserts. Does anyone her have any experience with the 2.0"s?

PA, you are correct, however to my knowledge they all have a review board in some form or another. The biggest difference is some are reimbursement companies, and the other assesses whether they are self defense or not. The NRA program comes to mind, and If memory serves me well, so is the USCCA, however they do send money up front. Someone has to make the determination, call it what you may. To my understanding only pre paid legal will represent you in any case. I am told it has drawbacks also. To my knowledge they are all written with their own regulations. It comes down to what do they cost and who do you trust?

My son-in-law moved a similar size Cannon brand safe . He used a strap and dolly. Did not need to negotiate but 2 steps upward and unloaded if off a low trailer. If I had to move it, I would find someone else to do it, or pay the price. Over 400. bucks seems a bit excessive to me.

My wife and I are member of the Armed Citizens Legal Defense Network (360-978-5200), and have been for years. It is the best coverage, for the money, I can find. Call them and talk to Marty Hayes or his wife Gehila. It is 85.00 per year, for self and 155.00 for you and spouse, to maintain membership. They have a track record and will discuss it with you if legal to do so. Check them out and I think you will be surprised. Pretty straight forward and clear what the will do. They have a long list of attorneys, a couple in our local area of mid TN, or they will allow you to use the attorney of your choice. They provide "Boots On the ground" (Come to you and help get your defense started, if forced into a self defense situation) if you request it. IMO, they are one of the best.