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| "Just Divorced" stick family |
This is a follow-up on the previous post "Human Trafficking".
From the comments
Milton, one of my regular readers commented about mothers needing to rethink the threat situation and then he added
"...With a Mama Bear mentality and defensive handgun training (***last minute gift idea fellas***), let the gift purchasing be left to Dad."
Let me point out that he did not write "Purchase the mother of your children a firearm" because that would be a violation of the Federal Firearm code sometimes called "a straw purchase".
He suggested finding a certified trainer who is experienced in training WOMEN.
Women are not men. On average, women have smaller hands than men. From a physical standpoint they can have difficulty racking the slide due to hand-strength and upper-body strength issues.
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| My sister had a boyfriend who bought her a Derringer in .45 Colt. Maybe not the best choice. Not my sister's hands. |
Some women are extremely petite and will have a hard time "hiding" a concealed carry. Most women's clothing, especially for younger women, is form-fitting. Perversely, the firearms most suitable for deep-carry (like Derringers) have brutal recoil and limited-to-very limited ammo capacity.
Women are more likely to be "talked down-to" when purchasing a firearm and end up with a firearm that they are not comfortable with. They are less likely to ask questions especially when men are around.
Maybe the hardest thing for a woman to wrap their mind around is that they have to know when they pick up a weapon that the MUST be willing to pull the trigger without hesitation when the need arises. At some point there is no more time to "talk about it" or "call a friend" or "exercise conflict de-escalation techniques". If you wait for +100% certainty* then you (and your kids) will be the victims.
Asymmetric information
Going back to the scout cruising the parking lot looking for kids to nab at the local big-box grocery store. Most parents are going to think "My kids are responsible and would never open the door for a stranger." right?
Visualize kid(s) playing on their phones in a Honda Odyssey or Ford Bronco with the "cute" stick-figure family shown at the top on its back window.
Now visualize an older person in a Walmart vest banging on the window and yelling "Oh my God! Oh my God! Your mom fell and hit her head. She needs you right now!!!" What "responsible kid" will fail to rush to his/her mom's aid?
If the kid hesitates, the faux employee can add "She needs you to unlock her phone so she can call for help."
That stick-figure family that "mom" modified to stick her thumb in the eye of her "ex" just made her family a prime target because it gives potential abductors a credible back-story. They KNOW that the shopper is not "dad". They know that the kids will be hyper-protective of "mom".
We live in an era of Too Much Information. Most people share personal information as if they were writing in their best girl-friend's high school year book. Facebook is probably the worst offender but even a bumper sticker can share too much information. That information can be used against you.
Incidentally, I applaud all of my commentors. You are very discrete in what information you share. Keep up the good work.
Regarding the issue of "sensationalism"
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| There were 254 "Human Trafficking" cases (some involving multiple people) identified in Michigan in 2023. Is that a lot for in a state with 10 million people? Link |
I sent an email to the person who shared the information with me. I asked for permission to attribute the quotes to her and/or for "original sources" to quote. I sent it at 5:38 p.m. on Saturday but she hasn't gotten back to me.
I decided to exercise executive privilege and run the post anyway due to time urgency. I trust that my readers are mature and can decide if any "entertainment" I post on this blog applies to your situation or not.
*99.1% certainty + redundant confirmation
Owning a firearm should imply responsibility to secure it properly and TRAIN with it.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a child, firearms were taught to be tools, not sexy (movie crap) and we learned responsibility to handle them well. Not just my father involved, mom did as well as all adults around me.
We had fun with them learning the rules and "competing" with our elders in accuracy (sometimes I think they let us win).
The bible speaks about such training in Proverbs 22
A Good Name
…5Thorns and snares lie on the path of the perverse; he who guards his soul stays far from them. 6Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. 7The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.…
Where we learned honor, respect and about the hazards of debt.
Ephesians 6:
Children and Parents
…3“that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life on the earth.” 4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath; instead, bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Where parents used gentle discipline to mold us.
All this to say just dropping a mom into a gun store, test fire a few and they're good is probably a bad idea WITHOUT non-vexing training before and afterward.
Locally I've run Cowboy action shoots. We set up cardboard buildings, pop up and fishing line moving targets. We have shoot NO Shoot targets pop up (major loss of points for popping Grandma) and even hostage style shooting with bad guy behind the victim.
It's fun, its safety based, it gets you into thinking about targeting and paying attention to situations.
Quite a few of our Church ladies have gotten quite good at it and are part of our Church Security team.
As a side note from listening to our local police (who btw enjoy our cowboy shoots also) that a too small gun often fails to "impress the stupid" and you are forced to shoot them vs them running off.
Far more times the mere show of determined resistance and a pistol avoid the whole shooting aspect than "Bad Guys" actually getting shot.
Size of the pistol, and comfort in handling are 2 big points, in my opinion. If you can find a woman to instruct your wife, that may be a huge help. Fun shoots, like Michael suggested, also helps. Make the targets easy to hit, be patient, maybe short sessions if that works for her. I like the Mark IV 22/45; light recoil, easy to run, and I prefer the 1911 size, fit and controls. Many years ago I helped a new female shooter, using a boys single shot rifle. Small frame, no recoil, easy to load. Her confidence increased, so she tried other firearms later. But she also had the desire to learn. Without that, it may be difficult to get her started.
ReplyDeleteSouthern NH
We used to have fun days at our range. Just friends gathering, letting others try their firearms. Pot luck, cookies, lots of laughs. No competition, kind of like show and tell, here try this one! Invite the wives and girlfriends. Bring some smaller caliber, easy to handle guns. Reactive targets, like balloons, watermelons, bowling pins.
DeleteSNH
Let me point out that he did not write "Purchase the mother of your children a firearm" because that would be a violation of the Federal Firearm code sometimes called "a straw purchase".
ReplyDeleteBuying a Firearm and gifting it to someone who is not prohibited from buying or owning one themselves is not a “Straw Purchase”. I am not a lawyer and if you’re considering this type of purchase and are concerned, seek legal consul.
I’ve purchased and gifted firearms to my Children.
This is my understanding also. If they give you the money and you buy it for them, that is a straw man purchase. Gifts are okay.
DeleteWe took my son the the gun store to buy him a graduation gift. The clerk was well aware of what was going down, and he was okay with it. However, when it was time for paperwork, I told my son to fill out the 4473 himself so he got the background check. Again, the clerk was happy. Then Dad pulled out his credit card to pay, and everyone was happy. Especially my wife and I since the boy had graduated college and was ready to go out into the world.
Ed (Anonymous)
Legitimate gifts are not necessarily straw purchases, especially for immediate family members. Straw purchases are when you buy so another can avoid background checks, or you are doing it for money, etc. At least that was what I was told in the past. Any FFLs want to weigh in? (I'm not an FFL, thank you.)
DeleteI saw a man turned down when he honestly answered on the 4473 that he was buying the firearm for another person. In this case it was his niece so she could go squirrel hunting.
DeleteIf he had answered that he was buying it and then LOANED it to his niece he would have been fine. BUT, the 4473 was not happy.
Joe I went to the link about human trafficking. I was looking to get some idea of the definitions of human trafficking and sources of info, its possible they get their info from WHO but the whole thing is kind of vague and sensationalist.
ReplyDeleteWe’ve all seen how “child gun death statistics” have been perverted to further the gun control agenda. “Missing children” stats are inflated by people calling police when their children are late coming home or divorced people make a report when their ex is late bringing the kids back. We told foster parents to file a police report if their foster child was an hour late coming home from school. So I have questions about the numbers being bandied about. I’m all for the full weight of the law falling upon human traffickers I just wonder how often it actually occurs. Do you remember, back in the 80’s those stories about sex abuse and witchcraft covens in daycare centers? Most of those were disproven.
For those of you who dont know me, I’m a retired foster care program manager and child welfare has been central in my life for decades but I do better with fact not feelings.
Whaddya gonna do? The numbers are crap from both ends.
DeleteIf you are an illegal migrant and your kid disappears or your life-savings gets stolen do you feel safe reporting it? Probably not. So some sub-populations "over-report" and other sub-populations under-report.
When I was a volunteer soccer coach I was told to call in a parent not coming to pick up their child at the appointed time...on the second occurance...to call it in as child abandonment. Leave the kid with the cops and let the parent explain why they left the kid.
Did I ever do it? Nope.Would I have done it if I had a frequent flier...probably not. I would have cut the kid from the team and not allowed them to START practice.
Take everything reported with a shaker of salt. However, I think it is seven kinds of stupid to put stick-family and gun decals on your personal vehicle. Nobody needs to know.
I never put any decals on my vehicles and dont wear clothes that would say much about me except a couple of hats that say Cabelas and Air Force vet.
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