I discussed Varg Freeborn’s concept of a mission, which he outlines in the book Violence of the Mind. I want to expand on it briefly here with a Storytime concerning your mission and being armed.
Storytime
Your mission as a father is to protect your daughter, who is all of twelve years old while allowing you both to live authentic, meaningful lives. You have planned a night out; she wants to go to a popular restaurant. You check in at the front, survey the place and ask to be seated in a particular portion of the restaurant that is very close to an emergency exit. If any trouble happens, you can grab your daughter and quickly exit the establishment. You and your daughter are having a lovely time when someone comes into the restaurant and starts shooting.
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Let’s cover a few scenarios:
Storytime Scenario 1
You are unarmed. You grab your daughter and dash out the emergency exit.
Storytime Scenario 2
You are armed with a less-than-lethal weapon. You grab your daughter and dash out the emergency exit.
Storytime Scenario 3
You are armed with a firearm. You grab your daughter, push her to the floor, and begin to fire at the active shooter.
Compare Scenario 3 with Scenarios 1 and 2. Did you make the right decision regarding your mission? Your mission was not to protect the public. It was to protect your daughter. Did your decision place your daughter in a safer situation or a more dangerous one? In Scenario 3, your actions put you and your daughter in this new situation:
• The active shooter’s attention is now directed at you.
• If the active shooter had planned this attack, they might be wearing body armor. If so, your bullets may not bring them down even if they find their mark.
• Should you seek cover in a restaurant, an inch of drywall and 2×4 studs spaced 16 inches apart do not provide reasonable protection against bullets.
Storytime Scenario 4
You are armed with a pistol. You grab your daughter and dash out the emergency exit. As soon as you are at a safe location, you call 911.
If fulfilling your mission means running even though you are armed, that is what you should do. Many people who CCF do not think these scenarios through fully. That is why Freeborn’s mission concept is so helpful.