Southwest PA Self-defense Network Blog

The Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence has created a lethality assessment program for use by trained individuals. The Lethality Assessment Program (LAP) is an easy and effective method that identifies victims of domestic violence who are at risk of being seriously injured or killed by their intimate partners* and immediately connects them to the domestic violence service provider in their area. A brochure is available at: http://mnadv.org/lethality/  

I recently watched the horror/crime drama You're Next and I was rather disappointed.  The basic plotline was during a reunion  a family is terrorized by a group of home invaders. The trailers look scary and creepy and intense and there is a good part of that in the movie however the movie relies on too much shock value of the people being shot at, stabbed or hacked. The reason for the review is its crime prevention application. What did the people do right, do wrong, was it realistic? The motivation for the invasion was to kill almost everyone except for two brothers and one girlfriend for the families millions as the two brother were in on it and they needed the girlfriend to be a witness. Unfortunately for them she grew up in a survivalist compound and kicks their butts but not before they kill most of the family. One of the biggest criticism of the movie is the idea the killers would go to such lengths to terrorize rather than just storm in and kill. Although the movie pres...

Wow, if you haven't heard of this.. The guy was a prominent anti-gun crusader. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Gun-control groups said Thursday they were trying to find a new legislative leader to champion firearms restrictions after one of their most outspoken supporters was charged in a federal gun-trafficking case. People on both sides of the gun control issue said the charges against state Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, may slow consideration of gun legislation this year. "Ironically, while he's being charged with gun trafficking, next to (U.S. Sen.) Dianne Feinstein he was probably the second most outspoken gun control advocate. This really leaves us scrambling for someone to pick up that mantle," said Paul Song, executive chairman of Courage Campaign, a nonprofit advocacy group. "If it wasn't so sad it would be comical. But what we're really worried about is that this will further destroy the momentum for gun control here in California." Yee was a...

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/oddnews/family-calls-911-when-intruder-tries-to-enter-home--waits-hours-before-police-show-up-211124788.html I like the last line... "As for Ms. Bice, she has programmed more emergency phone numbers into her phone and now owns a gun – something she hopes she’ll never have to use."

http://www.mothersarms.org/chaptermom.html http://www.a-human-right.com/staysafe.html

If you're serious about self defense you MUST know and understand this principle ! http://www.useofforce.us/3aojp/ How do you know if the self defense situation you're in justifies lethal or deadly force? The attacker must have the following: 1. Ability - 2. Opportunity 3. Manifest intent (imminent jeopardy) 4. Preclusion Step One—The Central Ideas: Ability, Opportunity, Jeopardy, and Preclusion The use of lethal force that can end in homicide is justified in the situation of immediate, otherwise unavoidable danger of death or grave bodily harm to the innocent. — Massad Ayoob That statement by Mr. Ayoob, one of the premier authorities on these matters, is a succinct summary of the basic elements of any justifiable use of force in self-defense. Essentially, it is very simple: In order to determine justifiability, the courts want to know that you had to do what you did. Since “had to” is a pretty subjective judgment, it is legally defined, usually in the following way: Ability ...

I am firm believer in the right, responsibility and benefit of gun ownership. I also believe that gun owners should know what they are talking about so I present something from the other side. Can you refute these arguments? http://www.marketwatch.com/story/10-things-the-gun-industry-wont-tell-you-2014-03-07?pagenumber=9

http://news.yahoo.com/police-3-attacked-couple-went-wrong-home-182210201.html This story is tragic and horrible but there are lessons that can be learned from it. 1. Even if you live your life totally clean, stay away from trouble and avoid bad people, the bad stuff can still happen to you. I've talked to a number of people who have the attitude that "It ( the bad stuff) won't happen to me because I don't do XYZ." Well, it can... 2. One of the actors in this went to jail for not one, but three counts, of sexual assault in 2011. That means that he got less than 3 years. If you believe our justice system actually deals in justice, you are naïve. 3. There is a spectrum of self defense strategy - sometimes all you need is a joint lock, pressure point, or super aggressive tone and then there is this kind of situation. 4. For those that abhor guns or think "I could never kill/shoot someone" think about this: Do you think when the light came on and they saw thr...