# Time to make everyone mad again...



## Bill Mattocks (Aug 31, 2017)

It's been awhile since I've gone on a rant about self-defense, so I thought it time again.  Particularly with recent events due to Hurricane Harvey.

Self-defense.  It's a term that describes itself pretty well.  Defense of self.  Meaning, self-preservation.  Remaining alive and hopefully functioning well.  Anything that has to do with that issue is self-defense.  It's pretty easy to grasp that concept, I think.

And yet, people who claim to be all about self-defense don't seem to know, or care, to take any action designed to defend themselves (and their family, loved ones, etc) if it doesn't involve A) guns, B) knives, or C) martial arts.  Oh, there are the folks known as 'preppers' who sometimes take an interest in that sort of thing, but often enough, most of what they engage in is fantasy end-of-the-world stuff, not actual threats to our existence and well-being.

Do you have a fire extinguisher?

Do you know how to evacuate your home, have you practiced it?  The whole family?  Have you given assignments to family members, who gets the baby, who gets the cat, who gets the photo albums?  When to abandon attempts to protect non-living or non-human things and just skedaddle?  How about a rally point, where all the human occupants can meet up, so that no one mistakenly goes back into a flooded or burning house to retrieve someone who is actually safe, but standing somewhere else?

For those interested in more long-range things - do you have a way to quickly replace ID, credit cards, access your bank accounts that is NOT in your house that just flooded or burned down?  Do you even have your account numbers, PIN numbers, phone numbers to call to begin that process?  

How about a Will, Living or otherwise?  Durable power of attorney on file with your attorney, mailed to relatives who don't live near you, etc?  DNR's or other requirements that you'd like honored?

How about your medications?  If you wear glasses or contacts, how about spares?  

Can you treat a wound?  Can you find a doctor in an emergency?  Do you have access to antibiotics?  Can you make clean water when tap water becomes contaminated?

How about clean socks?  Good boots?  Another pair of good boots?  More clean socks?

Do you have general as well as specific plans?  "If the whole city floods, we will leave as early as possible and travel by car to X location, where we already have spoken to our relatives and they will put us up if need by, and we'll do the same for them."  When the roads make driving impassible, do you have a backup plan?

Can you spot bad weather coming by cloud formations and other natural signs?  Ever take a weather spotting class offered free by the federal government?  Do you listen to radio and TV warnings and pay attention to them and take them seriously?  Seems an awful lot of people don't.  They all seem to want to wait until the threat is clear and present and THEN take action, when it is of course too late oftentimes.

How about insurance?  If you own your home, did you know that your homeowner's insurance (in the USA) typically does NOT cover backed-up sewer line flooding unless you specifically request it and pay a very small yearly fee?  Same for floods; the government sells national flood insurance, but fewer than 20% of residents in Houston have it.  Do you have it?  Oh, you live outside a 100 year flood plain?  Well good luck with that, sport.  So did many Houstonians.

I'm not overly worried about a nuclear attack on our nation.  I am worried about tornadoes, floods, and other natural disasters which I can do something to prepare for.

People tell me how many martial arts they train in, how far they can run, how much they can bench press.  They tell me how good a shot they are at the range, how many guns they own, and what great one-shot stops their favorite caliber-du-jours are.  Their rifles are festooned with instruments which point lasers and light up perps straight through lead walls and penetrating rounds and they can bring justice like they had wings and a halo; but they don't own a fire extinguisher, and have no idea how to actually use one if they had it.  They can submit anyone in the world not named 'Gracie' but they can't put out a grease fire in their kitchen or have a spare pair of spectacles when they break theirs or lose them in a flood.  They tell me about their garage and basement full of MREs, but they can't start a fire on their own, can't read a topographical map or compass, and have never spent a night in the woods that wasn't in a 30 foot camper.

So I'm just saying - if you're honestly interested in self-defense, it's time to spend some time playing reality games and evaluating risk and doing what you can to address it.  Martial arts training is good.  Weapons training is good.  Having some non-perishable food stored is good.  Playing fantasy games about how you're going to Rambo through TEOTWAWKI is not good.  Or at least, not going to happen.  You'll be the guy whose stuff we take because you didn't survive the natural disaster that turned out to be a boring old flood or tornado or earthquake or mudslide instead of something exciting like Chinese FEMA death camp troops wandering the streets for you to pick off with your high-powered laser-guided whatever it is.


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## Xue Sheng (Aug 31, 2017)

GRRRRR!!!!! You make me so angry 

Truthfully Bill, you have to try a lot harder to make me angry here...since I see nothing wrong with what you posted as a matter of fact I tend to agree with you


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## CB Jones (Aug 31, 2017)

Bill Mattocks said:


> Do you have a fire extinguisher?



Yes



Bill Mattocks said:


> Do you know how to evacuate your home, have you practiced it? The whole family? Have you given assignments to family members, who gets the baby, who gets the cat, who gets the photo albums? When to abandon attempts to protect non-living or non-human things and just skedaddle? How about a rally point, where all the human occupants can meet up, so that no one mistakenly goes back into a flooded or burning house to retrieve someone who is actually safe, but standing somewhere else?



No we will adapt and overcome



Bill Mattocks said:


> do you have a way to quickly replace ID, credit cards, access your bank accounts that is NOT in your house that just flooded or burned down? Do you even have your account numbers, PIN numbers, phone numbers to call to begin that process?



Yes



Bill Mattocks said:


> How about a Will, Living or otherwise? Durable power of attorney on file with your attorney, mailed to relatives who don't live near you, etc? DNR's or other requirements that you'd like honored?



No



Bill Mattocks said:


> How about your medications? If you wear glasses or contacts, how about spares?



No medications or glasses needed



Bill Mattocks said:


> Can you treat a wound? Can you find a doctor in an emergency? Do you have access to antibiotics? Can you make clean water when tap water becomes contaminated?



Yes



Bill Mattocks said:


> How about clean socks? Good boots? Another pair of good boots? More clean socks?



At home lots of clean socks and boots



Bill Mattocks said:


> Do you have general as well as specific plans?



No adapt and overcome



Bill Mattocks said:


> Can you spot bad weather coming by cloud formations and other natural signs?



Yes plus we have apps on phone and department notifications



Bill Mattocks said:


> How about insurance?



Covered


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## Bill Mattocks (Aug 31, 2017)

CB Jones said:


> Yes plus we have apps on phone and department notifications



22-year-old SC man dies after going back into burning mobile home for phone

*22-year-old SC man dies after going back into burning mobile home for phone*

Bensalem woman dies after running back into house fire to rescue her dog

*Bensalem woman dies after running back into house fire to rescue her dog*

*Man runs back into burning home to rescue Xbox*

*Devoted gamer runs back into burning house to save his Xbox
*


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## Tez3 (Aug 31, 2017)

Bill Mattocks said:


> Do you have a fire extinguisher?



Yes. Two full sized ones in the house and a vehicle one in the car.



Bill Mattocks said:


> Do you know how to evacuate your home, have you practiced it? The whole family? Have you given assignments to family members, who gets the baby, who gets the cat, who gets the photo albums? When to abandon attempts to protect non-living or non-human things and just skedaddle? How about a rally point, where all the human occupants can meet up, so that no one mistakenly goes back into a flooded or burning house to retrieve someone who is actually safe, but standing somewhere else?



Yes. As both of us are ex military we have plans in place. As a Guide leader I have plans in place for the meeting halls we have our units in, in fact we have a badge for the Guides ( all ages) which involves them setting out plans for home in case of fire etc. as well as who to contact, where to go and what to do. I have a long habit of risk assessing any building I'm in, comes fro my career choices.




Bill Mattocks said:


> For those interested in more long-range things - do you have a way to quickly replace ID, credit cards, access your bank accounts that is NOT in your house that just flooded or burned down? Do you even have your account numbers, PIN numbers, phone numbers to call to begin that process?



yes



Bill Mattocks said:


> How about a Will, Living or otherwise? Durable power of attorney on file with your attorney, mailed to relatives who don't live near you, etc? DNR's or other requirements that you'd like honored?



yes. It's useful to have all those things sorted whether or not there's likely to be an emergency, it saves your family a lot of grief in the vent of your demise.



Bill Mattocks said:


> How about your medications? If you wear glasses or contacts, how about spares?



Always just for everyday life. 



Bill Mattocks said:


> Can you treat a wound? Can you find a doctor in an emergency? Do you have access to antibiotics? Can you make clean water when tap water becomes contaminated?


  First aid trained as well as having experience in applying it. Antibiotics if obtained legally not so much but....... clean water yes.



Bill Mattocks said:


> How about clean socks? Good boots? Another pair of good boots? More clean socks?



I'm the generation that was taught 'wear one, one in the wash, one spare' though obviously have more spare these days.



Bill Mattocks said:


> Do you have general as well as specific plans? "If the whole city floods, we will leave as early as possible and travel by car to X location, where we already have spoken to our relatives and they will put us up if need by, and we'll do the same for them." When the roads make driving impassible, do you have a backup plan?



Yes because we've both been through terrorist campaigns etc and know what we will do. 



Bill Mattocks said:


> How about insurance? If you own your home, did you know that your homeowner's insurance (in the USA) typically does NOT cover backed-up sewer line flooding unless you specifically request it and pay a very small yearly fee? Same for floods; the government sells national flood insurance, but fewer than 20% of residents in Houston have it. Do you have it? Oh, you live outside a 100 year flood plain? Well good luck with that, sport. So did many Houstonians.



We are unlikely to be flooded we live on a hill but plenty of other things can happen. We live so close to the largest military garrison in Europe, a prime target in times of war.
I also, because of my mother, am ready to move countries within a few hours notice. My mother was caught by the Nazis and put in a camp. Afterwards in the UK she was always ready to move if it became necessary, she wasn't going to be caught again so had a bag with passports and an international form of currency ready. That's rubbed off on me to an extent ( and from me to my kids) but also I'm a Girl Guide who loves the motto and tries to live up to it... Be Prepared. Always!


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## CB Jones (Aug 31, 2017)

Yeah, the area I live is the highest part of the state.....if it floods everywhere else is already screwed.


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## Bill Mattocks (Aug 31, 2017)

It's very cool to discover that at least a few of us have thought about those things.  I sometimes feel like the Lone Ranger; either no one thinks about preparing for events that might actually happen and prefer to fret over fantasies about the UN invading, or they go LOL, if I die I die I don't care LOL.


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## Gerry Seymour (Aug 31, 2017)

Bill Mattocks said:


> It's been awhile since I've gone on a rant about self-defense, so I thought it time again.  Particularly with recent events due to Hurricane Harvey.
> 
> Self-defense.  It's a term that describes itself pretty well.  Defense of self.  Meaning, self-preservation.  Remaining alive and hopefully functioning well.  Anything that has to do with that issue is self-defense.  It's pretty easy to grasp that concept, I think.
> 
> ...


Much like our MA training, most of us have areas of this where we are week. The most important thing is to recognize those weaknesses, and either accept the risk they entail, or go about fixing them.


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## oftheherd1 (Aug 31, 2017)

All good stuff Bill.  Having been a Boy Scout when young, and serving a long time in the military, one learns to make efforts to be prepared.  But it requires thought and fantasy gaming.  Since I had never owned a home, I wasn't as prepared as I could have been, but thankfully,  still somewhat so. 

I taught both my girls how to change a tire on a car, resulting on one very surprised good Samaritan. 

I made sure everyone knew relatives to contact, as well as church members.

But depending on the catastrophe, if you don't keep up with yourself, and try to think ahead, Murphy may strike.

Anyway thanks for the reminder.


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## Xue Sheng (Aug 31, 2017)

Bill Mattocks said:


> Devoted gamer runs back into burning house to save his Xbox



But...but..it was an Xbox...... I mean......it is worth risking life and limb for...isn't it


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## Bill Mattocks (Aug 31, 2017)

Xue Sheng said:


> But...but..it was an Xbox...... I mean......it is worth risking life and limb for...isn't it



Heh.  I don't know.  I've never played a computer game, despite earning my living these days in IT.  Never owned a game console.  I mean, I played Pac-Man at the arcade when I was a kid, but nothing since them.  Just not a gamer.  Don't watch TV either.  Obviously something wrong with me.


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## oftheherd1 (Aug 31, 2017)

Bill Mattocks said:


> Heh.  I don't know.  I've never played a computer game, despite earning my living these days in IT.  Never owned a game console.  I mean, I played Pac-Man at the arcade when I was a kid, but nothing since them.  Just not a gamer.  *Don't watch TV either*.  Obviously something wrong with me.



You were OK until you got to the no TV.  Ignore button for you!!


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## Xue Sheng (Aug 31, 2017)

Bill Mattocks said:


> Heh.  I don't know.  I've never played a computer game, despite earning my living these days in IT.  Never owned a game console.  I mean, I played Pac-Man at the arcade when I was a kid, but nothing since them.  Just not a gamer.  Don't watch TV either.  Obviously something wrong with me.



You and me both, the kids have a Wii, but I never use the thing...I played a lot of the video arcade stuff way back in the old days.... and I've been in IT for many years


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## Gerry Seymour (Aug 31, 2017)

Xue Sheng said:


> You and me both, the kids have a Wii, but I never use the thing...I played a lot of the video arcade stuff way back in the old days.... and I've been in IT for many years


I'm sure, somehow, you are both violating the TOS. If not for MT, at least for America.


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## Xue Sheng (Aug 31, 2017)

gpseymour said:


> I'm sure, somehow, you are both violating the TOS. If not for MT, at least for America.


 
You're just jealous because you were able to play video games what Graphics as AWESOME as Bill and I were able to use


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## Gerry Seymour (Aug 31, 2017)

Xue Sheng said:


> You're just jealous because you were able to play video games what Graphics as AWESOME as Bill and I were able to use


Oh, but I was. I grew up on stuff like Pong and Combat:


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## CB Jones (Aug 31, 2017)

gpseymour said:


> Oh, but I was. I grew up on stuff like Pong and Combat:



Man I used to love Combat back in the day.


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## Danny T (Aug 31, 2017)

Last video game I played was Pong...in the bars. At that time was the only places it was available.

Bill I am in agreement with most all you presented above. 
Self defense has little to do with fighting though fighting can be a form of self defense.


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## Buka (Aug 31, 2017)

Good stuff, Bill. Taught a women's self defense course just a few weeks ago. Went over a great deal of what you mentioned. [never thought about spare glasses, though, good tip, thanks Bill] It was limited as it was only two days, but, hey, you do what you can.

A lot of what we covered was specific to our area - middle of the ocean, most isolated land mass on the planet, side of a God damn volcano, dealing with tsunamis, fire, local power outages, dealing with local law enforcement, utilizing the "coconut wireless" when power is gone, baby, gone. How to case your own house, bug out bags, having a pre-planned, flood free zone to _meet up with your family_ when IT hits the fan - one with more than one access point. About gas in your car, cash in your stash, charged cell phones, no cell phones, how bubble wrap is great against hypothermia, water purification things you should have on hand, canned foods, where to go on this island, where not to go on this island etc. And a lot more.

Our state has been very lucky the last few decades, our hurricane season is July - December. But, of course, it's just a matter of when, not if.


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## lklawson (Aug 31, 2017)

Bill Mattocks said:


> It's been awhile since I've gone on a rant about self-defense, so I thought it time again.  Particularly with recent events due to Hurricane Harvey.
> 
> Self-defense.  It's a term that describes itself pretty well.  Defense of self.  Meaning, self-preservation.  Remaining alive and hopefully functioning well.  Anything that has to do with that issue is self-defense.  It's pretty easy to grasp that concept, I think.
> 
> ...


American Warrior Show, podcasts 101, parts I and II.

The American Warrior Show

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk


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## drop bear (Aug 31, 2017)

We were still training during our little cyclone we just had. Well I wasn't. I took the week off.


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## JP3 (Aug 31, 2017)

Bill Mattocks said:


> Do you have a fire extinguisher?
> 
> * Yep, both at home and at office.
> 
> ...


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## Brian King (Aug 31, 2017)

Nice thread Bill,
JP3 hope that things dry out. Every news cast catches my attention. Have to say that your communities seem to be working together and are impressing the world and me. Hat tip sir.

Back to thread-
An area not mentioned is community and mental health. I have a built in advantage in the form of our Pyr and the need to walk her three + times a day. We know nearly everyone within a good half mile around our home and most have seen us walking. The children are hypnotized by a large friendly looking dog and folks are willing to say hello, wave, and hold some conversations. One of our neighbors B is in his 90’s and still walks the neighborhood every day. Most in the neighborhood do not like him as he used to have the habit of using his neighbor’s yard bird baths for an occasional ‘sit down’ waste disposal. He is a neighbor I would check out during situations, as he was a submariner in the Second World War and gets a pass for bad neighbor antics. L and K across the street are good folks and L is great with a chain saw and has a large pick up and boat. W the neighbor next to him is a good person and along with his wife are raising a bunch of youngsters. W my next-door neighbor in a jerk, but also a retired engineer, has a boat, small dog, and we get along well with his wife and can tolerate him LOL. The lady in the big red house behind me is in her 80’s and lives alone. She used to be harshly beaten but he passed ten or fifteen years ago and her life has been much easier, I would check on her during situations. About a year ago we had some drugged idiots trying to break into a couple of homes. Cops were dispatched and a few neighbors came out and checked on other neighbors and their homes.  I could go on and on but the point is get to know your neighbors. What does getting to know your neighbors have to do with mental health, well, during an emergency a tried and true method for staying calm and healthy is to find someone worse off than yourself and then help them. The sense of trauma is markedly lower when there is a sense of circumstances not being helpless and finding meaning/mission greater than yourself. By helping others, you are also helping yourself. How cool is that? Don’t have a dog, get out and walk around the neighborhood and be friendly. Say hello, talk about the weather, the garden, their dog… Live in apt or condo get out and meet folks, attend building events or hold them.


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## Bill Mattocks (Aug 31, 2017)

Here's the 411 on the insurance most people don't have but should:

What is "Sewer Backup"?

*What is "Sewer Backup"?*
While floods are probably best known for causing extensive water damage to homes and businesses, they can also cause sewage from sanitary sewer lines to back up into houses through drain pipes. These backups not only cause damage that is difficult and expensive to repair, but also create health hazards.

Most homeowner and business insurance policies do not cover sewer backup unless specific sewer backup coverage is added to the policy, according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.). “Obtaining an insurance rider on a homeowners or business policy would cover such damage if it occurs,” said Loretta Worters, vice president, I.I.I.

“Sewer backup coverage is available from most insurers for a nominal cost, usually $40-$50 on an annual insurance policy,” she said.


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## Tames D (Sep 1, 2017)

Bill Mattocks said:


> Bensalem woman dies after running back into house fire to rescue her dog


I would do this in a heartbeat. No question about it.


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## marques (Sep 1, 2017)

Great point.

My ex self-defence school was focusing on a different point: health. Which is also an aspect of self-defence. Everything we do may affect our survival, or at least, our wellbeing. It was quite like "we are our first and biggest enemy, so don't bother only with mad men".

PS: Not many hurricanes or floodings there, fortunately.


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## BuckerooBonzai (Sep 1, 2017)

Tez3 said:


> "Yes. As both of us are ex military we have plans in place. As a Guide leader I have plans in place for the meeting halls we have our units in, in fact we have a badge for the Guides ( all ages) which involves them setting out plans for home in case of fire etc. as well as who to contact, where to go and what to do. I have a long habit of risk assessing any building I'm in, comes fro my career choices."
> 
> 
> What type of Guiding do you do?
> ...


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## BuckerooBonzai (Sep 1, 2017)

Sorry Tez3.  Somehow my response appears in your quoted area of text above! 

Not very tech savvy here!


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## Tez3 (Sep 1, 2017)

BuckerooBonzai said:


> Sorry Tez3.  Somehow my response appears in your quoted area of text above!
> 
> Not very tech savvy here!



No worries, I'm the same! I'm bashing my head at the moment with a new website Girl Guiding has set up here to replace an old one, there's problems their end because so many are trying to get on but I seem to have more problems than most, I've phoned up, thought it was sorted but it's not, can't login in, it doesn't want me sob sob. And they said it would make our lives easier huh!


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## BuckerooBonzai (Sep 1, 2017)

Tez3 said:


> No worries, I'm the same! I'm bashing my head at the moment with a new website Girl Guiding has set up here to replace an old one, there's problems their end because so many are trying to get on but I seem to have more problems than most, I've phoned up, thought it was sorted but it's not, can't login in, it doesn't want me sob sob. And they said it would make our lives easier huh!



Yes, someday these computery-things will make our lives easier, eh???


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## Gerry Seymour (Sep 1, 2017)

Tames D said:


> I would do this in a heartbeat. No question about it.


I probably would, too. Sometimes, I'm not very practical.


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## Tez3 (Sep 1, 2017)

BuckerooBonzai said:


> Yes, someday these computery-things will make our lives easier, eh???



This is us. Girlguiding | The Leading UK Charity for Girls & Young Women it's the internal part for leaders that's doolally at the moment not the main website.


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## Buka (Sep 1, 2017)

Tames D said:


> I would do this in a heartbeat. No question about it.



I'm with you, bro. I would run into any fire to save a member of your family, or my dog, or your dog for that matter. Couldn't live with myself otherwise. Easy to say, sure, but I've been in fires. If it's too much, the fire just blows you back, not a damn thing you can do, no matter who you are. Period, end of story.

I'll do just about anything to save a dog. God, I hate to say, but maybe even more than a people.


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## Bill Mattocks (Sep 1, 2017)

Buka said:


> I'm with you, bro. I would run into any fire to save a member of your family, or my dog, or your dog for that matter. Couldn't live with myself otherwise. Easy to say, sure, but I've been in fires. If it's too much, the fire just blows you back, not a damn thing you can do, no matter who you are. Period, end of story.
> 
> I'll do just about anything to save a dog. God, I hate to say, but maybe even more than a people.



And nothing against it. Just lost my boy two weeks ago, I'm gutted. 

But it's not 'self-defense', speaking literally.


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## Tez3 (Sep 1, 2017)

In the area I live in everyone knows everyone plus all their relatives and everything that has happened to them or they've done for the past 100 years (actually probably longer). Doors are still unlocked, strangers would be noticed within seconds and everyone helps everyone else. they'll still gossip about you mind!. it is like this except the police don't say 'hello' no one does, the universal greeting is 'Na then'. 
Let's move to Wensleydale, North Yorkshire


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## oftheherd1 (Sep 1, 2017)

Bill Mattocks said:


> And nothing against it. Just lost my boy two weeks ago, I'm gutted.
> 
> But it's not 'self-defense', speaking literally.



Sorry to hear that Bill, and to hear it still bothers you that way.

What more can be said.


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## Brian R. VanCise (Sep 1, 2017)

Great thread Bill!  Wish I could contribute more but unfortunately work only gives me a few minutes to post on here a day for a week or so more.


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## Tez3 (Sep 1, 2017)

People shouldn't make the mistake though that where we live is a pushover lol, most of us have shotguns and dogs, we have large gardens for veggies and chickens. There's plenty of game up in the hills. We have sheep farmers as well as a couple of dairy ones. Most of us can knit ( many of us can spin wool too) and sew as well having 'do it yourself' skills ( Yorkshire people will never pay for anything they can do themselves) we have fresh water springs as well as the river. We have horses and ponies for transport. Nothing like a Dales pony, you can use them for riding and pulling a cart (and plough) they are such a handsome breed too with a good temperament. Often in winter we are cut off so we do stock up well.

By the way if anyone fancies coming up here and running a pub there's one for sale in Swaledale. The Tan Hill Inn, Britain's highest pub, is up for sale - BBC News


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## Kababayan (Sep 14, 2017)

I think the "legality" of self defense should be taught more.  I teach knife personal protection and in my field I see way too many "knife instructors" teaching the "slash 'em up" method which will just get them arrested.  The "he attacked me first so it was self defense" argument doesn't always work in the court of law.


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## lklawson (Sep 14, 2017)

Kababayan said:


> I think the "legality" of self defense should be taught more.  I teach knife personal protection and in my field I see way too many "knife instructors" teaching the "slash 'em up" method which will just get them arrested.  The "he attacked me first so it was self defense" argument doesn't always work in the court of law.


The 4 Pillars of Justifiable Deadly Force are required whether it is a firearm, a knife, or a tire iron.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk


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