It was a Dark and Stormy Night.........

While corny I always laughed at the way Snoopy began his oft started but never completed novel. Like many people Snoopy was blissfully unaware of the world around him except when it came to supper time.

From my days in Law Enforcement I know that when the economy goes down crime goes up. Another factor in todays crime rate is the break down of the family and too many parents letting video games and TV provide the moral structure for their children. That coupled to a lack of positive role modeling over the years by one or both parents is a recipe for social disaster. I think we are reaping the harvest now.

One example of a poor role model occurred when I made a traffic stop one day on a speeder. He had his really cute 6 year old son seat belted properly in the back seat. As I was talking to the Dad the little boy loudly offered up some graphic explicative's as to my manhood and sat in the back seat with both middle digits in the air. Had he a third hand that middle finger would have been raised also.

The Dad was horrified, very embarrassed, and admonished the child. The little boy quickly replied to his Father, "But that's what you always call the cops!" I had a feeling when that parent's child reached his teen years the parents would have further opportunities to be horrified and embarrassed. By then it will be too late to do much about it.

The first of two goals for this blog is to simply motivate people from all walks of life to think about and acquire safe personal habits when it comes to possible assailants or crime happening near them. Many people are acquiring a new found appreciation for the role of fire arms in our society. Owning a fire arm also requires a sense of responsibility towards the safe use and storage of fire arms.

The second goal is to have an open discussion around the issues of lawfully carrying concealed weapons especially as it applies to the Kansas City metro area.

I will try and get some statistics from the Jackson County Sheriff as to the number of CCW permits issued in Jackson County Missouri, the number of people turned away and common reasons for denial of a CCW permit. Hopefully this will provide positive feed back to the many CCW permit holders in the area and the Sheriff's Office alike. And on that subject I have heard positive things this last year about the customer service improvements at the Jackson County Sheriff's Office.

I will pass along to you books or other publications that I have found helpful towards self defense of our selves and our families. These are publications and web sites I share with my CCW and Advanced CCW students in my classes. Go by www.SafeShoot.com for more information on my offerings.

As appropriate I will have some comments about recent or national crime events and incidents involving citizens using firearms in self defense situations. One issue I will be commenting on in the near future is the role of parents educating their children in the safe use of fire arms and why is this subject not addressed in our school districts?

Most comments and suggestions on either side of an issue are encouraged and welcome. Those comments not welcome are ones including profanity, racial, gender, or religious slurs, personal attacks, or comments about political affiliation. If my 12 year old son reads a post and says, "Dad what does that word mean?" the post will probably be deleted.