Boone Cutler is author of "Voodoo in Sadr City" and host of Tipping Point. He wrote this in response to the latest school shooting. Republished here with permission.
By: Boone Cutler
September 30, 2014
Don't be puzzled by "it" when you should have already gotten away from "it". GO... GO ... GO ... get gone and leave nothing but a vapor trail.
The most sensible strategy for survival of a person untrained and unequipped for a lethal engagement is to avoid the kill zone and create distance from the threat or danger. Agreed?
Terrorizing gunmen, rampages of the mentally ill, bombs, gas attacks, perverts, terror attacks and anything dangerous with flesh and opposable thumbs; the strategy always applies to the untrained and unequipped.
Run away and live to fight another day. If you agree then why do we keep our kids in the kill zone; the school itself during an attack. Why not leave? Quickly.
Kids can run; let them. The average third grader has better stamina than most adults and high school students possess the cognitive ability to make good decisions when they are trained well.
Teach them to run and where to run to. Have a plan. Have a plan. Have a plan and practice it. Last time; have a plan and practice it. Having a plan keeps people from freezing up. Don't get stuck. People don't rise to the occasion; they default to their training. No training to avoid death means; you are more likely to die in a lethal situation. Simply true.
If the school district plan is to contain your kids (in the kill zone); tell your kids to follow your plan and not theirs. What's worse; detention or death? Make sure they know they have your permission ahead of time and don't text you until they are safe. Text nobody, call nobody; eyes up and move. Their energy should be focused on the real world and not the digital one. Charge them with the authority to make decisions to save their own lives.
As a parent, would you rather get a text from your child that reads,"There was a shooting at school but I ran home. We r outta Cheetos can u bring some home... thx." or would you rather get a text, "ima scarrd and dont kno wat to do. Ppl r shooting and Im n bathroom hiding"?
Make a practical decision and make the one you can live with. Don't believe me if you choose not to but I know what I tell the people I love. I can live with it.
A scatter and create distance strategy works for anyone during all threat situations when you are in a defenseless situation. At a mall, at a school, on the street and so on. Do what works and have a plan ahead of time. Teach your family. As Ranger Hall-of-Fame inductee Gary O'Neal says... There are only three options; ever. You can fight, run or hide; that's it.
Pick the one that increases your survivability and cultivate your "Will to Survive". Clearing the area also removes the likelihood of hostages so Law Enforcement have a more advantageous situation. Dangerous situations; suck. Bad guys with hostages; sucks more. Do what sucks; don't do what "sucks more". Let the trained first responders do their jobs; don't make more work and confusion for them. Deconflict the situation as much as possible. Teamwork.
Know the difference between "cover" and "concealment". Practice picking a good route based on cover and concealment but above all haul-ass away from danger.
In close-distance to a threat, accuracy becomes easy for your adversary; the further you are from the threat the safer you are because you are a harder "target" to hit. Basic reality. Distance is your friend so use the instincts God gave you and trust them. F**k all the political correct answers and opinions; live.
Respond to the threat by running in the opposite direction of danger. Run all the way home. Your home is a defendable rally point for your family; make two more. Scatter, boogie, rally and get to a position of strength that is defendable. Until then, keep running. Avoid death by evading what is trying to kill you. Simple.
A large group of people running their asses off away from a threat is a better plan than allowing yourself to be contained in an area close to the danger.
Don't be channeled to an open field with no cover. Don't be pinned in a room with no escape or defendability greater than the threat. Respond quickly and sensibly get ahead of the panic-of-people that don't have a plan so you don't get trampled on. Run your ass off if you can't eliminate the threat because its your best option to survive. By no means is this a catch-all plan; but it's a start. Improve it based on the principles it contains.
Rule number one is always: Survive the experience.
All the way, Boone
WRITTEN: September 30, 2014
WRITTEN: September 30, 2014
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