To begin with, this is a win, nothing happened, no one got hurt, killed, or went to jail. Most of the feedback that we have received has been positive, praising what a great job she did, and that there was not much that she could have done differently. However, in keeping with our philosophy of teaching you how to think, not what to think, and always trying to do better, let’s take a closer look. Her awareness and observations before her exercise routine were great, she took the time to look around, saw the truck, made note of it, and went along with her day. When she saw the truck the second time, and it caused her some concern, is where this story should have ended. We tell women all the time to trust their “gut.” Why not turn around, walk back to your car, and exercise another day or in a different place? If you have time and distance, avoidance is usually the best, safest, easiest, and the first choice you should make. She decided to continue her walk and approach and pass the truck. Prior, she moved her safety gear to her dominate side (bear spray) and opened her coat so that she could access her firearm if she needed it. This implies that they were not in a spot where she would have been able to get to them as fast as necessary should a life-threatening situation arise. The sole purpose of carrying these items is to be able to use them as quickly as possible to save your life. If you cannot get to them in an emergency, they are useless. It would be prudent to start your walk with them in a place where you can get to them when needed without having to adjust or move them to make it easier when the threat appears. She did this “casually… Just like I’m going to unzip my coat, no big deal.” Bad guys, like bears, are usually looking for easy prey. Appearing “casual” while approaching a potential threat is the opposite of what you should be doing. You want to appear to be the hardest target possible. Hopefully it gives the attacker pause before deciding to take the risk of a fight and carry out the crime. This isn’t to say pull your gun out and point it at them as you walk by, but a least have your spray in your non-dominate hand to reduce the time it would take to use it, and leave your dominate hand free if you were forced to use your gun instead of the spray.

One of our group sent this to us and asked what we thought. Before we answer, we'd really like to hear what you guys think. Post your comments, questions, reactions, and we'll cover this in the upcoming days. S&J

Watch the hands, not the eyes. Danger is revealed in movements more than words. What's your best tip for staying safe?

This is Part-2 on the Georgia school shooting series where we will discuss what we can do to prevent the next one from happening. On September 4, 2024, a mass shooting occurred at Apalachee High School near Winder, Georgia. The suspect, 14-years old, allegedly shot 13 people. Two students and two teachers were killed, while nine others were injured. We've already discussed some of the questions that should be asked and answered when one of these incidents happen. But, what can be done before the next one occurs to prevent the trauma and loss of life and to prevent the need put more guns in the schools? A significant number of the murderers who commit these crimes have been reported to the police, FBI, DOJ, and so on, all of whom have failed to either recognize or marginalized the the threat to the point where little or nothing was done. The current system has been a failure. What can be done to fix the protocols to increase the chances of stopping the next tragedy? We believe that there is a solution. What if law enforcement agencies approached these calls from a different perspective? What if they used a team response to prevent the murders and get the potential murderer the help they need before they cross that line? What would that look like? How could that happen? Part of the problem is that there is no standard procedure for handling these types of calls, leaving a patchwork of responses coupled that with a lack of communications within the individual departments, schools, the community, and state and federal law enforcement. We suggest a standard set of procedures that law enforcement can put in place on a national level and a team response to these and all mental health calls for service. There should be at least one officer (preferably two) who is trained and assigned to investigate and respond to these types of calls. This officer should be partnered with a board certified mental health professional who specializes in the field, is employed by department, and responds with the officer to evaluate the person in question. Most people can "hide their crazy" for the 10-15 minutes during a normal contact with police. Having an officer who is trained to recognize certain behaviors increases the odds that abnormal/violent tendencies will be detected earlier. But, if a skilled psychiatrist is on scene conducting and directing the interview, they can reduce that time significantly. Based on their initial contact there may or may not be a need for further action.

By now you’ve probably heard about the mass shooting at the Catholic school in Minnesota. The details of the murders themselves follow a familiar pattern—and we’ll save that discussion for another day. What struck us was a video from inside the church during the evacuation. It shows the chaos as children and adults ran for their lives before police ever arrived. Two men appear in that footage. One held the door. Another filmed on his phone. That was it. And if you watch closely, you’ll notice something heartbreaking: the children running past them looked up—searching for direction, for leadership, for safety. What they got instead was silence. A man with a phone. A man holding a door. Neither stepping up. Neither taking responsibility. Neither leading. These weren’t strangers on the street. These were men in their own parish. Presumably “Men of faith.” Men who, in that moment, had no plan, no presence, and no ability to guide the flock in front of them. To top it off, one of them decided it was worth releasing the footage for the rest of the world to see. What This Reveals: We don’t just need men in our churches, schools, and workplaces. We need men of strength and clarity. Men who are prepared physically, mentally, and spiritually to lead their families—and anyone in their care—to safety when danger strikes. Holding a door isn’t leadership. Filming chaos isn’t protection. Our families deserve better. Questions for You and Your Family: - When you entrust your kids to a school, a church, or even a workplace—what do you expect of the adults around them? - Do you assume someone will rise to the occasion… or do you know who actually can? - If the unthinkable happened in your presence, would your children, your spouse, your community look at you—and find strength? At The Vigilant Family, we ask the hard questions because ignoring them leaves people vulnerable. Are you equipped? Are you prepared? Or are you just hoping someone else will be? Because hope is not a strategy.