I just finished with my NRA Instructor’s classes and one of the things covered was the need to have talk with counselor/chaplain/shrink after a self-defensive shooting. I have to admit that the one thing I never thought about but makes to have an understanding person so you can open up and share the events with confidence.

I understand that we civilian shooters tend to be independent and that we firmly believe on depending on the fewest amount of people possible (and zero from the government) but the aftermath of a defensive shooting is something not to take lightly or be unnecessary proud to ask for help. Let’s imagine (God forbid) that you have just shot a Bad Guy that attacked you or your loved ones, there are plenty of witnesses that will corroborate the righteousness  of your actions and even plenty of video cameras that recorded the whole thing. The police arrives and if they are any good, they will initially treat you and anybody still standing as suspect. It makes sense, they were not there where it happened and they must perform an investigation. You are still draining adrenalin and this guy in blue will listen with detachment, keep you at arms’ length and you will feel bothered at best, insulted at most. You know you did the right thing. All the training paid off, you saved a life and yet it is not recognized by the responding officer and later by the investigators. That will shake anybody at anytime and you are not the exception.

Later, and depending where you live, you may have to go through the hands of the local district attorney and even a grand jury. You will be put under the microscope, examined up and down, questioned, challenged and doubted. Even though if the D.A. decides to call the shooting self-defense and announce it to the world, even if the Grand Jury returns with a No Bill, the experience will affect you. And let us not forget our dear Media people, desperate for news and your comment more likely to portray you as a rabid vigilante while showing the crying mother of the critter saying that her little angle was not a criminal and spewing venom against you. This will enrage you.

And last, your friends and neighbors. You will have those that will see you with new eyes and not the best. You have broken the ultimate societal taboo: You killed a human being: The Mark of Cain.  Whispers will be exchanged as you walk by. Some parents will tell their kids no to walk by your house or play with your kids. Some will openly question your actions and offer alternative solutions on how you should have faced the situation. Each and every comment, gesture, look will lay heavily on your mind and may change you for the worst. At the end, you will find yourself wallowing in self doubt, self recrimination and an assorted menu of feelings that will make you miserable.

Police and Military are smart. They have established support systems to deal with this kind of stuff. First the individual belongs to a fraternity that will immediately support his fellow officer or serviceman. Then they have counselors standing by and even make it mandatory for the individual to attend. Even if the person involved in the shooting gets unloaded upon by civilians and the press, he has a group of supporters backing him up. We civilians do not have that. It is up to us to prepare for it.

At the class I mentioned earlier, I was lucky to meet a counselor for a local police department. He is a Rabbi and a shooter plus his experience with officer involved shootings give him a special outlook on what happens to an individual after a self defense situation. I spoke some with him and he struck me as a very well prepared and empathic person who knows when to listen, when to comfort and when to counsel. He even offered one other advantage about talking to a counselor/chaplain/shrink: Confidentiality. What you say to a counselor/chaplain/shrink, stays private and privileged under the eyes of the law.

Right now his card is in my wallet, a part of my urban survival kit. I hope I never have to call him other than saying hello and invite him over to shoot with our club.

PS: I forgot to mention something. I am catholic (way lapsed) and have a rabbi on standby. You don’t have to be choosy about what type of counselor you need, just find somebody who will help.

Several bloggers and a couple or more thousands of lucky readers have already plagued the net and Amazon comment section with the equivalent of standing ovations about Larry Correia’s book about Vampires, Werewolves, The Cursed One and other assorted monsters.  A horror book written by gun guy who actually knows about firearms is just too good to pass so don’t.  I did a review a while back so out of laziness I will just let you read it by clicking here. Click on the picture and pre-order your copy now.

I’ll leave you now. I am halfway on my 8th re-reading or MHI. Yes, it is that good.

And a moving text from another Blogger:

• A day in the life of an Ambulance Driver

Today at work shortly before the end of the shift, I was enjoying the latest SWAT Magazine issue and in particular an article by Rob Sloyer about setting up rifle matches when a coworker walked by and asked me what was I reading. I did not reply but just showed him the cover of the magazine… and it happen.

Idiot: (chuckle, chuckle) “Are you one of those Gun Lovers?” (chuckle)

Me: “I do not love inanimate objects, only living things. How about you? Do you love a particular piece of equipment?”

Idiot: “Uhh…. (blank stare)

Me: “Dude, go away.”

Hoplophobes and Gun Haters (yes, they are haters of inanimate objects) seem to still be stuck with the notion that Gun People are inbred rednecks, schtumping their sisters, chugging beer and watching wrestling. And I know that Idiot saw me that way even though I am a Hispanic, only child that does not drink alcohol and falls asleep at the mention of Wrestlemania.

And we supposedly are the prejudiced ones.

You know your brain is about fried when you check your Blog’s site admin area and find 7 drafts that are only three lines long. In 10 days I’ll be officially out of a job and immersed in my NRA Instructor’s classes. After that I plan to do nothing much for a couple of weeks but rest, catch up on my reading (shitload of books coming soon), watch some TV, reload and shoot some. My neurons need to release all that negative energy and just vegetate for a while. However I am sure the Missus will find something for me to do. Damn it!

And in June we begin another Hurricane season. According to the experts “the 2009 hurricane season anticipates 14 named storms forming in the Atlantic basin between June 1 and Nov. 30. Seven of the 14 storms are predicted to become hurricanes, and of those seven, three are expected to develop into intense or major hurricanes (Saffir/Simpson category 3-4-5) with sustained winds of 111 mph or greater” which translates to we are going to get raped by pneumatic force or (if history repeats the theme of the last couple of years) we won’ get much but a breeze and a couple of showers. Anyway, it will be time again to check on the Hurricane supplies. I know I am well stocked on ammo (the beauty of reloading) and all firearms are functional. Drinking Water wise we have enough for 5 days in assorted water bottles and jugs. Food is about the sane for canned and I can whip up some other alternatives with the stuff in the freezer before a tropical twister decides to visit. Just in case I’ll review Southcom’s Hurricane Survival Kit once more and refill as necessary. Wife already warned that 12 different types of flashlights are more than enough, thank you.

Note to self: Casted semi-wadcutter bullets for IDPA matches make for very slow and crappy revolver reloads. They do sure cut the paper pretty though. Lee Mold for round nose bullets in whish list.

Speaking of revolvers, I have to say that they are fun to shoot. I bought an used S&W model 65-2 .357 magnum with a 4 inch barrel. The only modification to it was installing a set of Wolff springs and a Hogue grip and that thing was good to go. I’ve had a chance to shoot it during IDPA matches and I found it very accurate (however the shooter is NOT accurate by any means) plus the added value of forcing me to make sure the rounds end up in the A zone because I don’t have that many rounds or the speed available as the semi-auto guys.  Now the only thing I need is an ICORE club in the area to be really happy.  As of now, the only club in Florida is way north in Jacksonville at the Gateway Rifle and Pistol Club.

So I will soon be joining the millions out there without a job. Amazingly enough, rather than bad times almost everybody at my hotel is being sacked because the hotel is going into renovations. The sheer stupidity of shutting down right before the tourist season with at least three major conventions coming to the area during the same season and leaving over a hundred people without jobs has not ran well with the working bees. Hell, people are pissed off and they are vocal about it leaving me wondering if somebody may actually work out his/her anger into a full revenge mode.

Of course the same management that made the decision of sacrificing the goose of the golden eggs has prepared itself in the event of a really pissed-off worker deciding to use them as target practice with the poster pictured above which details how to respond to an active shooter. Also some cute card-sized instructions have been passed along so you can pull you bifocals and read them as soon as you hear the detonations. That and 911 is pretty much all the permitted defense we are entitled to in a Gun Free Zone because as sure a Christ made little apples, Security (Me and my fellow officers) is not going to risk becoming a receptacle of bullets for anybody at work. Callous? you betcha but I kinda value my life first and foremost and unarmed heroics make for a nice obituary and a widow but not much else.

Thankfully in Florida we are allowed to have our weapons secured in our vehicles at work. Not that it will make a whole lot difference if I happen to be one of the first unlucky ones that face an active shooter but if I am spared of the initial volley, I can always make a bee line for the parking lot, retrieve my sidearm and take a defensive posture (And you thought I was going for the heroic shit and save the day? Nope!) It was my custom to leave my vehicle keys in the locker so I would not lose them during the active shift, but after the announcement that we were out, I carry them with me all times. I also try to park as accessible as possible to the work area and my awareness of everything and everybody has grown  a hundered-fold. Still it is a incomplete solution to a serious compounded problem created by silly job and legal politics. Then again it will be over in 2 weeks. Till then, prayer is in the procedures instead of a gun.