Gun Myths 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Today is Day 7 of the 12 Days of Christmas. This week, in light of it being in the middle of the 12 Days of Christmas, this blog will concentrate on the 12 gun myths of Christmas (or really, of all time).


Today's topics:

"Knockdown Power"

"A .22 will bounce all around inside you"

"You don't have to aim a shotgun"

"The shockwave from a .50 BMG can kill you" (even if the bullet doesn't hit)

"The AR15 was designed to wound, not kill"

"Knockdown Power"

Often used by "Boomers" who are debating online the efficacy of a .45 ACP vs. 9mm. Once in a Blue Moon, this person can actually shoot straight... usually not. And they have never actually seen a wound channel comparison up close. On the other side of this coin, a good friend is a Critical Care Paramedic for Nashville Fire Dept. - often crew on the busiest ambulance route in the entire nation. He tells me that unless the wound is from a .22, they cannot distinguish pistol wounds. He can often surmise when it is a .380, because the overall damage is less, but that's about it. 

"A .22 will bounce all around inside you"

This is a myth that descends from truth. A .22 round that hits a large human bone such as the skull, femur, etc., at an angle, may deflect instead of punching through. This fact became "bounces off of bones." Then that mis-stated concept became the myth of the .22 bouncing off of bones and shredding internal organs. The truth is, a .22 has great difficulty getting to the magical 12" of penetration deemed necessary by the FBI. 

"You don't have to aim a shotgun"

Seems this has been tested quite a bit. Most evaluations have come to the same conclusion: you must aim your shotgun. Box O Truth has one of the better entries. To get to 30+ inches of spread, the shotgun must be fired from a distance of 40+ yards. When shot from 12 feet and closer, the largest group was 4 inches. Still has to be aimed. 

"The shockwave from a .50 BMG can kill you."

Even Demolition Ranch has done a video debunking this one. Not sure why this myth is still floating around. 

"The AR15 was designed to wound, not kill"

Nobody who has ever seen a wound created by an AR15 has ever said this. The author has seen a couple. Nasty wounds in flesh. Not one I want to experience any time soon. If it was not lethal, the military would have found something that was lethal. But still, this myth persists. 

Thoughts?

Gun Myths 4, 5, 6, 7

Today is Day 6 of the 12 Days of Christmas. This week, in light of it being in the middle of the 12 Days of Christmas, this blog will concentrate on the 12 gun myths of Christmas (or really, of all time).


Today's topics:

"I know how to shoot!"

"I've been shooting all my life!"

"Husband / boyfriend = firearms instructor"

"Military / Law Enforcement Background = Firearms Instructor"

When I mention these myths in classes, I make sure to use my most redneck southern drawl. In a mocking way. Because that is indicative of my presumption of the myth-spreader's intelligence when they spew this. The one thing all of these myths have in common is that they are spoken by phony experts. 

"I know how to shoot"

Often said by someone who means well in reply to the fact that there are classes out there. This person mistakenly believes that knowing what the trigger does means they know how to shoot. I love getting these guys on the line. The first 90 minutes of zeroing are always quite humbling. Being able to cause a machine to function does not mean one is adept at operating the machine in a useful and meaningful way. 

"I've been shooting all my life"

And this guy has been playing music all his life. Doesn't mean it is being done correctly. "I've been shooting all my life" is often used as a means of classifying one's perceived skill set with a firearm. The people who perpetuate this myth often also perpetuate "I know how to shoot." Sometimes, they will be put together: "I know how to shoot, I've been shooting all my life!" Occasionally, but not often, this person is former military or police. Usually, they are not very good. 

"Husband / boyfriend = firearms instructor"

Many of today's myths are aimed at firearms credentials that simply aren't. And this is the second worst offender. Like the videos you see of people handing their wife / girlfriend a huge gun and letting her shoot it and wind up getting hurt from the recoil... or worse. No instructor worth his salt would allow that to happen. In my classes - and most of the classes I've taken - the instructor separates husbands and wives (boyfriends & girlfriends). Because they often give the wrong advice. 

"Military / Law Enforcement Background = Firearms Instructor"

Go watch the 10th Mountain Division video and come back and try to justify that nonsense. Someone relying on that background is like a yellow belt in karate relying on that background to teach martial arts. Just not nearly enough. Even "Special Forces," "SEALs," (insert flavor of the month other team) are not firearms instructors. Even though, from time to time, some of them can actually shoot halfway straight. 

Gun Myth 3

Today is Day 5 of the 12 Days of Christmas. This week, in light of it being in the middle of the 12 Days of Christmas, this blog will concentrate on the 12 gun myths of Christmas (or really, of all time). 

Today's topic: "Resting your AR15 magazine on the ground will cause a malfunction."

As we get going, let's look at this snippet from US Army TC 3-22.9:

Came across this thread recently and it had me laughing. For real. A lot. 

For the sake of clarity, "prone supported" is prone position where an object is used to support the rifle - sand bags, ruck sack, other equipment. "Prone unsupported" can include resting the rifle magazine on the ground. 

For the record, the following major tactical schools / instructors teach prone unsupported with the magazine rested on the ground:

Thunder Ranch

Valor Ridge

Tactical Response

Front Sight

CSAT

Pat McNamara

Tactical Rifleman

Ronin Tactics

Warrior Poet

Sage Dynamics - Aaron Cowan

Now, onto the thread, and some of the entertainment. 

As one post stated, this thread really shows who does and who does not shoot their AR15's. 

THE HOPELESSLY, HILARIOUSLY WRONG (and corrections after in italics)

"I disagree that using the magazine as a support won't cause malfunctions.
I won't do it and I will advise anyone who asks against it."

Says someone who has never shot that way. Just passes on inaccurate information. 

"civilian for life but I was taught by my Father and every other class/training I’ve taken NOT to use the magazine as a monopod.
Iirc- Appleseed teaches that using the mag as a support just creates another point of contact that can throw off a shot."

Now we know where it comes from (Appleseed). 10-1 odds his father never said he should not use the magazine as a rest. 100-1 odds that all of his "training classes" are Appleseeds only. 

"I am *not* against using the mag as a support but I'd prefer to use my sling as the support because a) I know how to use it properly (thanks Appleseed!), b) I prefer 20-rd mags when I am prone anyway, because c) I don't want the mag of my rifle to be a leverage/hinge point."

Tell me you've never taken a class outside of Appleseed without saying you've never taken a class outside of Appleseed. 

"It really depends on the person. I cannot get low enough in the prone to actually touch the mag to the ground. Too much of a strain on my neck. My 19 yo nephew on the other hand, is as flexible as a noodle and can probably do it."

Has never been trained to do it. There are ways to make this possible. 

"I don't think it would be a significant source of malfunctions. It will change POI, though. I seem to recall it's fairly noticeable with AK pattern rifles."

No, it won't. No, it hasn't caused POI shift in AKs. 

"I agree with the poster that stated that if the rifle has an additional point of contact that there is more of a possibility to throw off a shot. I would NEVER use the mag for a monopod for that reason."

Has never tried it. Afraid to. Probably clears rooms by rushing into them, as well. 

Supporting with a magazine can cause malfunctions by pushing the mag too far up into the chamber. F course this depends on the rifle and the magazine. You may be able to get away with it. But then again maybe not.
You can also get a bounce similar to resting directly on any other hard surface.

No, you can't - the mag catch largely prevents this unless you ape-slam the mag into the gun. 

No, you really won't get a bounce unless you are holding the rifle more delicately than a 5 year old girl. 

I am more stable with proper sling tension, support hand placement, and firing elbow angle than getting lower and placing my mag on the ground.
I guess if I could get into a good position with a mag long enough to touch the ground then it would help, but you can form a better position while being higher than normal mags allow.

No - you really aren't more stable. You are more practiced with your 1907 sling.

There is a reason why resting the mag on the ground is not allowed in service rifle competition.

THE POSITIVES

Now, before you go on thinking this is a bashing post, realize that poster "cvtrpr" is exactly correct in everything he posts. 

"Appleseed is great but their affinity for 1907 era technology may be clouding their judgement."

"The Army's marksmanship manuals have always been a near-desperate attempt to address and correct misinformation, bad advice, and outright bad training practices that get passed on from person to person."

"The truth is that the U.S. military has loads of "institutional knowledge" that's bullshit, despite being in a profession where it's generally accepted that the consequence for stupidity may be death."

SUMMARY

Appleseed is good, but it CANNOT be the end of your training. 

Military training is better than nothing, but it CANNOT be the end of your training. 

Gun Myth 2

Today is Day 4 of the 12 Days of Christmas. This week, in light of it being in the middle of the 12 Days of Christmas, this blog will concentrate on the 12 gun myths of Christmas (or really, of all time). 

Today's topic: "A Pistol is just to fight your way back to the rifle that you shouldn't have put down."

If you have a pistol, why not shoot the deadly threat with it? 

How do you propose to "fight" with it until you get to your rifle? 

How do you account for "3 feet, 3 seconds, 3 shots?" 

Presuming you are not shooting the threat with your pistol, but "fighting," what are you going to do with your rifle when you get it (because shooting threats is clearly not your thing)?

Gun Myth 1

Today is Day 3 of the 12 Days of Christmas. This week, in light of it being in the middle of the 12 Days of Christmas, this blog will concentrate on the 12 gun myths of Christmas (or really, of all time). 

Today's topic: M855 clones. 

So many people are "in love" with M855 ammunition. Many will reach out to me and ask angrily why I do not allow M855 at my classes. The answer simply put, is that I use steel targets, and the M855 does one thing well - penetrate steel targets. Since, in this insane idea to turn a profit, I would prefer to be able to use my $200 apiece steel targets more than once, I forbid use of M855 on them.

When I ask people why they prefer M855, they often respond with some variation of "it's better!" Better than what, you might ask? Better than other ammo choices is the insinuated answer. But is it? If so, how is it better? 

To look at this objectively, let's look at three of the most common topics used to compare ammunition: accuracy (technically, precision), affordability, and terminal performance. 

ACCURACY

Technically, precision. With US manufactured ammunition, M855 averages 4 MOA or more. Meanwhile, the M193 hovers around 2 MOA. This is a clear and distinct win for the M193. It is more accurate. The M855 *may* buck wind better at distance, but neither round is ideal at longer ranges. This data supports observations I've made in classes I've taught. 

This is a win for M193.

AFFORDABILITY

Since I have been shooting the AR15 platform, M855 has averaged 50% more expensive. When M193 was about $0.35 per round, M855 was about $0.55 per round. Currently, I can obtain M193 for $0.60 per round and M855 is $0.90.

This is a win for M193.

TERMINAL PERFORMANCE

As a rule, fragmentation of the 5.56 mm round is what causes much more substantial tissue damage. Simply put, M193 fragments much more, and much more reliably than M855.

This is a win for M193.

SUMMARY

Hmmm... all three categories are a win for M193. *If* (and it is a big "if") one uses foreign manufactured M855, then accuracy is awash - not even a win for M855. There is no discernable reason to use M855 over M193. 

Gift Funny

 Absolutely hilarious - Glitter Bomb 4.0 - for those annoying porch pirates. 

You'd think the police would want to stop these legitimate bad guys (the porch pirates). But, they must need to hit their quota. 

Gun Class Funnies

Tell me you've never been to a gun class without saying you've never been to a gun class. (or have very limited experience in them)

The author collects these from people who make inane statements. The plan is to leave them on this blog from time to time, after a sufficient number have been accumulated. For those who don't know and would like to learn, I'll leave a brief commentary or explanation in italics under each one. 

"I would like to take a rifle class. But not a pistol. I already know pistol and don't want to mess up what I know."

True experts seek to add tools to the toolbox, never resting on their laurels. If you think (or say) you know something, then you don't.

"What certifications do you get from these classes?"

There are only a handful of widely recognized certifications one can get from a gun class: NRA, USCCA, POST. My classes, like many, have a certificate of completion. 

"Why do you need to take a gun class, do you not know how to shoot?"

It is impossible to explain to a 3-year-old child why he cannot touch the stove. He cannot comprehend certain things because his mind will not allow for it. 

"I wish I could have taken that class, but finances are tight."

Always said by someone who either works a low-wage job and cannot understand why they cannot get a job making more money (despite never trying to make themselves more valuable in the workplace); or is said by a person who has social media posts buying multiple guns recently, going on a vacation recently, or otherwise spending a fair amount of money on something else. Just means they have other priorities. 

Get Attention By Being Contrary

Why do people lie?

Surely, there are a myriad of reasons. Sometimes people lie for perceived protection for themselves or others. Some habitually lie. Some are pushing an agenda. Some spread mistruths - sometimes knowingly, sometimes unknowingly. Some people are really convinced they are telling the truth, when, in fact, they are not. Some people just wish to be contrary - and that is the point of this post. 

As a young man, I remember watching an episode of Little House on the Prairie. Through the wonderment of the interwebz, I have since learned that the episode in question is named "In the Big Inning." This episode stood out to me first because it was about baseball, and I have always enjoyed watching and playing the game of baseball. The second part that stood out was a moment when the umpire advised the teams that 3 strikes is an out, 3 outs are an inning, and 6 innings is a game. One of the players protests and says "last year we got 4 outs!"

Outside of a dropped 3rd strike leading to a runner getting on base, or some similarly odd situation, my Google-Fu yielded no entries to the possibility that there have ever been 4 outs to an inning. Maybe prior to the formalization of the game? Nevertheless, the player on the show was simply being contrary for the sake of being contrary. And I wondered as a lad why he would say something so patently false. Here is a link to the video - the moment mentioned happens at the 31-minute mark. 

Later in life, I had a friend in High School who was very contrarian like this. Naturally, he grew up to be a Democrat. He would say something against the grain, just to be against the grain. It didn't matter whether the statement was true. A number of modern Dems are just like this. 

This idea came up because in a prepping group on social media, I witnessed a person say that dryer lint does not light on fire. He gave the caveat of lint from a dryer where dryer sheets were used. In my observation, lint is very flammable - regardless of the use of dryer sheets. While I'm open to the fact that perhaps not all dryer lint catches fire, in my observation, the only time I've seen it fail to catch fire was when it is completely soaked in water. I realized very quickly that this person was a contrarian. In my observation, people like this are just seeking attention in another way. 

Naturally, someone might hold a single thought or opinion that is contrary to the mainstream. That is not what this post is about. This post is about those who intentionally take an often ridiculous stand on something patently false, for the sake of garnering attention. Griefers and trolls would also fall into this categorization, in my estimation. 

Thoughts?

What Makes a Training Class?

 Quite possibly, one of the most prevalent misconceptions about firearms is this thought:

"The handgun carry permit class is a training class."

As a handgun carry permit instructor, I wish I could put this one to bed, once and for all. Since that seems highly improbable, here is an important reminder. 

The carry permit class is NOT a training class.

Even the State of Tennessee recognizes this fact. At this link:

"...you must attend a Tennessee handgun safety course." (emphasis mine)

The Critic

 From a reader: "How do you not let all the criticism get to you?"

First, it is important to point out, for every critic, I have 10 people say they appreciate what I am doing. Furthermore, I get a LOT of repeat business. That speaks volumes. 

Second, it is important to understand that they are only haters because they aren't doing as well and because they are jealous. Remember: haters are just confused followers. 

Never once have I looked at a firearms school that was not doing as well as I am and thought and said: "YoU'rE dOiNg It WrOnG!!!" To be fair, I've not looked at firearms schools doing better than I am and thought the same, either. 

On more than one occasion, I have thought "how can I adopt that and put it into my school?"

And that's why I'm doing better than many, and offering a high quality product. 

And that's why I am more content. 

Gun Class Humor

By reader request, here is "tell me you've never been to a gun class, without saying 'I've never been to a gun class'."  My thoughts in italics below the interesting comment.

"Half of the class will be FEDS."

Haven't had one "FED" yet. 

"Anyone charging to teach small unit tactics right now is suspicious."

Anyone giving that information away for free is even more suspicious. 

"No one in the  photo has a decent position, and 1 person in the kneeling photo might have bone support. this is somewhat surprising since the instructor lists Appleseed expert rifleman in his qualifications."

- I've attended 4 Appleseeds - have seen kneeling demonstrated one time - never have we shot from it in the Appleseed class. So not only has this person never been to a class, but they have also never been to an Appleseed, yet rely on the reputation of Appleseed. 

- I know of at least seven different kneeling positions - high kneel, double, lean left/right, braced, forward lean, standard, half-sitting. Only three use bone support. How do you know the person was not doing precisely what they were being instructed?

"You're doing it wrong!" (moving with a rifle in high-port position). 

Every major tactical school in the US teaches that position. 

"One of the best ways to make the FBI watch list... is to sign up for any weapons training."

<<eyeroll>>

"Avoid formal training. The government surely gets updated rosters from them."

The only rosters I make or send to the government are those for the Enhanced Carry Permit Class, as this is required by the State of Tennessee and is desired by the student so they can get their carry permit! 

"I know how to shoot. Don't need to pay to learn."

Yep. You're right!

Quote of the Day

This blog has detailed wacky hiring practices for over a decade. Most of the wacky behavior has stemmed from people in HR. In that vein, found this golden nugget of a comment on Reddit:

"It's HR - they think of employees as a resource and are convinced they can find a diamond if they just ghost enough candidates. They are certain they can and WILL employ that one rockstar, for minimum wage, of course. Their profit chart demands it, they have to obey."

- Lukas11112000

Cue Yoda: "The Padawan is right!"

Gun Community Misinformation

 From a reader: 

"Geez where are these people coming from how do you attract so many winners?"

Specifically, he references the yahoos I get on this blog, my training page, and other outlets. Lots of the yahoos comment on FB ads, and there are a handful of comments in other areas, as well. Generally speaking, the yahoo comments can be divided up into several broad categories, based on what motivates the yahoo to comment. Also, there are one-offs that do not seem to fall into these broad categories. 

The internet expert examples:

"So you have to have this class to get a carry permit?" (on a handgun carry permit ad)

"Yes"

"Well, I'm going to have to check that out, not sure I believe that."

"Google the legal stuff. Shoot with an experienced friend. Costs a lot less."

"... therefore, all others honor both is specifically implied." Said one who felt we were wrong about which states honor the Enhanced and the Concealed Permits in Tennessee. 

Tinfoil Hat Types

A number of these - mostly Boomers - over the years. Most suggest that taking a class will get your name put on some sort of list. Some suggest that the classes are full of federal plants. It is my theory that these folks wish they could take the class, but either finances or age prevents that from happening. 

Military Elitists

Fully 20% of the yahoo comments we get are military elitists that are taking offense to civilians learning military-ish tactics. Others get really picky about seeing something or not seeing something in a picture or a video clip - without any context of a drill or anything.  Putting the INFANT  in INFANTry since 1776. 

Triggered leftists

As part of an effective advertising strategy, we target folks who follow Donald Trump and similar on FB. A number of these are leftists... because he is, of course, their daddy. Fully 20% of the yahoo comments we get, come from this category. Tying it with the Military elitist INFANTry snowflakes for largest single source of yahoo comments. 

Boomers Being Boomers or Trying to Counter-Advertise

Sometimes, they own or work at another training company. Sometimes, they simply took their carry permit class there. Sometimes, there is no rhyme or reason... they are Boomers, after all. Over 10% of yahoo comments come from this category. 

General Stupidity

From NRA hate, to simply foolish comments, all sorts of general stupidity make up the bulk of the rest. As it cannot be narrowed down, the is the big catch-all pot for yahoo comments. Because they do not follow a specific format, I'm not willing to call it the largest category. Nevertheless, the gun community has a wealth of misinformation. 

Asymmetric Warfare

Let's make everyone mad today. Why? Because they probably need it. Especially if the content of this post makes them mad. 

Seen on social media:

First:

That tank is going to need a driver / crew. That's where my rifle comes into play. Don't think that's the case - how did Vietnam and Afghanistan tie up the powerful American military for so long?

Liberals mad now - check. 

Second:

If you think that "most of the American military would never attack the civilians," then I have some oceanfront property here in Tennessee to sell you. Most of the military will follow orders rather than lose their jobs. Don't believe me? 96% of the Air Force took the jab. 

Conservatives mad now - check. 

Third:

To those civilians who open carry- this person is right and you are wrong!

Fudds mad now - check. 

Other observations?

Interjecting Themselves

My son's football team - the Green Hill Hawks - have made the playoffs and are a number 1 seed. They play later this evening at home. All of their games will be at home until the championship level games - which will be held in Chattanooga. This is their second year in existence, and their first year in Division 5 - 5A. They went 9-1 and defeated every other team in their division. Particularly sweet for the team were victories over Wilson Central (my son and about 10 teammates played for them in 9th grade) and Mt. Juliet (a number of players played there before Green Hill opened up). Anyone familiar with high school football rivalries understands how sweet it is to beat your rival. 

A week ago today was the Green Hill - Mt Juliet game, held at the Mt Juliet field. For those not from the area, the two high schools are about a 10 minute drive apart, and both within Mt Juliet city limits. Of course, the hype was big. For the most part, the Green Hill Hawks players, students, parents, and coaching staff kept an air of quiet professionalism. The Golden Bears students worked themselves into a frenzy over the course of the week. 

Signs created by students, and social media posts, contained phrases such as,

"This is OUR town!"

"Rejects!"

Etc.

Of course, there has been an air of being "stuck up" about and around MJ since I've moved to town. In fact, when Green Hill was slated to open, my son was scheduled to be re-zoned to MJ. In conversations with MJ parents, he was told he and his re-zoned teammates would never take the field, regardless of how well they performed. It was if playing for Wilson Central had somehow "tainted" them. 

The atmosphere was electric - nearly 1000 Golden Bear fans, and easily twice that many Green Hill fans packed the stadium. As was to be expected, the referees were VERY HEAVILY slanted in favor of Mt Juliet. This is actually a running joke in the area, and has been for the 20 years I've lived here. 

Normally, high school refs try their best. In games where they begin displaying favoritism, a few well timed chastisements from the fans usually puts them back in place (more on this later). 

Normally.

Of course, this was not the case for the GH vs. MJ game. 

Despite the heavy interference, Green Hill, down 21-7 with 5:00 left to go in the game, scored three touchdowns and won. Despite outstanding play from MJ, and despite the clearly bought and paid for referees. 

In a similar story, my favorite professional baseball team, the Atlanta Braves, won the World Series on Tuesday night. The score of the game was 7-0 vs the Astros, and the series was won 4 games to 2. Twitter account "@UmpireAuditor" does a recap of games, grading the umpire's performance. In 16 playoff games, Umpire Auditor noted that umpire calls favored the opponent 13 times, favored the Braves twice, and once was even. In the World Series, in only one game did the calls favor the Braves, one game was even, the other four favored the Astros. 

Further, in the World Series, overall missed calls favored the Astros 42 times out of 68 - that's 61%. In the four games where calls favored the Astros, 32 of 44 calls favored Houston - 73%. This is not "happenstance." I have said for years that major league sports fix many of their games - particularly playoffs. The movement is growing as many online have access to more technology that helps the casual fan see the "errors" that consistently keep piling up. 

Some might say that both of these instances are examples of referee / umpire crews interjecting themselves into the game. I would agree - to the purpose of changing the outcome to favor the side they were paid extra to favor. 

Ending Military Elitism

After reading this post, a reader asked if I felt anti-military for some reason, or if it was a genuine evaluation. Let me be clear:

THANK YOU!

To all vets who have served, and to all active and reserve service members. 

That out of the way, let's make sure we look at this from an unbiased point of view- for or against the military. Let's make sure this is not psychological projection. This author believes that there is not an anti-military sentiment in most of the US Society at this time. Perhaps a little by the most extreme of the rabid left, but largely the US is pro-military, or at least neutral. If anything, our society may lean a bit too much toward "military worship" in many circles. 

If we were to take a drink of water and swallow the red pill (the movie version - aka "reality"), we might just realize that the problem is the reverse. There is a real problem with an entitlement mentality in various military factions, and a class warfare against the class that did not actively participate in combat. Because the military has been placed on the proverbial pedestal, many of its current and former members exhibit a degree of military elitist mentality - and that needs to end and we as people need to reconnect. 

Furthermore, the author's observations from in and around the firearms community are worse than the above paragraph. Most "gun yahoos" are former military. Some of the worst firearms handling the author has seen has been by Vets. Some of the most anti-gun statements made have been made by military Vets: Tim Kennedy is anti-gun. Dakota Meyer (and many like him) doesn't think you should train. Dan Crenshaw has yet to meet a red flag law he doesn't like. 

If it were anecdotal, we could dismiss it out of hand. However, the problem is endemic. We esteem members of the military as the best and brightest, and there is simply no evidence that this is the case. Sure, there is an occasional exception to that - and, as always, the exception proves the rule. And the problem is this: Reversing these dangerous and self-reinforcing trends will require active efforts from the U.S. military, the nation’s political leadership, and the population as a whole. 

The problem, put into a meme (or Tweet):

But simply "calling out" a problem without offering a solution is the definition of bitching. 

So here is the solution: Treat every service member- past and present - with respect. And treat them as you would anyone else. Treat them well, but do not tolerate their BS. Reward the behavior you want, and punish the behavior you do not want. Help them when they are in need due to no fault of their own, and allow them to suffer from poor decisions like the rest of us. Do not shelter them, make excuses for them, or offer special treatment. Require that they behave civilized in our society. 

Let the hateful comments spring forth... 

Skill Comparison

A reader read this post and asks,

"Since you are a firearms instructor, and have likely seen a lot of people on the line, where would you rank the typical infantryman?"

Outstanding question!

First, let's set up the scale. If firearms skill was like martial arts, and used a belt system:

White Belt

Yellow Belt

Orange Belt

Green Belt

Blue Belt

Purple Belt

Brown Belt 

Black Belt

Master Belt

Grandmaster Belt

Second, let's establish criteria. Otherwise, it is just an arbitrary opinion with no real applicability other than to start an argument. 

Primary priority - pistol efficacy. This because civilians need pistols much more often than rifles. Marksmanship, gun handling, presentation, and tactics are the four sub-criteria. Pistol efficacy is weighted at 75%. 

Secondary priority - rifle efficacy. Same reason as above. Marksmanship, gun handling, presentation, and tactics are the four sub-criteria here. Rifle efficacy is weighted at 25%. 

Third, let's make some of the infantrymen I've met mad - just because we can, and because they need the wake-up call. 

- Marines have a slight edge over Army in marksmanship. 

- Army Soldiers have a slight edge over Marines in tactics. 

- Both of those are the difference between Yellow and Orange belts. 

- No branch has a good pistol training record with standard infantry. 

- I have been flagged by more former infantry than all others combined. BEWARE!

- Related combat MOS troops I've met (13F, 19D, 0317, MP of both, 68W, etc.) have generally been better than standard infantry... and more open to new tactics, mindsets, and ideas. 

And the fourth and final caveat comes from a friend whom has been to several training classes with me and others, and shares this opinion:

"I believe they teach these guys (standard infantry) the bare-bones basics needed to survive, pump them full of rah-rah motivation, then send them out and typically overwhelm the enemy by sheer numbers and not skills."

There is a certain element of truth to this. 

So, what is my opinion of typical infantry:

I've not met one that would be Black Belt level. 

Most are Yellow or Orange Belt level. 

Most think they are Black Belt level... until about halfway through confirmation of zeroes. 

Pistol classes are real eye-openers to most. 

And your typical competition shooter is a purple or brown belt. And that's very humbling to most military. Of course, in competitions, many fresh out of the military sign up, thinking they are going to teach the competitors a thing or two... only to see their name at the bottom of the performance sheet at the end of the day. 

To be fair, if we re-weighted in favor of rifle, then the typical infantryman would bump up a belt or two. Maybe an orange or green belt on a warm day. 

Future Plans

 A reader of this blog, who has his own excellent blog, recently wrote:

Whatcha Gonna Do in ACW2?

When the shooting starts, where will you be?
Hiding with the lights off... or taking aim from behind a tree?
On the phone to 911 in a panicked call?
Or armed behind the cover of a stone wall?
Under the bed covers just trying to get some rest?
Or in the deep concealment of a wet, miserable sniper nest?
Will you be praying to God to save you from danger?
Or praying to God for help to win in your righteous anger.
Be that brave person to go deep behind enemy lines
To disrupt, destroy, burn, steal, and kill all you can find
When there is nothing left to lose, there is everything to give
Your life as a free citizen remains yours to live
Do what you must. Offer "No Mercy" and "No Quarter"
Kill all of those that are "just following an order"
Take out their families, burn their homes to the ground
Leave their bodies hanging to rot, gagged and bound
When the count of the dead on both sides become too high to bear
There will be plenty of blame for all combatants to share
When the tyrants are dead and us Citizens can be left alone
Only then will we lay down our arms and return home

My readers can make wagers in the comments below as to what I will be up to. Probably something along the lines of "No Quarter" and the rhyming next line. 

Read more like this at 75 Million Pissed Off Patriots.

Child Support Is Theft

Social media is a great source of entertainment. Take this one for example, in a Reddit "AITA" (Am I The Asshole?) question, the post is summed up: "AITA for going after my ex for child support?"

Someone decided to accurately troll the community. Reply: "YTA. All Child support is theft." 

Ironically - this mirrors my opinion 100%.

You should have seen the replies!

Triggered #1 - "Tell me you don't pay your child support without telling me you don't pay your child support."

Triggered #2 - "Please explain how paying for your own children is theft."

Triggered #3 - "Well then, don't breed!" (this was the only one that made any sense!)

Masterful troll job here. And right on the money.  

Some Gun Guys

"They got a little bent out of shape when I accidentally pointed my handgun at them - it was pointed behind me when I was reholstering. And one more thing - they got really anal about putting rifles on safe when moving. When I was in combat, we took the rifles off safe before going out on the mission, and didn't put them back on safe until after the mission was over."

- Interesting gun "yahoo"

Oh, there's one more. He said he would have to look at getting another pistol because he has to change the position of the pistol in his hands when he hits the magazine release button. 

Where to start with these statements?

* Tell me you were never in combat without telling me you were never in combat.

* Why on Earth was the gun pointed to the rear when reholstering???

* If you were in combat, and did that, then you are a blue falcon. 

I honestly am torn between this guy needs in an actual class NOW and he never needs another gun. 

What Skills Are Needed

 

This gem from social media. 

Please point to one societal collapse from the past 200+ years where these skills trumped combat skills. 

This point is certainly not putting down skills of growing food and general "survivalism," but is pointing out that combat skills have been mandatory in every collapse in recent history. 

How Soon They Forget

Social media provides for much entertainment. If you take it seriously, then that is your problem. 

Some time back, an individual who had taken martial arts from me in the past, and who followed my Instagram account at the time in question, took offense to an anti-BLM meme that I had shared. Evidently, at some point between elementary school and middle school, she had become quite the raging liberal. Possibly in rebellion to her father, who is anything but. 

She made what she felt was a snarky comment, to which I replied "this is why social media is not for children, and further argument for increasing the voting age back to 21." This comment had the desired effect and she felt compelled to fire back. 

Among the worst insult she could think of: "I forgot all of the martial arts you taught me."

Side note: As a younger girl, she had one of the worst memories I had ever seen, not remembering basic moves and drills from one class to the next. Including and especially those drills we performed every class. She also had a huge mental block linking names to moves. For example: she NEVER figured out what was meant by the term "double-leg takedown." 

My retort: "I know. You forgot them all 15 minutes after you left class every night."

That one earned me the block. And I couldn't have been happier. And for those of you saying I should be nicer so as to win her over, I would propose another solution. Her father should have been a strong male leader and disallowed her access to the social media for which she was clearly not mature enough. 

Private Instruction

As a firearms instructor, it is not uncommon for someone to reach out to me and ask for private instruction and / or coaching. In the past, I have been glad to do this as schedules allow. Moving forward, however, I have decided to only do so under very specific circumstances. Rationale to follow. 

Circumstances:

1. It will be small - group. 

Why? Simply put - the Billy Graham rule. Some also call this the Mike Pence principle (there may be a book of that title for sale). Not long ago, indirect allegations of impropriety were made, and I was happy there was a witness. Never without a witness. The small - group principle will enable me to hire an assistant for the time. 

2. It will be small - group, for a minimum and maximum number of hours. 

Why? Simply put, my time and effort is worth a minimum amount money. Why give all of the benefits of a class without making class-sized money? Many people are trying to do one of two things when avoiding a class: pay a certain amount, or stay away from a crowd. My classes are capped out at a specific (low) number of students for maximum effect. There is no reason to avoid them. 

3. This is the best way to maximize efforts when it comes to bringing supplies, etc. 

Gun Yahoos

From social media, Reid Henrichs of Valor Ridge makes a post and states, "Ensuring students get a solid 100-yd zero here at the Ridge."

Of course, there is some gun yahoo that showed up on the post and asks, "Why are you such an advocate for the 100 yd zero?"

A good reply by one of the other followers is to be had - "take a class and find out."

Of course, the yahoo replies: "thanks. I’ve taken many classes at other schools. None that mandate which zero you must have for the class."

Here are the reasons this guy is a Gun Yahoo.
1. How does he know the shooter doesn't have a scope with a BDC that calls for a 100-yard zero? One cannot see the rifle in question from this angle. And many scopes call for it. 

2. As one who has really taken many classes - often with current and former SEALS, Special Forces, MARSOC, and similar - never once have I met a top tier operator that suggested they could not learn something from taking a class. My money says this yahoo has only taken "free" classes... and got exactly what he paid for.

3. If the shooter is using a red dot sight, then here is why have a 100 yard zero: most RDS are 2-4 MOA. Meaning if zeroed at 50/200 for the center of the dot, then the top center edge would be the zero (or darn close) at 100 yards. This yahoo would know that if he had taken "many classes," as I've heard that discussed a lot!

4. The drop difference on an AR15 between a 50 yard zero and a 100 yard zero is only a 3 inch difference at 300 yards. In Rifleman 1, shooters only shoot to 300 yards.  The difference in the holdover is unimportant. 

Any halfway knowledgeable individual would know most, if not all of these reasons, and would keep his mouth shut. Of course, Yahoos cannot help but try to prove someone wrong.  Gun gammas.

Know Before Paying

On a social media post demonstrating the insanity of the statement captured in the above screenshot, the following comment was made:

I know of three guys in this situation.  All three thought they were raising their own. One guy was paying $1k a month in child support for 10 years until a medical emergency came up and he offered to give blood...once the Dr came back with "sir your blood won't work because....." did he realize what was up. He then took her to court to get his money back...$1k per month for 10 years....the judge told him "yes you were lied to yes this is wrong but it's just bad luck this happened to you and there is no way the state is going to ask the mother to pay you back..."
Let that sink in...over $100k she took from him and he can't do anything........


There is a lesson here - get a DNA test prior to paying a dime of child support. 

What Not To Do

 Posted by a friend on social media:

"Random thought:
As you climb the ladder you have to get really good at NOT doing things.
I know it’s crazy. For years I always worked on the “to-do” list.
Today I have a “not to-do” list. I’m serious. I have a written list that I look at every single day of things that I WILL NOT DO.
I have noticed as I have climbed the ladder that more people want to sell me more stuff. They want more appointments with me. More of my time. More comments on Facebook. More of…. Everything
I have to screen ALL calls. Limit interaction. Delegate authority to my team and allow them to act on my behalf.
I’m as proud of the things I don’t do as the things I do!!"

He is correct in every aspect. There are some things that are simply not worth my time. Everyone also thinks that just because they have an idea or need, that it is worth some of your time - and it simply isn't. 

When I was a manager in corporate America, everyone thought they needed to speak to me. Yet I would empower my reports to make these decisions, and I would implore them to make them. Sometimes they would - and these reports did well for themselves. Sometimes, some reports would absolutely refuse to make a decision - and they never got ahead. 

Karen Speak

 

"I am never going to recommend you again!"

One of those phrases uttered almost exclusively by Karens, that customer service persons, managers, and business owners know will not harm their business one iota. Because if the Karen ever actually did recommend them, it would probably not have resulted in business in the first place. And they probably did not recommend them to begin with. 

More Training

Last weekend, I attended another Appleseed clinic. This one was in a different location than my first three. The instructor cadre was also completely different. The Shoot Boss has taken a class with me, and is one of the more friendly gun guys you are likely to meet. Took the class with two friends, neither of whom had been to an Appleseed before. 

One of my friends shot a Rifleman score, using my souped-up 10/22. The other showed great improvement. 

As expected, I shot the score both times there was an AQT. My second score was "only" a 218 - and the scorer and I agreed there was a double and that would have increased my score to 228 - but we only counted it as one hole, not two. 

For the first time at an Appleseed, I heard the Three Strikes of the Match. The presenters made it very entertaining. Not sure why all of this material was not presented at previous events. To be certain, parts were told - but way less than half. 

This event was a one-day event, and there was a different sequence of instruction and shooting at the beginning, and it yielded far better results. It was similar to what I had suggested earlier. The IMC presentation was very well done, and most everyone got it and could apply it. 

I used my MK12 Mod 0 Clone pictured here:

Of course, I removed the bipod and affixed a USGI web sling. On the opening drill (Redcoat targets), I estimated my dope and got pretty close. Cleaned the redcoat target. Here's how I did it:

The 300 yard dope on my rifle is up 1.1 Mils. The 400 yard dope is up 2.1 Mils. I would be shooting 55 grain ammo, although the rifle is zeroed for 77 grain - but this setup is usually within 0.2 Mils of being on the money with different ammunition choices. Since my experience is that 55 grain ammo out of 18" and 20" barrels is closer to the 400-yard mark than the 300-yard, I decided to split the difference and shade a bit more toward the 400-yard comeup. 

I shot with 1.8 Mils of elevation. After my first 3-shot group on the 100-yard simulated redcoat, I realized that the group was nearly 0.5 Mils low - so I just applied a holdover. Clearly it worked, as I cleared the drill (no misses). 

After that, I applied 1.5 Mils up in elevation, and that was pretty much on the money. 

Also of note - there were 8 instructors there all day, 2 Green Hats, 4 Red Hats, and 2 Orange Hats. One Red Hat came in at 10 am and left about 2:30 or 3. The newer shooters got lots of good advice. I got a couple of good pointers. And a couple of them watched me fire the final AQT. 

Overall - Good instruction, good class, good teachers. 

10 Commandments for a Firearms Trainer

This was posted yesterday by Instructor Zero on Facebook.  It is duplicated here in its entirety just in case Facebook deletes it, deletes him, or deletes me, for the purpose of saving the information.

THE 10 COMMANDMENTS FOR A FIREARMS TRAINER

1) ENSURE SAFETY
The first duty of a trainer is to create, provide and always guarantee, everywhere and in any case, solid and essential safety standards in any technical point, drill or action.
Firearms training is carried out in facilities built for the safe use of firearms, but still requires the application of safety standards and rules by anyone handling a firearm.
There are no exceptions or compromises, safety is an absolute guarantee that a trainer must impose, manage and enforce.
Especially in civil courses, the technical level of the participants is always very heterogeneous, but we must remember that the safety and strength of a chain depends on its weakest ring and not on the strongest one. This must lead us not to push the technical level of the course on the most skilled and experienced elements, but on the most insecure and inexperienced ones, otherwise we would push the latter to do something out of their possibilities, exposing everyone to a risk.

2) ALWAYS APPLY LOGIC AND COMMON SENSE
This is the second fundamental step for a Trainer, that is to say to filter everything he teaches and shares through the simple and aseptic logic.
What we teach must have a clear logical application and need to correspond to the needs of the students.
If in order to understand a technical point, a student must be an "Special Force" and he is not,  this means he joined the wrong course.
Any principle or technique that will be explained must have its logic application in the context in which it will be applied.
If it is a "sport shooting course" for example, everything will have to make sense in the shooting range context.
If, on the other hand, we are talking about a subject who carries a firearm every day for defense or in his work, the logic application must find a sense in the real context.
Indeed if it made sense only inside the shooting range context (training environment) it would not be effective and useful for him.

3) ALWAYS EXPLAIN "WHY" OF THINGS
This is in my opinion an essential duty for a trainer, to explain the "why" of things, to explain the why of every single gesture, detail or technique is explained or shared. A trainer has the duty to simplify the matter and not make it even more complex. Normally, those who tend to complicate the matter by making it often incomprehensible is because are probably the first who don't know why of things.
A trainer must push his students to ask questions, to do so, he must create a comfortable and friendly didactic environment, he must not in any way inhibit his students from asking, asking and asking again until the point is understood.
The greatest failure for a Trainer is that students copy or imitate without understanding why they are doing that thing.

4) PROFESSIONALISM AND ETHICS
If a trainer speaks badly of another trainer in front of his students, without giving the other the right to reply, it is the most shameful and anti-professional thing that a trainer can do from an ethical point of view.
If this happens, no matter who the trainer is in front of you, know that he is a really bad trainer.

5) THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH
This is an extremely widespread pathology in this industry, many, too many believe they are the absolute possessors of the truth.
Unfortunately, there is no absolute truth or absolute standard and therefore there cannot even be an owner. The world is too vast, the environments are infinite and with them the variables contained, every truth is always relative and most of the time it depends on the context and on who we are, where we are and what we need to do.
Be wary of anyone who poses as the absolute possessor of the truth, because it means that little or nothing knows about the rest of the world.

6) THE DETAILS
The details and the level of technical depth are what make the difference between a professional and prepared Trainer and an improvised one. The technical level of the subject must always be deepened to the maximum of the technical detail required for the segment being taught.
Always expect from your trainers a high level of technical information, solid, in-depth and rich in details, do not be satisfied with fascinating war stories, tales of fantastic secret operations, those must not find space in a technical course, but eventually after the course in front of a beer.

7) THE BARTER
Many trainers trade the technical subject, the education and the discipline of the matter, for the "bang, bang, bang".
Shooting is certainly more fun than learning by listening to a Trainer who explains complex concepts that do not require the use of tactical cool equipment, but a simple correct use of pen and paper.
Usually shooting a lot or pushing students to do exercises with great tactical choreography but totally useless for educational purposes and sometimes even dangerous, makes a certain type of customers happier, because it makes them feel more operators, pushing them to buy more tickets for the "amusement tactical park ".
After many years as a trainer around the globe, I have come to the conclusion that people very often don't really want to learn, many times they just want to wear a costume for a few hours or a few days and experience inside a shooting range a projection of a job or a life they have chosen not to live and they will never live.
Learning very often is boring, but a professional trainer is not an animator, jester or entertainer and the fun is not included in the price of the course.
Remember that the more you shoot the less you learn, shooting takes time and if you have fired 1000 shots in a day, you will probably come home with your bags empty of knowledge, but for sure you had a lot of fun .

8 ) A TRAINER IS ALWAYS FIRST A STUDENT
The day a trainer stops being a student is the day he should stop working as a trainer.
The study, the update of the knowledge and the comparison should never run out.

9 ) TRUTH AND HONESTY
A trainer should always be honest with their students and should always tell them the truth. If a student has worked poorly, has made little effort, has particular difficulties in applying or is carrying out a training segment that is too advanced for him, the trainer has the duty to tell him.
A trainer should not give false pat on the shoulder to make the customer happy in the hope that he will come back to buy another course, he should say things as they are,  because the safety of the student is at stake.
There is nothing worse than a person who thinks he is prepared or capable of handling a firearm and is not.
If the Trainer is honest and tells them the truth,  when he gives them a pat on the shoulder telling them they did a good job, they will appreciate it more than anything and this will reward them for every effort and sacrifice made.

10) PUT YOUR EGO TO A SIDE
If you are a trainer or have a company that provides training, your duty is to offer the best service to your customers, but that does not include your ego.
If you aren't prepared enough or don't have enough experience to design a certain training segment or topic, don't sell your ego, but provide them with the best professional you can find for that segment or topic.
Push your students to attend other courses and other trainers, do not be jealous of them if you have given them 110% of yourself and you have done it with seriousness and competence, you have done everything you had to do.
If a trainer is jealous of his students or has a too big  ego or has mere commercial interests, whereby every student is simply a source of income, in both cases it is deeply wrong.
Be a trainer is not only a job, it’s a lifestyle!

Unpopular Opinion

Recently came across one of those "post your unpopular opinion" threads on social media. Some of these quotes will have been edited for clarity. 

These opinions mirror mine:
"Extremely overweight people are on the same level of drugs addict."

"Not everyone should be allowed to vote."

"Women should not be allowed to vote."

"Banks and governments should be held accountable for intentional market manipulation and systematic institutional poverty and depression."

"Donald Trump was far better than Joe Biden is as President."

"Patriarchy is the only way humanity will survive."

"Thanos wasn't wrong."

"When a woman sleeps around too much she struggles to pair bond later on in life. It messes with her psyche."

"Black people are more racist than white people."

"If your vaccine works, why do I need one? If your vaccine doesn’t work, why do I need one?"

"There is nothing virtuous of making yourself a victim and blaming trauma for all your ails in life. You actually do have agency in your life."

And some of these were funny, or thought provoking, though not necessarily in line with mine:

"The 'N-word' shouldn't be a racial epithet since black guys use it all the time when speaking to each other."

"Every other time the person renews they should also have to take a driving test. There should be a listing of all changes in driving laws that must be studied before each new exam and the exam should have questions about the new changes."

"Birthdays should be called birth day anniversary."

"Strangers should be allowed to discipline your child. The moment you bring them out the house, they're no longer just your problem."

"Some dog breeds should not exist."

And these here make me weep for society:

"Most pro-life people are not pro life at all. They only care about the child being born and not what happens afterwards. Several children either go hungry or are waiting to get adopted, which is also an expensive and sometimes political process."

"Karl Marx was right."

Strange Way of Looking at Things

Some time back, when speaking with an acquaintance, it was mentioned that this author had a strange way of looking at something. 

The specific in question here was regarding human interaction. This author stated that it is inadvisable to enter into any sort of interaction where the best possible outcome is a "break-even." To be certain, the acquaintance was 100% accurate on a technicality - not many people look at interactions this way; therefore, the point of view is "strange" by every sense of the word. Definition of strange:

1. unusual or surprising in a way that is unsettling or hard to understand.
2. not previously visited, seen, or encountered; unfamiliar or alien

To expand further on this point of view, one must understand the underlying premise. It has been said that all things can be classified as either assets or liabilities. And while many would argue that reality is more nuanced than that, and that circumstances will dictate the standing of something as either an asset or liability; the fact is that most things can be easily and readily classified as either at a given point in time. Among the things that can be classified as assets or liabilities are interactions with other people. 

Many interactions have the possibility of gain, loss, or neither ("break-even"). For example, if a person speaks with a loved one, that would generally be a gain for both. Similarly, if a person gets assaulted, that is clearly not usually an improvement in life, and would be a loss. 

Looking at the entirety of possible human interactions using this simple scale, and applying logic, one understands quickly that any interaction can be classified as an asset ("gain") or liability ("loss"). There also exists the possibility that an interaction may result in neither ("break-even"). 

If, when analyzing an interaction, one determines that the best possible outcome is a "break-even" (ie - you are not subjected to a loss, but there is no possibility of a gain), then it is only logical to want to avoid such an interaction. Particularly if the interaction has any level of possibility of loss. 

Advice: Don't enter into any interaction where the best possible outcome is a break-even.

Discretion

The inspiration for this post came from this YouTube video. At about the 11:00 minute mark, Navy SEAL Jason Pike discusses the Hollywood moment of the Michael Murphy character announcing their next move to the possible enemy sympathizers. Of course, discretion would dictate that you would never do anything like this. 

A lack of discretion used to be a character flaw in our society. These days, it is far more common to lack discretion than it used to be. As an example, this blog post, written here at this blog two years ago, about an event from 2005 in which an employee who was over the age of 40 at the time demonstrated a complete lack of discretion. 

Some things are better left unsaid. Whether I am carrying a firearm. The constitution and consistency of one's last defecation. What another person does well and not so well in bed. The list goes on. 

Truth on The Jab

Paige Brown shares that she was willing to take the jab for three reasons:

1. She did not wish to pass the virus to others. 

2. She did not wish to be a burden on the healthcare system.

3. She did not wish to be the person who took needed hospital care from someone who needed it.

However, this statement demonstrates why we need a functioning media in this world. A simple Bing search (can't use Google, as they censor things that run contrary to The Narrative) would show that:

1. Those who have received the jab are more likely to be "super spreaders."

2. Those who have had the jab face the prospect of getting COVID from the jab itself, increased risk of myocarditis, "breakthrough" cases of COVID after the jab, only 40% effective rate, and those who do get hospitalized with a breakthrough case of COVID seem to be passing at higher numbers. This sounds like a much greater burden on the healthcare system to me. 

3. Mayor Paige Brown, from a quick social media search, would seem to be in her mid-50's, and seems to be in good physical health (not obese, etc.). The likelihood she would suffer a severe case of COVID is slim, at best. The side effects of the jab would seem more likely to cause her to require hospital care. 

Mechanics of Fake News

This interesting low-IQ individual posted this on social media.  Since this author personally knows Pastor Greg Locke, the decision was made to see how deep the #FakeNews runs on this story.

Quarantine Camps / Facilities
From  the article in question:
MT. JULIET, Tenn. (WKRN) — The pastor of a Mt. Juliet church claims Governor Bill Lee has allowed for the creation of “quarantine camps” for Tennesseans who refuse to get vaccinated.

From  Executive Order 83 - part 18 on page 8:
Temporary quarantine and isolation facilities may be constructed.

The only question is whether the word "facility" can be a synonym of "camp." Most knowledgeable speakers of the English language would understand the synonym relationship here.

Hospital Occupancy
Also from the #FakeNews article:
While the Tennessee Department of Health reports 11% of hospital floor beds and 8% of ICU beds are available in the state, Pastor Locke expressed his disagreement.

Clearly, the implication is that there is room in the hospitals, and that would be contrary to Locke's statement. 

But the same publication also published  this article, suggesting:
The Tennessee Department of Health says members of the Tennessee National Guard will deploy to hospitals to respond to the rising number of hospitalizations in the state to fill the bed and staffing shortages.

Once again, it seems the "news" outlet is trying to twist words to make Locke look bad or inaccurate.

Masks
The article also makes the claim:
Pastor Locke said last month during another service that his congregation should not buy into the Delta variant “nonsense,” and added that he would kick out members who show up in a mask.

The reality is that the sign clearly indicates that persons have the option to either remove masks, or remain in their cars. Truth of the matter is that members of Global Vision are not showing up in masks.  The only people who have since the sign was put up are folks who wish to cause trouble or cast the church in a bad light.  The rest of the congregants choose Faith over Fear.

The sign:

ThE sCiEnCe

Let's talk about mask science - real and imaginary. For reference, this author has a degree in Chemistry and minor in Biology. Way more qualified than the average internet "expert," and way less qualified than a virologist. 

When this author was in college, the study of science included plenty of research papers. Several professors harped on getting the right kind of studies and data. Studies and data had to be pertinent, and the source had to be correct. When you see the phrase "a study suggests..." or similar, look at how the study was performed. Some studies are akin to polls - people are asked questions. Some studies are trials - scientific experiments are performed with controls in place. Each kind of study has its place. 

Up to now, the author has relied on a series of short rebuttals to the mask sheep, designed to offer a rhetorical argument than a dialectic argument. For the sake of brevity - a rhetorical argument is designed to argue emotionally, and a dialectic argument is designed to argue from a position of logic. And the reason why this author argues rhetorically is because the mask sheep are incapable of understanding the actual and real science behind why masks don't work. Or, more correctly, why masks don't make enough of a difference for someone to really want to wear. Here are the facts, the dialectic, from a big picture. Feel free to share this article with your mask-sheep friend. 

The Studies

This author has said countless times that there are virtually no studies performed prior to 2020 that indicate any more than about a 1% efficacy (effectiveness) in reduction of viral transmission due to wearing of masks. All of the studies performed since Jan 1, 2020 are poll-based (no experiments, no controls) and almost all are in a medical environment, and almost all are based around the N-95 mask. Here's where these studies come up short. 

• Medical environments only - higher concentration of infected than the general population (hence, a greater chance of transmission). 
• N-95 masks - even #LibNuts agree that the N-95 mask offers more protection than the bandanas and face-diapers that are prevalent. 
• Polls. Most people don't recall what they had for supper two days ago. And there will also be a certain amount of confirmation-bias here, as well. (ie - "I didn't wear a mask that day, then I got sick, so it had to have been then!")

The Mechanism

Many will claim the mask is worn to protect others. This is partly false, and partly true. The mask does have a significant effect on keeping water droplets from escaping. This does decrease by over 30% the transmission of a virus via the water droplets. Congratulations! You have now gone from 1.3% chance of transmission to 0.9% chance of transmission! In the words of the great gun guy, Paul Harrell, that's not enough of a difference to make a difference. 

Also, even the bandanas and face-diapers stop a certain amount of water droplets from entering, so the same physical mechanism that prevents droplets from escaping one mask also prevents droplets from entering the next mask. So again, if you believe in masks so much, feel free to wear yours! 

Summary

So when this author claims "masks don't work," the reality is that the effectiveness of wearing a mask, if any, is minimal. Not enough of a difference to make a difference. And the science backs this up. And if you want to prove that statement wrong, this author is 100% welcoming of new information. Understand that, for the reason stated above, the study must include controls, not polls, in order to change this author's opinion. And go!

More Freedom

Lost in the Afghanistan news, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) announced on Tuesday, August 17 that vehicle emissions testing in five Tennessee counties will end on Jan. 14, 2022.  Link to post.

This is 100% welcome news. 

It does adversely affect my family, as my brother-in-law is a high ranking manager with the company contracted to perform the testing and he is scheduled to lose his job on January 14.

Nevertheless, more freedom is worth the sacrifices that will have to be made.  This is good news for over 1 million Tennesseans.