The "Kill Concept"

Someone questioned my decision to conceal carry in by asking this question... "could you really kill someone?" my simple, affirmative, reply... "if it came to that, yes." Their reaction... "I wouldn't even be able to conceive it."

I suppose Lt Col Dave Grossman put it best when he enlightened us on the Sheepdog ideal. There are Sheep, Wolves, and Sheepdog. Sheep are the innocent unsuspecting civilians who just go about their day to day lives never thinking of how real a threat on their life could be. Wolves are those who would do harm to others. Sheepdogs, well we "live to protect the flock and confront the Wolf". Though many of us, even if you have had military experience, have never had to take a life. However, the "Kill Concept" as I call it, is the ideal of that measure of self defense. Sheepdogs need to be able to openly embrace the fact, that put into the extreme life or death circumstances, they will be do what it takes to act in the best interest of the Sheep, and therefore train in accordance with that.

If you want to conceal carry and be a Sheepdog, it's best to begin accepting the Kill Concept. If you draw that weapon, you had best be ready and willing to kill or be killed and have the deaths of Sheep be on your failure to act or follow through on the action. I like to compare it the Samurai in feudal Japan, they held a deep, almost religious conviction, that once their Katana was unsheathed, it could be returned to it's sheath until it had spilled blood. A Samurai took drawing his weapon very seriously, and fully understood what it would mean if he did and what he would have to be prepared to do. The same applies to a concealed handgun. Training for concealed carry transcends quick draw, misfire and reload drills, into mental preparation and maybe even meditation.

Do what you need to do to be prepared and ready. Sacrificing innocent life on account of your incompetence and lack of preparation and responsibility is unacceptable.