[Photo Source: Paul Markel]

Our SWAT Fuel Warrior of the Week has a question about .223 Remington ammunition and over-penetration in an urban environment. We are always concerned about penetration so we discuss the topic in detail. Also, a Sheriff’s Deputy was assassinated in Houston, Texas and the local media cannot bring itself to give a physical description. Facts are racist.

SOURCES:

From www.whio.com:

“A sheriff’s deputy filling up the tank of his patrol car at a gas station near Houston was gunned down by an unknown assaliant who walked up behind him and shot him multiple times, authorities said Friday.

Harris County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Thomas Gilliland said the gunman walked up behind the uniformed Deputy Darren Goforth, 47, and shot him repeatedly. After the deputy fell to the ground, the gunman stood over him and shot him again multiple times, Gilliland said.
Witnesses said the assailant, a male about 5 feet 11 inches tall with a dark complexion, fled the scene in a dark red Ford Ranger.

KHOU reported that a man had been detained overnight for questioning overnight, and there were rumors that a suspect was in custody. However, at an afternoon press conference, Sheriff Ron Hickman said no arrests had been made in the case and they were seeking the public’s help in the case.
Gilliland said the shooting appeared to be a random act against the deputy, a 10-year veteran of the force. He was married and the father of two children.“

From dailycaller.com:

“When I read a blog post that by a confused beta male in which he describes all the thoughts and fears running through his head the moment he sees my NRA sticker on the back window of my car, or my wife’s minivan, I feel sad for his two sons who look to this “man” as their role model.

That you (the author) fear the driver of a car because of a sticker, and are thus trapped in a recurring series of thoughts and fears, based on lies and misinformation, has you so distracted as a driver that you are now a threat to yourself, a threat to any passengers in your car, a threat to all the other drivers sharing the roadway with you, and a threat to any pedestrians who happen to be nearby.

When nothing more than the appearance of a sticker on the rear of a car sends such fear through someone, does that say more about the person with the sticker, or the person who fears it?

The sad fact of the matter is that all those fears he has listed, which he not only feels himself, but is helping to spread by sharing his wussified musings, absolutely none of those fears are based remotely on reality.

All of this things that he “knows” about me, based on a sticker, are nothing more than his imagination, and him projecting his thoughts onto me. Not a single one of the things he “knows” about me is true, not remotely, yet he truly thinks they are, and that is sad, and says a lot about him.

The reality is that none of the cowardly murders that come to this man’s mind were committed by an NRA member. In fact, the vast majority of them were in fact committed by whiny, soft headed, beta males such as himself. Men who were unable to deal with the realities of life, unable to cope with normal setbacks or adversities, men who could not act like men and confront a situation head-on, and instead chose to handle their failures like cowards and take it out on others, using a gun.

Ask yourself this, if a single one of these incidents of a coward with a gun wantonly murdering random people , the very type of situation that comes rushing to this whiney person’s mind were in fact perpetrated by an NRA member, do you think the likes of “Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America,” or “Everytown for Gun Safety,” or the “Violence Policy Center,” or the “Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence,” or the “Coalition to Stop Gun Violence,” or “Stop the NRA,” or “Handgun Control, Inc,” or “Americans for Gun Safety,” or any of the other dozens (yes, quite literally dozens) of anti-gun organizations around the country, do you think for a second that they would not be constantly pointing to the incident committed by an NRA member?

Oddly enough, per capita, I see more NRA stickers on cars in the parking lot of the Sheriff’s station I work out of than I do most other places, aside from a guns store parking lot. Another profession that has a very high NRA membership is the US Military. Oddly enough, those people with the NRA stickers are the ones using guns to keep this soft-headed sissy safe from the many evil people out there, who use guns for evil, who are most definitely not NRA members.

Some further evidence destroying your misguided fears, gun violence is not on the rise like you incorrectly believe. According the Pew Research Center (an organization most notably not run by the NRA), gun homicide has been declining for decades and is in fact down 49% since the peak in 1993. Additionally, according to Reason.com (a libertarian leaning website), despite the rumors and cherry picked statistics, mass shootings are not actually on the rise, but have remained fairly constant for decades.

The fact of the matter, besides constantly fighting for my rights, your rights, and yes, even this weak minded male’s rights, the NRA is one of the largest, longest running purveyors of gun safety education and training. Not only do they teach the safe handling and use of guns, but they also teach when gun use in self-defense is appropriate, and more importantly, when it is not.

In reality, his entire blog post is nothing more than his display of a lack of critical thinking, the inability to examine fact and serves as a perfect example of the reason why the NRA continues to fight for our rights. Clearly, the propaganda spewed forth by the dozens of well-funded anti-gun groups is working, and the vilification of the NRA and their millions of members is turning the dim-witted sheep out there into quivering shells of human beings, because they saw a sticker… God forbid people like this author should ever encounter an actual bad guy with a gun, because I suspect they would make George Costanza running from a kitchen fire look like an absolute hero!

In the meantime there “Dadscribe,” how about you suck it up, look away from the scary sticker and let those of us with enough intestinal fortitude, commonly referred to as “having a pair,” protect you and the rest of your cowardly, weak-kneed flock. For a man who claims to have learned parenting tips from Han Solo, you sure missed the biggest lesson he taught, which was having a spine! And by the way, Han Solo shot first!“

From webcache.googleusercontent.com:

“This is an opinion piece written by a father who grew up in an extended family of hunters with rifles and other types of guns. The recent rash of gun deaths caused by people who legally owned guns led me to write this piece. Just as people have a right to bear arms, a person also has the right to feel safe.
__________________

I see that NRA decal on the rear window of your car and my eyes narrow. I look at the back of your head in the driver’s seat and I wonder if you are a threat.

A threat to my children. A threat to me. A threat to society.

I see a news report about the latest shooting deaths in the United States. I brace myself for the NRA talking points on social media.

I try not to read them. I fail at that. I am appalled and saddened and sickened and angry.

I am reminded why I consider you a potential threat.

To me, that NRA decal on the rear window of your car represents violent death.

By displaying that NRA decal on the rear window of your car, you are endorsing violent death.

By endorsing violent death, you show me that you do not care about the tens of thousands of gun deaths in the United States every year.

You don’t care about the gun deaths at Columbine. You don’t care about the gun deaths at Virginia Tech. You don’t care about the gun deaths at Tucson. You don’t care about the gun deaths at Aurora. You don’t care about the gun death at a movie theater up the road from here in Wesley Chapel. You don’t care about the gun deaths at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown. You don’t care about the gun deaths at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston.

You don’t care about the gun deaths this morning at Bridgewater Plaza in Virginia.

That is what the NRA decal displayed in the rear window of your car tells me.

Is that fair?

Is it just of me to conclude that you don’t care about the loss of human life because of the proliferation of guns in the U.S., simply because you choose to display an NRA decal in the rear window of your car?

Maybe not. Yet, how am I to know that you are not the next “good guy with a gun” to snap?

How am I to know that something about the way I drive, or something about the way your day or life is going, or something imagined by you and unimaginable to me triggers the compulsion to shoot, and to kill?

Because of that NRA decal in the rear window of your car, because I am the father of two beautiful boys who are growing up with a backdrop of rampant gun violence, the only responsible conclusion for me to draw is that you are armed – and dangerous. That you are a threat. That you could, if you chose, pull out your gun and shoot me or my children without a thought or even provocation.

Maybe that is not fair. Maybe you are a gentle, kind person who happens to enjoy shooting sports.

Maybe.

All I know is what the NRA decal in the rear window of your car tells me.

Here is a fair conclusion, though: You care more about your “right” to own a gun than you care about my right to live without the fear that members of my family or my friends might be shot and killed at school, at the movies, in our car, on the job, in church … anywhere. Anywhere at all.

It is more important to you that the 300 million guns in the United States remain in the hands of their owners than it is for my children to grow up in a country where violent gun deaths are an anomaly, rather than the norm.

You would rather risk more lives, thousands more, than take responsible action on gun control. In your world, there is an “acceptable” number of violent gun deaths.

I conclude that about you, because you choose to display that NRA decal in the rear window of your car.

How does it feel to know that the father, the husband, the son, the friend, the writer in the car behind you is afraid of what you might do because of that NRA decal displayed in the rear window of your car?

How does that feel to you?

Actually … never mind.

I don’t think I want to know.“

Student of the Gun Radio airs every Monday through Thursday  at 9 a.m. EST and can be found by going directly to www.StudentoftheGunRadio.com.Those using mobile devices can follow us with iTunes or Stitcher. SOTG Radio is a Think On! production. Student of the Gun is the #1 source for education, enjoyment and enlightenment of real-world firearms including: training, videos, radio, books and articles. A beginner once, a student for life. www.studentofthegun.com Being a Student of the Gun is not about being a novice or beginner. Student of the Gun represents a lifelong journey of education, enlightenment and the enjoyment of firearms. Each episode will introduce the viewer to new and interesting firearms as well as the latest gear to go with them. We will travel throughout the United States, seeking the advice and expertise of the best firearms trainers available. Sometimes deadly serious, sometimes just for fun, Student of the Gun will always strive to educate and entertain our viewers while offering them an insiders’ look at the worlds of firearms.

About the Host

Paul Markel: Host of Student of the Gun Radio

Paul G. Markel has worn many hats during his lifetime. He has been a United States Marine, police officer, professional bodyguard, and small arms and tactics instructor. Markel has been writing professionally for law enforcement and firearms periodicals for nearly 20 years, and has hundreds of articles in print. A regular guest on nationally syndicated radio talk shows, Markel is a subject matter expert in firearms training and use of force. Markel has been teaching safe and effective firearms handling to students, young and old, for decades and has also worked actively with 4H Shooting Sports programs. Markel holds numerous instructor certifications in multiple disciplines; nonetheless, he is, and will remain a dedicated Student of the Gun.

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Jarrad Markel: Co-Host and Producer of Student of the Gun Radio

Not just another pretty face, Jarrad Markel has experience and training beyond his years. Jarrad has been training to be a fighter since elementary school when he first learned the art of collegiate wrestling. Now skilled in Jujitsu, Judo, Muay Thai, Sambo, the Way of the Fighting Pistol and Fighting Rifle, Jarrad is a well-rounded, tactical athlete with several professional MMA fights under his belt. More than a brute, Jarrad has brains as well. He is the lead editor and videographer for Student of the Gun and works directly for Think On! Productions creating a wide variety of video material. In addition, Markel is a skilled web & blog designer, building material for the Internet side of the house.

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Professor Paul Markel

Founder & CEO at Student of the Gun

Paul G. Markel has worn many hats during his lifetime. He has been a U.S. Marine, Police Officer, Professional Bodyguard, and Small Arms and Tactics Instructor. Mr. Markel has been writing professionally for law enforcement and firearms periodicals for nearly twenty years with hundreds and hundreds of articles in print. Paul is a regular guest on nationally syndicated radio talk shows and subject matter expert in firearms training and use of force. Mr. Markel has been teaching safe and effective firearms handling to students young and old for decades and has worked actively with the 4-H Shooting Sports program. Paul holds numerous instructor certifications in multiple disciplines and a Bachelor’s degree in conflict resolution; nonetheless, he is and will remain a dedicated Student of the Gun.

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