09/13/2024
Victor L Vogel
September 13, 2024
You know me from my post on leadership. But there is more.
When I decided to retire early, I took some time to pursue a personal interest.
In 2006, after thirty-five years in business and consulting, I left. During the early part of my retirement, I pursued a passion that had always intrigued me: the personal protection industry. I studied literature, attended some classes, and became licensed as a professional. But my focus wasn't to be a bodyguard or security guard; it was aimed at the average person who would never suspect something could go wrong. I caught the bug during an off-assignment in Special Forces, where I was on a temporary duty assignment in Central America. It was a short few weeks but entailed some protection for dignitaries as we traveled into Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Panama in the 1960s.
It was there that I realized the average family or individual was dealing with violence and danger regularly, much more than you can imagine here in the United States. These people were defenseless against the well-organized gangs and guerrillas operating in those countries. That is when I realized most people knew nothing about protection and were not trained or equipped to defend themselves. I have more empathy for those traveling to our borders. When I returned home, I was even more struck by how we take our safety for granted. We assume the police will protect us? When I retired around 2007, my retirement was driven mainly by a failing economy. I saw from literature and news studies a scary trend that most people weren't paying much attention to at that time: increases in violent crime, and social media was carrying more propaganda even back then.
Long story short, there was no question that violent crime was in the air, the type of crime that could be as devastating as the terrorist attacks of 9/11. I saw a tremendous increase in gun purchases during this time. I discussed with hundreds of people why someone who never owned a gun would not be practicing with a weapon regularly. The common theme of these gun owners was that they felt the gun would make them equal to their attacker. The weapon was an equalizer. During my time in the Special Forces, I learned about combat and violent tactics. I also learned about psychological warfare. With this background, plus interviews with law enforcement officers who had been in deadly force encounters and interviews with hardened, violent criminals, I began to put together a picture of what was coming. In 2012, I predicted increases in violent crimes over the following decade. These violent crimes were the kind of violence we had not yet experienced in America but were common in some third-world countries. I decided the average American was making some troubling assumptions about deadly force encounters, and those assumptions were based on them rising to the occasion while armed with a gun.
The problem is that the research from people in deadly force encounters told a different story. So, I developed a training program that helped the average citizen understand their vulnerability based on their reliance on a gun. I realized the difference between protection and self-defense. It involved simulating real-life situations. Average citizens who attended those courses were amazed to learn you won't rise to the occasion of a deadly force encounter; you will rise to the level of training you have had. Over ninety percent of the hundreds of ordinary people with no deadly force experience had no concept of what happens during a lethal force encounter. Many course participants had a simulated gun in their hand, but the surprise and speed of the threat stunned them, and they never raised the simulated weapon they had in their hand. The group discussions after the exercise, plus the knowledge about how the body reacts during a violent attack and much more debate, left everyone in awe.
At this point, I decided to write a book about how the average person could protect themselves. To my horror, my prediction was far more accurate than I could have imagined in 2012. It has only grown worse, to the point of an insurrection of the United States Government.
The sad thing is no one wants to face the issue that a violent crime could happen any minute. Everywhere you go, you have experienced a mass shooting, e.g., schools, churches, restaurants and clubs, malls, theaters, concerts; you name it, there has been a mass shooting, even funerals and weddings. People are also pumped up over unnecessary worry from media and social media. You are much more likely to lose your life in an accident than in a violent crime. Crime rates have dropped overall, mostly in violent crimes, but overall 25% in the past year. However, the current culture calls for more diligence. Law enforcement cannot protect you. They will respond, stop, and arrest violent offenders. Lack of protection is not law enforcement's fault, nor a lack of dedication. It is simple math. There is not enough law enforcement to protect everyone everywhere they go. This led me to make this statement in my book, "It is better to avoid a violent crime than defend your life while being attacked." Create A Bad Guy Free Zone, 1st ed., Victor L Vogel, 2012.
The audiobook for the first edition is available only here: https://buymeacoffee.com/renaissanceleadership/extras. This book isn't about buying a gun, knife, or pepper spray to defend yourself. These are the popular over-the-counter products that people sell as self-defense. Remember, if you have reached that point, you are engaged in a deadly force encounter. My book provides information and knowledge to help you avoid encounters with lethal force as much as possible. It isn't about self-defense. It is about protecting and avoiding deadly force encounters through proactive protection strategies. You will learn criminals' and terrorists' methods of operations. Many of these points came straight from hardened criminals, who are smarter than you might think. You will learn about suspicious activity, which might convert suspicious activity into a real threat, and how to report those activities. You know a basic threat assessment approach that will get you thinking about where to be in a concert to protect yourself best if the concert is attacked—a lot of information and more in just a few hours of listening. The second edition of the book is for sale on Amazon. You need to search for Victor L Vogel, where most of my books, other than my Renaissance leadership books, are for sale, including Creating A Bad Guy Free Zone While Traveling, which is much like a checklist to help keep you safe while traveling. Now, nothing is 100% sure to protect you. That is why I recommend a combination of protection and self-defense education to prepare you as much as possible.
During this intense election cycle, you will have a minimal chance of encountering violent force during the election. However, being prepared with a protection strategy could make the difference in you surviving an attack anywhere at any time. When you are being attacked is not the time to try and think through what you must do. It is best to be proactive by implementing a well-thought-out protection strategy and avoiding any violence, e.g., voting by mail and voting early are protection strategies. Protect yourself and be extra vigilant about protecting our children. Children and older people are the most vulnerable.
Stay alert, stay safe, and don't be afraid to report suspicious behavior. If possible, law enforcement should handle the problem.
Feel free to contact me for a video conference if you want to know more.
Vic
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