I know using violence to deter violence sounds a little hypocritical, but let me explain. Criminals aren’t like you and I, we can’t negotiate with them, and they won’t follow logic to come to the same conclusions you and I do.
In Walt Rauch’s great book “Real World Survival : What Has Worked For Me” he describes violent criminals as “Otherhuman” with these characteristics;
- doesn’t share normal moral values
- no qualms about rape, robbery, or murder
- not easily frightened
- understands violence
- willing to accept some physical damage or group casualties
- doesn’t understand mercy, compassion, or kindness
- attacks those that are weaker
- view you as part of the food chain (lower than Otherhuman).
So how do you reach someone like Otherhuman. It’s the forth one down. Otherhuman understands violence. So how do we use violence to deter violence, we fight back. Learn everything you can about self defense and don’t role over and die, fight for your friends, family, and yourself. But also use the cops’ number one rule go home at night. Do what you have to do to survive and defend your family first. If the best thing for you to do is give the guy your wallet, then do so. Then when he leaves, call the police and help them the best you can to put him away. The more bad guys put behind bars, the less they can harm you and your family.
I don’t like violence, and killing someone should be the very last thing you ever think about. The problem is violence works. I studied this as an armored car guard in Southern California. The average for an armored car robbery was about once a week between LA and Orange Country where I worked. The branch I worked out of had about one real attempt a year. So I watched news reports of who and how all the time and could tell when we were going to have a run up of robberies and when it was going to stop for a while. When a robber got the jump on a Brinks guard in a busy mall at the bottom of an escalator, the guard dropped the bag of money and ran. The robber shot the guard in the back as he ran away. Luckily the guard was wearing his vest and had nothing more then a big bruise. After that I knew there would be an unusually high number of robberies in the next month. On the other hand, when someone tried to rob an armored car and was killed, there wouldn’t be another robbery attempt for about three months.
The other reason I know violence is a deterrent of violent crime is by asking violent criminals. If you ever talk to prison inmates, they aren’t afraid of cops. Sooner or later the Otherhuman is going to run into them, and they have a plan for that. Otherhuman isn’t afraid of guns being pointed at them. Occupational hazard. Most have had guns pointed at them either by other criminals or law enforcement. They are also not that afraid of being shot, because they all know lots of people that have been shot at and lived. They also know at least a couple people that have been shot and lived. They are afraid of people doing violence on them. They are afraid of someone they thought was an easy target pulling a gun and empting the magazine into them at short range. They are afraid of someone that pulls a knife and stabs them over and over again in a violent attack. The criminals understand violence and what a truly violent person can do.
I also think they know there are worst things then death. Like being crippled by a violent attack. Now they are going to be victimized by their own friends (yes they will turn on each other).
I leave you with this one thought by Edmund Burke, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”
Stay Safe,
Ben
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