Including ...Rallies, Riots and Protests Part 2 • President’s Message • Attorney Question • Book Review • Editor's Notebook • About this Journal
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Rallies, Protests and Riots – Part 2
An interview with Marc MacYoung
by Gila Hayes
In our January eJournal, violence dynamics expert Marc MacYoung gave a professional’s viewpoint on the civil unrest, riots and destruction that plagued the nation throughout most of last year. MacYoung blends his expertise with experience as an L.A. resident during the 1992 riots. Last month, he outlined options for avoiding and escaping a riot-torn area. This month, we drill down into survival strategies and preparation for various situations, including protesters marching through your residential neighborhood, being caught in a mob while you’re just trying to get home from work some night, or being in a restaurant that is attacked by packs of protesters. We switch again to Q & A as we continue to learn from MacYoung in his own words.
eJournal: Last month’s talk with you was important because you outlined a number of indicators that we should recognize well in advance, so that having listened to you, we recognize, “Oh! This is what Marc was talking about. Now is the time to leave” and we get out of there before we look like an easy target.
MacYoung: When you are getting the night riots like you have seen in Portland, Oregon, those were specifically targeted at government buildings. That was the area where they were “protesting,” and you know what? I don’t really have that much reason to go into downtown Portland anyway, and I really don’t have any reason to go down there at 11:00 o’clock at night! At 11:00 o’clock at night, that is not a protest. That is a riot. You do not want to be out roaming the streets at that hour. If you have any possible opportunity not to be in that area, take it!
President’s Message
Take a Deep Breath
by Marty Hayes, J.D.
I don’t know about all of you, but I am exhausted! Not physically (unless you can blame lack of sleep) but instead, now that the presidential election and all the drama that followed it is over and we had yet another smooth transition of power (well, maybe not that smooth, but smooth enough, all things considered), I know I am looking forward to giving politics a break. I was a strong supporter of Donald Trump, as were many gun owners. Out of respect for members who tend to be more liberal (we have many, as I hear from them quite often when I get too far to the right in my commentaries), I will attempt to keep this missive fairly neutral.
You see, I lived through the Clinton years, including the Feinstein assault weapons ban, which really didn’t ban any semi-automatic rifles, just some of the doodads like muzzle breaks and bayonet lugs, etc. It did stop the manufacture of +10 round magazines, but everyone I knew already had hi-cap mags (as did I). I was relieved back in 2004 when the ban expired, but I cannot truthfully say my life was any different.
I also lived through the Obama years, and guess what? We gun owners survived pretty well. The only real threat to our gun rights could have occurred in the first two years of his administration, when his party had control of both houses of Congress, along with the presidency.
Book Review
Choose Adventure: Safe Travel in Dangerous Places
By Greg Ellifritz
Independently published (May 2, 2020)
494 pages, paperback
ISBN-13 979-8642460122
$18.05 paper; $9.95 eBook
https://www.chooseadventurebook.com
Reviewed by Gila Hayes
Applying lessons from indirectly related instruction is a little strategy I’ve found to be an effective way to learn and retain information. This month, having been gifted a copy of Choose Adventure by instructor and blogger Greg Ellifritz, I found the pages I was reading applicable outside of world travel. Although his book addresses travel to developing countries, as he writes, it also teaches “the social skills necessary to navigate an unfamiliar environment. This book will also prepare you for the relatively rare occasions where you might have to face greater danger. I will show you how to survive natural disasters, riots, and crowd violence. I will teach you how to use improvised weapons, how to avoid criminals and scam artists, and how to escape a kidnapping attempt or terrorist attack.”
Attorney Question of the Month
In our December 2020 online journal internationally-known author and instructor Massad Ayoob gave an instructional interview about how making an affirmative defense in court to explain why one used force in self defense shifts the burden of proof.
Because courts and laws vary considerably from state to state, we started a more detailed exploration into this issue in our popular Attorney Question of the Month column in January by asking our affiliated attorneys–
What is the process in your state for presenting an affirmative defense of use of force in self defense?
What are the potential impediments that may result in a judge denying a self-defense argument?
If denied the ability to argue self defense, what steps would you take to get the best outcome for your client?
Editor's Notebook
by Gila Hayes and Josh Amos
This closing commentary is a joint effort this month. It was fun to team up with our Affiliates Manager Josh Amos to tell members about the work of our Armed Citizens’ Educational Foundation. We are proud of the hundreds of thousands of copies of our educational booklet we’ve provided over the past decade to educate the public about self-defense legal issues and our recent expansion into video lectures.
The Armed Citizens’ Educational Foundation is a 501(c)(3) entity dedicated to providing education on self defense and the law. Our primary educational item is the booklet What Every Gun Owner Needs to Know About Self Defense Law written by Network President Marty Hayes, J.D. This booklet is free, and it is a great tool to promote awareness and education in the lawful use of firearms and deadly force by armed citizens.
Over the past ten years, we’ve sent out around 100,000 free copies of this booklet each year. Key partners who help get the booklets into the hands of those interested in its message include our affiliated instructors, attorneys, and corporate sponsors. The booklet is also available for free to the public upon request via phone or our website. It’s a great way to get pertinent legal information into the hands of the public and give them more tools to avoid trouble.
About this Journal
The eJournal of the Armed Citizens’ Legal Defense Network, Inc. is published monthly on the Network’s website at http://armedcitizensnetwork.org/our-journal. Content is copyrighted by the Armed Citizens’ Legal Defense Network, Inc.
Do not mistake information presented in this online publication for legal advice; it is not. The Network strives to assure that information published in this journal is both accurate and useful. Reader, it is your responsibility to consult your own attorney to receive professional assurance that this information and your interpretation or understanding of it is accurate, complete and appropriate with respect to your particular situation.
In addition, material presented in our opinion columns is entirely the opinion of the bylined author, and is intended to provoke thought and discussion among readers.