I have had literally zeros of people ask me "Hey Mike 'The Landlord' Johnson, what are YOUR thoughts on the Paris terrorism incident?" (Just FIY, it is a felony in 12 states to address me without using my full title.)
Well, here they are. The things I do for you people.
I'm going to list a bunch of points in no real particular order, except for the last. The last point WILL be the most important. I'm also not going to touch on the whole refugee angle. I'm willing to do something that I think few others are: admit that I don't know enough about that whole situation to have an informed opinion on the particulars.
One thing I keep reading online and hear people say in various news reports is some version of "I just don't feel safe anymore." Well, that's because you aren't "safe". In fact, you never were safe, and you never will be. "Safety" doesn't really exist. What you have in reality is a level of risk. You can never bring that level to zero, even with a strident police state. That being said, your risk as an American of being a victim of such an act of terrorism is really low. I don't know exactly what the numbers are but I'm betting the chances of it happening to an average American in the States hovers somewhere around 'getting struck by lightning while simultaneously making out with Dita Von Teese' kind of rare. This also applies to the mass shooting events we've had in the states. So, lighten up, Francis.
You are actually far more likely to be the victim of a mugging, carjacking, rape (which, depending on where you live, your race, etc., is also really rare) than be the victim of a terrorist attack. If you don't worry about those, why are you worried about this?
Instead of worrying, become as prepared as you can reasonably be for these and other eventualities. (see my other post about the difference between 'preparedness' and 'paranoia'.) Since this is about 'Paris style' attacks, let's discuss a little of what you can do depending on your situation when the event unfolds.
You're just hanging out and a suicide bomb goes off
Well, there are a couple of possibilities here:
A. You're killed by the blast.
Well, that sucks, but there's not a lot you can do to prepare for that. (more on that in a second)
B. You're wounded badly.
Again, not a LOT you can do. If you're able, try to stabilize yourself. There's going to be more wounded than just you, and others may command the attention of first responders before you. Try to get that bleeding stopped.
C. You're only lightly injured or not at all
Who's the first responder? You are. You're already there. By definition you're there 'first'. Do you know the basics? You don't? Learn them! There are lots of places and people who will willingly teach you. Classes for the basics of first aid are cheap and easily found. Remember, you're not going to suture wounds, administer medication or preform amputations. You're trying to stabilize so people won't bleed out and die before the real professionals get there. Learn how to do that. Consider carrying a small blow-out kit.
What about what happened at the metal concert, ie the guys who started machine-gunning people?
This gets a little more vague, as it really depends on your situation. Are you there alone? Are you with family and can escape? Are there professionals already there dealing with it? If the second point applies, your duty is to get your family out first. If the third, I can't say directly. Maybe the situation will call for you to engage, maybe not.
If you're there in a situation like what took place at that concert hall, be ready to close and engage if you can. Do you have your weapon with you? You should. Engage with that if the situation calls for it. Remember you're not going to reenact the lobby scene from the Matrix. You're not going to prevent this from happening. Shit is already going down. People are wounded, dying or dead already. Your job in that case is to stop the attack if you can, or be a speed bump at worst. I'm also not saying you should be suicidal. But, if it looks like you're about to be forced to check out, go out fighting the best you can. Your actions may save the lives of many others.
This means you need to practice with your weapon. You need to practice under stress especially. Even more than that, you need to prepare your mind for such an occasion. The great Massad Ayoob gave a great lecture (it's available on YouTube) about people who survived gun fights, especially ones where the defender was struck. The survivors, CCW people and cops, had all prepared their minds beforehand. They programed themselves in a way by fixing in their minds the idea that, if I'm hit or wounded, I will NOT go down. I will STAY in the fight. None of that comes naturally to people. BTW, this mindset preparation also applies if you're just there helping the wounded, as described several paragraphs above. Some people will simply freeze and lock up when it comes to facing horrible injuries. Prepare yourself ahead of time as best you can so that you can deal with it.
Ok, so what about that last point that I mentioned was the MOST important. It's simply this:
BE READY TO DIE.
Seriously, if it's your time to go, be ready for that as best you can be. Our animal natures will quite rightly revolt as death comes, but mentally we have to prepare ourselves as best we can. I am saying this not as some kind of throwaway line from a cheap, 80s action movie, but rather as a Catholic. Death can come at any time. It may be heart failure 80 years from now, it might be a bullet from an attacker next summer, or it could be an accidental head injury while stumbling on the stairs in 10 minutes. We must always be ready to face God and be able to say with St. Paul "My conscience does not, in fact, reproach me; but that is not where my justification lies; it is the Lord's scrutiny I must undergo."
I know some who may read this may be atheists. While I think your outlook is foolish, I would point out that even the old stoics, not just Christians, talked about the need to prepare yourself for death. Marcus Aurelius: "He who fears death either fears to lose all sensation or fears new sensations. In reality, you will either feel nothing at all, and therefore nothing evil, or else, if you can feel any sensations, you will be a new creature, and so will not have ceased to have life."
To sum up, don't be afraid. Try to be ready to handle whatever life is going to throw at you.
And go to Confession.
