Friday, December 4, 2015

A return of the Minuteman?

I harken back to an earlier time for an answer to a modern issue. In colonial times a threat to the community was met by a response from the Minutemen. The “Indians” are raiding? The French are attacking? The Minutemen are the answer. An immediate response from within the community. The greater “Militia” likely would be the solution to the raid but would take time to muster just as the police and emergency response can take some time to materialize. The Minuteman stood ready to respond “within a minutes notice”. He was the holding force to allow the Militia of the day to assemble enough force to deal with the problem. I am not saying that the Police and emergency response is slow or insufficient. I am saying it is not and cannot be instant and immediate. Whether the Jihadis take on the role once belonging to the “Indians” or even if the Zombie Apocalypse should present itself, we need to be and have Minutemen again. We need trained citizens capable of responding to armed conflict or disaster. We need our own modern version of the Minuteman inside our community and ready to respond armed and ready at a “minutes notice”. I have long viewed the open carrier and concealed carrier as the potential answer to this but now see that as insufficient. Perhaps we need a more Swiss or Israeli answer. A rifle and someone to use it may be our answer and we need better access and greater numbers inside our communities. 2 topics to discuss: Is there really a need? What “kit” should our modern Minuteman have. The original Minuteman had his rifle or musket and his haversack with 3 days supplies and powder ready to go. It was contained enough that it could accompany him anywhere he happened to be. What should be essentially part of and how to carry our modern “kit”.