VI – Self-Defense – Page 8

Federal Judge Rules Illinois ‘Assault Weapons’ Ban Unconstitutional

Illinois’ ban on AR-15 modern sporting rifles and other misidentified “assault weapons” violates the Second Amendment.

US District Judge Stephen P. McGlynn declared Nov. 8, 2024 that Illinois’ law, known as the Protect Illinois Communities Act (PICA), making it a crime to acquire and possess many common modern semi-automatic firearms violates the Second Amendment of the US Constitution, saying, “As the prohibition of firearms is unconstitutional, so is the registration scheme for assault weapons, attachments, and large-capacity magazines.”

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Senior US District Judge Rules California’s Ban on AR-15s to Be Unconstitutional ]

Here are excerpts from his comprehensive and understandable 168-page ruling:

“Why are there small lifeboats on gigantic steel ocean liners? Why do we spend thousands equipping our vehicles with airbags?…And why do we protect ourselves with firearms? In life, we face many perils. Some are natural weather phenomena….Some perils are associated with important products like…automobiles…Too often, the perils we face are forced upon us by other people. By people who are negligent, reckless, insane, impaired, or evil. Sometimes it is the proverbial lone wolf; sometimes, it is the whole wolf pack. And who comes to our aid in times of peril?…Sometimes, it is no one.”

“The AR-15 is the Rorschach test of America’s gun debate. In listening to the political debate and in reading various judicial interpretations of what the AR-15 represents, it is obvious that many are seeing very different creatures. Many see one, but not the other. Our task here is to understand the duality of much of the data and the reasons for varying interpretations. Are they seeing a dragon to be slayed or a horse to pull a carriage? Often, the different perspectives are defined by whom they picture using the weapon—either a menacing criminal or a law-abiding citizen involved in a dangerous confrontation.”

“So much about firearms is contentious, from the political debate to the jurisprudential debate. At the crossroads of this debate stands the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution.”

Spiritual Fitness Self-Defense: Seeing Temptation as a Threat

The 2nd element of the five SemperVerus components, and the resulting 6th element—from the sum total of the previous five elements—are AWARE and SELF-DEFENSE respectively.

Being AWARE means heightening your daily attentiveness to be alert to—and anticipate—dangerous potentialities and temptations, as well as edifying opportunities.

Practicing SELF-DEFENSE is the strategic, tactical, and intelligent ability to responsibly protect yourself from menacing spiritual and physical threats.

Notice the inclusion of the spiritual aspect that is often overlooked when considering awareness and self-defense.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Situational Awareness: Spiritual Self-Defense ]

We must not prepare ourselves merely for physical dangers, but also for situations that endanger our moral standing and the strength of our soul; that lead us away from uprightness and down into dishonor. Those situations begin, perhaps innocently enough, with temptation.

Interview with Matt Witte, Church Safety Consultant

If you’d like to be interviewed to share best practices of your own church security/safety team, contact SemperVerus by emailing staytrue@semperverus.com.

SemperVerus interviewed Matt Witte, Church Safety Consultant at Blue Arrow Consultants, LLC, which believes that individuals, church security teams, and businesses utilizing threat assessment knowledge to make a location more secure—and to prepare people for what dangers may occur—can lessen the need for force, reduce the chance of physical harm, and minimize liability.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Tactical Training for Individuals and Church Security Teams to Thwart Active Violence Incidents (Part 1) ]

Why is it important for a church to organize a safety/security team?
It’s important for the church to have a safety/security team because even back in the days when the disciples were with Jesus they had the mindset of protection among themselves. They may not have dealt with the same threats that we do today, but none-the-less it’s our duty as church members to protect our flock.

Along with that, no matter the size of your church, it’s crucial to have some kind of medical response team ready to jump in when the need arises. The devil is always at work to disrupt or destroy where people gather to worship Jesus. We need to be ready for whatever he plans to use against us.

Self-Defense and Church Security: Proper Firearm Defense in a Crowd

In a 5-minute video, Rob Pincus, professional trainer, author, consultant, and executive director for PersonalDefenseNetwork.com, examines specific considerations for responding to an active shooter or other bad guy in a crowded environment. Hitting innocent bystander(s) in addition to—or worse, instead of—the bad guy will only compound an already tragic situation. And many variables exist in a crowd that can affect what happens to the shots you fire. Taking the shot you need to take and believe you can make is important in any situation, especially in a crowd.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Concealed Carry Daily Prayer ]

Here is a preview video to the instruction video: