Conflict Avoidance During Civil Unrest
Rob PincusDescription
What is your responsibility to avoid conflict or de-escalate existing conflict, especially in times of civil unrest or civil anxiety? Rob Pincus addresses this topic with his usual clear-thinking approach. Especially in the United States but also worldwide, we have had a lot of turmoil this year. This has included civil unrest over social issues and frustration related to the coronavirus and the restrictions put in place due to it. These have been stressors on the ideas of conflict avoidance and de-escalation.
CONFLICT AVOIDANCE: A FUNDAMENTAL OF SELF-DEFENSE
Within the self-defense community, conflict avoidance and de-escalation are among the most important self-defense concepts. Whenever possible, you should avoid conflict and de-escalate existing conflict. This is important even if you don’t carry a firearm — for example, we teach these concepts to our children.
But when you carry a firearm, your responsibility to avoid conflict rises to another level, because any time you get into a conflict, there is at least one lethal tool in the mix. Someone can die if things escalate too far or if another person tries to take your gun.
CAUSES OF CONFLICT
Whether someone (including you) is wearing a mask or not, or is maintaining social distance, or has different political beliefs — these are not things that should cause lethal conflict. These disagreements should not result in anyone drawing a gun and threatening lethal force.
If you have strong feelings about an issue and feel the need to jump into an existing argument, this is the opposite of conflict avoidance, and you are potentially becoming part of the problem. Rob suggests avoiding these situations entirely, especially if you are a concealed carry holder.
On the other hand, if you want to protest and make your opinions known, you are free to do so. But attending an event where you are fairly certain there is going to be conflict, Rob suggests thinking twice about carrying a gun to such an event, or not going at all if there is a likelihood of rioting or other violence.
Rob has other advice on this timely topic, so be sure to watch the entire video.
I want to talk for a minute about your responsibility to avoid conflict or deescalate existing conflict and especially how you have to think about it during times of civil unrest or civil anxiety. Over this past year, we've had a lot of turmoil in our country and whether it was civil unrest over social issues or whether it was just frustration over the response to the coronavirus or even if it was frustration at an individual level over the way people were abiding by different restrictions mandates whether they were complying or not or whether you personally felt they were fair, these things have really been stressors on the idea of conflict, avoidance and deescalation. Now, inside of the self-defense community we talk about these things all the time. It's a fundamental of personal defense and safety. The idea that you should avoid conflict and that you should deescalate conflict whenever possible. Now, even if you don't carry a firearm, this is important obviously it's the fundamental thing we teach our kids, right? You don't pick a fight and if you can back down from a fight or you can avoid conflict, you can get away and escape, this is what you need to do. Once you start carrying a gun, your responsibility for conflict avoidance rises to a whole nother level because anytime you get into conflict there's at least one lethal tool and if the situation escalates to the point where someone tries to take your gun or you feel compelled to use the gun obviously someone can die. When we start thinking about things like our social concerns, our political beliefs or maybe even whether or not someone is washing their hands keeping social distance or wearing a mask, if that's mandated or not or even if it's just requested by private property, these things shouldn't be events that cause lethal conflict. These conflicts we have these disagreements we have, the different ways human beings approach these problems or deal with these situations shouldn't create situations where people are dying, where people are pulling guns out and threatening lethal force over a difference in political belief, a difference in the way we're responding to a crisis or the way we're behaving during a crisis. If you go out into the world thinking that one thing or the other is worth fighting for and you don't factor in the idea that fighting in a political sense or fighting in a social justice sense or fighting in a protecting yourself and your family from the behaviors of other sense is very very different than fighting for your life if someone is specifically attacking you, you could find yourself even subconsciously escalating a situation or not trying hard enough to avoid a conflict that's happening all around you. If you see two different groups arguing over a political belief and you happen to side with one or the other, but you're carrying a firearm, maybe you're taking your kid to school, maybe you're with other family members who have a voice in that fight, that's different than yours, the idea that you would jump into a protest or jump into a fight or jump into an argument, even if theoretically to deescalate those two people that are fighting, remember your creating circumstance where you're now becoming potentially part of the problem. If you can avoid these situations, you're far better off. On the other hand, if you want to protest, if you want to fight, if you wanna make a political statement, you're free to do that. My recommendation for you would be that when you are going into a situation where you absolutely want to present no that there is likely to be conflict with others, you probably should think twice about carrying a gun. Now, if you don't feel like it's safe enough to go into a protest environment, if you're worried about rioting, if you're worried about other kinds of people coming in to take advantage of you. If you're worried about violence from people who have different political beliefs, then maybe that's not the peaceful protest you should be participating in. There are plenty of ways to have your voice heard, there are plenty of ways to keep your family safe and there are plenty of ways to be part of the solution to the problems that you perceive in our society without creating a lethal confrontation and that's something I really want you to think about when you go out into the world armed or when you go out into the world to protest, you might not wanna mix those two things.
I grew up in a household of Police Officers and from the days of my childhood, I can still hear my father;s voice saying words similar to your theme. He used to say that if you are going somewhere where you think there may be problems or where you think you need a gun... you probably should not go! Never forgot that and thanks for your statements!
Well said. Our country is a mixture of all races, creeds, and religions. That is what makes our country great. Our political system was built with the idea that we can have our own thoughts and ideas. It's okay to disagree on something but it's not okay to threaten someone else with violence just because they are different. It's a big country, if you don't agree with someone else, then state your opinion in a respectful manner and move one. We can continue to be a great country as long as we hold on to our values and our ability to respect not only those that agree with us but everyone who doesn't agree with us. This idea of red and blue and purple and whatever other color is on the spectrum is something we created on our own. What we need to support is politicians who respect the constitution and the true freedoms it entails. When we idolize false prophets instead of true ideas, we lose. I know when I served in the military that I didn't care one iota about someone else's political affiliation. I cared about if they had my back. We need to get back to "what is good for all Americans" and not what is good for my political party. Happy Veterans day to all those that served and especially to those who made the ultimate sacrifice. We honor you all.
Rob, thank you for sharing this wisdom and encouragement. This is an extremely relevant topic, and one that gun owners need to carefully consider in their day-to-day activities. As you mentioned, tensions are high and we can find ourselves faced with conflict situations when we are simply taking our kids to school activities or while out shopping. When we enter into a conflict even with the intent of de-escalation, we are also bringing a lethal variable to the conflict. We must not overlook this variable, but instead be responsibly mindful. We must choose our conflicts wisely, and perhaps even choose to avoid the conflict all together. Well said.