• Home
  • Articles
    • Firearm Rights
    • Practical Advice
    • Real-World Scenarios
    • General Discussion
    • Comic Relief
    • Reviews
    • Archive
  • Business Directory
  • Shop
    • View All Products
    • Basket
    • My account
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
  • What is Paratus?

Social Media

Latest Posts

View

Disarming Victims Won’t Fix our Violent Crime Crisis

February 22, 2023

View

Gun Owners Are Not to Blame for Mass Shootings

February 8, 2023

View

Are Old Handgun Combatives Instructors Still Relevant?

January 13, 2023

View

Reliability, Ergonomics & Lumens – Choosing your EDC Torch

September 23, 2022

 
0
Paratus
The Truth is our Weapon
  • Home
  • Articles
    • Firearm Rights
    • Practical Advice
    • Real-World Scenarios
    • General Discussion
    • Comic Relief
    • Reviews
    • Archive
  • Business Directory
  • Shop
    • View All Products
    • Basket
    • My account
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
  • What is Paratus?
Paratus
  • Home
  • Articles
    • Firearm Rights
    • Practical Advice
    • Real-World Scenarios
    • General Discussion
    • Comic Relief
    • Reviews
    • Archive
  • Business Directory
  • Shop
    • View All Products
    • Basket
    • My account
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
  • What is Paratus?
0

In Practical Advice, Real-World Scenarios

Farm Attacks: You Are The Solution

October 27, 2017 8 Comments

Farm Attacks: You Are The Solution

Right. Farm attacks are back in the news, and predictably people are making big social media gestures calling upon politicians and the government to do something. Wear black. Have a red cross. Start a petition. Add a dramatic filter to your profile pic. Whatever floats your proverbial boat.

Here’s a newsflash: all of that activity and the energy spent on it will achieve nothing.

Don’t get me wrong, I truly empathize with farmers. I grew up on a farm, and I was blessed with fantastic friends and neighbours. These are genuine people to whom I could turn to in times of need, and they would move mountains to help and support me. I can wax lyrically for pages about people like Uncle Piet, his wife Auntie Gerna, Oom Willem, and Tannie Corrie. All of them were significant figures in my childhood development. And all of them were farmers. Suffice to say I have roots and understanding in this community, and I am saddened by their plight as I am saddened by any murder.

Murder is a heinous crime, after all. All of the motivational elements in the world neither justify, exacerbate or change that fact.

Yet for all the dreadfulness of farm attacks, appealing to a government (especially today’s government) will achieve nothing. Well, nothing except to perhaps use this opportunity in order to create more power for itself. You see, all they can do is make laws “stronger”. Making murder more illegal than it currently is, is simply nonsensical. It should be clear that the government is not the solution: you are.

Indeed, the only way to create long-term sustainable security for farmers is to engineer a change in culture where people forming that community are prepared to make certain sacrifices and invest in their own resilience to achieve a higher level of security. Fortunately, when we overcome the mental gap of realising that the solution is actually within our own ability to create, implementing the said solution is not overly complex.

Here are some key measures to consider when attempting to minimize your exposure to farm attacks:

Invest in your (and your family’s) ability to be their own defence

If you have not yet invested in tools like firearms to provide an enhancement in doing so, this would be a logical first step. It is not, however, a panacea: firearms and other tools are not the single source for any solution, because no such thing exists. A firearm is simply the most effective and efficient methodology of overcoming force disparity which is induced by either numerical, ability or surprise factors.

The second, and infinitely more important, “first step” is obtaining decent training with your chosen tools. No, I am not referring to the FCA-required competency training. That is not enough. I am referring to selecting one of many excellent training providers (I am very happy to provide my list of recommendations) and partner with them in developing you and your family’s abilities. Ultimately your training should not focus on a single action arena, but rather cover avenues spanning from mental resilience, fitness, ability, medical, communications and response protocols.

Create a security program

This is not the same thing as a plan. I would like to add a caveat: good security is far more than just a gate guard and a barbed wire fence. In fact, good security advisors are not as common as the industry would have you believe. However, engaging with a good brand-agnostic security consultant (not a system salesperson) is an excellent saving opportunity in as much as you will not be required to purchase a plethora of very expensive systems which are incorrectly pitched as solutions. You should develop your security program for your specific needs, and it should include;

  • Layered perimeter and access protection.
  • A reactive element.
  • Effective communications.
  • A well-managed and effective information plan.
  • Correct processes and procedures.
  • Good training.
  • And the ability to network with others and integrate into your community, whilst still operating independently of politically directed assets.

Simply put, no single component plan or brand of anything is going to answer your question or provide the solution. You need to understand that fundamentally. You need the program approach.

Change your mindset

Stop thinking of nonsensical feelings-based crap like “carrying a gun is paranoid” or “carrying an extra magazine is too much”. Here is the thing: none of the liberal peaceniks and nonsense-spouting idiots will be with you when things go down. When you know the only person preventing your kids from becoming the plaything of some hate-filled criminal is you, reality hits home fast and hard. Whenever someone tells you that you should comply and everything will be OK, or that carrying a firearm, or training, or preparing is overly paranoid, ask them if they will still feel that way when their child is raped because they liked to believe in fairy tales and unicorns.

Ultimately the farm attack problem has a solution as simple as ABC. Invest in your ability, program that ability into a holistic solution, and change your mindset. Once you have done these three things, you won’t need the mythical “they” to come and “do something”. You will be doing it already.

Be safe, and be #hardtokill


By Bryan Mennie.

Bryan is a professional risk and crisis manager. He has taught kidnap avoidance and hostage survival to various international organizations, and has managed protective and security operations in over twenty countries in Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe.

 

farm attacksmurdersouth africaviolence
Share

8

You may also like

View Post

VF+ Stands Up for All South African Gun Owners

View Post

The Sunday Times publishes propaganda, and lies to us. Again.

View Post

No price for being wrong – Firearms Control Act amendments

View Post

SAPS Lose 8 Times More Guns Than Civilians

View Post

How do I licence a firearm? A step-by-step guide.

View Post

Stop telling women to carry snubbies

View Post

Africa Check Debunks Gun Safe Cities’ Claim

Soweto Maponya Mall

View Post

Armed Township Communities are a National Security Asset

  1. Jaco
    •
    5 years ago

    These words are so true. Unfortunately we the South African people like to shift responsibilities to another party. Only when theses individuals realize that the onus falls on them a difference will be achieved. It’s our own responsibility to become hard targets and to train ourselves to be efficient in protecting ourselves and our loved ones. Mindset is key to survival and once that is achieved the rest will follow. So stop looking for others to support you, after all it’s your responsibility to protect that what you care for.

  2. Greg Van Zyl
    •
    5 years ago

    Thank you Bryan, food for thought. I hope this message reach as many farmers as possible and that they do take heed.

  3. Elize Knoetze
    •
    5 years ago

    Excellently written!
    Thank you

  4. Steve Tucker
    •
    5 years ago

    Great article Bry. What I would add to the security program is a hearts and mind campaign.Too often farmers tend towards an us and them approach. This can lead to alienation and isolation. Build realtionships with staff and neighbours. Be involved in their lives, know them properly. They can be your best source of intel and intel is the first layer in your security program.

  5. John Mellitchey
    •
    5 years ago

    Excellent article – unfortunately there are certain facts i.e. Fact 1 -the state – Cabinet, SAPS / SANDF / Other Law Enforcement Agencies are not going to act timeously for many “farmers” That’s not good news but it is fact. Fact2. It is therefore a total waste of time (and life) to debate and argue about statistic, racism etc etc Simply far too many people are dying black/white/farmers/farm families/farm workers. Fact 3. The farming communities have only one solution at the current time and that is to take responsibility for their own safety (as per your article) Fact 4. In taking responsibility and considering the “slackness” of the state the farming communities must also accept that they might have to take legal action to demand support in an effort to force the state into action (unfortunately I don’t see any material state action before the 2019 elections because the anc is paralyzed by it’s own problems (corruption, factions, greed, self interest and lack of leadership)

  6. Carl Nicholson
    •
    5 years ago

    Excellent article! Thanks Bryan

  7. Martin Hedington
    •
    5 years ago

    A;B;C indeed. Always Be Carrrying, it works for me, and I’m not even a farmer.

  8. Jaco Kirsten
    •
    5 years ago

    Great advice Bryan. As you say, ultimately we all responsible for ourselves. “They” won’t come to your aid.

    The moment you realize that, is the moment you can start empowering yourself with training and the proper mindset.

Previous Post

BREAKING: Gunservant Rebrands to…

In General Discussion

BREAKING: Gunservant Rebrands to Paratus - 23 October 2017

View Post

Next Post

Silencing the Guns: Minister Mbalula…

In Firearm Rights

Silencing the Guns: Minister Mbalula and Civilian Disarmament

View Post

About Paratus

Paratus

Paratus is a platform where you can read about the latest developments at the sharp-edge of the South African gun ownership debate.

Boeretroos Koffie

Social Media

Subscribe

Enter your email address to subscribe and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Popular Posts

View

Reliability, Ergonomics & Lumens – Choosing your EDC Torch

September 23, 2022

View

Gun Owners Are Not to Blame for Mass Shootings

February 8, 2023

View

Disarming Victims Won’t Fix our Violent Crime Crisis

February 22, 2023

View

Are Old Handgun Combatives Instructors Still Relevant?

January 13, 2023

Paratus

© 2023 Paratus - All Rights Reserved.