| The United States was born out of revolution against an oppressive king and founded on principles of individual liberty and responsibility.
But after nearly two and a half centuries, many citizens have forgotten the foundational ideas that make us unique and have never read the documents that so eloquently express these ideas.
And unfortunately, this profound ignorance leads some citizens to turn the lawful exercise of rights into the unlawful exercise of violence.
In this detailed and insightful seminar, retired Army officer, current law enforcement officer and firearms trainer, and former schoolteacher Ed Monk reviews and explains America's founding documents and the rights they protect and then reveals strategies for surviving riots and violent protests that sometimes turn our streets into urban war zones.
Part 1 (9 a.m. - Noon)
The Declaration of Independence - This beautifully-written document not only served notice to the King of England that Americans were fed up with his despotism, but declared core beliefs and the relationship between free people and their government. The U.S. Constitution - Once America won its independence, newly liberated Americans had to establish a means of governing themselves. We will look at the failures and false starts that proceeded the Constitution, the convention in which it was drafted, its ratification, and end with a study of the document itself, including the organization, structure, powers, and bureaucracy of our federal government.
The Bill of Rights - We will review the various Amendments to the Constitution, with special focus on the first 10 amendments. This includes protections for the rights of speech, religion, assembly, bearing arms, privacy, and the rights of the accused. For each, we will discuss what the amendment protects and what it doesn’t. We will look at the details, discuss court cases, and dispel many myths.
Part 2 (1 p.m. - 3 p.m.)
Sometimes when seeking to exercise their constitutional rights, such as free speech, assembly, and petitioning the government, citizens take things too far and choose oppression, lawlessness, and violence. When that happens, law-abiding citizens face physical and legal challenges while defending themselves.
The second part of this seminar is designed to improve the armed citizen’s understanding of:
- The specific threats presented by riots and violent protest and the unique self-defense environment they create;
- The complex tactical and legal issues of using deadly force against these threats; and
- The wargaming and mental rehearsal required for the most likely confrontations you may have.
It is vital to understand that the threats in these scenarios are significantly different than the mugger, home invasion, and active shooter situations that we typically train for. Any resistance to these threats is likely to escalate to deadly force with legally challenging results.
We will look at real-world case studies and scenarios, including attacks on the street, in restaurants, and in your vehicle, which you can use to develop your own rules of engagement. |
