Reblogged from Jesse Talks Back:
The legend of the hero spans through written history, sometimes the heroes are gods and sometimes mere mortals; however, every culture has at least one hero and many have several. The hero always fights the greatest evil, regardless what form it takes. The hero in myth defeats the villain, however, usually at great cost to the hero himself. Heroes die…
Typically mutual aid is done through the actions of many individuals contributing voluntarily to assist others in spreading information, gaining funds for legal needs and more. Unfortunately, in the recent years there have been many “mutual aid” business’s started that take your money and than use that money to move and live. When it something occurs like the recent wrongful incarceration of Adam Kokesh, these agencies begin asking for donations, volunteers and information. So in effect these organizations take money to do what others can and have done for free in the past.
English: A portrait of Adam Kokesh. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In this case the “insurance” involved is run by George Donnelly, the name of the agency that takes money to lobby for donations is Shield Mutual. The website can be found here, click link, and you can email him directly at, george.donnelly@shieldmutual.com. As with most similar organizations some of which I have been apart of before realizing my errors this one is haphazard at best and relies on third party information and small Facebook networks to gain information and communicate. One of those has been out of business for close to a year, I was involved in this one during start up and if the founder had been less egotistical and more logical it may have actually taken off. The university aspects of this venture had promise, unfortunately, it did not last.
I asked George the founder and promoter of Shield Mutual what good he was actually doing, his response was typical of these bottom feeding business types. “If you can do what I have done in the past two years, than by all means put me out of business.” My response was to link one of the several instances where I have freely volunteered my time to assist in gathering funds, connecting loved ones and much more over the past year alone. Of course my proving a point doesn’t sit well with people like this and after telling me, “If you want to start ankle biting, I will block you.” I was blocked. Interestingly in 2011, George had a falling out with Jim and myself over the idea of paying for Mutual Aid. Here is the article he wrote in regards to this, Mutual Aid. Interestingly, instead of utilizing assets he is turning others away. He has been the benefactor of truly voluntary mutual aid to the tune of over $6,000.00 and now takes money to do the same for others.
English: Dr. Martin Luther King giving his “I Have a Dream” speech during the March on Washington in Washington, D.C., on 28 August 1963. Español: Dr. Martin Luther King dando su discurso “Yo tengo un sueño” durante la Marcha sobre Washington por el trabajo y la libertad en Washington, D.C., 28 de agosto de 1963. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Mutual aid by definition is voluntary, and if I have learned anything over the past couple of years it is that one should have an actual service to sell if they plan on taking money. Otherwise, you are no better then the government. As a voluntaryist I live to see a world where voluntary interaction supersedes government coercion. This is also why if the people involved in paying for the service of begging for them are doing so voluntarily, than it is on them. Of course, it is my prerogative to expose individuals who are using false or incomplete information to advertise services that can be easily had for free. After all, it is because of actions like those from this man and others that we voluntaryists and agorists who truly desire change are seen as money grubbing narcissistic egoists.
If you want to help Adam Kokesh, remind him that protesting a system and using that same system in protest is counterproductive at best. If we truly want to change the system, we have to stop following their rules, we have to change the game. Protest looks great to the emotionally challenged, but in the end does no real productive good. A protest will almost always have three results, and rarely will a true positive come from engaging in protest.
All of these occur every time a protest occurs. In rare instances people believe they are successful, for instance Martin Luther King Junior and his followers believe quite strongly they were successful. However, were they?
The result of the civil rights movement was to create a segment of society that was more equal than others in some areas and non-existent in others. This movement essentially ensured that the next generations would be racist based on birth alone or political choice. With the election of a black man as president in 2008 people cheered, and because millions wanted to be seen as not racist they voted for a man based on skin color. When people like myself state the facts regarding this man and all others in government, we are called racists. In the end, the result of the civil rights movement was not to free one race but to effectively enslave all races through more legislation and more political drivel. What I see with pay services being called mutual aid services is a similar problem. Instead of promoting freedom and liberty what is being promoted is making a buck from others beliefs. If people truly believe this is okay, than why shouldn’t I simply start a religion and fleece as many sheep as I can?
Based on :Image:Peace Sign.svg, drawn with thicker lines. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Mutual aid should always be voluntary, it has worked well in the past and will continue to work well into the future. I have personally organized numerous mutual aid events and always hand over the reigns to others as soon as I can. The reason for this is simple, for me it is not about the praise and adulation of others, but the effective nature of voluntary interaction being clearly shown to the world. I have no problem with purchasing insurance and firmly believe in the principle, I do however, see an issue with purchasing a service that only begs for you and makes an occasional phone call. If you are purchasing insurance you should be purchasing something that is already paid for, not something that needs to be paid for at the time of incident.
Thoughts? Ideas? Maybe you dont agree, tell me why!
Remember, these are my opinions, if you choose to protest that is up too you, if you choose to participate in paid mutual aid that is on you. I choose not to and have outlined my reasoning.
Free the mind and the body will follow
Every go bag has a knife, and since every go bag has a knife it stands to reason that every go bag should also have some type of sharpening tool or stone. Having been around knives from conception through implementation for most of my life, being able to hone your knife, is essential. I am well aware that there are ex-special forces, super intense SEAL, DELTA, Ranger guys that carry 200 lb packs for 50 miles at a full run before they break a sweat. This is unfortunately, not I, nor is it you. 
Smith’s PP1 Pocket Pal Multifunction Sharpener is a truly innovative, lightweight easy to use tool. I picked up two for a little over five dollars at a local Ace Hardware store in their middle of the aisle, China made, cheap tool bins. I originally purchased it with the intent to stick one in my tackle box, however, after using this tool numerous times on filet knives through machetes I quickly ordered a couple more to fill that important but often overlooked niche in my go bag’s. Weight is a very important factor in everything I do. This alone is the reason you will seldom see added scopes or red dots on my firearms. With one exception I do not use them, simply because even a few extra ounces for me can mean the difference in precious miles traveled. One thing about Smith’s is they manufacture sharpening stones in many sizes, so you may find something that fits you better. 
This tool is extremely light, at exactly one ounce, slightly less if you discard the attached key ring. It is three inches long one inch wide and around a quarter inch thick. It is unfortunately, made of a relatively weak plastic. However, I have yet to break mine though I also have not tried exceedingly hard to do so. During the testing of the Gerber Gator Machete I missed a chop or two and pounded the blade into a rock and a brick. The blade of course did not break, though it did flatten the edge and roll on centimeter long portion over. I used this tool to bring the blade back into a state of readiness.
I extended the diamond coated rod and worked it like a file over the marred area, next I ran the entire blade through the carbide portion and finished it off with the ceramic portion. The end result was a sharp machete that while not straight razor honed, is plenty sharp enough for skinning larger game if I should so choose. I even started to skin myself though that is another story in itself. I have had and used this tool for a couple years now and highly recommend it based on its weight and benefit. I have used it to hone hooks for fishing, touch up serrations and even hone my hunting and kitchen knives. For fewer than ten dollars this is something you really should have in your go bag, or if you are like me get a half a dozen so you can keep one in your car, pants on your keys and more.
If you haven’t noticed by now I am basically breaking down my go bag and giving you my reason for each component in it. If you have additional ideas or tools that you use and prefer, write up a review and I will gladly publish it for you. As always, there is no money in doing this, I do it so that others who may not have the ability or time to test their tools can rest easy knowing that a choice will not get them killed or bring harm to their family.
Free the mind and the body will follow
The largest percentage of self-defense shootings occur in low light or dark conditions. Being prepared for this is an essential part of remaining safe. When it comes to self-defense tools I rarely scrimp on cost. My handgun is a Glock 19 with a Streamlight TLR1; I have tested it thoroughly for everything from length of time on through ability to handle extreme shock.
However, this particular light costs between $100 and $170 depending on where you get it, of course you also need to purchase a custom holster for both inside the waist band and outside the waist band wear. Having a light to attach to the firearm does you no good if you cannot carry it with you. After purchasing a holster to fit, you are now looking at a potential investment of $200 to $250 up front for the benefit of adding a quality light. Now add that up for every firearm you own for self-defense, the cost can quickly become prohibitive.
There are multiple arguments regarding carrying with a light attached and without. Having spent many hours training in low light conditions and knowing that most people will rarely train in full light conditions let alone night conditions I will say that having the light attached is absolutely essential. The tendency for a person using one of the three main holds for lights and guns is to constantly re-assess the light position which takes precious time and causes wild fluctuations in point of aim.
Therefore when I teach a class regarding self-defense and we get to the point where lights are involved I make it clear that while they can use an unattached light, it is in their best interests to purchase an attachable light and carry with the light attached. Recently Nebo a relatively new manufacture of low cost lights for various purposes came out with attachable gun lights. While walking through the local sporting goods section of Wal-Mart I saw that they had the Protec Elite HP 190 for 39.99. Because I have been looking for more lights anyhow, I picked one up and decided to put it through its paces.
After extensive testing, 500+ rounds of .223/5.56 through my carbine with it attached and working, and another 500 rounds through the Glock 19, I decided that it was a light I could recommend for others. I have dropped it on concrete from 5’ and submerged it briefly and while it is not specifically designed for rough use it has time and again surpassed my expectations. On the carbine I was easily able to spot anmd shoot with accuracy out to 100 yards, further may have been possible but is not really necessary to test. Placing it to the side where my support hand rests on the stock made it second nature to turn it on with a thumb. On the handgun it was easy to use with the button to turn it on easily manipulated with a thumb, I could flip it too strobe without hardly a thought and nailed targets one after the other. I now have this light on my carbine and trust it with my life. Now with that being said a few technical details about the light and reminders regardless your choice of light.
TEST TEST TEST, always make sure what you have works regardless your choice. It is essential that you know your equipment inside and out, do not be the guy or gal that purchases a new gun and various components uses it one time and then places it in a safe without further training, testing or preparing. Again, I am doing these reviews because I know that many of us simply do not have the money to invest in $2500 platforms for self-defense, however, all of us should have the ability to defend ourselves. This light was designed for handguns, however, for $42 I was able to get a light that easily functioned for either handgun or carbine, I would suggest the Nebo shotgun light for shotguns, however, I have not personally tested it so can only suggest and not fully endorse. Thanks for reading and as always,
Free the mind and the body will follow.
This is the second in a small series of equipment reviews that I have compiled after testing numerous options in each category. I highly recommend that each person test various tools as well and do not settle until you find what works best for you.
There are two knives that I would recommend as hunting/tactical knives. The Bear Grylls Ultimate Pro Fixed Blade and the Buck 655 Short Nighthawk. 
My personal favorite is the Buck 655 Short Nighthawk and this review will show you why I prefer it. At first glance it is not extremely impressive, however, upon picking it up you quickly feel the balance and heft that makes this a superb hunting/tactical knife.
I prefer my survival/hunting/tactical knives to have some serrations. I have used knives my entire life and it is essential to have knives that function in many roles. I use them as screwdrivers, prybars, can openers, bottle openers, wire cutters and much more. The Short Nighthawk fills all of these roles superbly. It has almost a full 5” long blade, 1/4” wide at the grip which is made of an easy to grip comfortable mixture of Nylon and Rubber.
My first test with this knife was durability, after all being someone who tends to be hard on their tools, durability is essential. Being a hunter/tactical knife I prefer it to have no real flex. With a 1/4” blade this was not a problem, next tested was edge holding ability. I found that I was able to easily cut Tomatoes, apples and bread when it is freshly sharpened. I say freshly sharpened because after using it too trim wood, cut rubber, slice through tires and cut 1/8” tin sheeting it quickly lost the necessary hone to easily work through fresh veggies. However, it was still quite sharp enough to cut meat for lunch.
This knife is made of 420HC steel, now before the knife snobs began their insistence on having better types of steel, let me help you with this. Yes, this is a soft steel, however, Buck Knife has done a superb job of tempering it to a true tool quality. I own knives that have been made from Railroad spikes, Disk Harrows and old truck springs. Yes folks, I have built my own knives and come by it honestly, my father is a superb knife maker as well. 
What I have found is that while certain types of steel will hold an edge better, it is difficult to have a shaving edge and a tough reliable knife. The better the edge holding ability generally also results in a more brittle knife that will not work well as a general tool. Now this is not a rule, however, if you are like me and rarely spend more than $100 on a knife it is a good rule of thumb. This knife takes an edge easily and quickly, and because all of us have good stones or multipurpose sharpening devices in our go bags that is not a real issue right?
The sheath this knife comes with from the factory is crap, but than, I never purchase a knife based on the holster. A friend put together a wonderful kydex holster for me, pictures included. Sadly the company discontinued this particular knife.
It is still available for between $45 and $75 on Amazon or Ebay, make sure you are going through a legitimate seller though. This is a knife that I will always have on me when camping, hiking or traveling further than 45 minutes from the house. Like the machete, one can not have too many knives, as a result I attempt to purchase a new one every so often just to be able to have it available regardless where I may be.
If you have any questions or comments let me know and thank you!
Free the mind and the body will follow.
