We do not 
have details on this and cannot confirm but, if true, it is a huge loss to the firearms community. Awerbuck has been the long time lead instructor of the Yavapi Firearms Academy and previously served as a chief instructor at Gunsite. Our thoughts are with his family and friends and we hope this is just a rumor.
-GM
Maybe I’m being overly harsh but, CNN has, in the last year or so, has several of their contributors/commentators offer opinions that run counter to CNN and the mainstream media’s long standing stance on the “evil” of guns. They even cancelled Piers Morgan’s failed crusade against guns which I’m not convinced that was just about ratings.
The latest sign of intelligence comes with an opinion piece from Mel Robbins. Quite frankly, I’m shocked they published it on their own website. Robbins rightly points out the recent rampage in California, a state that gets an A rating from the likes of the Violence Policy Center/Brady Campaign for it’s stringent gun laws. Like the recently departed head of Bloomberg’s Everytown For Gun Safety, Mark Glaze, she readily states that none of the proposed gun legislation could or would prevent the next mass shooting. California already has all those measures in place and yet, the most recent mass shooter jumped through every single one of those hoops.
Next time there’s a mass shooting, don’t jump to blame the National Rifle Association and lax gun laws. Look first at the shooter and the mental health services he did or didn’t get, and the commitment laws in the state where the shooting took place.
Strengthening gun control won’t stop the next mass shooter, but changing our attitudes, the treatment options we offer and the laws for holding the mentally unstable and mentally ill for treatment just might.
-Mel Robbins via Opinion: The real gun problem is mental health, not NRA – CNN.com.
Admittedly, Robbins does get into the touchy subjects of temporarily seizing guns from the mentally ill and background checks for all gun sales. But it’s not in the same tone as the like of Feinstein or Schumer who would conduct such seizures without due process.
But connecting the dots won’t help unless every gun sale is subject to an instant background check imposed on all licensed gun retailers.
And finally, the police need tools as well. They need training and the discretion to ask about and remove guns from any household where there is a domestic dispute, a call for a “well-being check,” or a person who exhibits violent or unstable behavior. They also need a mental health professional on call for such checks.
Connecticut, Indiana and, yes, even Texas have firearms seizure statutes aimed at dangerous persons. Laws like these enable the police to temporarily remove guns from someone who is exhibiting dangerous behavior until a judge can make a final determination on fitness for gun ownership based on evidence presented at a hearing.
-Mel Robbins via Opinion: The real gun problem is mental health, not NRA – CNN.com.
To her credit, she acknowledges something we’ve pointed out for years. That the vast majority of gun deaths in this country are by suicide rather than homicide. Further, she makes a very clear statement that gun control is not the answer. And that is perhaps what is most shocking. This opinion piece actually appears on CNN.com.
“… Indeed, mentally ill people only account for a small fraction of the gun deaths in America every year and the vast majority of those are suicide, not homicide. Violence by the mentally ill is usually a symptom of the untreated mental illness — that’s why access to treatment, not gun control, is the answer.”
-Mel Robbins via Opinion: The real gun problem is mental health, not NRA – CNN.com.
Indeed, we’ve long said that infringement on the rights of the law abiding was not the answer but, reading it on CNN’s website is rather shocking, no matter how many times we see it.
-GM
Last week, Terry Holcomb, Executive Director of Texas Carry was kind enough to join us to discuss the real reasons behind recent Open Carry demonstrations in Texas. Whether we agree with their methods or not, the one thing that became abundantly clear in our discussion with Mr. Holcomb is that the real reason and message behind the Open Carry protests have been lost through the mainstream media coverage. Worse, there are folks playing into the mainstream media’s hands exercising their rights in poor taste. But Mr. Holcomb also challenged the Texas State Rifle Association for their advocacy for the 2nd Amendment in Texas and their commitment to securing the rights of Texans to keep and bear arms. So with that said, Charles Cotton has agreed to join us in studio to offer a different perspective on the Open Carry protests and the debate with regard to the practice in general.
-GM
Noted trainer and former Delta Force operator, Paul Howe may be planning to retire from Combat Shooting & Tactics in the not too distant future. Howe founded CSAT shortly after retiring from the Army in 1999. His career dates back to the earliest days of Delta and some of his experiences were translated into the book and film, Blackhawk Down. He announced his intentions in his most recent newsletter.
“I will be 55 this year and don’t want to be a 60 year old running around in body armor tryingto keep up with 30 year olds.I am too long out of the arena.I like to think that from 40-55 isa good age to give back to those who helped teach you and thus bring up the next generation.”
–Paul Howe via Combat Shooting & Tactics.
I’ve had the opportunity to train at CSAT under Paul’s direct tutelage and it is an experience I hold dear. They were hard days for everyone in the classes I attended. But they were especially hard for me. I was the “fat kid.” The “heavy drop,” as he called me and I really probably shouldn’t have been there given the shape I was in. But I managed to keep up and did it running a big .30 cal FAL the whole time the first time I was there. Granted, I was there with friends and mutual suffering makes almost anything possible. Still, I learned a lot about my own strengths and weaknesses in addition to a new understanding of the differences and overlaps between playing the game of USPSA and IDPA versus the real world in the days I spent training with him.
While there are/were schools with bigger names, there are/were none that provided better, more relevant training then or even now as far as I am concerned. Some fundamentals simply don’t change even if tactics do. Paul may feel it is time to retire but, if you read his newsletter, you’ll see that his commentary is still quite valid and that can’t be said for some better known trainers who are older and better known but, far less relevant. Folks, if you can, I strongly suggest to get into a CSAT class now to experience Howe’s wisdom and candor while you can.
-GM
Let me say this up front. You will NEVER win an argument with a cop on the street. And with that said, know that some of them don’t know the law and will act with ignorance. With that in mind, what would you do if you were this driver?
-GM
▶ FHP Gun Rights Infringement at it’s worse. – YouTube.
