Avoiding Mob Violence
Dec 5, 2014 by in Personal Security
Avoiding Mob Violence

Why peaceful protests turn violent and what to do about it


kkk mob violence - aegis academy - personal safetyPerceived injustice has sparked protests around the globe. In some cases these gatherings are peaceful, and in others they turn into a violent mob. Lately we’ve seen a list of pundits on both sides of the arguments saying the violence is racially driven, which is simply not supported by the facts. Mob Violence is not an “African American” phenomenon and we have seen violence erupt in New York at 2011’s Occupy Wall Street movement that certainly crossed racial lines. Other cultures and countries are not immune. Tahrir Square in Egypt, Paris and Sarcelles France, Jerusalem in Israel and the Palestinian territory and throughout Iran in the past few years. There is not a race or country on the earth that has not been effected at some point…

When we look at the phenomena of group violence there are … Read more »

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Children, Guns and Education
Nov 24, 2014 by in Personal Security
Children, Guns and Education

How many more will it take?

Toy Guns - Education - Gun Safety - Aegis AcademyThis morning we woke up to the news that a 12-year-old was shot by police over an airsoft gun for failing to follow their instructions and display his hands. Initial reports are that this gun had been modified to remove the orange identifier from the barrel. We have seen a number of children with toy guns shot over the years by police who were responding to a report of a person with a firearm. Typically it is a kid in the 10 – 14-year-old range. Older teens seem to have the common sense to know that walking around with a replica is going to cause some real problems. Younger kids with no exposure to guns other than what they see in the movies are the ones at risk.

We have a responsibility to make children safer, and education is the key. Children, guns and … Read more »

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Everytown for Gun Safety
Nov 14, 2014 by in Public Policy
Everytown for Gun Safety

The Impact of Social Media on Social Change

Everytown for Gun Safety - Aegis AcademyEverytown for Gun Safety hired Jeremy Heimans’ company Purpose to promote its cause of restricting Americans Second Amendment rights via local legislation. The message they push is reducing gun violence. Mr. Heimans is a social media expert, and a liberal activist. He opposes war, guns, anything remotely anti-gay and actively supports the LGBT rights movements and the delivery of aid to Syrian fighters on both sides of the conflict. Jeremy’s company is doing a very effective job leveraging social media to create awareness, but I am not sure he has cracked the code on converting that to social change, yet.

I was watching him speak about “New Power” vs. what he calls “Old Power” which he presented publicly at a TED talk in Berlin last month. You can watch the presentation below. The concept of social movements has been studied in depth … Read more »

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Crime, Terrorism, and the Lone Wolf
Nov 1, 2014 by in Terrorism
Crime, Terrorism, and the Lone Wolf

Crime, Terrorism and the Lone Wolf

Alton nolan Mugshot

The media outlets seem to praising Canada for its immediate pronouncement that the recent acts of violence committed against two Canadian soldiers were terrorism. They are equally critical of America’s initial reluctance to do so in the cases of Alton Nolan and Zale Thompson. It brings up the question of what is the difference between crime and terrorism and where and if we should draw a line. For those who are fuming about the initial classification of Alton Nolan or Zale Thompson as a criminal act vice a terrorist act, you may want to consider the potential impacts of what you are asking for.

I heard one commentator on Fox explaining his logic for shipping them to Guantanamo under the auspices of the ongoing Global War on Terror. His recommendation is that we turn all terrorism-related activities over the military because law enforcement in … Read more »

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Dabiq #4 – An ISIS recruiting tool
Oct 22, 2014 by in Terrorism
Dabiq #4 – An ISIS recruiting tool

Dabiq # 4 – A look at the ISIS recruiting publication

Dabiq is a town in Syria near the border of Turkey with a number of Islamic cultural references. It was most likely chosen as the name of the ISIS recruiting publication due to the location being one of two places specifically identified in the Quran (Dabiq being the one under ISIS control at the moment) to watch for signs that judgement day was approaching. There are references to the arrival of “Romans”/Cursaders in Dabiq being one of the final indicatorsDabiq 4 - ISIS - Aegis Academy. The cover of issue 4, shown here, displays an ISIS flag being flown over the Vatican. The document is 53 pages long, and I will attempt to summarize the highlights and takeaways in considerably less than that.

First it is important to recognize that this is an ISIS recruiting tool aimed directly at Western English speaking Muslims. While … Read more »

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