Last week, we talked about the philosophy of being a Grey Man; how to be a wolf in sheep's clothing. Now, we're looking at a very opposite philosophy: the Minuteman. This idea goes back to the 18th century and the Revolutionary War. The Minutemen (the original ones) were the men who road from town to town to warn the citizenry of the impending threat of violence presented by the British Army to the colonials. They were also the first citizens to rally against them, long before George Washington assembled his army and sailed over the Potomac in that famous engagement. The Minutemen are also cited as being the original National Guard, the original citizen soldier.
In this context, the Minuteman is a philosophy that eschews anonymity and blending in for a show of force and maximum aggression. This would be a posture that would be reserved for the most severe of situations, such as the breakdown of law and order following a large scale natural disaster, a riot, or a Red Dawn scenario (slightly tongue in cheek, but you get the point.) When all bets are off and the rule of law has broken down, you're in the Minuteman's territory.
Part and parcel to this philosophy is that you are intentionally abandoning blending in and displaying your intention to use force. Body armor and open carrying would be the two most obvious signs of this, carrying a rifle in addition to your handgun would be another. You aren't concealing anything, it's all out in the open, your ability and intention to use force are on display. YOU BEING IN PLAIN SIGHT is a display of force. You aren't blending in, and you aren't hiding. You are making it clear by your appearance and your posture that you intend to make it rain if trouble comes your way.
This has two functions: hopefully your display of force convinces the wolves to find easier prey, but you're also readying yourself for a fight if that comes. You're handgun is now a secondary weapon. Your rifle gives you dramatically greater range and firepower. Your plate carrier enhances your survivability and ability to carry more ammo. You should (in my opinion) also plan for restraints and an IFAK on your plate carrier, things difficult to carry while blending in but useful in a more serious engagement.
Your posture and demeaner should also be substantially altered. If you are presented with a potential hostile, that rifle should be in your hands at a low ready. Your eyes keep moving, mostly glancing between their eyes and their hands. Your posture should indicate your intention (if you have ever had formal training in shooting, or martial arts, I don't have to tell you what that means.) Everything about your physical appearance is broadcasting loud and clear "I am going to hurt you if you force me to."
Now, if all of the above sounds mighty excessive, I'd agree with you 98% of the time. When would I espouse any and all of the above? One word: Katrina. What I witnessed during Hurricane Katrina (listen to that episode), had I not ALREADY been in uniform and well armed as a member of the Louisiana National Guard, would have sent me straight for my armor and rifle. City streets turned into the Wild West, LEO response time was measured in hours or DAYS, if you got into trouble you were probably on your own. In such a situation where the rule of law has broken down and violence is open and rampant, it's time to throw off the sheep costume and make obvious your intention to fight if a fight comes to you.
It's time to be a Minuteman. - Phil Rabalais