Orthodox Biz Blog

Massad Ayoob is arguably one of the most lethal men around, in fact he even trains others in the use of deadly force. Many people cannot distinguish the difference between 'dangerous' and 'lethal.' When they hear that someone is an expert in handgun combat, urban rifle, knife/counter-knife, close-quarters battle and stressfire shotgun, they automatically think of someone to be feared. However, after reading the following we believe you'll recognize a good guy who balances lethal force and compassion. Only the bad guys need fear him.

Mr. Ayoob has had stories about him and interviews in various publications and news shows such as the Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, New York Post, ABC's "Turning Point", National Enquirer, PBS "Frontline", ABC's "20/20" and the BBC News Magazine and we are privileged to interview him here.

Peter and Helen: In your book, "The Truth About Self Protection," you say we have the right to protect ourselves. How do you respond to those who say it only promotes the "cycle of violence"?

Massad: I refer them to Biology 101. When the predator chases down, destroys, and consumes its prey without intervention, the cycle of its violence continues. When the given predator is taken out of circulation, then by definition, its cycle of violence is ended for the duration. The criminal is the actor, his prey merely the reactor, and the cycle is dependent on the action of the predator.

Peter and Helen: You also say, "sympathizing with a criminal in the prison visiting room is like sympathizing with the timber wolf caged inside its bars at the Bronx Zoo. It's safe enough there, but you don't want to meet either of them in their natural habitat...These predatory people are not like you. They aren't people like you. They are a different breed." How do you respond to those who say we should just reason with them, or try to rehabilitate them? Or that we should not be threatening to them, as in dis-arming security and prison guards?

Unarmed prison guards survive because the structure of the prison environment, and the certainty of retribution for violence committed upon the corrections officer, acts (most of the time) as a deterrent to attack. The citizen abroad in the land and going about his business has no such protection from human predators, because the public environment lacks the element of control that pervades the penal environment.

Read the rest of this interview at http://peterandhelenevans.com/articles-lethal.html