JWR’s Introductory Note: FerFAL is SurvivalBlog’s volunteer correspondent in Argentina. If you haven’t done so already, be sure to read his Profile. Readers might also be interested in FerFAL’s blog: Surviving in Argentina.
I just got off the phone, after talking with a college friend of mine. We talked about the current situation our country is going through, the food shortages and empty shelves, and how long things will hold on until people get desperate.
As an afterthought she mentioned that some robbers attacked her father and his girlfriend (divorced) while they watched over her recently married sister’s home, while she was on her honeymoon.
I always try to learn as much detail as I can from these situations.
As is currently typical, three armed men intercepted the couple when they arrived to the sister’s house, when they were getting out of the car.
Then, three more guys showed up, each driving a car!
They tied them up, loaded the cars full of the newly-wedded couple’s gifts, everything they had was soon fitted into the cars.
After that, one of the bad guys cut the cable off an appliance, stripped the end of the cable, and threatened to torture them with electric shocks.
There was also some money in the house–about $1,000–and fortunately they didn’t fulfill the threat.
A few thoughts that come to mind:
1) Criminals always seem to attack when entering or exiting your house. Those are the moments when you should be extra careful.
2) Be discreet about what you have. Three cars? They knew about the wedding, the gifts, the new house, etc.
3) Once you are tied up in a chair, there’s no use in wishing you had done something before. If they end up raping or killing your entire family, you can’t go back in time, buy a gun, learn how to use it, and defend yourself and your loved ones. It’s too late.
4) Some people just don’t get it, even when the truth is smeared all over their faces.
Right after telling me this, my friend told me that the best thing to do is surrender, cooperate with the criminals and hope for the best.
She told me that she was worried about me because she knew that I was armed and had the will to shoot if necessary.
I expressed my concerns about the opposite being true regarding her.
5) Three armed guys and three more nearby? Do I really want a six-shot revolver, or even worse, a five-shot one?
The reality around you dictates the kind of weapon you need, and even then… guns are meant to be comforting, not comfortable. That’s one of the few gun maxims I like. – FerFAL