Protection Against Evil

Protecting Against Evil

You know you’re on the right side, when evil lunatics hate you. Though counterintuitive, being hated is fantastic! It’s a vivid indication that you’re making an impact on your life’s purpose. Persist, but persist with caution. 

Hate is a powerful and illogical emotion, so your enemies will eventually attack—regardless of merit. And it will either come subtly or with a bang! If you wait for the passive-aggressive remark to be uttered at the holiday dinner, or for the plotters to execute their plan or the assassin to pull the trigger—you’re too late! Luck is not a plan. 

90% of protection is done well BEFORE the threat presents itself. Anticipation, preparation and assessment—that considers the context with objectivity—maximize prevention and safety.

The first half of my FBI career was in the National Security Division, combatting espionage, counterintelligence and counterterrorism from those betraying the United States or from outsiders who sought its collapse. The second half of my Bureau career was in the Criminal Division, defending our citizens (and other victims) from attacks against their freedoms—unalienable rights to not be assaulted, robbed, or “unalived”—including Human Trafficking, Hate Crimes and brutal Color of Law cases, to name a few. However, it was not until I joined the private sector, as a bodyguard and threat assessment consultant, that I truly realized how reactive the public sector was in protecting the people. 

Action always beats reaction. Therefore, the most effective defense is to assess the context in advance. Once you consider potential exposures, then you prioritize the dangers and maximize your resources, accordingly. For example, when the U.S. Secret Service “advanced” former President Donald J. Trump’s event location in Butler, Pennsylvania before a presidential rally, they would have addressed the surrounding rooftops as fundamental vulnerabilities to defend. 

Countering positions that an enemy would take advantage of by using blockades, white space as well as posting security personnel to cover the weak points is a standard preventative practice. Again, “advanced” threat assessments are performed prior to an event, particularly for presidential candidates. 

Additionally, during an event, security professionals actively assess for outliers or anomalies. Anything that stands out from a baseline norm, like a game of Wack-A-Mole, merits closer inspection for potential action. When on Saturday, July 13th, 2024, during President Trump’s rally, multiple onlookers noted and reported observing a suspicious individual (26 minutes before the shots). But, the information was dismissed. Soon after, a suspicious individual was observed in a prone position on a rooftop within shooting proximity to the president by not only onlookers, but also by a Secret Service sniper! Yet—instead of decisive action to counter the threat, or at least delay Trump’s appearance—hesitation, passivity and incompetence were displayed for the world to witness. 

Bottom line, both the tactical advance and the realtime threat assessments were catastrophic failures, resulting in former President Trump being shot. 

Though some might consider his survival luck, I contend Divine Intervention saved the president. If God left it to the effectiveness of the security personnel that day, the assassin’s rifle round would not have missed the president by a quarter of an inch, a half-second before he turned the angle of his head. 

As you assess the red flags in your own life, be encouraged that you are stronger than the predators, by the mere fact that you are not them. Though they pose real hazards to our society, you can anticipate, predict and prevent most threats by assessing the various indicators objectively. Denying uncomfortable truths will invite harm. 

Evil tyrants are weak, frightened and selfish creatures. They ENVY those brave enough to be kind, selfless and take risk. They do not understand calm courage; and people fear what they do not understand. The bad guys feel intimidated by “the good guys,” so they hate them, wishing them dead. They prioritize insulating themselves, like turtles, by accumulating power above everything else, in order to feel safe! So any threat to their selfish tyranny, becomes susceptible to literal assassination. 

The silver lining around July 13th’s failed assassination was the resilience exemplified by the good guys. Dripping blood down his face, I watched Trump repeatedly mouth the word “Fight!” after the foray against freedom, as he raised his fist in defiance of oppression. Good guys grow from adversity—not recoil. And the bad guys envy that fact, which festers their hate. 

Though last Saturday’s protective detail was either an issue of incompetence or compromise, you can take advantage of the tools of anticipation, prevention and objective assessment to protect yourself and your loved ones. 

Whether you’re a security professional or layman, the final tactical advice I offer you is prayer. Ephesians 6:11 reads, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”

It was reported that Donald Trump’s would-be assassin pulled his trigger against the president at 6:11pm.