Acta, Non Verba

When it comes to preparedness, the phrase “acta non verba” is pretty relevant. Lots of folks talk a good game online, but when the rubber hits the road, they’re not as prepared as they claim. Me, included, sometimes.

Against that backdrop, we’re going to start with a little Tactical Wisdom, talk about it, and then add on some more. Here we go:

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.

Proverbs 3:27

That lays out our duty to each other. It means that if I am capable, trained, and equipped to be able to help someone, I should. Not only should I, I am COMMANDED to help. In our present society, no one wants to help. Instead, they whip out their phones and try to be the next person to go viral. Every time I bring it up, people give me a litany of reasons why they won’t intervene….which usually boils down to not wanting to inconvenience themselves.

They say that they don’t want to be sued or arrested. Those are valid points, but every state has Good Samaritan laws to protect you. As far as being arrested, while what happened to both Daniel Penny and Kyle Rittenhouse were horrible, I will point out that in the end, they were VINDICATED. Doing the right thing may suck, but it is the right thing. As Acts 5:29 teaches us, “But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than any human authority.”

Some draw the line at physically intervening in a struggle. Well, the Ultimate Tactical Handbook has something to say about that, too:

Rescue those being led away to death;
    hold back those staggering toward slaughter.

Proverbs 24:11

Doesn’t seem very ambiguous, does it? Not a lot of wiggle room. Ok, maybe you’re not trained or physically capable of stopping an attack, but you CAN get on the phone and call for help, yell at the attacker, or do literally anything else. Watch the videos of these attacks, most people just look away or film.

Which brings me to the title of this article: Deeds, not words. These two verses require ACTION, not tweets or Facebook posts about what you WOULD do, but actual action in the real world, even that action is calling someone who can help.

If you haven’t already, it’s time go out and get a CPR/AED certification. Classes are held all over the nation at low cost, so there is no reason not to. Take a Stop the Bleed or First Aid class. Check with your local Red Cross, Fire Department, or community education office.

Take a self-defense class. Invest $50 and a few hours in learning how to protect yourself and others from physical violence. This reliance on third parties like the police is a relatively new thing in human history. Having the ability to defend yourself builds confidence and a warrior spirit. Everyone in preparedness should know how to defend themselves and their supplies.

I challenge that if society is going to be fixed it will only be fixed when we start doing it ourselves. Waiting for “someone” to fix it isn’t working and never has. It’s not in the interest of government to fix the ills of society, because it would eliminate the need for their services. Managing the problem is better for them.

Let’s all commit to helping each other and trying to better our society. Letting outside actors divide us into different camps based on politics, race, or any other source of division only benefits those who would control us. Let’s come together. I’ll end with some Tactical Wisdom on division:

Do not quarrel with someone without cause when that person has done you no harm.

Proverbs 3:30

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