When the Sh*t Goes Down You Better Be Ready

Mass Looting in the Aftermath of California’s Wildfires is a Stark Reminder of Why You Should Take Self-Defense Seriously

by Richard Baimbridge

There have been a few times in my life that I felt things were really going sideways -- I mean to the point that I felt having a gun wasn’t just an option, but a necessity for ensuring the safety of my family. And interestingly, all of them have happened within the past five years.

Whether or not this is a sign of things to come, some sort of fundamental shift in the world order, I don’t know. But what I can say is that there are things that have happened that, if you asked me ten years ago would ever be possible, I would have said no. And yet…they did.

I remember the surreal feeling of walking into a supermarket during Covid and seeing the shelves all but empty, and the palpable tension in the air. I remember downtown Raleigh being boarded up during the BLM riots. I remember the lines of people waiting outside of gun stores that stretched around the block, and the depleted aisles of ammo. Now, I see large swaths of Los Angeles burned to ashes.

Personally, I wouldn’t live in LA if you gave me a free mansion and $10 million in cash. But I do have empathy for the people there who lost their homes, their possessions, and even their lives. And who now, on top of that, have to deal with looters coming in and stealing what’s left. Or people who were forced to flee their homes while gangs of looters roamed neighborhoods, while California civilians have forfeited their right to self-defense.

Two of the most common fallacies of people who oppose the right of gun ownership are: 1. It could never happen here; and 2. If it does, the police will be there to protect me.

This is pretty much the default political position of most Californians, especially those in urban areas. They have an almost religious sense of faith that the government will protect them. So, they’re willing to hand over their rights and autonomy based on that faith. Then, when things start descending into chaos, it’s already too late.

And there’s a racial element to this theology, as well. The most fervent believers are white middle class/wealthy liberals, while “people of color” are usually a lot more skeptical. The term “Rooftop Koreans” was born during the Rodney King riots in 1992 that saw much of South Central Los Angeles go up in flames, as chaos spilled out onto the streets and into the heart of Koreatown.

Many of the small businesses were owned by Korean immigrants who had no insurance. They watched in disbelief as police got back in their cars and abandoned them. And at that moment, they had to make a choice – either see everything they worked for looted and burned to the ground, or fight back. In the end, they chose to fight. It was a major wake-up call for the Korean community of Los Angeles. One that they still haven’t forgotten to this day.

As Americans, we tend to have it pretty easy. For the most part, our society functions well. If you pick up the phone and call the police or fire department, they come quickly. Our grocery stores are well-stocked. Though not without exception, our government is there for us when disaster strikes. So, it’s easy to see why so many people are lulled into a false sense of security that their lives could never be up-ended to the point that they’d have to defend themselves.

But the reality, as the city of Los Angeles has just shown us, is that the peaceful veneer of society is fragile. And when that veneer is broken, things can go downhill very fast. Perhaps this tragedy will reshape some of California’s legislation severely limiting people’s rights to defend themselves, and remind them that the police and government aren’t always going to be there to save them.

At the very least it serves as a powerful lesson for the rest of us to never soften our resolve to the right to self-protection. As the classic ‘90s song by LA Rap band Cypress Hill says, “When the shit goes down, you better be ready.” Truer words were never spoken. Better to put your faith in God and Smith & Wesson than in Gavin Newsom.   

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