II – Aware

CCW Safe: Situational Awareness Video Series

CCW Safe is the self-defense legal coverage membership program that connects members with a criminal defense attorney and helps pay for legal expenses involved in a court case following a self-defense incident. It also provides educational resources on topics pertaining to self-defense.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, CCW Safe Lessons: How, When, and Why to Use a Firearm Lawfully ]

One such resource is its Situational Awareness: Stay Ready, Stay Safe 9-part short video series presented by retired Oklahoma City police officer Cris Cunningham, CCW Safe Critical Response Specialist. During her 31-year career, she spent 17 years in the Homicide Unit as an investigator.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, CCW Safe Lessons: Medical Series ]

The topics of the 9 episodes are as follows:
      Part 1:  What is Situational Awareness?
      Part 2:  Situational Awareness Basics
      Part 3:  What Role Does Intuition Play?
      Part 4:  Safety Tips while Traveling
      Part 5:  Parking Lots/Garages and Large Gatherings
      Part 6:  Public Event Safety Tips and Confrontations
      Part 7:  Improve Your Situational Awareness
      Part 8:  Simple Daily Habits
      Part 9:  Final Thoughts

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Hostility Spreading Against Religious People: Pew Research

In Pew Research Center’s latest global study of religious freedom, Israel and Bangladesh have joined Nigeria, India, Syria, and Pakistan as the six nations that experienced very high social hostilities against religion in 2023, the most recent year for which data is available.

[ Read SemperVerus articles on the topic of CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION ]

An additional 49 countries encountered high levels of religion-driven social hostilities in 2023, bringing the total to 55 countries—28% of countries—with elevated levels of religion-driven social hostilities. The annual study covers two types of indexes—Government Restrictions and Social Hostilities—in a total of 198 countries and territories.

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Mindset: 7 Lessons You Can Learn From Losing

“‘You win or you learn… You never lose,’ as the late Italian football player and manager Mr Gianluca Vialli once put it.” So begins the article on the MR PORTER website, 7 Lessons You Can Learn From Losing, According To Elite Athletes, by Ms. Helen Bazuaye.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Small Decisions Matter: The 1% ‘Marginal Gains’ Rule ]

It continues, “There is always a choice in failure and few understand this better than athletes who play at sport’s elite levels. Day in, day out, they work towards goals framed by the desire to be the best – to succeed by outsprinting, outkicking, outjumping and outscoring. But there can only ever be one winner. So, what lessons can we learn from defeat from those well versed in it? Is there something in their mindset that keeps them on track and committed to their goal, even when they don’t cross the line first—or at all?”

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Kairos: The Wisdom of Knowing When to Act for Strategic Impact ]

Here are the 7 lessons she suggests:

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Personal Defense World EDC Video Series: Vehicle Situational Awareness

The print and digital magazine Personal Defense World describes itself as “your go-to site for everything essential to serious self-defense.” One of its feature productions is the Everyday Carry Video Series offering brief instructional videos on a variety of EDC topics.

[ Read SemperVerus articles on the topic of EVERYDAY CARRY (EDC) ]

Below is the EDC 7-minute video explaining the importance of being situationally aware as a self-defense tool while walking to your vehicle. Following that is the list of, and links to, other videos in the series.

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The Increasing Threat of Drones to Church Security

“Churches, as both public spaces and symbolic institutions, face unique vulnerabilities when it comes to unwanted drone activity,” says Keith Graves of Christian Warrior Training in his article, Are You Equipped to Tackle the Rising Threat of Drones?.

[ Bookmark the SemperVerus CHURCH SECURITY INTELLIGENCE CLIPBOARD ]

He says, “Drones are rapidly becoming more advanced and accessible, offering anyone with modest means the ability to observe, scout, and even disrupt events from above. While drones can be tools for security, their misuse poses serious risks, particularly for places of worship.”

“Drones are one of the biggest ways that people who want to conduct adversarial attacks can effectuate them cheaply and from a distance, and with not much planning,” says FBI Director ‌Kash Patel.

Graves suggests drones can be used by lone-wolf attackers or trained terrorist gangs as tools for reconnaissance in three ways:

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