Wayne LaPierre - Safe: How to Protect Yourself, Your Family, and Your Home

SAFE

THE RESPONSIBLE AMERICANS GUIDE TO HOME AND FAMILY SECURITY

WAYNE LAPIERRE

SAFE
WND Books

Published by WorldNetDaily
Washington D.C.

Copyright 2010
By Wayne LaPierre

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, scanning, or otherwise, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

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First Edition

ISBN: 978-1-935071-89-1

Library of Congress information available

Printed in the United States of America

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For nineteen years, I have served as Executive Vice President of the National Rifle Association of America. During those years, Ive traveled to all fifty states and met face-to-face with thousands of NRA members from all walks of life. Ive had countless discussions about firearms safety and the personal responsibility that comes with the freedom to own a gun. But Ive also been asked numerous questions about crime and safety that have nothing to do with gun ownership, particularly when Ive visited communities coping with natural disasters. Sometimes Ive referred our members to various publications and experts in safety and crime-fighting fields. In many cases, Ive reached out to these experts myself in order to become more knowledgeable in areas that were of interest to our members. Over time, it became apparent to me that there was no single reference that Americans could turn to for answers to their wide-ranging questions about crime and personal safety.

In the end, my discussions with our NRA members led to this book, which is an essential part of our NRA message of freedom and personal responsibility. The simple fact is that safety, freedom, and responsibility cant be separatedthey all go hand-in-hand. If we enjoy freedom, we must also accept responsibilitynot just with our firearms but also in our daily lives. In our free society, it is the duty of each and every citizen to accept the ultimate responsibility for his or her own well-being and for the safety of his or her home and family, and not to be overly dependent on the government or anyone else.

There are times when the government simply cant protect us. Hurricane Katrina is an example. September 11, 2001 is another. And while we dont know when or where disaster will strike again, the lessons of history make it clear that we will face additional catastrophic events in the future and that those who prepare in advance will have an advantage over those who dont.

Preparing for major disastersincluding natural disasters such as hurricanes and floods or manmade disasters like terrorist attacks and civil unrestis really only a small part of this story. Every single day, Americans find themselves in situations that may not make national news but that require preparedness, planning, and a cool head. If more Americans would take some simple, commonsense precautions around the home, thousands of deaths and injuries could be prevented each year. Thousands of burglaries, home invasions, and other crimes could be prevented. Simple precautions with our computers could prevent countless crimes from identity thefts to child abductions. Basic preparations and knowledge can help vastly increase our safety in the outdoors. This book can help you assess the threats that you face every day and take steps to avoid them. This book is about protecting your family from harm, no more and no less.

At the end of the book, youll find an appendix that includes a variety of checklists to help you better prepare for emergencies. Youre welcome to make copies of these checklists for your personal use. Youll find an additional appendix that lists various national emergency numbers, with additional space to add the numbers for your physician, hospital, veterinarian, and so forth.

Of course, no one can be perfectly safe, and not all of the ideas in this book will be appropriate for every individual or family. But there is a great satisfaction in knowing that, regardless of whether the police, the government, or even your neighbors can come to your aid in a moment of crisis, you can meet your familys needs and take care of yourself.

Thats the reason many Americans own firearms. Thats why forty states now recognize the right to carry concealed firearms for self-protection. Thats why twenty-four statesand countinghave enacted Castle Doctrine laws that give citizens the ironclad right to defend themselves against violent criminals.

Of course, the NRA strongly supports these laws, but our mission extends far beyond defending gun owners rights. More than any other organization in the world, the NRA is devoted to promoting firearms safety and the personal responsibility that comes with owning a gun.

Over the past fifteen years, NRA has spent more than $150 million teaching gun safety to our fellow citizens. Our Eddie Eagle GunSafe program has reached more than twenty-one million schoolchildren in all fifty states, with a simple message for children who see a gun: Stop. Dont touch. Leave the area. Tell an adult. Our hunting and shooting programs stress gun safety first and foremost. In fact, working in cooperation with the state of New York in 1949, we developed hunter safety training as it is known today. Special NRA programs tailored for law enforcement officials help Americas police to use their firearms more effectively while staying out of harms way. And our Refuse to Be a Victim seminars present time-tested crime-fighting strategies to Americans from all walks of life.

These efforts have paid off, not just for our NRA members but for all Americans. While the number of privately-owned firearms in America has reached all-time highs over the past generation, the number of accidental firearm deaths and injuries has fallen to all-time lows, especially among children.

Our NRA members have also made our association one of the leading crime-fighting organizations in America. We have been at the forefront of efforts to enact Three Strikes and Youre Out legislationmandating life sentences for three-time violent offenders. Weve fought for Project Exile and similar initiatives to mandate that violent criminals must serve jail time and cannot plea-bar-gain their way into a slap on the wrist.

In short, our NRA cause extends far beyond the Second Amendment. And whether or not you choose to own a firearm, this book has something for you.

Regardless of whether you own a gun, preparation is better than fear. Regardless of whether you own a gun, self-reliance is better than total dependence on government authorities to protect you in a crisis. Regardless of whether you own a gun, the lessons in this book can help you live up to your responsibility as a free citizen to make your family safer.

In fact, by incorporating some of the ideas of this book into your own life, you will realize a great benefit regardless of whether disaster ever strikes. Simply by accepting a greater responsibility for the safety and security of your family and your home, you will enjoy greater peace of mind and become more truly free.