My Saturday morning trip to the local Walmart yesterday almost felt like I was on the set of a dystopian movie. At least it wasn’t as bad as mid-day Thursday, when aisles loaded with frazzled shoppers looking for sold-out items made for a tension-filled experience.

As Tire and Lube Express changed my oil and rotated tires this morning, I surveyed the damage left by the plague throngs of shoppers from the previous couple of days. Frankly, I’d hoped the shelves had been restocked. They had not. Instead, they were more barren than earlier in the week.

With practically nobody there at the early hour, I had a chance to snap a couple of photos.

While I carry my safety rescue tool(s) everyday, I know more than a few of my fellow CCW license-holders who do not. I would gently encourage them to revisit their personal defense plan under current circumstances.

After all, we know how desperate people do desperate, irrational things.

BREAKING: A man was stabbed with a wine bottle over a pack of water at a Sam’s Club in Hiram. 😳😳😳😳pic.twitter.com/KV5X7MiKpO — Everything Georgia (@GAFollowers) March 13, 2020



And it’s not just here in America, either.

#BREAKING: A scuffle broke out at a Woolworths in Chullora this morning with patrons coming to blows over toilet paper, forcing employees to intervene. Bankstown police attended the scene and no charges have been laid. #9News pic.twitter.com/9TmDAStb9D — Nine News Australia (@9NewsAUS) March 7, 2020

With that in mind, it’s time for wise and prudent people to tool up for self-defense. This is a good opportunity to load business magazines with business loads. For now, practice ammo goes into storage for another day as we minimize our exposure to other people.

Are we likely to need any of these self-defense guns and loaded magazines? Probably not. Thankfully.

But as General George Armstrong Custer would have said, if we do need them, we’ll likely need them very badly.

Don’t be like General Custer and leave your best tools at home. It’s a good idea to practice self isolation and social distancing, both for your own health and that of everyone else. But if you do have to venture out, don’t leave your gat at home because it’s just a “routine” outing and you aren’t accustomed to toting that extra bit of weight on your hip.