This is driven by a couple of comments recently from two men in tne androsphere I respect, 7man and freebird. They noted that SSM had given her husband quite a nice gun, but they could not own same: they have a protection order taken out against them which means that they cannot own any weapons.

There is a lack of logic here akin to the drink driving or speed limits. The police are spending a lot of time chasing people just over the limit with random breath tests, or speeding (speed cameras) or non association orders. Most law abiding men assent to these. But the antisocial, the psychopath ignores them: indeed calls in emergencies or burns things down so that they can kill firemen.

The lawless will completely ignore the law, and frequently will form mobs, and confront any authority.

But those of us who are fathers, who want to remain connected with our children, cannot ingore the laws (regardless of how badly they are written or administrated) because the consequences to our children are too severe. We are left as unwilling servants to the courts.

So what to do? As a society? As individuals?

• Stop thinking about the weapon.  Everyone is talking about semi automatic rifles and pistols, but you can do a lot of damage with a sharp implement, your fists or your feet. You cannot remove all things that can be weapons. Now, the US founders thought that the way to handle this was to allow all to be armed and then form militas or posses to find and defend against bad people.  This was and is functional: in the more remote areas of North America you need a honking great weapon or a lot of skill to keep a bear out of your house ot trash heap (and  you need to police your trash).
• Get strong.  You need to have some physical strength. Most people can add, and won’t take on a big guy (which is why bouncers are generally bigger). Besides, strength is useful when you have to get your kids or animals out of ditches, swamps, and other sinkholes. Or for carrying out the deer you just culled for the table.
• Get endurance.  Something long and low intensity enough that it requires you to know yourself and manage your aggression. Biking, trail running, hiking — or skilled practice of a musical instrument, photography… or both. You need to be able to keep things up for hours at a time.
• Consider training (not in defence). This may be counter intuitive, but being able to read a situation, having the social skills to avoid a fight, and having a clear sense of the consequences of aggression is essential for all men (and women). This includes the consequences of social or legal aggression: if you have a non trespass order against your ex you have a moral duty not to ever, ever, try to hook up with him… because he will be arrested and he will either destroy the relationship after that or drag you through that hell known as family court.
• Know how to handle yourself. Restraint training or martial arts if unarmed: skill with a weapon if armed. You do not want to hurt bystanders.

Note that weapons are at the bottom of this list and self discipline is at the top. Nothing new there: any veteran will tell you that it is the discipline that matters.  However, most people forget that the same discipline and ability to resolve and avoid conflict is needed outside of the armed forces: they are far too ready to look to litigation (which is in effect enforced by an armed force called the police) and forget that the best thing is to turn the anger away.

For self defense does not begin with weapons, but self mastery.