It’s 0300. 3 AM. There’s rattling at the door, maybe the sound of glass breaking. Your motion-sensing surveillance system is screaming alerts at your phone. The door finally gives way, the window is breached. Your alarm system goes off, but you’re already popping open that biometric safe next to your bed. Grabbing that well-maintained 9mm pistol, you’re directing your significant other to grab their own sidearm and protect any vulnerable people, i.e. elderly relatives, children, in the home. Your job is to assess and engage the invaders. Thankfully you have some knowledge of their whereabouts already. They’re looking for an easy score in your living room. As you round the corner, one is helping themselves to your PS5, while the other is standing watch, gun in hand…
You bring your sidearm to bear, flick on your weapon-mounted light, and warn them to stop what they are doing. The response, predictably, is for the armed thief on watch to raise his weapon and open fire. In a loud report, your whole world turns upside down. Thankfully the thief, blinded by the sudden light from your WML, cannot see worth much and his first shot goes wide. Your responding volley is more effective, with most of the 9mm 124-grain +P Gold Dots you discharged impacting on the threat, neutralizing him. In all the excitement, the thief working on the PS5 had dropped it, and reached for his own gun. You notice this, and open fire, neutralizing him before he could attempt to avenge his fallen co-conspirator.
After assessing that the two thieves are in fact no longer a threat, you check to see that your significant other has made sure everyone else is alright – fortunately all are safe, unharmed, and accounted for. You then call 911, breathlessly explaining what transpired and that the police need to come as fast as they can…
You’re alive, your family is unharmed, and even the items the thieves were attempting to steal are intact. Sounds like a victory, right? In reality, the second part of the home invasion “battle” has just begun.
As you are stowing your gun, the police show up, requesting immediate entry. You go to the door, and let them in. Taking in the scene, all they see are two incapacitated people in the living room, and a breathless guy in a robe shouting because gunshots are loud and he’s currently deaf and can’t hear himself talk.
After the confusion dies down a little, the police take photos, statements, and EMTs roll up, eventually carting off the home invaders. One expired before medical aid could be rendered, but the other was only hit in the stomach. Not immediately fatal, but extraordinarily painful. As a matter of procedure, the police confiscate all firearms used in the encounter, including yours.
You may think it’s over, but it’s not. As the post-shooting proceedings move on, you’re dismayed to find that the surviving shooter’s family has decided to press charges against you in civil court. Unfortunately your jurisdiction has an overzealous “progressive” prosecutor looking to make a name for himself. He hates guns, he hates the fact that you’re a successful guy in the suburbs, and if he takes you down, there’s a nice promotion waiting for him.
You’ll probably want to retain a lawyer, but you’ll find that a good one who is willing to take on a politically-motivated case like this in a hostile jurisdiction costs good money. You find out, sadly, that cases like this can drag on for years. You’ll be alive, but you’ll be wiped out, or worse…
So, what’s a down-on-his luck self-reliant sort of guy to do?
Well, as they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. As an armed citizen, you’ll want something called “Concealed Carry Insurance”, or “Self-Defense Protection”. It sounds nice, but what is it, anyway?
What Is Involved With Self Defense Protection?
Recently, I had a chance to chat with Scott Bauer, a representative of Right To Bear, one of the foremost firms in the CCW world. According to him, Right To Bear is an association for firearms owners with numerous benefits such as:
- Access to An Attorney for Emergency and Non-Emergency situations
- Unlimited Civil & Criminal Defense
- Psychological Support
- Expert Witness Coverage
- Firearm & Self-Defense Training & Education
Basically, what you are getting is protection that will cover attorney fees and expert witness costs should you incur them as a result of a lawful self-defense shooting.
It goes without saying that this is not “murder insurance”, as the media sometimes tends to make a fuss about.
Also, you may think your renters or homeowners insurance will cover you – that’s simply not the case. While your policy may cover damage to the home and associated expenses, it will not cover costs associated to a defensive shooting.
That being said, what is covered varies from company to company and plan to plan. Since I reached out to Right To Bear as part of my research and they answered back rather fast, I actually found their benefits to be quite comprehensive once I dove into the details.
What Makes Right To Bear So Special?
As a background, Right To Bear is part of the family of companies that includes Palmetto State Armory and AAC Ammo. If you know PSA, you’ll know that they are serious about their commitment to the Second Amendment and firearms rights in general. Like PSA, Right To Bear is intent on getting their product into as many hands as possible to make the whole idea of carry insurance the norm, rather than the exception.
As far as Right To Bear itself goes, what struck me the most was the comprehensive nature of the coverage considering the low monthly price – $15. From what I’ve seen of other companies in this space, their basic plans start at double that, offer less features, and are heavy on the swag and “free” gifts. Sorry guys, but I don’t need another gym bag that’ll fall apart in a week.
Anyways, as far as the comprehensive nature of Right To Bear, it’s pretty impressive.
The Costs Are Paid Up Front
Some policies put you on the hook initially for any costs incurred during the process. You could end up laying out thousands of your own money, and risk going into default while waiting for reimbursement funding to arrive. While you know the funds will hit, it’s got to be pretty nerve-wracking on top of everything else to be worrying about making rent because you’re waiting on a transfer from XYZ Company. “RTB” steps in right away and disburses the funds themselves on your behalf. To be fair, things like bail and out-of-state coverage are add-ons, but the cost is so nominal that you’re still coming out ahead.
Criminal & Civil Coverage
If the unthinkable happens, and you’re involved in a self-defense shooting, there’s a chance you could face criminal charges, as we discussed. RTB covers that.
However, even if you beat the criminal case or criminal charges aren’t levied, you can still be subject to civil charges. Just ask Kyle Rittenhouse. While he beat the criminal side after a long and drawn-out courtroom battle, his attackers came after him in civil court. While in this specific instance the attackers were financed and fettered by outside interests, the simple fact remains that it’s trivial to sue someone in civil court in our nation. You could successfully defend yourself in your own home, only to find the family of your attacker is suing you for some vague reason or another.
No matter how spurious, unfortunately you have to answer that in court, lest they rule against you by default. Of course, even paying an attorney to show up for a few hours and talk the courts down costs a sizable sum. In this case, RTB covers you. Your attorney (you can choose one, or RTB can recommend one) could spend a week in court pushing back the frivolous suit, and you’ll pay no more than your monthly membership fees.
Expert Witness Coverage
Criminal and civil cases often come down to nuance. Some overlooked detail could mean the difference between freedom and ruin. Even if your attorney is well-versed in the subject matter of firearms law and self-defense, he or she may not be a real “gun person” per se. Enter your expert witness. While you probably wouldn’t get Masaad Ayoob to take to the stand on your behalf, Right To Bear will cover bringing in an expert witness for your case, should the need arise. It could very well be the difference between success and failure.
Right To Bear Will Replace Your Gun
Sadly, even in an open-and-shut self-defense case at home, the police will often confiscate all firearms involved a shooting, including yours. This is usually for forensic and technical reasons, i.e. if the government is the one bringing charges against you, failing to sieze your weapon could mean the case gets thrown out on a technicality. So often, law enforcement will take your firearm, even if you did nothing wrong. Of course, at that point, you’ve got a bit of a problem. While the general rule of thumb in our scene is “Two Is One, One Is None…”, i.e. always have more than one gun of each type, some can’t abide by that for financial or practical reasons. Guns cost money.
Maybe you have two pistols, but one is for your wife. You aren’t going to make her go out into the world unarmed. Or maybe all you have is one pistol, one AR, and one shotgun. Falling back to the AR for a “daily driver” may not be possible. And you’re going to need it. The invader you just defended yourself against may have family and friends, looking for revenge. You’ll need a replacement.
Right To Bear covers this. They’ll send you a replacement firearm, and it’s yours to keep, even if the authorities return your original firearm. You’ll be armed and safe, in case the unthinkable has a follow-up.
Psychological Counseling
Let’s be blunt, it’s no mean feat to injure someone or take their life, even in self-defense. As humans, we’re simply not set up that way. While we’ll defend ourselves, that act of violence will affect us in unseen ways, perhaps for years to come. Problems can manifest themselves, unbidden. Fortunately, Right To Bear provides access to professional counseling services in this regard. Similar to what law enforcement officers receive after they use their firearm in the line of duty, you’ll have a qualified pro to help you through the “third battle” after the first (the actual defensive incident) and the second (the courts) are over. Suppress your gun, not your emotions.
Pros On Standby
If the unthinkable happens, and you pull through it physically unscathed, your first phone call should be to 911. “Hi, I’m at 123 Main Street and there’s been a shooting, please send the police.” – and then hang up. Your next call should be to the Right To Bear emergency hotline. On the other end, 24/7, are actual attorneys, ready to give you the correct procedures to ensure that you don’t stumble and land yourself in hot water, before that “second battle” even begins.
Having Self Defense Protection Is A Necessity In An Armed Society
If you’re one the Second Amendment Radicals and armed citizens who have been reading my site, you’ll know that I emphasize the nature of what being armed means. You’ve decided to take personal responsibility for your life and the lives of those under your care. You know the government isn’t able to help. It’s all you. Part of that is also ensuring you can continue to uphold this grave responsibility even after the unthinkable happens. Staying financially solvent and free means you’ll still be there, even while the unfortunate process that occurs after a defensive shooting progresses. Self defense protection, such as that offered by Right To Bear, ensures you’ll stay free, financially sound, and armed.
Interested In RTB? Click Here To Sign Up – Save With Promo Code RGG10!
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