This article is not for the faint of heart. If you´re a parent like me, you´re going to be angry. As a minimum. A knife attack is bad enough, but one against babies is unspeakable.
If you are too sensitive towards violence against small children, stop reading. And avoid opening the links or looking at videos related to this case, please. You won´t understand how people were so impotent to defend their offspring against a crazed psycho with a knife coming for them.
The details of the attack you can find in the provided links. The basic story is this: a former official of a foreign Middle-East army (a “refugee”) produced a combat knife and started running all over a park in the city of Annecy, France, stabbing toddlers and anybody else he could find in his path.
- France stabbing: Children attacked in Annecy park in stable condition – BBC News
- France attack: What do we know about the Annecy knife attacker? | World News | Sky News
It’s odd to see how things like these, even in countries like my own, with a well-known violence record, never happen. Crazies down here may be crazy. But they´re not that stupid. Mess violently with someone´s child, you won´t make it even to the nearest commissary. If someone does that and gets there alive, surely a few parts will be missing. Officers will take care of the rest. Most cases of such violence against children are because of their druggie parents or “caretakers”
It’s interesting that few people have heard about this event but we don’t need to wonder why.
Wait…they’re saying this wasn’t a terrorist attack?
I apologize, but this sort of thing seems to be happening, and society’s morale seems to be accepting and condoning these actions. For whatever reason they want to allege. If a crazy migrant, with a military past, toting a huge knife and running free, stabbing people in a park filled with toddlers can´t be called “terrorism”, then W…T….H???
What is the definition of “terror” for those politicians?
Is French society so…damaged that a foreigner can go on harming small, innocent, and DEFENSELESS children without anyone condemning the aggression and asking for him to be deported or hung?
What would happen if the grandson of one of these politicians would be in the park, God forbid, and got stabbed? They would think the same?
What were the reasons behind the attack? The silence is overwhelming.
Nobody stood up to the attacker.
This is something that, at least to me, it´s amazing:
Nobody dared to face the attacker. That´s why the damage was so much. Two small children that, thank God are now out of life-threatening danger and recovering. But they will grow up with the scary product of a deranged, uncontrolled psycho that attacked them without any reason.
People should have faced this man with their bare hands.
I should point out this: I´m as cowardly as anyone else. Maybe more. But…small children? in their carriages? That´s where teeth become weapons, amigos. When reactions are so fast that everything becomes a blur. The moment you can lift a solid rod bar weighing 15 kilos or 30 pounds with one hand and wield it like a broomstick and your normally soft, kind voice becomes a lion-like roar: “COME ON HERE YOU ********.”
I know this because I have been in that place. I won´t give too many details, but it was a very tense situation that didn´t evolve. Otherwise, it could have ended poorly for the guy at the other end of the bar.
There are two possible reactions. I have had both of them at different times in my life. But by now, I´m too old to run. Communists banned guns from civilians almost a decade ago. We can´t shoot anyone legally. Our only possible option is to fight. With whatever we have at hand.
How sick as to be someone´s mind to choose to attack babies in a park, practically in their mom´s arms is beyond my understanding.
I don´t think that anyone reading this can ever understand it.
My take is that the killer was under a delusion based on religion and fanatism. Most of the victims that day in the park were peaceful, harmless women. I know a few mothers that would rip the face-off to anyone coming too close to their babies with a knife. Eyes included. And would hang them with other delicate body parts as trophies in their living rooms.
The importance of improvised weapons
Once the situation has been described, let´s extract the lessons of such a horrible, awful event.
Thinking about this makes me sad. The only blunt object available to stop that psycho was a backpack that a Catholic pilgrim had on his back. Nobody had an umbrella. Not even a cane, which would be almost an ideal deterrent to someone armed with a knife under these circumstances. I know that with a cane, former military or not, none of us would have hesitated to stop that feral animal. To the point where he would have to be rescued, I´m sure of that.
People, it doesn´t matter where you are. It doesn´t matter if you think you won´t need something that could marginally use as a defense tool where you go. Just take with you that favorite tool, as long as it´s legal. I do it, even with the draconian restrictive laws down here. Why? Because a friend of mine is alive thanks to his cold blood and a tool in his pocket.
A real survivor. He was almost killed in an armed robbery but fought back. Things ended poorly for the thugs.
If you think you don´t have any weapons, think again. If you can get close enough to the attacker, an elbow (hard body part) to a soft body part (eyes, nose, mouth) will make wonders to inflict pain. (Check out this article and this one on improvised weapons. As well, here’s an article specific to knife attacks.)
I know…all kinds of forces ranging from the Boy Scouts to the most fierce elite groups of every army in the world will have a feast on this topic now in the comments section, enumerating all the 101 ways to crack the attacker´s nuts: Krav Maga being the most popular, maybe.
I can hear your knuckles cracking from here, fellows, while you prepare to write. LOL. I´d love to read about your experiences too.
As general information, my formal training in personal defense ended when I was 16 years old. After that, I never had harmful physical contact with another human being. Street fighter 100%.
But I am prepared to, and showing it has avoided physical confrontation. My speed of reaction has changed very little. I try to keep myself fit, and active. I highly suggest you do it, too. In one of the links, they mention the men detaining him were two seniors. 72 and 78 years old. Go figure. Grandpas rule, or what?
If a guy like that psycho has already harmed someone, why should anyone show him mercy?
It´s like a feral animal. Even worse, it is a crazed HUMAN hurting babies. “Clean” fight? Guy deserved someone ripping off a bench park and getting his back broken with it. Throw a foldable baton in your backpack. It won´t weigh and could save your life. It´s designed for that. Use a cane if you have one.
There were possibly many options to stop that deranged beast, but something in the mind setup of people in the surrounding stopped them until it was too late. Did civilization neutralize their primal instincts perhaps?
A full aluminum water bottle inside a scarf makes a VERY good defense tool. Remember the proverbial sock full of quarters. Recently I had to travel to the city and packed my lunch in a small, light bag. My mil-spec plastic canteen was almost full, and I knew it could hit hard.
You have to practice
I believe this case needs a much more complete study. Females can react very fastly (and violently) when their children are under a deadly threat.
I´ve seen it happen. When my now ex used to take our kid downtown, I bought her pepper spray and made her carry it on a belt cellphone case. I even asked her to practice getting it out fast with the “baby” (a pillow) on her. A few dry runs and her technique evolved to the point where she would back up after looking for obstacles behind her, get the spray out, and get him instinctively far away from the spray, with her body in the middle facing the attacker, arm and spray pointing his face. Mind you, Venezuela has had some dark times when baby kidnappings suddenly rose. And my kid was too cute.
My precautions generated a whole change in my mindset. Even detecting a couple of suspects in the middle of Caracas. They were coming too close, one on each side of the walks looking to surround us (I was carrying the baby) so I fastly got into the car, started it, and burning rubber, I got out of there. She was in an office with some paperwork, so I phoned her and told her what had happened. I drove around, very carefully until she left out twenty minutes later. The funny part was when we saw the guys again and took some pictures of them. With a finger crossing my throat and pointing at them. Bad guys don´t deserve mercy.
If you have to face someday a psycho (or more than one!) like that, and I honestly pray to avoid any of us going through that, remember this:
Show no scruples, no mercy. Because he (or they) won´t show any.
Use surprise elements. If you´re close to a sandbox, throw a fist of sand at the eyes of the guy. Kick him in a kneecap with all your strength. If it sounds like breaking, great! Wrap something around his neck, and choke the beast until someone comes to help you.
Unless the attacker is high on some substance and doesn´t feel any pain, the fight it´s almost finished once he´s on the floor.
If you think you´re too old or don´t want to carry a gun (or forgot it at home), get an effing cane instead, Grandpa.
Just make sure it is made with a solid steel rod in case you have to use it to fend for yourself.
What are some other options?
Have you ever used an improvised weapon? Have you ever witnessed a horrific crime like the one in France? What are your thoughts on this awful situation? How can you become better prepared to defend yourself? Let’s discuss it in the comments section.
I will support TOP´s fight against censuring for as long as I can. I have found in this community wonderful people that I´ve learned to appreciate. Join my YouTube Channel, and visit the public posts on my Patreon site, where there will be some useful devices I have been putting together, and I hope they can find a place in your survival infrastructure.
Keep tuned, and stay safe!
J.
About Jose
Jose is an upper middle class professional. He is a former worker of the oil state company with a Bachelor’s degree from one of the best national Universities. He has an old but in good shape SUV, a good 150 square meters house in a nice neighborhood, in a small but (formerly) prosperous city with two middle size malls. Jose is a prepper and shares his eyewitness accounts and survival stories from the collapse of his beloved Venezuela. Jose and his younger kid are currently back in Venezuela, after the intention of setting up a new life in another country didn’t go well. The SARSCOV2 re-shaped the labor market and South American economy so he decided to give it a try to homestead in the mountains, and make a living as best as possible. But this time in his own land, and surrounded by family, friends and acquaintances, with all the gear and equipment collected, as the initial plan was.
Follow Jose on YouTube and gain access to his exclusive content on Patreon. Donations: paypal.me/JoseM151
He was Muslim pretending to be Christian, to try to create the appearance of an equivalence, shouting In the name of Jesus Christ instead of Allahu akbar. At this point, many have recognized him and said that they had known him when he had a Muslim name rather than one referring to the Messiah. And that’s all. Just another jihad attack targeting non-Muslims. Remember in 2014 when ISIS came to the forefront putting the heads of children on fence spikes at the park? The point of jihad is to cow the non-Muslim into submission to the sharia, Islamic law. These were excellent suggestions as to how to protect ourselves under our present circumstances, but it might be better not to have jihadi at the local park.
Please name your sources for his Muslim connections. I want to post this on facebook with facts.
Here’s one: https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/robert-spencer/2023/06/13/that-christian-terrorist-in-france-has-been-recognized-youll-never-believe-what-he-really-is-n1702795
Thanks, Anon.
Europe is under attack by a religious mob, and they don´t seem to have the needed glands to respond accordingly. This guy was an OFFICER of a foreign army. Why stab children in a park? To generate terror and exhibit they are not afraid of “men laws”…
Under attack now in France. Still, I should say. I don’t know if there will be civil war. I can’t think of any other solution.
I also don’t know. Have you read Houellebacq’s Submission? It seems plausible that a combination of violent jihad and non-violent persuasion will eventually persuade Europe to submit to the sharia. Unless the Christian faith achieves power again, and then, who knows? With over 10% Muslim in France and 20% in Sweden, I don’t think they could expel all of them. They shouldn’t have let them in in the first place. See Charles Murray, The Strange Death of Europe.
It seems as though there might be civil war. I hope it’s soon. We would be greatly impoverished to lose each European country with its history, culture, and civilization. Their Christian and Enlightenment thought and morality.
Cowards always strike at the defenseless. It doesn’t matter if they use a gun or knife, hammer, or baseball bat. the goal is the same. to murder. When will people awaken to the fact that it isn’t the tool they use. They wont follow any law that is written. the only ones that are affected by laws are the people who follow the laws. Tell me what murders have been stopped by the “gun-free zone” signs? So what would stop them? well, a cop is standing nearby. What are the chances of that? or how about the citizen armed with a gun to defend themselves? The cops are reactive, not defensive. arriving after the crime is done. Making it harder to get guns may prevent some suicides or family squabbles. preventing someone from hurting another person is often stopped by pulling the gun out. The facts are clear. government doesn’t want you to have a gun because you can defend yourself, from them. to rule they must have control. they cant have it when you are armed. the world compares apples to oranges. they display the total number of murders for each country. what they don’t display is the percentage of murders to the total population. use the percentage of murders per one-hundred thousand and America is safer. England has more “HOT” BURGLARIES than America. Hot burglaries? they are committed when the people are home. we have burglaries. they are done when people are away. why? they are afraid of getting killed. the majority of criminals are cowards nothing stops a crime faster than an armed citizen. why don’t governments publish the number of crimes prevented by armed citizens? Because it doesn’t help pass laws that expand their powers and control.———————- I, Grampa
The other day one of my hens who has 7 chicks was attacking my other hen who has 13 chicks. She had her on her back biting her face and neck. What I should have done was pick up the mean little hen and locked her up, but with 20 babies all crying and running in circles it was terribly confusing, so instead, without thinking, I picked up a piece of wood and tried wacking the mean hen on the head. I successfully got her off the other hen who looked dead and chased her away and then she started attacking the babies! I smacked her a couple of times….or tried to….I got my husband who grabbed her and put her in chicken jail and we were able to get her to call all her chicks in with her. She is actually uninjured and acting nicer. The other hen looked like world War 3, but has healed. She collected all 13 of her offspring and they are all living happy now. I wasn’t trying to actually hurt the mean hen, but that was all I thought to do on the spur. She had flogged me several times for no reason other than looking at her chicks, so I was a little nervous about being near her, but my hubby told me it would have been best to pick her up instead of hitting her. I have actually done that before and should have reacted differently; however, had it been a human hurting another human I doubt that I would have held back. Babies crying turn on the moma bear in me even chicken babies, what can I say? I am sorry about smacking my mean hen, but her behavior is much improved and she does like to see me with the food bucket and water. She will remain confined, though. She has never been as good a mother as the other hen as she originally had 9 chicks. The other one has kept all 13 safe on our farm and has 5 other offspring that she raised earlier all grown and doing well.
I WOULD SHOOT THEM DEAD WHERE THEY STAND!
Sounds like post-birth abortion.
Wanna bet the left is fully in support?
.
(Rant over. Delete if you want.)
Sounds like another attack on the children of this world. The cult is trying to normalize murder/torture of children. Surprised he didn’t start collecting and drinking their blood. I expect to see more of this happen, the pedo/murder/satanic cult of “elitists” are tired of operating in the shadows and want to come out in full view. First we have pedos destroying childrens’ innocence via drag queen shows (which I believe personally are pedo networks amongst parents), gay pride parades here in Canada where men parade around naked, schools indoctrinating kids on everything sexually warped and now babies being stabbed in public. Coming soon to a town near you. Funny how a supposed “Muslim” did this just when Muslims are starting to stand up for children here in communist Canada and hopefully elsewhere. The cult has to keep Muslims hated now that they are trying to protect children. Very predictable. To me seems like a Manchurian candidate. Too bad a good swift kick to his nuts didn’t happen. Evil walks among us at all times.
They are trying to protect their own children who are in the schools. They don’t care about children of other religions. Jihad is the sixth pillar of Islam, and gruesome forms of murder are specifically commended. Many polls taken nearly ten years ago found that in most countries, most Muslims admired and supported ISIS.
Nobody did anything.
I think that is the problem nowadays.
Everyone assumes someone else is willing to step up and do what is necessary.
I just read the former school resource officer in the Parkland school shooting was acquitted for his role in that incident.
Contrast that to the Nashville TN, Covenant school shooting LEO body cam footage. They very quickly go in, search, find and stop the shooter. Unfortunately 6 lost their lives. Reportedly one of the adults attempted to stop the shooter.
Have we become a society so indifferent, so placid, so expecting for someone else to do what is necessary?
The local country radio station buys lunch for firefighter and EMS personnel. In their ad promoting support for them, they note that many run from danger, some run towards it.
Which are you?
Not asking for any Rambowannabes.
Just if you were faced with the situation in France, what would you do?
Of course, sometimes you just dont know until you are in that situation.
Some people will freeze.
Others will flee.
And some will grab something, anything, a trash can lid and beat the crap out of the yahoo.
Dear 1stMarineJarHead,
You´re right as usual. I personally have had some encounters that could have ended poorly…and not for me. Facing someone with a violent attitude is always to be like playing Russian roulette. But the results of not doing it could be much worse. Usually, even the most aggressive predator gets pulled off by a peer (they run in packs usually) because they know that if their companion falls down, they will be charged (if the police get involved) or chased and punished SEVERELY (if the police do not get involved)…and that´s how things are handled down here. But if someone takes a knife down here and you get a baseball bat, odds are on the largest weapon. Predators who pull a weapon are mostly cowards. They know that someone responding with violence is a formidable opponent that will pick up a fight to the end…
One of the biggest problems in our modern societies, is this “Don’t Get Involved” attitude. Our Litigious Society Trend just enforces this attitude.
It has happened. We definitely should think about this. Maybe run some scenarios in our heads? If you don’t think something is possible, then it probably isn’t, for you. I am a petite female, about to turn 69. I would like to think I would grab the nearest item that would damage the bastard, then whale on his head. Water bottle in a scarf sound good to me, but how about my 4 lb. EDC shoulder bag? I’m much more likely to have that available. Or, hell, if you’re wearing spike heels, whack or kick him in the obvious place.
“It’s odd to see how things like these, even in countries like my own, with a well-known violence record, never happen.”
I often find myself thinking exactly that, same thing here in Brazil. There´s a lot of crap going on here but some stuff I see happening in more civilized places nowadays is shocking indeed, trully Fourth Turning end-of-era stuff.
Very good post, Jose.
It’s vile how modern society actively suppresses courage. It’s fashionable to talk about “toxic masculinity”. Bravery is discouraged. Protecting the innocent – like Daniel Penny on the subway – is punished. The slaughter of the unborn is celebrated.
Practice courage – it’s a traditional American value.
That should be a poster plastered all over the place
This article is a hot mess. And yes I get that English is not Jose’s first language but that’s where Daisy needs to do some editing before posting.
Hi, Lila. It’s unfortunate that you’re unhappy with the article. I always edit for clarity but prefer to leave in the “accent” of our writers from other countries. In my opinion it adds a lot of authenticity and personality. We rarely hear negative comments about this in our OP community.
Wishing you the very best –
Daisy
You got the gist of it, didn’t you? I see worse than this every day, from newspapers to books, from native English speakers who may be presumed to know better. And the proofreaders don’t do any better! This is one place where I think a criticism is better unspoken (and I get snarky every time I see this also).
When my little sister went away to college the only thing that I told her about self defense was if they can’t see, breathe or stand they can’t hurt you. As many have already pointed out the people that do these things are cowards and if you use speed, surprise and violence of action they will usually fold pretty quickly.