By Cecilio Andrade

Life is beautiful and unique, neither you nor the potential victims started or sought aggression, so if we are alive and the aggressor or aggressors are not, it is a reason for joy. We are alive; we have saved lives, ours and/or those of comrades or innocent civilians.

Life is something sacred in all cultures, and so it must be considered, and even more so as professionals or armed citizens always being aware that we must respond to an attack, at the time or place that others decide. After which we should feel good about having saved lives. It was not asked for, I insist, that they attacked us; it was decided by the aggressor/s, not us, so that the aggressor/s is solely responsible for his/their actions and it´s final result. Everything else is simply hypocrisy, personal interests and political corrections, neither more nor less.

If we have trained correctly and realistically, if we have thought and planned our actions in general situations, what would be our “before of”; if in the violent actions we have done what was appropriate to the moment and place without forgetting the ethical, moral, legal and personal beliefs, which is the “now”, then, and only then, our “after” will be much more controllable and appropriate, we will not have more internal problems than those purely generated by “the usual”, you know who.

To regret the loss of the aggressor is to regret our own survival, remember that phrase.

In conclusion, let´s remember:

• “Before of”: alerts, attentive, pending of your surroundings, mentally aware.
• “During”: resolve the situation as trained and planned, or as close to it as possible. Stay focused and do not give up.
• “After”: feel happy that you have saved lives, and do not allow yourself or anyone else to convince you that you did wrong. You are alive; ask your family and friends if they would prefer another result?

In a perfect world, all this could be aberrant, but we live in a human world, made by and for humans, and therefore, unfortunately, perfection shines by its absence.

Besides, life really is unique and beautiful; it’s worth fighting for it, am I right?