[Opinion/Video] TheYankeeMarshal’s “Why I Do Not Promote Training” Is Misguided

The Yankee Marshal is probably one of the most down-to-earth, sensible YouTubers out there when it comes to common sense hip-pocket gun philosophy.  But a recent video highlighting the rationale for why he does not promote gun training for both open and concealed carriers is a bit misguided.  Here’s why:

“If you watch my gun channel, you probably watch other gun channels.”

Not necessarily.  As one of the top gun channels on YouTube, you can never assume that your audience is comprised of seasoned gun experts.  It would be nice – but it’s simply not a reality.

Heck, at Concealed Nation, we have readers that are below the age of 21 – not legally old enough to carry a concealed firearm in most states.  Why on earth would we want to steer them into the assumption that they have all the knowledge they need to safely operate a firearm without any knowledge of their prior experiences?  That would be foolhardy.

“I don’t think you need it [training]”

Because, in the Yankee Marshal’s viewpoint, general common sense matched with an average intelligence should inevitably lead to knowing how to safely operate a firearm.  Wow!  I wish we lived in that world.  It would be awesome.  Match that with a sense of morality and ethics and the majority of all human suffering would be greatly reduced, don’t you think?

The Fallacy Of Family Support For Firearms Training

And when in doubt, “they can learn from themselves, their family, or their father.”

Let’s take that last phrase apart for a moment.  Themselves, their family, or their father.

What happens if you don’t have a father that’s familiar with firearms (or is adverse to them)?  How about a family that’s not very well educated on how firearms work or how to employ them?  Those are all recipes for disaster towards developing the basic fundamentals necessary to operating a firearm effectively.  We’re not all perfect and we certainly don’t all have supportive family members that are proficient with firearms.

Mistaking Lack Of Evidence For Supporting Evidence

Obviously, Yankee Marshall proves his law enforcement background (that was a friendly jab).  He goes on to assert that the vast majority of people are not killing themselves with firearms.  This is a true statement.  The vast majority of the estimated 11+ million concealed carriers are not killing themselves or others with their firearm.  Can’t argue with that bit of logic until we look at the incidences where that’s not true.

And for that, we need look no further than the CDC to infer that even though the vast majority do just fine – there’s plenty who don’t.

Worth mentioning – more people die due to motor vehicle accidents and poisoning.  So he is technically correct in that the majority of people with firearms are not killing themselves or others.  But that still leaves many each year who injure or kill themselves or others due to negligence.  We assert that most of that negligence stems from a lack of training.

At least in the case of motor vehicles – most states mandate some form of driver’s education prior to a person getting behind the wheel of a vehicle.  Many states have no such requirement to carry a concealed firearm.

Having Prior Training And Advising Others They Don’t Need It?

The Yankee Marshal has prior law enforcement experience.  While I don’t know if he was a marshal as the title infers, in previous videos he discusses his experiences as a law enforcement officer.

So he already has training – formal training – under his belt.  He obviously knows how to handle a firearm.  And for those with prior military, athletic, or law enforcement training – a similar level of aptitude would be expected.

For someone with NONE of those things going for him, training is absolutely essential.  Those skills are not hard-wired.  At the very basic level, any certified instructor will teach the following:

• Firearm Safety
• Marksmanship
• How To Properly Load/Unload A Firearm

From those very basic points, we can infer with an average intelligence that safely storing firearms is also important.  Those four basic pieces are necessary.  And if you don’t have them – you need to be trained how to have them.

Conclusion – Training Is ALWAYS Necessary

The Yankee Marshall is possibly one of my favorite channels on YouTube.  I like him because he has a great sense of humor and tries to bring the world of firearms to as many people as possible.  Having a concealed firearm is important!  And if you do not have a background in law enforcement, tournament shooting, or the military – being trained by a certified instructor is STILL worth your while.  And as a former Marine who has taken instruction after getting out, I can tell you I gained an immense wealth of knowledge from my instructors at Golden Seal in Winchester, VA.

Believe it or not, I never fired a Glock while I was in the service.  Until I had to go to Afghanistan as a defense contractor, I had never fired a striker-fire pistol before in my life.  Getting the instruction I did was the difference between getting the majority of shots center mass and not.  Could I have learned how to fire a Glock properly without instruction?  Sure.  Did it help?  Absolutely.

So, in conclusion, while we can’t always agree what’s a good baseline for beginners – Yankee Marshal’s philosophy on this one topic seems to be lacking the credibility I would normally give his channel.

If you disagree, let us know why in the comments below!