Sovereignty

by Ryan Michler

  -Sun Tzu

  Since the dawn of man we, as men, have answered the calling of protector. I don’t take the word “calling” lightly. Whether you’re a creationist or an evolutionist, it is very clear that biologically, we were meant to be protectors.

  Generally speaking, men are bigger, faster, and stronger than women. That alone should be proof enough.

  For thousands of years, we’ve been tapped to protect our tribes and watch over our people.

  Some people seem to think that’s no longer important or relevant. And, while the luxuries of modernity have drastically reduced the likelihood that we’ll need to defend ourselves or our loved ones, it has become painfully obvious that the wicked of the world have preyed upon our weaknesses for too long.

  Take the schoolyard bully who runs rampant because the school and legal system have made it all but impossible for one assertive child to punch him in his teeth. Rather than allow a young boy to handle the situation himself, the so-called solution is nothing more than a weak attempt to address the actual problem. We see ad campaigns designed to stop bullying “in the hopes,” as one campaign ad says, “of preventing attacks on students.” These cute little campaigns (one campaign I saw is called “Mean Stinks”) would be great if little Johnny wasn’t a punk who deserved to get knocked out.

  Just the other day, my son told me he pushed a kid down at school. He did it in defense of his friend who was being picked on. I told him I was proud of him and congratulated him for doing the right thing. Two years ago he was being picked on in school. This year, he stands up for himself and others. Guess what? Nobody picks on him anymore.

  Want to stop bullying for good? Teach your children not to be victims and step up as a protector to themselves and others.

  On a more horrific note, take, for example, the self-righteous murderer who walks into a school, office building, or public space and shoots anything and anyone unfortunate enough to get in his path. Society’s response? “It’s not his fault. He had (insert excuse here),” or even more misguided, “Let’s shower him with love.”

  Nice. What if the psychopath/mass murderer isn’t interested in hugs, rainbows, and fairy tales? No, what we need are men who are adequately prepared, trained, and equipped to distribute consequences to the enemy of public and individual safety. That would be your job.

  Before we go any further, let me be clear that I don’t believe violence is always or even the first answer. Sometimes? Yes. Always? No. That said, and in the words of the well-known Chinese proverb, “It is better to be a warrior in the garden than a gardener in a war.”

  This book is by no means designed to teach you all you need to do to become the protector you’re meant to be. There have been plenty of books written on the subjects I will briefly discuss. I do believe we should, at a minimum, discuss the elements every man should be aware of that, when not addressed, have the potential to limit your sovereignty and the sovereignty of those in your care.

  This knowledge and understanding represents the first point of a man’s mission: protect.

  SITUATIONAL AWARENESS

  Let’s do an exercise. Go to a public space (restaurant, airport, park, etc.) and take a seat. Are you comfortable? Good. Now take a look around and start counting how many people have absolutely no clue what is going on around them and are completely oblivious to their surroundings. You’ll find the vast majority of the people you observe have their noses stuck in their phones or are so entrenched in their activities that they wouldn’t have any clue how many people are around them; who looks suspicious; what potential threats exist; where to find the nearest exit and/or escape route, cover, and concealment; or how to handle any other factor that could potentially keep them out of harm’s way.

  In his book Left of Bang, Patrick Van Horne illustrates Cooper’s Color Code as a system for understanding and identifying patterns and the differing levels of awareness you should understand.

  Condition White is described as unaware and unprepared. Condition Yellow is described as relaxed alert, with no specific threat situation. Condition Orange is described as specific alert—as something is not quite right and has your attention. Condition Red is described as response mode and on the offense/defense.

  The goal of Cooper’s Color Code is not to create an army of paranoid men who can’t operate in life, but, rather, an opportunity for men to understand their environment and react accordingly.

  READINESS

  Should you find yourself in a dangerous situation (active shooter, emergency, natural disaster, etc.), how capable are you of protecting yourself and your loved ones? Do you have the physical and mental capacity to handle whatever life throws at you?

  When asked about the famous Boy Scout motto “Be Prepared” and what a man should be prepared for, Lord Baden Powell answered, “Anything.” It’s difficult to fully understand and appreciate what dangerous situations you may find yourself in, which is why, now more than ever, it’s imperative that you train your body and mind for whatever may come.

  Physical fitness is a huge component of becoming a better protector. If, for example, you’re fifty pounds overweight, do you honestly believe that you’re fully capable of standing against evil or an emergency?

  There was a time in my life when I actually weighed fifty pounds more than I do today. I stand at five feet ten and I weighed in at 235 pounds at my heaviest weight. I remember coming home from work one day and, as my kids pulled on my pant leg, begging me to jump on the trampoline, I had to look them in the eye and say, “I’m sorry guys, I can’t jump on the trampoline.” I could just as easily have said, “I’m sorry guys, I have voluntarily given up sovereignty over my body.”

  I could see the sadness in their eyes as I contemplated the pathetic situation I had created for myself.

  If I couldn’t jump on the trampoline with my children for a few minutes, I certainly couldn’t outrun an active shooter, lift a car hood off my wife in an accident, or survive a fist fight with a would-be thief.

  Just as physical health is critical, so is mental health. Do you have the mental fortitude, strength, and resiliency to deal with a violent or emergency situation? Can you keep your calm? Can you keep your wits about you? In the movie Braveheart, Malcolm Wallace responds to an angry and eager-to-fight young William Wallace, “I know you can fight but it’s our wits that make us men.”

  Will you be the man on the news who rescues the children from an active shooter, or will you be the man who cowered in the corner because he was physically and mentally unprepared to handle himself in a difficult situation? Of course, the fear never goes away, but a man constantly strives to improve his body and mind to deal with a threat when it arises and the situation calls for it.

  WEAPONS OF WAR

  This is where I lose a lot of men. I want to be the first to tell you that I do not advocate unnecessary violence. Necessary? Yes. Unnecessary? No. Edmund Burke has stated, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

  It’s a painful fact of life that, at some point, you may be required to stand up to violence. You don’t go looking for it, but it may find you. When that day comes, you will want to have understood and trained with all the tools at your disposal in order to neutralize a threat.

  Your body, for example, is a machine. As we’ve embraced the blindfold we’ve become accustomed to wearing and the ease of modernity, it is likely that machine has become like a rusted-over heap of metal. This is not how the body was intended to operate. A man’s body was intended to work. Period. It’s why we’re bigger than women. It’s why we’re stronger than women. It’s why we’re faster than women. You are a workhorse.

  Treat your body like it was intended to be treated in order to maximize its output. Exercise regularly. Fuel correctly. Rest properly. Train accordingly.

  In addition to the care and maintenance of your body, spend time learning how to wield your body to do harm to another human being. Again, the goal is not to start
trouble but to end it should it arise.

  Secondary, but equally important, is learning how to use a firearm. Whether you believe in the second amendment or have a desire to own a gun is not relevant. The fact is that there are violent men who do, and they will use any tool they can against you and your loved ones.

  With that said, you have to understand and, at least to some degree, know what the tools are, how they work, and how to operate them. If you aren’t interested in owning a firearm, fine. But that does not mean you should not learn how to use one. Get firearm training. Go to a gun range. Learn that a firearm is only as dangerous as the man wielding it, and you’ll see that guns are not the problem and, in many cases, may represent the solution.

  These aren’t easy conversations to have. I don’t know many men who are interested in violence for the sake of being violent. I spent time overseas in a war zone. I’ve had countless conversations with elite military operators and law enforcement officers and not one of them wished for violence, but you can be damn sure all of them were prepared to do violence when called upon.

  You can plead ignorance and hope it all works out, or you can prepare yourself for a day that hopefully never comes. Either way, understand that operating with your head in the sand is not the strategy of a Sovereign Men.

  PROVISIONS

  Any great leader of men knows that provisions quite literally spell the difference between a successful campaign and an unsuccessful one. We spend so much time acquiring trinkets and gizmos and gadgets that serve no real purpose in moving us toward our objectives but can’t seem to wrap our heads around spending a little money, time, and attention on the provisions that could potentially save our lives.

  Food storage, for example, has saved my bacon more than once. There was a time in my life (early in my marriage) when money was extremely tight. Each year, the youth of our community would sell bags of potatoes as a fundraiser. Every year my wife would buy a bag. There was one time in particular where my paycheck had been delayed by two weeks, and with no money in the bank account, we survived off potatoes for weeks. To this day, my wife continues to buy those bags of potatoes as well as other provisions we may need in times of struggle and emergency.

  Speaking of emergencies, do you have adequate provisions in your home and car should you need to leave in a hurry? You might refer to this as a “bug-out bag” or “bolt bag.” Having the tools and equipment needed to survive without food or power at the ready could possibly save your life.

  I realize this is not an exhaustive list of the ways in which a man can be prepared to protect himself and his loved ones, but the goal is to get you thinking creatively about what skills, tools, and resources you may need to acquire in order to fulfill your responsibility to protect.

  THE MINDSET—I AM A WARRIOR

  I’ll admit, I hate even using the word “warrior.” It’s extremely overused. I’ve heard it used to describe everything from artists to yoga practitioners to social media marketers. That said, it does paint an accurate picture of the mindset you need to incorporate in your life if you are to be the protector you are called to be.

  Warriors train their bodies and minds. Warriors train with weapons. Warriors prepare their domains. If you are to be a Sovereign Man, you have to wrap your head around the notion that you are a modern-day warrior.

  We, as men, have been asked to protect those who are incapable of protecting themselves as long as we’ve been on this planet. Sure, times have gotten easier, but there may come a day when you’ll need to tap into your primal nature and do violence on behalf of yourself and others to protect those you love. Will you be adequately prepared for that day?

  CHAPTER 5

  PROVIDE

  “A man who becomes conscious of the responsibility he bears toward a human being who affectionately waits for him, or to an unfinished work, will never be able to throw away his life. He knows the ‘why’ for his existence, and will be able to bear almost any ‘how.’”

  -Viktor Frankl

  As long as we’ve been on this planet, it’s been up to men to provide for their families and communities. Traditionally, this has been by way of physical provision, whether that means hunting for food to provide life-giving sustenance, or financially, to pay for the roof over our heads, the clothes on our backs, and the food in our bellies. Modern times have challenged the status quo as more and more women enter the workforce and more and more men choose to stay at home in what was traditionally the women’s role in the family and society.

  Let me be clear because there seems to be some misunderstanding when I bring up the word “provide.” Does a man have a responsibility to provide for his family financially? At the end of the day, I believe that is his responsibility, but I also realize the dynamic of who brings home the bacon and who tends the house and children can vary from family to family. If something other than the traditional roles men and women play works for you and your household, more power to you.

  That said, there is more than one way to provide, which I’ll discuss in the following sections: Financial, Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual. A man’s ability and capacity to master each of these areas represents the second point of his mission: provide.

  FINANCIAL

  Let’s cover the financial topic because, as it stands today, the overwhelming majority of men still provide the financial support to the family (if this does not apply to your situation, I would still encourage you to read this section as it may become your responsibility in the future for any number of reasons: death, disability, layoff, and/or divorce).

  There is a growing and disturbing trend that the number of welfare recipients is increasing, and the number of programs available is expanding. (More on this in Chapter 8.)

  Let me be the first to say that I recognize there is a time and place for these programs, but I also recognize the fraud and blatant scandal that has ripped through these social welfare programs.

  One of my stepfathers is a private investigator. He was hired by large corporations to investigate workers’ compensation fraud. He would routinely come home and show me surveillance videos of “injured” men fraudulently collecting workers’ compensation. There were men who had, for example, “broken their backs,” yet found the time, energy, and physical strength to mow the lawn, do some chores around the house, go on shopping sprees to the mall, and many other activities.

  Now, I realize this one particular example may not be a social welfare issue, rather an insurance issue, but it illustrates the way one man can take advantage of the system in order to live inconsistently with the way he was meant to live.

  Although I do not agree with any many who fraudulently mooches off any other working man, I can certainly see the appeal. After all, what sounds better than collecting a paycheck while sitting in your basement playing video games and watching All My Children, infomercials, and The Price Is Right (or whatever shows air during the day)?

  But as nice as that may sound, the reality is that a man’s desire to get something for nothing is at direct odds with his sovereignty. Programs change or go away altogether, the money runs out, and/or you get caught. A man must resist the urge to get something for nothing. There is nothing more damaging to the heart and mind of a man than knowing he is not providing for himself and those who rely on him.

  I remember times in my life where my wife and I were living on credit to make ends meet. We were robbing Peter to pay Paul. Those were some of the most stressful times in my life and times I wish never to experience again.

  On the other side, we’ve had times of extreme financial abundance in our family. There is nothing so satisfying as coming home from a long week of work knowing that, although you’re tired, your family and loved ones are benefitting from the results of your labors.

  To provide financially is the work of men. Unfortunately, there seems to be some confusion about our relationship with money. Money is simply a metric of perceived value. It’s not the only metric, but it’s a metric. When a man goes
to work, his employer pays him based on the value he will provide to the company. When a client hires an advisor, that client is paying based on the perceived value he will receive. This is why it feels so good to make money. It’s not necessarily the money itself; it’s the value a man brings to the marketplace. If there’s one thing we want in this life, it’s to be valued.

  MENTAL

  Outside of the financial provisions, a man must also learn to provide mentally for himself and his family. A man’s ability to develop the mental fortitude and resilience to lead in times of feast and famine is of utmost importance.

  Let’s face it, life is tough. Life can be a challenge. You and your family are likely to run into any number of problems that could derail the plans you have set for yourself: disability, injury, lawsuit, death, divorce, bankruptcy. Without the mental fortitude to plan for and overcome the events you are likely to experience in your lifetime, you and your family could find yourself in ruin.

  There have been times in my marriage when all seemed lost. Mortgage payments went unpaid. Tempers flared. Anger and resentment welled up. It’s times like these that people will turn to the man for mental guidance and support. Will you break down when all seems lost, or will you step up to the challenge. One will never truly know until that day comes, but if you do have a desire to lead your family effectively, mental provision, fortitude, and resilience are musts.

  What knowledge have you acquired? What experiences can you draw upon? What is your ability to effectively articulate the vision you wish to cast? These are all ways in which a man provides mental clarity and strength as the head of his house, his business, and his community.

  EMOTIONAL

  When I talk about masculinity, the last thing most men would think about is emotion. The lie we’ve been fed that men are not emotional just isn’t reality.