As our thoughts and prayers go out to those who have suffered and are suffering from the terrorist attack at the Boston Marathon this week, it is another wake up call and a reminder that complacency can creep up not only on an individual, but also on a community and a country.
Today's battlefields have changed since 2003, the enemy no longer wears a uniform, has no respect for the Geneva Convention and does not distinguish from combatants and none combatants. Everyone is a potential target.

Terrorists today are just as likely to look like this.

As much as this.
It does not matter if the target is an individual person, an event, an industrial complex or a shopping mall. They all have one thing in common, they will all be what is classed as a soft target.
Attacking soft targets is not a new phenomena, during in WWII resistance fighters and small units of SF would attack rail routes, bridges, factories and docks, all soft targets and attacked to disrupt troop and supply movements, to tie up troops which would otherwise be engaged in frontline combat and to undermine the moral of the German forces.
In the military we are taught to 'Hard Target' especially when leaving buildings or crossing open ground. By sprinting and zigzagging it makes it harder for a sniper or other enemy combatants from zeroing in on us for a kill shot.
Target hardening is what you as an individual must do to avoid becoming a soft target. You need to do this not only physically and mentally but every part of your life must be hardened against attack. Your daily life should offer no easy access to any variety of wolf. This includes your family, home, vehicle, work place, routines or better still lack of them. Measures must be adopted which will make the wolf go and look elsewhere for a softer target.
Businesses need to harden their immediate suroundings, staff need to be trained in anti-terrorism procedures, and all forms of information must be secured and all procedures routinely checked and tested.
Communities can be hardened through training programs to help with self policing and to foster a better community spirit where helping your neighbour becomes once again a common occurrence.
Your life is your responsibility and it is your responsibility to protect it at all costs.
Would you call this in or leave it up to someone else? If you wouldn't call it in why not?
I have a number of phrases that I use to help people keep focused, to help them keep switched on and not let complacency creep up on them.
'Just because it looks like nothing is going on, doesn't mean nothing is going on'
Stay Dangerous
Rock