Mark Knapp Mark is a Spokane area based attorney who focuses on criminal defense, employment discrimination and advocacy on behalf of armed citizens regarding the use of lethal force and Washington state gun laws.
Warrior Heart. Political discourse is often so focused on Constitutional Rights that armed citizens tend to forget that we have a Christian obligation to protect our own lives and the lives of loved ones. Mark wrote a book about what the Old & New Testaments teach concerning armed self-defense. The title of the book is The Warrior Heart.
Training in Deadly Force. After potential clients in need of advice started asking questions about concealed carry and subjects related to gun rights, Mr. Knapp began to receive professional training at schools like the Firearms Academy of Seattle and Massad Ayoob’s Lethal Force Institute. This led to teaching his own classes and presenting use of deadly force in connection with Personal Protection classes sponsored by the NRA. Mark began focusing his law practice on everything related to gun laws and use of lethal force.
Cold War Government Preparation & the War on Terror. Around the time Mark was busy creating this website initially featuring guns and disaster preparedness, the War on Terror was getting into full swing. Since the 1950s, and even to a greater degree after the WTC attack in 2001, the U.S. government has spent many billions to prepare the public for everything from nuclear holocaust to earthquake evacuations. But no funds have been spent to train citizens in the use of a gun, one of the most important survival tools.
Legal Seminars. Mr. Knapp has also presented instruction for attorneys across the State of Washington related to tactical and practical defense of self and others. He has been a competition shooter and wrote a column for a Federal Way newspaper called the Firearms Lawyer.
The Firearms Lawyer Column in Federal Way. Mark wrote articles that appeared in Federal Way two or three times a month for four years. The Firearms Lawyer was a unique column for a weekly community newspaper. Letting the police know you are one of the good guys can be critical when things start getting dangerous in the streets! Another important project was founding the Armed Defense Training Association which hosts shoot-on-the-move events at various locations, including the Federal Way Indoor Range and West Coast Armory. By inviting local police leaders to come and talk to the group, law enforcement will begin to recognize the armed citizens who are a positive impact on community safety.
Armed Defense Training Association. The ADTA is a workshop for regular practice and is also a place where many new shooters can get started in a user friendly atmosphere. Experienced shooters can experience challenging drills that aren’t usually permitted at most gun ranges. There are now two chapters, one in the South Sound area and another for the Everett-Seattle area.
Community-Based Policing. When your local police see that you are a positive influence for good community relations, they love to help out by speaking at various events! There is nothing worse for law enforcement or our communities than having citizens running around with Concealed Weapon Licenses, brand new guns and no training or knowledge about the laws of armed self-defense!
School Marshals. Mark also has developed a reputation as an advocate for School Marshals and church safety teams, both subject matters he discusses in the upcoming book. Those who want an electronic copy of The Warrior Heart can send Mark an email requesting an electronic copy. See Contacts above.
Training Armed Citizens. Knapp also has a standing offer to teach his classes to any church, synagogue, mosque or gurdwara. The Law Office of Mark Knapp PLLC renewed the standing offer during a Podcast which is now available on YouTube. Mr. Knapp explained to Joseph Hare, the Podcast host that the seminars can be tailored for faith-based activities (such as church safety teams or a board of directors interested in creating a safety team), civic groups or other armed citizen activities.
Tactical & Practical. Subject matter can include how to deal with potential legal liabilities for corporate entities and church board members, practical and tactical aspects of defending the home and people in public places, use of deadly force, and Washington state firearms law. It is important to acknowledge the conflict that often arises when we start to discuss the appropriate responses to potential violence.
Biblical Basis for Armed Defense: Agape Love. People tend to become fearful, defensive and confused because of biases that develop from church and social traditions, misinformation and a lack of knowledge. Systematic teaching regarding the Biblical basis for such preparations helps in having the necessary discussions in a manner that unifies families, organizations and safety teams. The theological information may also be useful for police chaplains and other ministers. Knowledge that being called to combat is a spiritual calling and an agape ministry just like other varieties of Christian charity (Agape Love or the supernatural Love of God).
Hare Raising Podcast With Joseph Hare. During the Podcast, we discuss how during the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, most Israeli citizens could not be legally armed. Those that met the strict criteria to own a gun could possess a pistol and fifty rounds of ammunition. The few rifles available, and many of the pistols, were locked in vaults and inaccessible to most of the residents of the Kibbutz and other communities that came under attack.
Terror Cells in the U.S. Homeland. There is a growing body of evidence indicating that Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy and other terror groups have already surveilled targets in the U.S. homeland and are waiting for the right moment to commence coordinated attacks across the nation. Politico published an article about an extensive DEA investigation that would have gone after terrorist kingpins, Hezbollah drug operations based in central America, Venezuela and Mexico, and money laundering operations involving international banks based in Lebanon. Despite Politico reporting the surveillance uncovered by the DEA, the Obama Administration decided to consummate the pending Iran Deal and kill the indictments which the DEA and U.S. Justice Department were ready to file with detailed preparations to rendition Hezbollah kingpins and bring them into custody from all over the world.
Mexican Drug Cartels & Hezbollah. Despite the fact that Hezbollah has not previously attacked the U.S. homeland, their massive drug manufacturing and distribution operations, conducted jointly with Mexican drug cartels, fund terrorism all over the world, including both Hamas and Hezbollah operations against Israel, Iraq and U.S. military operations in Syria and Iraq.
Psychological Preparation & Mass Dissension. It is almost inevitable that our government will not be prepared for what is coming. You and I can interrupt terrorist attacks in the early stages if we are armed, trained and psychologically prepared for imminent attacks. Don’t expect the Government to be prepared. The aftermath will involve allegations that the CIA planned it, accusations will abound that Trump supporters or Russia engineered a reprisal for U.S. support in Ukraine, even that Israel covertly arranged for coordinated attacks. Domestic and foreign terrorists of every stripe want Americans to become more and more divided as we accuse and blame each other for the attacks.
Wisdom Cries Out in the Market Place. The most important weapon is the mind. Thinking like a man or woman of action is not an exercise that is natural in a society where the most educated receive much of our thinking through a corporate media inhabited by journalists who are paid to criticize and expose public figures. Public policy is filtered through a political-corporate lens constructed to create optics, activities that get reported by the news outlets equate with inaction and thereby trigger paralysis in the face of evil! Wise citizens, on the other hand, will see the danger and prepare by girding the loins (i.e., our minds) for battle.
Conclusion. In conclusion, armed citizens are normally the most likely people to be in a position to stop an armed attack like the recent attacks in Moscow and Israel. Every indication is that we are about to experience the same kind of terrorist operations in the United States that we have witnessed in France, Mumbai, Beslan, and Nairobi. It will almost always take too much time for law enforcement to arrive; even if the police arrive in seconds, it will be too late for many who will die.
The Law Office of Mark Knapp PLLC (253) 202-2081 