The Third Option: A Black Triangle Manifesto

The government inherently prioritizes its own safety. This is not a complaint, but rather an observation on how the system functions. Systems are protected by armed professionals, hardened spaces and immediate (violent) response. The people's safety is managed through regulation, delay and procedures that begin after the violence has already occurred.

Through this asymmetry, a binary choice is presented. The first and obvious choice is to be armed. Though the right to be armed is guaranteed through the bill of rights, it is mostly dependent on permission and often enforced through manned security and technology. When situations do not align in the favor of those who are armed, the option collapses.

The second option is to be disarmed. It is framed by the mainstream as "responsible and safe". It relies on compliance, deterrence through policy and the (false) promise that help will arrive in time to save you. It assumes that threats behave predictably and rules apply evenly, which is not the case. This option fails the individual when the threat chooses to ignore the rules.

The third option exists because reality lives in the gap. It is a capability without an overt display and preparation without being provocative. This is a function without permission from the system. The third option is built for environments where weapons are restricted but danger is not, and where outcomes are decided at close range.

When systems fail and help arrives too late, what remains is the personal capability to defend one's own life or the lives of those under the individual's care.

We have designed low-signature, non-metallic tools for that moment. Purpose-built for situations when being armed is prohibited and being disarmed is simply unacceptable. You are not choosing between being armed or disarmed, you are choosing whether you have an option at all.

At Black Triangle, we have built the third option.