Patrice Lumumba was an African nationalist, who served as the first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1961.
The Congo had previously been under Belgian colonial rule.
Patrice had been elected the leader of the Congo and demanded full independence.
He had left-leaning political views and some countries believed he was working with the USSR.
His views made him a target of other countries, and it’s alleged that the CIA explored options to eliminate Patrice.
But as you probably know, the CIA doesn’t just come up with one plan and go for it.
Instead, the agency comes up with many ideas before greenlighting the one they think is best.
One supposed plan was to hire a hitman from Europe to kill Patrice.
But, at the behest of the CIA, a doctor analyzed Patrice and noticed he had immaculate white teeth.
This led the agency to come up with a simple plan to poison Patrice’s toothpaste.
In the end, the CIA didn’t go through with the alleged plan because he was under U.N. protective custody.
The agency didn’t want to face any repercussions traced back to the U.S.
In the end, Patrice was killed by a rival political group.
While the CIA didn’t use it with Patrice, poison is one of the more common ways that countries carry out assassinations.
Over the past few decades, we have seen numerous people poisoned by Russia.
And even though you’re not a target of Russia (right?) there is still a chance you could be exposed to poison.
For example, if you have been shooting guns for many years or decades, you could have dangerous levels of heavy metal poisoning.
It is not as uncommon as it might sound. Here’s why:
Hands/clothes:
Anytime you have been shooting guns or handling ammunition you should wash your hands when you are done.
I’ve seen plenty of people who go to the shooting range and then eat lunch immediately without washing their hands.
Also, if you’ve been shooting you should change your clothes before entering your house.
The reason is, the dust from lead stays on your clothes, meaning, wherever you go you will expose others to the lead you are carrying.
So, make sure you wash your hands and change your clothes as soon as you are done shooting.
Shooting suppressed:
Our lungs soak up 35% to 40% of lead dust that is inhaled.
About 95% of that will enter the bloodstream and work its way to your bones and organs.
Lead salts are often used in primers for ammo which means that every time you pull the trigger propellant gases are created.
And if you shoot suppressed, you’ll be exposed to even higher amounts of lead since the gases are pushed back towards the face.
Get tested:
If you think you’ve been exposed to high levels of lead from shooting it’s best to talk to your doctor about getting tested.
Our bodies can’t process heavy metals, so they end up being stored in the body.
If you spend a lot of time at the shooting range, consider using lead-free ammunition.
Also, as nice as indoor ranges are, it’s usually better to shoot outdoors because natural airflows do a better job moving lead dust away.
In addition, if you shoot a lot (and especially if you don’t) you need to ensure your guns are in prime working condition at all times.
Because when you need it most, you can’t have your gun gummed up with carbon and lead fouling.
So, you need to keep them cleaned and especially lubricated and oiled.
