Just Say No

Via Of Arms & The Law:

"Use of a firearm to protect yourself or property is not recommended.

* Guns stolen from residences are a primary way of getting guns into the hands of criminals.
* Half of all the women that fire a gun trying to protect themselves shoot someone they do not want to, i.e. friend, neighbors, relatives, etc."

That's from this webpage advising women how to avoid &/or resist rape, courtesy of those bastions of liberty, the Illinois State Police.

So what do they recommend to use as a weapon?

"Articles common to your handbag that make useful defense weapons.

* nail file
* rat tail comb
* teasing brush
* pens and pencils
* keys
* anything rigid"

Now all those items & a few dozen more can be effective weapons in a pinch. But I'm thinking the muzzle energy of a .380 ACP would be more effective than the ft-lbs generated by a pencil (though I admit I haven't chronographed a pencil & figured up the external ballistics).

But don't forget their advice on the usefulness of forceful resistance:

"Fighting for your safety may be necessary. However, if you start out fighting you cancel any other options that might be open to you. Since many attacks on women are not sexually motivated, and are designed to degrade and humiliate, talking your way out of it may be easier."

Ah hah. Although it's hard to carry in a purse, nothing says "No" like a double barreled shotgun. & a revolver or pistol will do a much better job of de-motivating a sexual predator than having a discussion about his feelings & why his mother didn't let him play with the other kids. Hell, I thought "Just say no" was an anti-drug campaign; now it seems to be an anti-self defense one.

Still the only thing missing that would have made the ISP's webpage more laughable was if they included recommendations for carrying those devastating weapons of defense they listed if a lady went purseless. For instance, the teasing brush - ankle holster or inside the waistband? & will someone in Illinois come out with a Tactical line of nail files? If so how long before the state legislature took action to regulate those deadly concealable weapons?

One last bit of advice from the ISP:

"Remember that screaming may be just as important to your defense as any weapon."

Uh-huh. I see that asinine bit of tomfoolishness & raise with "Speak softly & carry a big stick - preferably one of .40 caliber or larger".

Posted by Publicola at April 7, 2007 04:22 PM | TrackBack