Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Instead of Getting Raped, Shoot the Rapist

There have been some highly publicized incidents where certain police spokesmen advised women not to "dress like sluts" in order to avoid sexual assaults, in effect blaming the victims for enticing criminals. But after an attempted rape in South Carolina park, a local sheriff had some much better advice.
[He] is urging women to get concealed weapons permits and carry guns to protect themselves. ... He suggested that women carry a .45-caliber weapon, and showed reporters at a news conference a fanny pack women could use to carry a handgun while jogging.
The sheriff also noted that a gun is far more effective than mace, and had this to say.
"There won't be any doubt if you need to use your firearm to defend your life," he said. "I don't want this to happen, but I am telling you, I am tired of looking at victims and saying, 'I'm sorry, we've done the best we can to get them in jail.'"
I applaud the sheriff for speaking out on this issue and actually giving advice that could save women from rape or death. I've been saying for years that the best way to prevent rape is to give yourself the ability to respond with lethal force, an action that not only can prevent rape, but might remove rapists from the population permanently.

4 comments:

  1. Anything so that cops don't have to do their jobs, since they're so busy planting drugs on minorities.

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  2. Regardless of other issues with the police, the odds of one just happening to be there when someone is facing a rape attempt are pretty slim.

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  3. Right, but when women come forward, police often intimidate them into not pressing charges.

    Some interesting facts:

    - almost half of all rape victims are under 18 (tough to carry a gun)
    - about 2/3 of all rapes occur between people who are acquainted, and most rapes occur in a residence (just traipsing around the house with friends fully strapped?)
    - do guns make you immune to date rape drugs, I forget?

    But hey, I'm sure the fact that 15 out of 16 rapists never spend a day in jail has nothing to do with the problem. [source]

    Please realize I'm fine with someone carrying a weapon, but seriously... a gun is not going to prevent the majority of rapes, and believe it or not... it's not safe to go out drinking with a deadly weapon, so it won't help the most common victims of rape. But if fingering a revolver in your coat pocket while you walk between a building and your car while sober makes you feel better, then go for it. Have a blast, if you will.

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  4. You make some good points. I'm not arguing that carrying a weapon is going to prevent every rape. It depends on the situation, but you are greatly underestimating the value of carrying a gun for self-defense. Pretending that carrying one just "makes you feel" better is silly. There are numerous situations where the only defense you have against attack, whether rape or something else, is yourself. If you have to rely only on yourself for defense. In those situations having a gun is a huge advantage. This is doubly true for women facing attack from men, who are usually physically stronger and often larger.

    The best way to avoid crime is to avoid situations that place you at risk. But some times risk is either unavoidable, or part of your life that you are unwilling to give up because of possible threats. For example, the situation the sheriff was reacting to which was a woman jogging alone in the park. There are plenty such situations where carrying a gun is the most effective form of self-defense.

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