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Originally Posted by vanblah
but I'm not sure what either one of the victims could have done to prevent it. A gun? A few self-defense classes? Mace/pepper spray? A stun gun?
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You're asking this question like there would be an inconvenience on their part to prepare themselves with self-defense classes, mace, pepper spray, a stun gun, or even a firearm. What could they have done? Who knows, but I can tell you that these things wouldn't have HURT the situation.
I guess I can understand the logic of "why bother?," but I think it can only come from a belief that these things are either so uncommon (willravel) or so non-life threatening that they don't justify even the littlest amount of preparation.
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When you are ambushed there's very little you can do; and these people were ambushed. Not to mention the fact that they were outnumbered.
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You're right, there's very little to do when you're ambushed. However, a little bit of preparation can go a long way in preventing the ambush from ever happening. Things like not walking alone at night, for one. That's my goal for the thread, at least, despite the continual regression to firearms. What will you do? Most people I know aren't responsible enough to own or safely use a firearm, so I'll be the last person you hear recommending it for Joe Blow. But there are a lot of
effective strategies being flat-out IGNORED because people convince themselves that it's a random and unlikely occurrence and the results will not be life-threatening. My point in posting the Blotter excerpts is to show that more often than not, it is not random or unlikely, and it is often very life-threatening.
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I presume that MOST of us are very aware that crime is ever-present--not just violent crime--but quoting statistics without any kind of follow-up is just sensationalism and only serves to further the feeling of paranoia and fear that is becoming pervasive in this country.
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I 'presume' the opposite, and I think it's clearly demonstrated by the amount of people who think it won't happen to them or that violent crime doesn't exist in their city. Even as 'aware' as I am, I'm shocked by the amount of crime that happens in my "safe" city, every day. Hell, in the time since I last posted and now there's been another sexual assault:
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Originally Posted by Blotter
A 49 year old female was walking to work at approxiamately 0530 hrs when she was contacted by two males who forced her into a vehicle and drove her to an unknown location and sexually assaulted her. The victim did not know the suspects.
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My biggest concern with that is: vigilantism/street justice. I mean, sure I've had thoughts of taking the law into my own hands but there is nothing scarier to me than a drunken and paranoid person with a gun*.
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On this, I agree. You must be mindful, of course, that being in simple POSSESSION of a firearm while under the influence of any intoxicating substance, whether alcohol or marijuana, is illegal. Its a terrible thing to lump the legal, responsible owners of firearms with criminals, just because they own the same tools.
I'd love to take you shooting sometime, so you could see (for perhaps the first time in your life) what a responsible adult does with a legally-owned firearm to ensure the safety of themselves and everyone around them. Let me know if you're ever near Colorado.
