A gun? Pepper Spray? You have no idea how the rapist will react to that.
And someone shouldn't have to have the burden of ending another human's life just to not be attacked.
And someone shouldn't have to have the burden of ending another human's life just to not be attacked.
The absurd idea that we all each take self defense into our own hands is just ridiculous, just as you don't build your own water supply, or generate your own electricity, or train to be a doctor just in case you get sick.
I can't imagine a more dangerous society where we all take self-defense into our own hands. It wouldn't be the first world if we did that. Let's not start spouting the gun toting nonsense here, the audience on hn is too smart to buy that.
I'm guessing you live in a wonderful neighborhood with great police protection, low crime, and are not part of the demographic that is often targeted for assault. I'm happy you get to live your wonderfully enlightened progressive existence.
The rest of us will just become one of those statistics that happen when you 'offload' your rights, yes?
Of course you don't take your self defense completely in to your own hands - we live in a civilization so that we can organize and protect each other. But, ultimately, you are the only one who can ensure you stay alive. To think otherwise is pretty naive, or comes from a position of entitlement.
For the interest of full disclosure, I keep a firearm in my vehicle and one at home. My wife concealed carries. We live in a neighborhood with fairly regular home invasions, and even a few murders over the last few years. We plan on leaving as soon as student loans get paid and we can.
The military is not there to protect you either. Their job is to enforce national policy abroad, put down rebellions and repel invasions.
I agree that police and the military make us safer overall, on average. But they do not protect you personally. You can either pay a private security firm to defend you if you are rich, or you can defend yourself. There literally are no other choices.
When seconds count, the police are minutes away. Unless you have your own private bodyguard, being prepared to defend yourself isn't ridiculous.
Then I suppose you also shun the idea of CPR or the first aid in general. That's what first world society has doctors for...
I can see that it'd be prudent to be able to engage in some self-defense in rare scenarios, but in a civilized area they really should be extremely rare scenarios. A functioning government and civil society to the extent that people aren't being regularly assaulted in the street isn't that high a degree of public order! I live in a large European city, and I certainly feel safe here without carrying guns (safer than I feel in most American cities).
"X does not happen under ideal conditions, therefore, it is wrong/foolish to prepare for X."
As an individual, I should protect myself. But I expect my government not to rely on me, or my grandmother, having to learn how to shoot.
By screaming in pain and flopping on the ground, one would hope.
And someone shouldn't have to have the burden of ending another human's life just to not be attacked.
Well sure, but given the choice of injuring / killing an attacker, or being attacked, what do you think most people would pick? What would you pick?
Not to mention that many women state their bodies just shut down like they weren't even there, even if they had a way out/way to defend themselves.
My wife, for what it's worth, will put a bullet in a rapist and not think twice. I told her to put more than one. If that seems 'crass' or 'tacky' or 'unenlightened' or whatever else to anyone here, I really don't care. It's not your body and life we're talking about here, and it's not like she has the ability to fend off a motivated 200+ pound attacker without one.
I'm advocating that telling a rape victim that she could have/should have done more to defend herself is stupid and disgusting.
I'm fucking thrilled if your wife has the capacity to do that. That's great. I really fucking hope she does.
Thinking that every woman can do that, or that it would be possible in every situation (or even most) is absurd.
You don't tell them what they should have done to prevent it. But when someone does prevent it, do you tell them they shouldn't have had the ability to?
And I think you're selling women short in terms of what they're capable of. Casting women as helpless victims isn't helpful either.
Are they going to stab me after they steal my stuff? Are they going to put me in a car and take me to another location? When violence is threatened, you simply don't know where it's going to lead. I'd rather err on the side of caution which is why I support CCP / LTC for responsible and law-abiding citizens.