Posted on 06/12/2010 8:34:14 AM PDT by bgill
Several of us are sending our children off to college in the fall and are concerned about their safety. Since most campuses have a no carry policy, what are some suggestions on how to "arm" them?
be aware of your surroundings
walk with friends - power in numbers
pepper spray
kubotan
don't accept drinks from friends or strangers without watching it being poured.
The best “weapon” a young man or woman can have is the ability to resist peer pressure confidently. This will allow them to evaluate their environment and their actions or inactions objectively and will also make them effective leaders. It would be great if you could just “buy” that a local store, but dang.........
If they don’t have that ability, then a weapon such as a gun, pepper spray, taser, baseball bat, whatever, may get them in even more trouble.
To buy a gun from an FFL, you need to be 21. Can be a private transfer at 18.
I think most or all CCW requires 21.
Do a cost-benefit analysis and determine if college really makes sense.
Don’t go into debt to finance college.
Get a degree in something useful, such as engineering, or forget it and get a job.
In free states that is. NJ is out for sure.
Two days at Front Sight:
http://www.frontsight.com/courses/empty-hand-self-defense-training.asp
Yikes.
Not sure where you are sending your child; if it’s somewhere like Temple or Johns Hopkins, I’d say ignore the carry laws. If it’s a more suburban/rural campus, I’d just say always know your surroundings, and tell them (her?) to try not to walk alone at night. Most campuses have services that will escort people home who feel uncomfortable walking at night.
One thing I’d add... Lots of kids around that age fear the police—or at least I did. Tell them that if they get into a sticky situation where they aren’t themselves going to get into serious trouble, don’t be afraid to call the campus police, especially if they’re going to a larger school where the campus police are an actual police department. I can’t tell you the number of times the campus police at my undergrad school helped me by giving me a ride when my car broke down, or picking me up when my friend was too drunk to drive and the cabs stopped running, or letting me into my dorm when I lost my keys, etc. The key is to be nice and act like you don’t expect it of them, then they’re putty :P
Also, I’d say even more important than “watch your drink” is “never be alone.” Girls usually get into the most trouble at parties when they’re separated from their friends. And a few stern talks on how to handle alcohol might not go amiss, because it’s bound to be an issue, no matter where she goes.
Also, pound into their heads about a sober buddy when you are going out drinking. Someone needs to have a clear head and watch their backs.....We all know that alcohol brings out the stupid in people.....
Girls need to find a guy they trust that can be a safe escort on campus. My sons were frequently called upon to be a body guard.....parents of boys, encourage your young man to be that guy.....
Roofie does not just happen to girls....my 6'5” weight lifting son was roofied, he was with a couple of friends when he passed out and woke in an ER....they thought he was another drunk students but he was well below the legal limit.....
I just checked and noticed there’s a no “chemical dispensing device” and no “club or night stick” ruling along with the no gun. So pepper spray/mace is out. What about a can of bug spray or something equally offensive or would bug spray be a big no-no? Would a kubitan be considered a club or night stick? They do dorm room searches so sneaking anything in would likely be found out or someone would let the word out.
What is kubotan?
Arm with THE TRUTH
and WITH SPIRITUAL WARFARE AND PRAYER
and with whatever . . . mechanisms . . . technologies . . . were legal and wise.
If you’re a woman, don’t get drunk. Seems obvious but the drunkest girl in the room is gonna be a target.
Don’t carry more cash on you than you can afford to lose.
Something I’ve always told my kids is that nothing good happens after midnight. My Son proved it again the other night when he got in an accident with a Cop (cop’s fault) at 2am. There’s no reason to be out at that time of night. Go to a friends or hang out at the coffee shop right around the corner.
My husband always says unless you know for real that you could actually kill someone, there’s no reason to carry a gun. It will most likely get used against you.
Pepper spray is good idea but it has to be hanging around your wrist so you don’t drop it and that’s not a good accessory!
Well that’s all I got!
Don’t leave a drink alone,even to go to the rest room. My daughter was drugged that way. She got lucky, when she started to vomit in the assailants auto and he pushed her out.
pepper spray when walking
I am a university student, and I always carry a can of Sabre mace and a flick knife clipped into my jacket or pocket. Easier and “legaler” than a pocket 9. If you’re quick on your feet/with your hands, I consider it adequate for someone too young to apply for a conceal/carry.
Of course, the long term goal is to change the rules of these schools to allow ethical conduct.
Civ Taser, next thing to a gun. Use crossbow at night.
Teach them to think logically and critically.
Sending a sheltered kid off to college and giving them a weapon is a recipe for disaster. If you have not raised them already in the ways of the world and introduced them to hunting and the use of firearms since they were about eight years old, they have no gumption on self defense or the use of weapons.
If you are seriously thinking weapons, then send them first to the NRA sponsored classes on self defense and self defense for women, then send them to a real self defense class such as that run by Gabe Suarez. http://www.suarezinternationalstore.com/
In these classes, run by professional Law Enforcement and Military personnel, they will learn about self defense, weapons, and the mindset to control a situation. These are things that most kids do not have the foggiest notions about right now. Giving them a gun with no training is a recipe that is sure to get them or someone else killed.
Well, it may be simplistic, but I would send them to a college where they didn’t have to be armed.
don’t go stupid places with stupid people at stupid hours.
(rarely does anything good happen after 1 am.)
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