That makes sense with the keys. I guess I am just showing the lack of my ability to defend myself in an instance such as this. Maybe I’ll take a self defense class with my daughter. She’s still pretty young but it wouldn’t hurt to start.
Self-defense is a very good idea. I took a self-defense class as a teenager and I remembered enough over 15 years later to turn the tables on my would-be attacker. It was like an instinct, and it shocked even me that I knew what to do... Shocked him even more! (o:
My daughter took a self-defense class here in Kalifornia. There are lots of things that a person can do to defeat an attacker. I was concerned that the class made no mention of carrying a concealed firearm. That's just not politically correct in much of this state.
Kansas, I believe, has just implemented a "shall issue" concealed carry law.
It is certainly the case that the abducted girl would have been no worse off had she been armed. It takes will to shoot somebody, just like it takes will to gouge out one of their eyes, or kick them in the groin or the shin.
Those of us who have been in the military have an advantage over others in that we have had to seriously consider taking another person's life in order to preserve ours. This is a key mental decision. You have to decide that the protection of self or daughter fully justifies your use of force and that YOU will use that force.
I just recently helped my adult daughter implement a home-defense plan featuring a short-barreled shotgun. We did live fire at a private range and I had her practice her response to a threat. My hope is that she will fight just like she trained if the need ever arises. If she can obtain even two seconds of advantage, she will completely ruin the day of a determined attacker.
I would not underestimate the value of the awareness skills that I mentioned in a prior posting.
There is a saying in the pro-gun community, "The first rule of gun-fighting is to have a gun". But even more important is another saying, "If you have a choice about whether to go to a gunfight or not, DON'T GO!".
All the preparation for fighting, whether armed or not, is irrelevant if one manages to avoid the fight. That is what situational awareness can do. Similarly, most posters on FreeRepublic are probably in the very low risk category when it comes to being victims of crime.
We tend to live, work, shop, and play in relatively safe locations. We get significant crime-prevention benefit from avoiding life-style choices that would increase risk; such as doing drugs, or abusing alcohol, or supplementing our incomes through burglary.
Anti-gunners are fond of basing their decisions on lurid reports of children being injured by finding a loaded gun. But last I heard, swimming pools kill ten to a hundred times more often.
What happened to the abducted girl may not be the most significant risk to you and yours. How safe is your car in a collision? Do you all wear seatbelts?
Do you have a fire extinquisher in your kitchen? Do your children have two safe exits from their bedrooms in case of a fire? Do your kids know how to dial 9-1-1? (I have read of kids barely able to speak who have brought medical help to a parent by knowing this.)
Are your children's vaccinations up to date? How about the pets?
What do you really know about your baby-sitter?
I'm not trying to scare you. Just trying to provide some perspective.