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.
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.?
Excellent points! self-protection and careful decisions just CAN'T be emphasized enough.... God Bless