I'm curious about the importance of having some training in defending yourself physically. There are still, unfortunately, a lot of homophobic horrible people out there, so i'd like to know how many others here have taken training/lessons specifically in self-defense because they are trans. I personally have thought about this a lot, and I acknowledge that chances are, I will get into trouble a few times over my lifetime once I am FT and I want to be able to protect myself and get out of a bad situation.
So, how many others out there are thinking about or have already learned self defense? Did you just take self-defense classes or did you train in a martial art? Also, how confident do you feel that you would be alright if you ended up in a bad situation?
Mostly i'm just trying to decide if it's a very beneficial idea to learn self-defense and what kind of classes have been most beneficial to others.
I think everyone should learn to defend themselves, not just trans people. Personally I'm interested in Muay Thai, or another form of martial arts.
I have a 3rd degree black belt, I carry a 1911, and have a lawyer in a retainer. Ah! THE POWER OF MONEY. Go ahead punk, make my day!
Kate D
i hate violence, always believed in a better way, sad the rest of the world doesn't...
My step dad (a Vietnam vet.) started teaching me the Jujitsu and Tae kwon do he'd learned in the military after a couple of guys tried to rape me in the showers at high school... I wouldn't call myself an expert or anything (I'm not a braggart) but I learned enough to defend myself and after a couple more run ins with some other campus bullies, suddenly no-one picked on me anymore
I've also studied a few other forms over the years, but now that I'm getting old I've taken an interest in Tai Chi :) Very graceful
Quote from: Sebastian Fox on July 28, 2011, 07:09:15 PM
So, how many others out there are thinking about or have already learned self defense? Did you just take self-defense classes or did you train in a martial art? Also, how confident do you feel that you would be alright if you ended up in a bad situation?
Mostly i'm just trying to decide if it's a very beneficial idea to learn self-defense and what kind of classes have been most beneficial to others.
I had to in order to overcome fear. Wu Chien Pai martial arts. The best part is
not using it, just knowing that you
can. http://www.femamartialarts.org/ (http://www.femamartialarts.org/)
Track and Field. Your best bet it to run faster and farther than they can. Where some martial arts training might help against some low-life punk, unless you have been living a constantly violent lifestyle it's going to be of no help against people who really know how to fight and do it often.
True, it is best to avoid conflict and the fine art of run 'n hide is at times the better option when available :laugh:
I'd say it's very important, as one day your life may depend on it. I took some karate classes as a kid as well as independent research. Unfortunately though not everyone has the physical health and strength to fight somebody big, and obviously martial arts are of limited use against someone with a knife or gun (unless you're a SEAL or something, but most people aren't).
I think that even more important though is knowing how to not get into such a situation. Yes sometimes it may be inevitable and that's why you should learn what you can about defense, but I believe that most of the time clear thinking and situational awareness can keep you safe. Much of it is really just common (or uncommon) sense too. Don't go out at night if you don't have to. If your friends live nearby then go places in groups whenever possible. Always watch what everyone around you is doing and where they are going. Always have a planned escape route from every place you go to. Remember that a crowd is not necessarily a deterrent to crime, especially for minority groups like us. Simply don't go to places that are shady or meet people you don't trust, with the possible exception of a public area if the meeting is really necessary.
Your mind is often your best weapon. Use it.
Don't go out at night if you don't have to.
I'm not giving up half of the time of my life to fear.
Well I think it depends on the area too. I'm sure many places are quite safe at night. Here however there are always reports of people getting mugged, robbed, or even shot, sometimes within minutes of where I live.
You just have to adapt your strategy to your situation.
The 1st rule of an effective martial art defense regimine is do not put yourself into harms way. In other words find a way around it or go the other way. Once you are trained in what to look for you will know the signs before you get there and can then take evasive action.
How is this important you ask? It's the difference between life and death. Just because you will let someone be what or how they want to be does not mean they will afford you the same luxury-they will kill you for the change in your pocket and brag about it to their gang buddies. You must be prepared for this type of person or you will become a statistic. I for one refuse to go that way.
If you can't evade an aggressor the quickest way thru an obstacle is straight thru it-quickly and without hesitation-if you hesitate when conflict gets close to you physically it is already too late to react and your opponent has the advantage. at that point you are playing catch up-not a good place to be but not impossible to escape from. Be first to move and live-move afterwards and you will probably not live to see another day.
I studied Isshinryu-3 years of constant intense training-3 times a week at the dojo and all the late nights at home refining my movements and especially footwork. If your feet are out of line your body must follow that. It's a lot to think about that is why training is so important-as you practice you will perform. If your practice is lax you can't expect to perform in a stressful situation.
If you are to win in an altercation, you must train harder than your opponent. If you have a problem with someone tomorrow but you have said you will make up tomorrow for not working tonight, but your opponent has worked hard to refine his/her moves, who do you think will be victorious? The one who has worked the most will win. Be ready and live.
Sorry, I am passionate about self defense. I had a very good teacher who very seldom lost to anyone-very young-very effective. He taught us well in Isshinryu and Jujitsu. I would not hesitate to dispatch more than one opponent even at my advanced age-and I would do it quickly without any hesitation. That is why I am for the most part unafraid to go anywhere on the planet because I have already been thru the gauntlet-and lived to get the belt waiting at the end. I don't know everything but I do know what I need to know in order to survive.
For what it is worth-I flatly refuse to live in fear of what someone can do to me-better they should fear me!
Randi
I have a genuine supporter who is learned in martial arts, though it's really doubtful that she took it up for any of her feelings of identity and how they would be repressed. I have a friend who, as best as I can figure out, has refined the arts of chewing people out. >>;;;
Personally I have an interest but by-far lack a serious devotion I need, and my schedule isn't friendly to taking classes ANYWAY. I might get a license for and buy a tazer and call it a day S:
Your mind is often your best weapon. Use it.
This... and the part about being aware of your surroundings
Well I think it depends on the area too. I'm sure many places are quite safe at night. Here however there are always reports of people getting mugged, robbed, or even shot, sometimes within minutes of where I live.
You just have to adapt your strategy to your situation.
I've lived in some of these types of places... Have witnessed shoot outs, stabbings, robberies... The odd thing is I've been attacked more often in so called safer neighborhoods... Confuses the stuff out of me... Maybe my awareness was more alert in the "bad" areas?
I do plan on taking up martial arts. I just don't have the money right now, and I live in a fairly small community with few options.
I do believe self-defense is in anyone's interest; there's no guarantee you will never encounter someone who wants to hurt you. Yes, there are definitely ways around physical violence, and as said above, those ways are taught in martial arts. But along with good diplomatic skills, being trained to physically defend yourself is an important back-up in case nothing else works - even running from an assailant can lead you to trouble if they are faster than you - and then you're out of steam from running.
These are what-if scenarios that, in most cases, won't happen every day or even every year. But it could happen once in your lifetime and it's that one time you'll need to know how to get out alive and unharmed.
I will add that by "in anyone's interest" I don't mean everyone should go out and learn a martial art. I simply mean that anyone who does go out and take up the practice isn't doing themselves any harm.
V M: Here's where the saying "expect the unexpected" fits in :P "Good" neighbourhoods are often overlooked and misjudged as completely safe. There are nasty people everywhere, but it's the poorer neighbourhoods that have the reputation of being the place to get mugged. It could be as simple as a wealthy guy's delinquent nephew staying in the neighbourhood for a few weeks and decides to pick you as a victim. It could be the one bad apple in the neighbourhood. A good rule of thumb is to understand how to keep out of trouble anywhere at night. Gotta try not to attract attention and get from point A to B as confidently and efficiently as possible if you're alone. And always have some kind of plan in case something does happen. This doesn't mean organize your life around fear, it just means, be prepared for anything because anything can happen.
I walked this path many years ago. I was a very good light weight free fighter in karate. I practiced a lot and in open competition. I very nearly killed some one who came after me in the toilets at a pub. But I was at my very high level, he was out of the game and had lost most of his face before he could grab me, he was still taunting me. I smashed his face repeatedly against the sink. The sink broke. I left him.
Unless you have that speed, level of violence and lack of care for people you will not win. I gave up violence after that as I realised it could well overwhelm me. At the time I felt very good ruining that person.
I no longer feel that way.
Most violent street fighting people practice violent street fighting very often. They are very skilled and very violent unless you are on the absolute top of your game you will be out of the fight before you can blink. And if there is more than one forget it.
Cindy
Avoid the situation and if confronted run like hell. If mugged for your wallet etc give it to them.
I would have to say yes, learn to defend yourself and as some others have pointed out first is avoiding it if possible and if not take care of things fast and direct, like if your life is in danger think groin, eyes, temple, things that will get them to let go or stop, I carry a small stick I custom made, it is called a kobutan and it is very good at hitting points like the temple ( this could kill them if you hit them in the temple with a kobutan).
I have also taken different martial arts for over 30 years, I started with Karate but I did not like it too much then I went to Tiger Crane style of Kung Fu, I liked that a lot and stayed with it for many years up to black belt then I went to Judo and got a black belt in Judo, that was fun but I still wanted to learn more so I was introduced to Aikido and I love that the best, I am a black belt in Aikido also, I like the Aikido to best because you do not need to be strong and your using your attackers force against him. Life is a circle and so is Aikido, it takes a force coming to you and lets you redirect it in a circle and give it right back to them, I highly recomend learning it.
Aloha from Hawaii
Jennie
Quote from: BilliTex on July 28, 2011, 07:42:23 PM
i hate violence, always believed in a better way, sad the rest of the world doesn't...
Like BilliTex and even Cindy says, Violence is no good, that is another reason that I like Aikido so much, it is a not violent martial art. Aloha.
Jennie
I would rather just kick their ass. Ugh, I hate when you guys are right. -.-
Quote from: tekla on July 28, 2011, 08:28:40 PM
Track and Field. Your best bet it to run faster and farther than they can. Where some martial arts training might help against some low-life punk, unless you have been living a constantly violent lifestyle it's going to be of no help against people who really know how to fight and do it often.
Faster than a speeding bullet? Unless you're really sure you can outrun them, running is an open invitation to getting attacked. "Be the arrow, not the target."
The five fingers of self-defense are Mind, Voice, Escape, Fight, Tell. Use your
Mind to avoid danger in the first place. Use your
Voice to prevent potential attackers from getting too close. Use your martial arts skills to
Escape when grabbed.
Fight when you can't escape. And
Tell people what happened.
I have fought many times xD, i think is the best way to achieve peace
And yes muay thai or Kick-Boxing are better in the street >:-)
a knee in the chest/face is my recommendation today :angel:
Knee kick - Rodillazo en la cara (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_j2zeSF_iwI#)
Im doing bodybuilding legs only to make a powerfull knee XD
I want this >:-)
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi45.tinypic.com%2Fl9jyw.jpg&hash=420ca1850cfc8d2284fd57e4326e9e95c7c7f08d)
something very important you learn from martial arts classes are your strengths and weaknesses, so i recommend it even just for this reason
other things i learned, from capoeira, is to always dodge. dodging the entire situation would be the best. blocking only works if you're physically stronger
also, scream if you're attacked. screaming both attracts other people's attention, and helps raise your confidence
and if you're short your knee goes in the attacker's crotch. very basic and in most cases also very efficient. there are no dirty tricks in real fights
take-downs are also nice to learn
If I wanted to learn a self-defense style, it would have to be Krav Maga. It's "anything goes" attitude makes it better suited for actual street encounters. But if I felt like I was in a situation where I needed to learn self-defense, I'd just get a conceal and carry.
I grew up fighting so im not really worried about this. Lets just say I have a few videos on youtube from highschool that im not very proud of.
:o Lemme see.
Have a can of mace in your purse like any normal woman would. Let them have it in the eyes.
Quote from: Francis Ann Burgett on July 29, 2011, 03:11:12 PM
Have a can of mace in your purse like any normal woman would. Let them have it in the eyes.
I do not reccomend mace. Get yourself a revolver, a 38 special, if you know guns then get a 40 or 45
Kate D
I would not physically be able to fight, but I have thought about getting pepper spray and maybe some sort of loud whistle or alert device. I don't usually go out at night alone, but if I have to, I'm very conscious of my surroundings, try to stay in open, public, and well lit areas, etc.
A friend of mine would carry a spray of some kind and one of those small air horns 8) Her plan of action (that she would practice and was pretty good at) was to simultaneously whip out the spray and air horn on whoever and kick them in the groin with her Dr. Martens
I've lost contact with her, but I can just imagine the poor soul that tries any monkey biz with her :laugh: She's a rather feisty one
Quote from: Sunnynight on July 29, 2011, 01:45:16 PM
If I wanted to learn a self-defense style, it would have to be Krav Maga. It's "anything goes" attitude makes it better suited for actual street encounters. But if I felt like I was in a situation where I needed to learn self-defense, I'd just get a conceal and carry.
My instructor made one thing very clear.
IF you are going fight, attack to kill. If you only try to wound your opponent, you'll probably just end up making him/her angry. Then you'll get the snot beaten out of you.
Quote from: kate durcal on July 29, 2011, 07:12:25 PM
I do not reccomend mace. Get yourself a revolver, a 38 special, if you know guns then get a 40 or 45
Kate D
NO!!!!Only carry a gun if you are 100% certain that you could point it at someone and pull the trigger. If you can't do that, your opponent
will disarm you, and you will be faced by an attacker holding
your gun on you.
I had 4 uncles that were Army Rangers, Korean War Vets and Michigan Militia. They raised all the boys in our family to be ready for the Race Wars that were going to break out any day. So my mantra when threatened is, "Pity the fool who messes with the wrong ->-bleeped-<-, and I'm that ->-bleeped-<-."
In the wild, fighting ability is secondary to confidence in fighting ability. If you show no fear, it scares the other wild animals.
That being said, everybody should know how to defend themselves, just in case.
For me, judo has always been the most effective martial art. Turning an attacker into a kinetic energy weapon aimed at a wall always puts that attacker out, and scares everybody else. Only rarely does it damage the wall.
I have never had to defend myself as a woman.
Sadly, it is true that women generally have to be more cautious than men about where they go and what they do. Further, transpeople generally have to be more cautious than cispeople.
My 7 personal rules of thumb regarding dealing with trouble:
1) Always be aware of your surroundings. Trouble can often be avoided by just crossing the street, waiting 5 more minutes in the Starbucks until "creepydude" drives away, or even just buying a new drink when your old one has left your sight at the bar/party.
2) Use common sense in planning activities. If a certain part of town you need/want to visit has a bad reputation, don't go alone and don't go after dark. Park your car in a well-lit part of the parking lot. etc.
3) If you are confronted, try leaving and/or talking your way out of it. The best way to win a fight is to defuse it before it can even start. Your pride is never worth a possible beating...or worse.
4) If a conflict seems imminent and you don't think you can get away on your own, make noise...lots of it. A good shout for help can often end a conflict. If it doesn't, it may still bring valuable assistance. Also, try to memorize everything you can about your potential opponents; especially thinks like tattoos, unusual voices, scars, t-shirt designs, unusual bling, names, license plates, customized car styles, and anything else that might help identify them later. Don't wait for the fight to start, notice as much as you can BEFORE the panic sets in fully, and keep trying to notice things until the situation is resolved/concluded.
5) If you have to fight, don't play fair. Ever! Fight to win. Fight with everything you've got. Use every "dirty trick" you can think of. Go for the eyes, ears, solar plexus, "junk", and anything else that will be painful or cause damage. Fair play is for the gym, not the street. Knowing the practical use of one or more martial arts can help, but be prepared to practice regularly and often. As soon as you see a chance to escape, take it!
6) If you want to carry a weapon, whether a gun or something else, make sure you can use it properly, without hesitation, and without remorse. Do not carry a gun unless you know you have it in you to end a hostile person's life in a very loud and messy way. Any weapon you cannot use effectively WILL be taken from you and used against you.
7) Assuming you either escape or survive whatever your attacker did to you, get to safety and call the police RIGHT NOW! Remember that no matter what happened, you are not to blame in this. You did not ask to be attacked. You need to tell the authorities right away, and you will very likely need to talk about it later with a therapist/counselor or a trusted friend or family member. Do not try to hide away and keep it to yourself no matter how embarrassing the situation was. If it is bothering you, solitude and isolation are not your friends.
Your mileage may vary, but it's what I live by.
Yes we should all know how to defend ourselves or at minimum how to avoid it. In response to Lisbeth
Quote from: Lisbeth on July 29, 2011, 10:52:35 PM
NO!!!!
Only carry a gun if you are 100% certain that you could point it at someone and pull the trigger. If you can't do that, your opponent will disarm you, and you will be faced by an attacker holding your gun on you.
I fully agree and its the first question I ask anyone that wants to get a gun for self defense. If you can't say yes, don't get one, and never point a gun at anyone unless you intend to use and put them 6 feet under! If you don't that's where you'll end up!
And especially for us we have the ability to defend ourselves, as many of us have military, street fight'n, etc. experience that most Women don't have.
When we assume the female role it does put us at risks of violence we either didn't have or were minimal to us before. I also carry a small "sap", and I know where to hit you!
Quote from: Dana_H on July 30, 2011, 01:02:35 AM
Sadly, it is true that women generally have to be more cautious than men about where they go and what they do. Further, transpeople generally have to be more cautious than cispeople.
5) If you have to fight, don't play fair. Ever! Fight to win. Fight with everything you've got. Use every "dirty trick" you can think of. Go for the eyes, ears, solar plexus, "junk", and anything else that will be painful or cause damage. Fair play is for the gym, not the street. Knowing the practical use of one or more martial arts can help, but be prepared to practice regularly and often. As soon as you see a chance to escape, take it!
6) If you want to carry a weapon, whether a gun or something else, make sure you can use it properly, without hesitation, and without remorse. Do not carry a gun unless you know you have it in you to end a hostile person's life in a very loud and messy way. Any weapon you cannot use effectively WILL be taken from you and used against you.
Well put!
Quote from: kate durcal on July 28, 2011, 07:31:48 PM
I have a 3rd degree black belt, I carry a 1911, and have a lawyer in a retainer. Ah! THE POWER OF MONEY. Go ahead punk, make my day!
Kate D
P220, it doesn't have to be "accurized" like a 1911 (lol)!
Some individuals don't have the ability to "pull the trigger", nothing wrong with that, but know that you can't! Sorry for your past experience, but it can happen to Transgender's too!
Thank you for so many replies, it's an interesting read. I don't have time in my life right now to start practising and honing a martial art but I do have intentions of taking a self defense class.
Tasers are unfortunatly illegal here
Quote from: V M on July 29, 2011, 08:32:03 PM
A friend of mine would carry a spray of some kind and one of those small air horns 8) Her plan of action (that she would practice and was pretty good at) was to simultaneously whip out the spray and air horn on whoever and kick them in the groin with her Dr. Martens
I've lost contact with her, but I can just imagine the poor soul that tries any monkey biz with her :laugh: She's a rather feisty one
I like this plan a lot actually =)
As a horse back rider I sometimes end up going into town with my spurs on. I'd love to see the look on an attacker's face If I decided to use some nice rollers on him lol. Of course they'd have to be behind you to nail then with some metal but still, what a painful shocker that would be ahaha.
Anyways, i don't make it a habit of walking about bad neighborhoods and I never go places alone at night so situationally I suppose i'm pretty safe, still it would be nice to be able to escape a bad situation. I've also been told to carry my keys between my fingers pointing out if I'm in a parking lot or parkade. Does anyone know if that would actually do anything? I suppose a right hook with keys sticking out between your knuckles would hurt but I could see it hurting you as well, and it's hard to get a good fist with keys in your hands in all honestly.
I suppose it's all just about avoiding and talking your way out of bad situations. I hope I never end up in one but i'll still take the self defense (and when I get more time in my schedule probably take up a martial art) and get myself a little air-horn and mace so I at least stand some kind of chance.
Quote from: Sebastian Fox on July 30, 2011, 01:21:42 PM
I don't have time in my life right now to start practising and honing a martial art but I do have intentions of taking a self defense class.
Try Kick-Boxing is not a martial art
Quote from: Lisbeth on July 29, 2011, 10:52:35 PM
My instructor made one thing very clear. IF you are going fight, attack to kill. If you only try to wound your opponent, you'll probably just end up making him/her angry. Then you'll get the snot beaten out of you.
NO!!!!
Only carry a gun if you are 100% certain that you could point it at someone and pull the trigger. If you can't do that, your opponent will disarm you, and you will be faced by an attacker holding your gun on you.
Not at chance Honey, I been in combat, and you know, it never leaves you; perpetual state of situational awareness. I know how to handled a side arm, and I know the law pertaining it lawful use, and I do have a permit to carry a cancelled weapon. I will run and do everything I can do to avoid using a side arm, but if my life or somebody life is at stake then I will do not hesitate to use it. In the past, just discharging the side arm is enough to get everybodies attention.
My main defense is not to frequent places where scum bags are likely to to be. I do agree with you, if you do not have experiences with firearms, take a training course, most local police department offer gun safety courses.
Kate D
Quote from: Sebastian Fox on July 30, 2011, 01:21:42 PM
Thank you for so many replies, it's an interesting read. I don't have time in my life right now to start practising and honing a martial art but I do have intentions of taking a self defense class.
I've also been told to carry my keys between my fingers pointing out if I'm in a parking lot or parkade. Does anyone know if that would actually do anything? I suppose a right hook with keys sticking out between your knuckles would hurt but I could see it hurting you as well, and it's hard to get a good fist with keys in your hands in all honestly.
I suppose it's all just about avoiding and talking your way out of bad situations.
1. Are there any physical threats in your life right now?
2. What do you know how to do to defend yourself?
3. Yes keys will work and you don't have to put them in between your fingers (but yes that would work too), you can use your keys like a sap/blackjack and
flail your attacker with them.
4. Avoidance! But sometimes it comes at you anyway...fight or flight!
5. Practically anything can be used as a weapon, take a magazine or a newspaper and roll it up tight, now you have something to strike or jab with...
narela I want to pm you it but I guess Because im still new i cant send pms to anyone yet.
And I sure as hell am not going to post it on here.
Jordonna 10, you need 14 "posts" to be able to send msg's.
Quote from: SandraJane on July 30, 2011, 01:18:28 AM
P220, it doesn't have to be "accurized" like a 1911 (lol)!
9 mm poor choice, more often than not it will go through the bad guy and perhaps hit an innocent bystander, that is why police (USA) and the FBI use .40
Kate D
I much prefer to use my fingers but an ink pen, key, or rock would do fine.
Kate, SIG P220 is a .45 ACP. Agree about the 9mm though.
Sure, a 1911 will def. do the job and then some if you happen to be in a war zone and have one strapped to your leg, and even then it is a last resort... But do you really want to kill people? I've noticed that a .25 to the knee or foot tends to deter most aggressors if it even gets that far
Kia Ora,
Slightly off track but......................
Quote Wiki:
"There were 52,447 deliberate and 23,237 accidental non-fatal gunshot injuries in the United States during 2000. The majority of gun-related deaths in the United States are suicides, with 17,352 (55.6%) of the total 31,224 firearm-related deaths in 2007 due to suicide, while 12,632 (40.5%) were homicide deaths !"
I know guns are part and parcel of American culture but is it really wise to advocate guns, as a means of protection for trans-people ?
Just some food for thought ...
Metta Zenda :)
9 mm poor choice, more often than not it will go through the bad guy and perhaps hit an innocent bystander, that is why police (USA) and the FBI use .40
Kate D
[/quote]
Here in Hawaii 9mm is standard issue to the police and Sheriff, but then I always thoought the police over here go too far sometimes, they have killed people that I might not have killed if I were in there shoes.
Aloha.
Jennie
THE BEST ZONE TO SHOT IS IN HANDS AND FEETS , or you can kill him/her
A shot in the leg, arms, and may be bleeding to DEATH (alot of veins and arteries)
Quote from: kate durcal on July 30, 2011, 10:13:39 PM
.40
Kate D
What about the recoil? (LOL)
Como NO disparar un arma (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HspuZj8msxM&feature=related#)
That was just plain mean on the part of her boyfriend, husband, jerk, etc!!! A good Weaver stance and better posture would have prevented that...I think?!
Quote from: kate durcal on July 30, 2011, 04:24:54 PM
Not at chance Honey, I been in combat, and you know, it never leaves you; perpetual state of situational awareness. I know how to handled a side arm, and I know the law pertaining it lawful use, and I do have a permit to carry a cancelled weapon. I will run and do everything I can do to avoid using a side arm, but if my life or somebody life is at stake then I will do not hesitate to use it. In the past, just discharging the side arm is enough to get everybodies attention.
My main defense is not to frequent places where scum bags are likely to to be. I do agree with you, if you do not have experiences with firearms, take a training course, most local police department offer gun safety courses.
Kate D
Kate, I've only been in one relationship with an ex-military person. The bruises that resulted from our domestic disputes were very painful. I seem to have a permanent injury to my left arm from one of them. I find nothing to admire in people who can pull the trigger.
Quote from: Zenda on July 31, 2011, 01:50:01 AM
I know guns are part and parcel of American culture but is it really wise to advocate guns, as a means of protection for trans-people ?
American culture is f***ed up. I find the wild west mentality that everyone should have a gun to be disgusting.
but is it really wise to advocate guns, as a means of protection for trans-people
Probably not, and considering the suicide rates for Trans persons it's most likely not the best tool for them to have around. But I'm sure many trans people (just exactly like other people in genderal) love guns because it's something you can buy, so you don't actually have to do anything, like learn or practice or invest time into getting right. Guns do a wonderful job of short circuiting mental capacities too and instilling people with a false courage, as no doubt that any alley that ain't safe for you without a gun doesn't get any safer just because you have one. But hey, why confuse people with facts? After all, most of the T murders I read about, and are so righteously championed on here are ones that arise in a very personal/sexual setting where the gun is not going to help anyway. (The victims are almost always non-white too, but that never gets mentioned in our little 'oh my god I'm a potential victim' rants.)
At some point isn't the easy way to avoid problems like physical violence just to not hang out with physically violent people? Despite the little gem about "Good" neighborhoods being safer not being true, the fact is... it's true. Your odds of getting beat-up, raped, stabbed, shot (whatever) are hella lot better in Richmond than in Tiburon. I mean, I don't know that anyone has ever been shot in Tiburon. Rich people don't attack you, they have their lawyers send you hate mail. So I'm much safer walking in Pacific Heights than in the Tenderloin, and safer in the TL than out in Hunter's Point/Bayview. What makes a good/bad part of town is not the architecture, or use, or area - what makes it bad is having a high crime rate and you can look that up on-line, nice pretty maps for just about everywhere, interesting reading. And those number are directly linked to poverty. Your odds of being on the receiving end of physical violence pretty much go down as as the other person's income and or education goes up. (And income and education are pretty closely linked, of course.)
And one should always be aware of their surroundings - you know, be aware of where you are in time and space and all that. Be here now and all that. And no doubt (cause I've seen it) the people staring off into never-never land are the first ones to be culled from the herd.
Martial Arts are good, because if nothing else you'll come face to face with your shortcomings real quick. Most of the people in here who were raised in the girl world have never really even been really hit (one punch incapacitation - you know, turn up the pain to such a high level that you can't do anything at all or just black out) so it's a learning experience right from the first missed block. And you know how many punches most of the street and bar fights I've ever seen have lasted? One punch. Out go the lights.
If your really going to defend yourself in a fight, you best be able to really take some on some pain and suck it up, absorb some body blows and all that.
Any of the real stuff is only learned by constant practice and application. All most self-defense class will do it tell you to keep your head and don't make any bad decisions. ...the easiest way to get out of trouble is to avoid it in the first place...
Once again. If you think that some class has some secret/special technique or idea that will allow you to physically take on and defeat thug-like people who like violence, who practice violence, and who apply violence as a standard means of getting what they want day in and day out --- then you are highly mistaken. If you think there will be some insight/clever move that will allow you to take on two or more attackers and triumph --- then you are highly mistaken. None of that stuff will ever let you get back at the people who used to bug you, bully you, insult you, torment you, pick on you -- any and all of that bad ->-bleeped-<- that used to happen to you. It will not make you look, act or be any more studly. No one who you should really want to respect you will respect you for that. Only people who respect that are the people who live it.
PS, the cops use higher caliber weapons for one reason, because the bad guys are. Remember, most police officers are never going to pull that weapon on duty. It just if the bad guys have overwhelming firepower it puts the cops at a disadvantage. Most of the larger police departments move up in weapons after such an incident.
Quote from: SandraJane on July 30, 2011, 11:57:39 PM
Kate, SIG P220 is a .45 ACP. Agree about the 9mm though.
I stand corrected. That will teach me not to relay n wiki :)
Kate D
Tekla,
I have high income and the high education, yet sometimes that is not enough. I said: "sometimes just discharging the fire arms is enough to get somebody's attention," below is the story that lead me to that statement.
Several summers ago my youngest daughter wanted to see the Leonids passage, so we went to a nearby rural area, got out the car and just sit in the hood looking at the sky. There was little traffic in the road. I hear a loud car coming, as I look I say a small car with 4 guys inside, one of them (passenger side) point the finger at us. The car continue down the road, then did a U turn -at that time I sensed immediate danger like when I was in the war- I went to the trunk of the car, which was ajar as I have gotten a blanket and cookies, and loaded my 1911; by the time I close the trunk the car had stopped and the guy in the passanger side has gotten out and was approaching my kid (she was frozen), I fire above hi head, "next one you died" I yell, stop and just look at me. With the corner of my eye I kept on eye in the other two passanger who were sort of out the car, one made a move and shot above his head. The driver took off making a U turn, one of the guys fell down, while the other two run toward the car; the car stopped, they all got in the car and left. the story continues with me meeting the Police in a nearby gas station, where I also met my sons, going back to the scene of the incident, and filling an incident report.
You can say what would it happen if all of them were armed? Could I have dropped all of them, what about my daughter getting hit in the crossfire? I do not know for sure, but I can put 8 bullets in a 4 inch circle at 50 yards so you figure out.
What I am sure is that had I not had my side arm with me that night I would not be typing this lines, and my daughter would have been raped and perhaps killed too.
Think about dear ladies, what good a teaser or a pepper spray or a whistle or my karate would have had accomplished?
Kate D
Quote from: Zenda on July 31, 2011, 01:50:01 AM
Kia Ora,
Slightly off track but......................
Quote Wiki:
"There were 52,447 deliberate and 23,237 accidental non-fatal gunshot injuries in the United States during 2000. The majority of gun-related deaths in the United States are suicides, with 17,352 (55.6%) of the total 31,224 firearm-related deaths in 2007 due to suicide, while 12,632 (40.5%) were homicide deaths !"
I know guns are part and parcel of American culture but is it really wise to advocate guns, as a means of protection for trans-people ?
Just some food for thought ...
Metta Zenda :)
You can see a table comparing homicide across the world in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_violence. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_violence.) Note: Caution is advised in reading tables on homicide rates. The statistics cannot take into account the differences that exist between the legal definitions of offences in various countries, of the different methods of tallying, etc.[19][20][21][22] In particular, to use the figures as a basis for comparison between different countries is highly problematic[23] as is comparing data from different years among different countries
^ "The Seventh United Nations Survey on Crime Trends and the Operations of Criminal Justice Systems (1998 - 2000)". United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and-analysis/Seventh-United-Nations-Survey-on-Crime-Trends-and-the-Operations-of-Criminal-Justice-Systems.html. (http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and-analysis/Seventh-United-Nations-Survey-on-Crime-Trends-and-the-Operations-of-Criminal-Justice-Systems.html.) Retrieved 2008-06-19.
With the above cautions in mind I cannot help but point out to you that many European countries have a similar and even higher total homicide rate than the USA. And yet I concede the USA needs to reduce it homicide rate. We can also ask ourselves why the rates of suicide are much higher in Europe vs. the USA. For example , France, Denmark and Switzerland's suicide rates are twice (20 per 100,000 people) than those of the USA!
Homicide does cause pain and reflects nation maladies, so it does drug abuse. I always wonder if European countries are such a paradise with no violence, then why they have the highest drug crimes. Eight out the top ten countries with the highest drug crimes in the world are European, while the USA ranks 41! ht.tp://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_dru_off-crime-drug-offences
As far as total crimes per capita, peaceful
New Zealand :police: , Denmark, Finland, United kingdom, rank higher than the USA. http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_tot_cri_percap-crime-total-crimes-per-capita (http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_tot_cri_percap-crime-total-crimes-per-capita)
Fact sbaby, now that is food for thought!
Metta Kate D (The D stands for my bra size)
No doubt some of those drug crime numbers come from the fact that huge sections of the US have basically given up on the war on drugs and don't even go after a lot of that stuff anymore.
Quote from: Lisbeth on July 31, 2011, 07:51:48 AM
Kate, I've only been in one relationship with an ex-military person. The bruises that resulted from our domestic disputes were very painful. I seem to have a permanent injury to my left arm from one of them. I find nothing to admire in people who can pull the trigger.
American culture is f***ed up. I find the wild west mentality that everyone should have a gun to be disgusting.
Abuse is wrong. The USA armed forces have zero tolerance for spousal abuse or any kind of abuse, this is not you 50's or 60's armed forces.
Some people pull the trigger to suicide themselves, or to kill a lover in a heat of a moment, or in botched crime, or to murder for hire, or to murder for the hell of it. All these activities are wrong, immoral, and illegal
Some people pull the trigger to defend the law, the nation, the Innocent, or themselves; these are all right, moral , and legal.
I all of my Jewish ancestors would have been armed in Nazi Germany, perhaps not so many of them would have gone in ashes. I would rather died fighting rather than slother like a lamb.
Kate D
Quote from: kate durcal on July 31, 2011, 01:57:27 PM
[ If ] all of my Jewish ancestors would have been armed in Nazi Germany, perhaps not so many of them would have gone in ashes. I would rather died fighting rather than slother like a lamb.
Kate D
No, doubt. But then the Jewish people would be different than they are, and I like them the way they are.
Quote from: Lisbeth on July 31, 2011, 03:34:59 PM
No, doubt. But then the Jewish people would be different than they are, and I like them the way they are.
Honey you yet have to meet some Sabras on a Kibbutz, true Jews!
Kate D
Kia Ora,
::) No doubt some of you are confident gun users who have had training in their use...However I know for the most part when a person is "mentally" stable they are capable of making the right choices, but it would seem to promote the use of guns [in other words putting a gun in a unstable-depressed person's hand] is not going to alleviate their suicidal thoughts[a high percentage of trans-people so I'm lead to "believe" have these kind of thoughts], and no matter how one tries to sing praise to and "candy coat" the hand held killing device, I personally feel it is not a wise promotion...{ my reasons for this are simple , just read some of the posts on depression}...
::) If a person lives in such an environment where violence is common place and have no possibility of moving away, then by all means get some unarmed combat training [ and if a person's mentally stable with no suicidal tendencies whatsoever then training in the use of a gun "might" be an optional deterrent device] ... But I feel to openly promote gun use has something we all should contemplate is somewhat irresponsible...But then that's just me-my mind is wired that way...
Perhaps for some people the gun totting Wild West myth lives on, as they play out their childhood fantasies...
Metta Zenda :)
Quote from: Zenda on July 31, 2011, 03:52:59 PM
Perhaps for some people the gun totting Wild West myth lives on, as they play out their childhood fantasies
Metta Zenda :)
Some of my people go into harms way every day so you have the freedom to sit in your candy ass and preach you psychobabble
Kate D
In high school And when I went into the RAF, I learned Aikido. My Sensei was Keith Hayward. I didn't know until years later, that her was the British National Coach. I studied with him for 4 years and in the RAF I also began to learn Shotokan Karate. Since my left leg is pretty messed up, I am glad I learned Aikido.
Quote from: kate durcal on July 31, 2011, 04:09:34 PM
Some of my people go into harms way every day so you have the freedom to sit in your candy ass and preach you psychobabble
Kate D
Kia Ora,
::) Pray tell who "are" your people Kate?
If you are referring to those of the Jewish faith, I can think of quite a number of "your" people who promote a lot of the so called "psychobabble" that you speak of...
Metta Zenda :)
I think some people should have guns and some would only be a menace to themselves with one. For myself, I keep several guns very close including a glock 17 and a 12 guage pump shotgun as well as several knives. When I was 18, a psycho kicked in my door and was walking in as I was chambering a round. He was carrying a 2x4 and was planning on using it but he saved his own life when he surrendered the 2x4 to my room mate.
Unfortunately for him that brings up a previous point that was made earlier about having your weapon used on you. My friend proceeded to beat him with said 2x4 and I got several good hits in with the stock of the 12g before we rolled him down the concrete stairs. Had he not put the 2x4 down and made a forward movement toward me, I would be telling a story of what happens when someone gets hit with a 12g slug at 4 feet away. I'm very glad he didn't force me to do that as I do not want to have to take someones life but had I allowed him further, I very well could have been killed or maimed for life.
As far as suicide goes, if someone is determined enough they want to die that they use a gun to the head, they would just find another way to do it.
Quote from: Zenda on July 31, 2011, 05:08:53 PM
Kia Ora,
::) Pray tell who "are" your people Kate?
If you are referring to those of the Jewish faith, I can think of quite a number of "your" people who promote a lot of the so called "psychobabble" that you speak of...
Metta Zenda :)
[/quote
I am a USA citizen, and religiously a Jew . My people are the USA serviceman and servicewoman. people of many creeds and many religions, united by their oath to defend the USA constitution.
KATE D.
Look, preach your religion, just do not disguise your beliefs as facts, and acept that other people have different belief that yours.
Quote from: kate durcal on July 31, 2011, 03:50:46 PM
Honey you yet have to meet some Sabras on a Kibbutz, true Jews!
Kate D
So now we jump from TransWars to JewWars. Who defines who the "True Jews" are?
Quote from: Lisbeth on July 31, 2011, 07:51:48 AM
American culture is f***ed up. I find the wild west mentality that everyone should have a gun to be disgusting.
What??? You never saw one of American Culture's great bumper stickers??? YOU CAN HAVE MY GUN WHEN YOU PRY IT FROM MY COLD DEAD FINGERS!
Wow! We've gone from self defense to The Holocaust (I don't take it lightly either!) to DEADWOOD...what's next? TRANSWOOD?
(For those not familiar with the American Wild West, Deadwood, South Dakota was the epitome of a totally lawless town..it was in Indian Territory and belonged to no one...it also sat on top of the single largest GOLD strike in North America...fueled the Hearst Family's fortune, and is located approx. 30 miles from Sturgis, SD. Oh, HBO made it into a series also...)
Quote from: SandraJane on August 01, 2011, 01:35:58 AM
What??? You never saw one of American Culture's great bumper stickers??? YOU CAN HAVE MY GUN WHEN YOU PRY IT FROM MY COLD DEAD FINGERS!
Ya, I've seen it. Your point? I think it proves my point.
I'm a bit lost... Is this the "let's argue about guns and religion" thread? :laugh: :P
Quote from: Lisbeth on August 01, 2011, 06:05:15 AM
Ya, I've seen it. Your point? I think it proves my point.
What? No sense of humor? This thread has now become the Trans "Right to Bear Arms" forum! We've covered quite a bit...Martial Arts, Guns, American Gun Culture & The Wild West (by the way, seriously, the Mexican border towns along the Rio Grande ARE THE WILD WEST! I've got friends from that area the don't even go to Mexico anymore because of the drug cartel violence), bumper stickers, Israel, guns, etc.....
"let's argue about guns and religion"
Whoo there partner! You be talking 'bout guns and religion like they were two different things or some other kind of crazy talk. WWJL, What Would Jesus Load? I'm thinking heavy, right? At least .45? No wimpy .9mm or .22 for our lord, nope, he'd want something with a little stopping power I bet. Ahh, the many fine years I spent at Sts. Smith and Wesson High and at Our Lady of the Carbine Elementary school.
And the bordor deal is real and totally unreported. It's really, really, really (I could go on with lots of reallys because they are cutting people's heads off and stuff like that, way over the top) bad. Thousands of dead. 8,000 or so in just a couple of years. But pay no attention to that. Look! J-Lo is getting a divorce.
And trans persons have the right to bare arms as much as they want. They can even arm bears for all I care. I'm not wild about everyone running around with a gun.
What Would Jesus Load?
Ahhhh ya silly, everyone knows Jesus would be strollin' the ave. sportin' at least an M4 with a grenade launcher and what's up with J-Lo? Oh, the ho... and the bears muggin' folks in yellowstone park? what's this world coming to? It's all your fault
*Checks bra fit and lipstick in mirror*
Oh dear, I think we are drifting now.
the importance for me is to be aware of my surroundings and those around me
Any time you lose sight of this its' not going to matter what you're packing, the end will always be bad on some level.
I don't know about this... while I can see the importance of it, I've always been nonviolent to the point that violence makes me feel sick. Literally, sick. But I was beaten pretty badly by my stepmom as a child so I'm sure it all goes back to that. I promised myself long ago that I'd never hurt another human being as much as I could help it.
The fact that I'm physically small and weak doesn't help much either. I'm tall, but never had any strength. At my best, I could max 60 pounds in a single bench press.
As someone from England, all this gun support sounds crazy. Shotguns and magnums...are they really necessary to defend yourself, or is it just for showing off?
Quote from: Angel On Acid on August 01, 2011, 01:09:51 PM
As someone from England, all this gun support sounds crazy. Shotguns and magnums...are they really necessary to defend yourself, or is it just for showing off?
It's not just for showing off. If you are the victim of something like a home invasion, the police will not be there in time to be of much help. There are people who have to live with pretty violent realities.
Quote from: Angel On Acid on August 01, 2011, 01:09:51 PM
As someone from England, all this gun support sounds crazy. Shotguns and magnums...are they really necessary to defend yourself, or is it just for showing off?
I share this response, as another Englander, but I also get that if you live in a country where having a gun in the house is as normal as having a rake in the garden shed, then there's a good chance you might be dealing with invaders with guns - in which case it doesn't surprise me that people feel the need to arm themselves in this way. Not surprised, but saddened. And it's becoming ever more common over here to see "person shot somewhere in England" in the news. It doesn't make me want to own a weapon, but then I didn't grow up in a culture that had already normalised personal weapons, and have never faced one.
Quote from: Angel On Acid on August 01, 2011, 01:09:51 PM
As someone from England, all this gun support sounds crazy. Shotguns and magnums...are they really necessary to defend yourself, or is it just for showing off?
Ideally, I will never have to draw down on someone. But I very much prefer having the ability to protect myself should the need arise. My personal weapon of choice was a Colt .40-cal that does not have a safety. Point and pull, with no worries about whether a safety is engaged. I also take pride in my ability to hit what I aim at...
That being said, when I toured with a sport that provided me additional income, the gun was with me in the truck at all times. As a single female traveling through the night, I would much rather have to explain HAVING the weapon if I was asked during a traffic stop than I would my parents get a phone call from law enforcement personnel that, if only I would have had a weapon...things might have been different.
We also kept a handgun in a drawer in my old office...you never know when a client or former client might turn problematic (and I have had occasion to send an email to someone giving a name and description in case things got out of hand).
True, true...for those outside of the U.S. it is hard to understand, and it is scary that we find need of them here to protect ourselves and homes. I to have had to chase off a would be home invader before, and had to almost use one when some gangers started threating me... and glad I had one with me on sveral occasions.
Ann O makes a good point of our attitude here of carrying guns in our vehicles...rather explain why I had it rather than someone explain to family that I didn't...or put another way, rather explain to a jury of 12 than be carried by 6.
WWJL, lol, he doesn't need one!
Quote from: V M on August 01, 2011, 07:14:34 AM
What Would Jesus Load?
Ahhhh ya silly, everyone knows Jesus would be strollin' the ave. sportin' at least an M4 with a grenade launcher and what's up with J-Lo? Oh, the ho... and the bears muggin' folks in yellowstone park? what's this world coming to? It's all your fault
*Checks bra fit and lipstick in mirror*
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg21.imageshack.us%2Fimg21%2F7521%2Fquestionauthority.jpg&hash=3ceb1496bb26d683bd34c0d5a1833fe60e6ccb60)
As you can see from the picture, Jesus sports an M-16.
Quote from: Lisbeth on August 01, 2011, 03:14:12 PM
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg21.imageshack.us%2Fimg21%2F7521%2Fquestionauthority.jpg&hash=3ceb1496bb26d683bd34c0d5a1833fe60e6ccb60)
Hmmm, let's see... (left to right) Bush 43, Hitler (thought he had German Shepards), American Eagle, Nixon & Mao above deranged Fundamentalists, next two ??,
Nelson Mandela in prison, Tininman Square above French surrender at Dien Bien Phu (?), 1968 peaceful College demonstrators vs National Guard, Patriotic pinup gal above Senior being "frisked" by TSA, Ronald Regan, Blackhawk Up, Liberty & Justice, War Criminal DICK Chaney, another demonstration (US, China ?), looks more like Zig-Zag (and the AK-47 is the symbol of Revolution, M-16...Democracy, Lee-Enfield .303...Empire), Martin Luther King, Kent State 1970 above Nazi Concentration Camp garb with Pink Triangle for Gays, Lady Liberty callin...see all those Presidents were Republicans (yes Chaney included, think he was the "real" president).
Quote from: Angel On Acid on August 01, 2011, 01:09:51 PM
As someone from England, all this gun support sounds crazy. Shotguns and magnums...are they really necessary to defend yourself, or is it just for showing off?
Dear Angel on acid,
Perhaps if the chaps were allow to sport some guns the crime in UK would be lower than that of the USA. Check the link below
"As far as total crimes per capita, peaceful New Zealand , Denmark, Finland,
United kingdom, rank higher than the USA. http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_tot_cri_percap-crime-total-crimes-per-capita (http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_tot_cri_percap-crime-total-crimes-per-capita) "
Kate D
,
Very observant!
Quote from: SandraJane on August 01, 2011, 04:11:47 PM
above deranged Fundamentalists,
Members of the Westboro Baptist Church run by Fred Phelps.
Quote from: SandraJane on August 01, 2011, 04:11:47 PM
next two ??,
A card explaining the Nazi prison triangle system. A conservative political badge with a picture of "undesirables" being "detained."
Quote from: SandraJane on August 01, 2011, 04:11:47 PM
Patriotic pinup gal
Superimposed over the hallway of a prison cell block.
In spain i can carry a gun if i live in dangerous zone XD :police:
or prove i can be attaked
I was thinking in get one, but i'm clumsy, so i think i can kill myself accidentally (or not) XD
Quote from: kate durcal on August 01, 2011, 05:10:56 PM
Dear Angel on acid,
Perhaps if the chaps were allow to sport some guns the crime in UK would be lower than that of the USA. Check the link below
"As far as total crimes per capita, peaceful New Zealand , Denmark, Finland, United kingdom, rank higher than the USA. http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_tot_cri_percap-crime-total-crimes-per-capita (http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_tot_cri_percap-crime-total-crimes-per-capita) "
Kate D
...but if we're talking about
serious crimes, like, say murder with/without guns, then:
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.yoxi.net%2Fanitya%2Fguns.jpg&hash=4cb40ffb136f4b59256902fc17aaaca2a221527a)
(figures taken from here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_violence) - admittedly 10 years old now, but still...)
Quote from: Padma on August 01, 2011, 05:45:47 PM
...but if we're talking about serious crimes, like, say murder with/without guns, then:
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.yoxi.net%2Fanitya%2Fguns.jpg&hash=4cb40ffb136f4b59256902fc17aaaca2a221527a)
(figures taken from here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_violence) - admittedly 10 years old now, but still...)
You forget that USA is like +15 England & Wales or MORE XD, damn is like EUROPA(continent)
(spain,france,italy,rumania,etc...)
Quote from: Padma on August 01, 2011, 05:45:47 PM
...but if we're talking about serious crimes, like, say murder with/without guns, then:
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.yoxi.net%2Fanitya%2Fguns.jpg&hash=4cb40ffb136f4b59256902fc17aaaca2a221527a)
(figures taken from here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_violence) - admittedly 10 years old now, but still...)
2010 data shows the USA per capita murders by firearms is 27 times more than that of the UK, but as far as intencional homicide the ratio decrease to 5 (US) to 1.5 (UK); still less in the UK than in the USA. Point conceded.
Kate D
Quote from: Narela on August 01, 2011, 05:58:24 PM
You forget that USA is like +15 England & Wales or MORE XD, damn is like EUROPA(continent)
(spain,france,italy,rumania,etc...)
Completely irrelevant, as this is numbers per 100,000 of population, not numbers per country. So for every million people in the US, that's 29.7 gun murders, as compared to only 1.2 per million in the UK.
Quote from: Narela on August 01, 2011, 05:58:24 PM
You forget that USA is like +15 England & Wales or MORE XD, damn is like EUROPA(continent)
(spain,france,italy,rumania,etc...)
http://bjc.oxfordjournals.org/content/47/6/861.abstract (http://bjc.oxfordjournals.org/content/47/6/861.abstract) http://fcx.sagepub.com/ (http://fcx.sagepub.com/) http://www2.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2009/offenses/expanded_information/homicide.html (http://www2.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2009/offenses/expanded_information/homicide.html) Some interesting links, if anyone is attending college you can probably access these publications online for free!
And what makes it worse it that the murder rate among certain groups in our population were substantially higher than others. In other words, in the US gender and race do affect the numbers.
Narela, besides your Martial Arts background will do you nicely.
Lisabeth, thank you! The Nazi prison diagram, noted the Star of David but...same with the pinup, saw the bars...so the Dien Bien Phu one was correct, the dude in the middle background without a cover/hat kinda made me think... oh, what about the one in the upper right corner, white and black hands?
Quote from: Padma on August 01, 2011, 06:51:24 PM
Completely irrelevant, as this is numbers per 100,000 of population, not numbers per country. So for every million people in the US, that's 29.7 gun murders, as compared to only 1.2 per million in the UK.
Elementary my dear Padma!
I say NO to guns. ;D
Graphs and staistics are good if that is what you want to be concerned with. I am soley concerned that the world/the universe as a whole is a violent place-not just for us humans but for every organism or structure that lives/exists here. Things out in space are routinely ripped apart and reshuffled in very violent ways. Why should we expect to be any different?
There are extremes in everything including humankind and the natural order makes it this way. I happen to be one who abhors violence but can dish it out if needed-but only if needed.
Randi
We have a lot of freedoms here in the US of A. The bad thing about freedom is that it's like a rope for a lot of people and if you give them too much, they will hang themselves. I can walk into Wal-Mart and buy a cart load of high power rifle ammo and no one would hardly notice. Probably think I'm just hording ammo or even more likely, they will go back to the sporting goods section thinking there may be a really good sale on ammo (stuff has got really expensive)!
Here, I can stroll into Cheaper Than Dirt and buy an AR-15 type rifle for $703 plus tax http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/13606-55.html (http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/13606-55.html) and walk out the door with it in about 30 minuetes or less after a quick computerized background check. Now, if I take this weapon and load it and start shooting people there will be extreme consequences for doing so. Being in Texas, If you kill someone, they will "kill you back". As one comedian put it, Texas even has an express line for covicted killers.
We can buy a combat knife and a slurpy at many convenience stores. The good thing for most law abiding citizens here, is that you have little chance of of getting shot. If you are not commiting crimes or hanging out with criminals, I would imagine that your chance of getting shot are slimmer than the average for Great Britain.
The average law abiding citizen here should worry MUCH more about automobiles since almost 34,000 people died on US roads in 2010.
I will probably be chastized for saying this but I am of the opinion that if more people carried loaded projectile weapons the crime rate and number of rampant criminals would drastically go down because there would always be someone near that could keep them from getting away with it.
I suspect that would just push up sales of fast semi-automatics amongst criminals :(. Arms escalation has a fairly well documented history, after all. But we can dream.
Ironically, the US 2nd ammendment was inspired by............................... The Brits :laugh: It had nothing to do with home defense or hunting.
Quote from: JessicaH on August 01, 2011, 07:52:43 PM
Here, I can stroll into Cheaper Than Dirt and buy an AR-15 type rifle for $703 plus tax http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/13606-55.html (http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/13606-55.html) and walk out the door with it in about 30 minutes or less after a quick computerized background check. Now, if I take this weapon and load it and start shooting people there will be extreme consequences for doing so. Being in Texas, If you kill someone, they will "kill you back". As one comedian put it, Texas even has an express line for convicted killers.
The average law abiding citizen here should worry MUCH more about automobiles since almost 34,000 people died on US roads in 2010.
Good point JessicaH, I'm in Texas also! Good price on the "Bushmaster"! So true, Texan's do shoot whether its first or back, and we are #1 for Executions. And vehicular deaths are too common. What's the #1 cause of death in Austin...I-35!
Quote from: SandraJane on August 01, 2011, 09:08:21 PM
What's the #1 cause of death in Austin...I-35!
actually, I would have said East Austin (especially on the weekends) but yeah, I-35 gets its share, especially when you get closer to Ben White and other points south.
Ok, much better. On to Defensive Driving! I rive I -10 almost everyday and if you don't watch out the big trucks WILL run you over!
Gets even better on I-10 about 50 mi. west of Kerrville...Speed Limit 80! Yeehah! Yeah Ann, 183 between 71 and 290 can be murder during rush hour!
Yipes! On I-10! I was being passed by 18-wheelers while going 85 MPH in West Texas! I-35 is almost as bad in Ft. Worth. I-45 is a real mess from Houston to Conroe.
Back to defending yourself: It is important for us to do so. It doesn't matter which gender changes you are heading for. Some people don't really like us to do this and react violently towards us if they do find out this surprise. Weight training and defense training may help some, but to defend yourself, you'll have to have the mindset to do so. There have been highly trained off-duty cis-women police officers that have been raped because they froze in that situation. All of your physical excercises and martial arts training are worthless unless you break the freeze mindset.
Joelene
True, on guard, step back or jump forward. As an instructor I once had said.."you'll respond the way you have been trained"...be unconventional.
Another Texan?! Agreed, I-45 especially thru Conroe is bad, they are starting to finish up the expansion though.
Hey, does it strike anyone else as entertaining that we can have a really civilised discussion on here about firearms, but start discussing trans terminology, and... :o :o :o
Stand back or I'll pull out my Hitachi Magic Wand!
Quote from: SandraJane on August 02, 2011, 05:25:17 AM
Stand back or I'll pull out my Hitachi Magic Wand!
Come at me, sister! :)
OK I warn you now.
Vibrators are only to be drawn when six inches apart, first girl to orgasm wins.
Could be a new reality series.
:laugh:
Cindy
Reality series? hmmm..........
I'll wait for the Dutch version on SBS, they do that sort of thing much better in the Netherlands! >:-)
Karen.
There's a whole mess of pun based around getting arrested on battery charges, but I'm rising above it :).
My operates off wall power, don't worry about no Battery Charges! Sista!
Mine runs on solar panels - I'm off the wall, sista!!
Quote from: SandraJane on August 02, 2011, 12:30:59 AM
Gets even better on I-10 about 50 mi. west of Kerrville...Speed Limit 80! Yeehah! Yeah Ann, 183 between 71 and 290 can be murder during rush hour!
Fortunately I never had to deal with THAT nonsense...my commute (such as it was) basically meant getting over to Redbud and then hitting Lake Austin into downtown- skipped all the major thoroughfares.
And yeah, the daytime West Texas speed limits rock...just be careful though because the usual option of defensive driving for anything up to 25 over does not apply in that zone. Once you hit 100, you are stuck with the ticket...DDC is NOT an option.
I45 between Conroe and Houston is all time-dependent...and north of Conroe is admittedly getting better (as evidenced by DPS often running two units on the northbound side near Willis)/
That being said, I think Dallas probably has some of the worst interchanges in the State...I would HATE to have to deal with that during rush hour traffic. It is bad enough during non-rush-hour drives...
Quote from: JessicaH on August 01, 2011, 11:43:55 PM
Ok, much better. On to Defensive Driving! I rive I -10 almost everyday and if you don't watch out the big trucks WILL run you over!
Is it THEIR fault you only want to run 85? >:-)
Quote from: SandraJane on August 02, 2011, 01:19:36 AM
True, on guard, step back or jump forward. As an instructor I once had said.."you'll respond the way you have been trained"...be unconventional.
Another Texan?! Agreed, I-45 especially thru Conroe is bad, they are starting to finish up the expansion though.
No, from CO. That is good info on I-45. I plan to visit near Conroe or Austin with relatives over Turkey Day, depending on whose hosting. Possibly, a West Texas event next year.
Joelene
I hate fighting. I put more importance on avoiding bad situations.
Quote from: Beth Andrea on August 02, 2011, 10:49:10 PM
Actually, it did have to do with home defense. Not only were Indians a problem back then, there was the issue of "highwaymen" who would rob people on the road.
Hunting was such a fundamental survival thing back then, to legislate for it would have been like putting in an amendment to allow breathing...
If this was a gun board, I could derail this whole thread by asking...".45 or 9mm?" LOL...
J
JessicaH is correct! It comes from the English Bill of Rights, which forbade the King from disarming the Protestants. This excerpt comes from the Wikipedia page on the Second Amendment;
Although there is little doubt that the writers of the Second Amendment were heavily influenced by the English Bill of Rights, it is a matter of interpretation as to whether they were intent on preserving the right to regulate arms to the states over the federal government (as the English Parliament had reserved for itself against the monarch) or whether it was intent on creating a new right akin to the right of others written into the Constitution (as the Supreme Court recently decided). Some in the U.S. have preferred the "rights" argument arguing that the English Bill of Rights had granted a right. The need to have arms for self-defence was not really in question. Peoples all around the world since time immemorial had armed themselves for the protection of themselves and others, and as organized nations began to appear these arrangements had been extended to the protection of the state.[22] Without a regular army and police force (which in England was not established until 1829), it had been the duty of certain men to keep watch and ward at night and to confront and capture suspicious persons. Every subject had an obligation to protect the king's peace and assist in the suppression of riots.[23]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution)
As to the original thread question...The importance of being able to defend yourself physically...yes it is important no matter how one does it. What started as methods to defend, then moved to use of firearms and the American Culture of guns, defensive driving and the joys and dangers of driving on I-10, I-35 and I-45 in the Great State of Texas, and the use of the
Hitachi Magic Wand in CQB (Close Quarters Battle), and now to the 2nd Amendment and its relation to the English Bill of Rights, which reinforces the Western believe of self defense as a Universal Right.
Free to resume thread...
Quote from: Ann Onymous on August 02, 2011, 09:19:28 AM
Fortunately I never had to deal with THAT nonsense...my commute (such as it was) basically meant getting over to Redbud and then hitting Lake Austin into downtown- skipped all the major thoroughfares.
And yeah, the daytime West Texas speed limits rock...just be careful though because the usual option of defensive driving for anything up to 25 over does not apply in that zone. Once you hit 100, you are stuck with the ticket...DDC is NOT an option.
I45 between Conroe and Houston is all time-dependent...and north of Conroe is admittedly getting better (as evidenced by DPS often running two units on the northbound side near Willis)/
That being said, I think Dallas probably has some of the worst interchanges in the State...I would HATE to have to deal with that during rush hour traffic. It is bad enough during non-rush-hour drives...
San Antonio has some pretty bad highway setups. And bad drivers.
What does it mean in the United States that you have a right to bare arms, but driving is only a privilege?
Means you better be a damn good driver.
I was reading about defending yourself against a gang member. In the case that you're successful, the gang could apparently put a bounty on you.
Here's how gangs work, be they bikers, boyz in 'da hood, the police, some crew, the mob etc. - if you pick a fight with one of them, you just picked a fight with all of them. One for all, all for one. That the entire power of a gang is strength in numbers + loyalty.
Ah it depends on what you mean by necessary, Brit.
If people had tried to riot like they did in England in the American South, Texas, the west or rural midwest, hundreds of people who are now in prison would have finished their criminal careers in the streets last week. In fact, it would never happen here because people know better. It's only in inner cities where the people don't own guns that such things happen.
But that isn't the point of American firearms ownership. The point is to make our government fear us. So that Tienamen Square, the Warsaw Ghetto, or what happening in Syria now could never happen here.
Is it important? Absolutely. I don't expect to ever be perceived as other than female, but that, of course, was not always the case early on. Anyway, I do practice self defense, as everyone should, especially women. I firmly believe training yourself to stay out of a potentially dangerous situation is one of the most important aspects of self defense. But.....caught in a situation requiring physical defense, I feel confident in my ability to successfully defend myself, little old lady with a cane.
You have to be very very careful in what is considered reasonable force in defense, and many people who defended themselves appropriately still found themselves behind bars. We live in crazy, crazy times.
So ladies and gents, do your yoga, your tai chi, tai kwon do, gung fu, meditate, and remain very limber. I keep it simple........I don't practice complex moves, but concentrate on about 6 core defensive moves, and combinations I you need against multiple attackers. That's where I don't have such confidence.....against multiple attackers. Better than most in my generation, but still......more than one attacker is a very difficult, deadly situation, so make sure you don't place yourself in such a situation.
Quote from: Miss Bev on August 11, 2011, 11:43:40 PM
You have to be very very careful in what is considered reasonable force in defense, and many people who defended themselves appropriately still found themselves behind bars. We live in crazy, crazy times.
True, but better behind bars than six feet under. Obviously pulling on a gun on someone who just shoved you is too much, but if (and I think you'd probably be able to tell) someone is really trying to hurt you, don't hold back because they certainly won't. If it can only be you or them who walks away and not both, might as well be you.
That said though, avoidance is still much preferred if at all possible.
I would not do well in prison. I know this. For me, the choice between being in an American prison or being dead is a hard call, although the chance at living still wins out - barely. American prisons can be very dangerous places to be...especially for transgender folk. The words "General Population" in connection with prison scare the crud out of me.
As for the right to bear arms vs the privilege of driving, more people die each year in the US from automobile accidents than from gunshots...which perhaps argues in favor of a background check before getting a driver's license. Additionally, the right to carry a firearm does not include the right to fire it nilly-willy; if you are attacked by a group of rowdies and shoot at them when there is a "reasonable chance to escape the situation without the use of lethal force" (as determined by the court/jury), you may find yourself going to prison even if you felt you were just defending your life. Gun owners generally walk into court under a biased cloud of suspicion and wind up having to prove their innocence. Add in non-cisgender status and the bias only gets worse.
There are neighborhoods where I feel perfectly safe because I know most of the residents are armed and there are other neighborhoods where I fear for my life because I know the residents are most-likely armed. It's the character of the owners that scares me, not the weapons themselves.
Sadly, we have had great success at disarming law-abiding citizens, but not such good results at disarming criminals. It seems like every time we pass a new gun control law somewhere, violent crime in the affected area drops a little at first and then climbs even higher. Then there are cases like the latest scandal on our southern border where Federal law enforcement agents were actively putting guns in the hands of drug runners and "coyotes" (people who sneak immigrants across the border, often at excessive prices and usually without concern for the safety of their clients). That certainly does not reflect well on our government. :(
Me: a gun owner who has never pointed a gun at another human and, God willing, will never need to.
Why do so many feel they cannot live their daily life without being attacked? (the news media maybe?)
Well the news people don't help. The entire 'if it bleeds it leads' mentality, coupled with the fact that they cover the rare (one attack gets coverage, the million other people who walked past there yesterday and did not get attacked is never mentioned), then we 'personalize' that - so it like "GOSH! I walk past that point, or drive, or have been past there once, or saw it from the freeway" - whatever, that makes the event seem more likely, as we have some sort of personal knowledge of the location.
But I think the real perp here is not the news, but the shows, which tilt heavily toward 'action' and thus have a lot more killings/attacks and the like than normal life. Every episode of Law&Order has a horrible crime, but every day of your life does not. But if you're not out in normal life all the time, if you watch these shows (and their ilk) on a constant basis you will (and this has been proven again and again) radically overestimate the rate of violent crime and violence.
I dont watch tv, specifically to not watch the news and be fed fear by society, government and corporations.
Smart girl there. I live a similar way (*I have a TV, and it's even got cable because I do love movies, I've got every movie channel, and I watch a metric ->-bleeped-<--ton of movies, all I watch is movies.) Other than something like The Inauguration or election night I never do the news, for all the reasons you mentioned, and one more. I know cameras very well. I work with them a lot, and have a lot of experience with them over about 40 years, and I know that what you see on something like 'the news' is not what was really happening, but a highly selective slice, that was then further manipulated by humans (many of whom are very, very good at their jobs) and isn't near the 'reality' that people want to see it as being. And many times the reality of what was going on was nothing like what you are seeing. I KNOW that from my own life, and many times in that life in several different ways, so I know that is true.
Reality is only as much as you respond with or react to the reality of what is being presented for you?
Warning about post !
Quote from: Dana_H on August 12, 2011, 01:15:39 AM
I would not do well in prison. I know this. For me, the choice between being in an American prison or being dead is a hard call, although the chance at living still wins out - barely. American prisons can be very dangerous places to be...especially for transgender folk. The words "General Population" in connection with prison scare the crud out of me.
That is a toss for me, I think I'd instigate a cop so that they would shoot me right there. In a U.S. prison, it seems the only protections trans people have involve rape or the death of your identity. If you screw up and get thrown in jail before surgery you will somehow die.
Even if you only get probation, try being a convicted (jobless transgender) felon. Uhhh, how about, no?
Quote from: EmmaM on August 12, 2011, 11:59:12 AM
In a U.S. prison, it seems the only protections trans people have involve rape or the death of your identity. If you screw up and get thrown in jail before surgery you will somehow die.
Even if you only get probation, try being a convicted (jobless transgender) felon. Uhhh, how about, no?
Such a gross overgeneralization...I've known/dealt with a small handful through the years of working in my field. Aside from a post-op I know of in one of the women's facilities who goes out of her way to be a disciplinary problem, they have all done well in what amounts to a general population. Most of the pre-ops who entered prison are housed in safekeeping, which is a sub-segment of the general population and has job assignments just like any other GP housing area.
As to employment prospects, a lot of our clients are able to secure legitimate employment post-release. And even among persons who are not clients but who know the work I do, they have well-paying jobs in the community despite being on parole or probation. Is it a complicating factor? Sure. But not an impossible task...
Quote from: Ann Onymous on August 12, 2011, 01:14:26 PM
Such a gross overgeneralization...I've known/dealt with a small handful through the years of working in my field. Aside from a post-op I know of in one of the women's facilities who goes out of her way to be a disciplinary problem, they have all done well in what amounts to a general population. Most of the pre-ops who entered prison are housed in safekeeping, which is a sub-segment of the general population and has job assignments just like any other GP housing area.
As to employment prospects, a lot of our clients are able to secure legitimate employment post-release. And even among persons who are not clients but who know the work I do, they have well-paying jobs in the community despite being on parole or probation. Is it a complicating factor? Sure. But not an impossible task...
I was, of course, speaking from the darkest paranoid corners of my mind. Something I have to learn to get a handle on.
Quote from: Valeriedances on August 12, 2011, 06:18:07 AM
Why do so many feel they cannot live their daily life without being attacked?
Well I can tell you why I feel this way. One neighbor had a break-in to his apartment and another had her purse stolen from her car right outside. A few years ago there was a report that someone broke in and attacked a woman in one of the apartments. A few summers ago somebody stole the license plate from my car and several others near it. These are all incidents right where I live, not including the rest of the city. People have been mugged at knife point on campus down the street and shot in the parking lot of the local Walmart. Just a week or two ago there was a note on my door (and everyone else's) from the police dept. telling people to be alert because many crimes have been reported in the area lately and listing a number to call to report any suspicious activity.
Knowing how to protect yourself and your property is important. But being proactive is probably the best thing you can do to ensure your safety.
After reading all your guys and gals posts I felt I should chime in and offer some helpful safety tips from the perspective of a LEO. (And yes, I've been hardwired to do all of these things.)
Install motion sensor lights on the exterior of your home.
Make sure your doors and windows are always secure.
Do not use interior doors as exterior doors, they can easily be 'shouldered' opened.
If you do not already have a deadbolt on your front door and door leading to your garage, get one.
Investment in a fire-proof safe or lock-box that you can weld or install inside your residence. (Or keep your personal valuables and important paperwork in a safe deposit box at the bank.)
Even if there are not children present in the home, it's ill advised to leave any firearms unlocked and/or loaded.
Invest in a small (under 2.5 oz) concealable canister of pepper spray or a taser (which can be lethal.)
If someone ever physically tries to cause you bodily harm and you are unable to flee, gouge them in the eye with your finger/keys/etc... The eyes are the most sensitive part and a persons natural reaction is to immediately cover their eyes with their hands, which would provide you opportunity to further defend yourself and/or get some distance between you and them.
Quote from: Valeriedances on August 13, 2011, 08:27:12 AM
Check on adding hired security.
Very rarely are they actually a deterrent to crime against residences. You're better off printing up your own stickers from a nationally recognized home security company and buying a small metal sign to put it on in your front yard. Cheaper too.
Self Defense stuff is good to the degree that it makes you more aware and think about things more, and think about them in more realistic ways. And it's awesome to the degree that it helps you become more physically fit. But as real defense, perhaps not so much.
Quote from: Valeriedances on August 13, 2011, 09:04:27 AM
I like the idea of a taser for home security. Much safer ...and wont accidentally kill someone or be used to suicide in a moment of despair. They have a small one that can even be put into a purse and is legal in most U.S. states. Cheaper than self defense classes requiring contracts too. I would consider it for the bedroom, in the case of being awoken in the middle of the night by a strange sound.
Pepper Spray, the foam type, 18%, Police grade would be better. Or...run! Remember what Richard Pryor said...RUN! :laugh:
It is tuff to run in heels.
I'm considering buying some security thing to carry around as well, I lost a lot of muscle mass after I began HRT.
Quote from: Valeriedances on August 13, 2011, 09:04:27 AM
I like the idea of a taser for home security. Much safer ...and wont accidentally kill someone or be used to suicide in a moment of despair. They have a small one that can even be put into a purse and is legal in most U.S. states. Cheaper than self defense classes requiring contracts too. I would consider it for the bedroom, in the case of being awoken in the middle of the night by a strange sound.
A civilian taser is actually MORE lethal than law enforcement taser but isn't the best for protecting yourself against a burglary. For home protection I would recommend a handgun. If you have an aversion to handguns, buy a shotgun and load it with rock salt.
Quote from: SandraJane on August 13, 2011, 09:13:35 AM
Pepper Spray, the foam type, 18%, Police grade would be better. Or...run! Remember what Richard Pryor said...RUN! :laugh:
Most states have laws regarding civilian concealment and/or ownership of pepper spray. General rule of thumb is as long as it's under 2.5 oz, less than 10% OC and is not camouflaged printed, it's a-ok.
I carry no weapons and have no self defence training.
I was mugged once, but you'd have had to be Jackie Chan to have stopped that, there were 6 of 'em and they had knives.
I have been hassled a few times, you either make them laugh, ignore them and walk on to a safer place or inform them politely to '->-bleeped-<- off'...oddly enough the third one was worked for me a few times, much to the surprise of my sister the time that a car drove onto the pavement to cut us off and I informed them that they would like to leave.
These might be the benefit of being a rather stocky broad shouldered individual with a fondess for bovver boots, or it could have been the sense that I would hurt them to protect my sister - although I have never been in a fight, even at school and so have no idea what to do or how to do it.
To be honest the very best tips for safety is to be aware, alert and not to do anything stupid. To know when to keep your head down and when to flare up - and most importantly, to know where the safe places are and to not veer off them alone if you don't have to (a rule I break all the time, but still a good un).
Quote from: Valeriedances on August 13, 2011, 09:39:22 AM
Oh, too bad about the taser. It sounded like a good alternative.
Personally, I don't like people acting spastic and pissing themselves all over my living room carpets. The smell just lingers. Now blood, Cola will get that out easy.
Quote from: Epi on August 13, 2011, 09:48:39 AM
Personally, I don't like people acting spastic and pissing themselves all over my living room carpets. The smell just lingers. Now blood, Cola will get that out easy.
That rug really tied the room together.
Quote from: Epi on August 13, 2011, 09:29:18 AM
For home protection I would recommend a handgun. If you have an aversion to handguns, buy a shotgun and load it with rock salt.
Rock Salt and Bacon Rind works for me! Seriously, don't get a gun unless you can shoot to kill, not wound. Sounds overboard, but an attacker will take the gun and use it on you.
What makes a TASER lethal is any medical conditions known or unknown in the person being zapped. Example had a man in his mid 30's brought into the ER with Chest Pain after being zapped by the police. Turns out he had a "silent heart attack" not long before and his Heart was significantly damaged. Went to the Cath Lab the next day. Ironically, if that had not occurred he would have probably kept on going until the next one...Heart Attack that is.
This will prevent having to get rid of the rug that tied the room together.
Quote from: Zoë Natasha on August 13, 2011, 09:54:42 AM
That rug really tied the room together.
Yes, it really did. Probably because it was the only thing in there ...
Quote from: SandraJane on August 13, 2011, 09:56:10 AM
Rock Salt and Bacon Rind works for me! Seriously, don't get a gun unless you can shoot to kill, not wound. Sounds overboard, but an attacker will take the gun and use it on you.
What makes a TASER lethal is any medical conditions known or unknown in the person being zapped. Example had a man in his mid 30's brought into the ER with Chest Pain after being zapped by the police. Turns out he had a "silent heart attack" not long before and his Heart was significantly damaged. Went to the Cath Lab the next day. Ironically, if that had not occurred he would have probably kept on going until the next one...Heart Attack that is.
This will prevent having to get rid of the rug that tied the room together.
Police are not negligent for tasing someone that has an unknown medical condition, however, they are if they knowingly tase a person under the influence of narcotics. (That kills.)
A high end civilian taser puts out a greater amount of voltage than police department issued ones.
If anyone did actually burglarize my home, I'd probably lock them up in my basement until they finished cleaning their bodily fluids off my living room rug. Or until the new rug I purchased with their VISA arrived.
Quote from: Epi on August 13, 2011, 09:58:56 AM
Yes, it really did. Probably because it was the only thing in there ...
I couldn't resist... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezQLP1dj_t8#)
Quote from: Epi on August 13, 2011, 10:09:42 AM
If anyone did actually burglarize my home, I'd probably lock them up in my basement until they finished cleaning their bodily fluids off my living room rug. Or until the new rug I purchased with their VISA arrived.
See, now you have 2 rugs.
Yeah, The Big Lebowski!...did it not? :laugh: :laugh:
Quote from: SandraJane on August 13, 2011, 11:35:35 AM
See, now you have 2 rugs.
Yeah, The Big Lebowski!
I better start digging that hole in my basement floor for my new "tenant"... "it scrubs the cleaning agent into the rug, or else it gets the hose again."
Quote from: Epi on August 13, 2011, 11:47:10 AM
I better start digging that hole in my basement floor for my new "tenant"... "it scrubs the cleaning agent into the rug, or else it gets the hose again."
Badddd joke...
Silence of the Rugs....
Did he smell of the....
With some Fava Beans and a....
Quote from: Epi on August 13, 2011, 11:47:10 AM
I better start digging that hole in my basement floor for my new "tenant"... "it scrubs the cleaning agent into the rug, or else it gets the hose again."
Men don't just get into window seat and
die! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oy4BRNRwgo0)
I'm not too fond of guns, but if put in a situation I could probably defend myself with my bear hands.
I could probably defend myself with my bear hands
Huge paws, huge claws - of course you could, but how bout if you had bare hands? And in the US the likelihood of begin attacked by someone without a weapon is pretty small.
That's true. In that case I would just hand over what I have because 20 bucks and a phone is nothin to die over.
Quote from: tekla on August 13, 2011, 05:24:22 PM
I could probably defend myself with my bear hands
Huge paws, huge claws - of course you could, but how bout if you had bare hands? And in the US the likelihood of begin attacked by someone without a weapon is pretty small.
It has been at least 20 years since i have been in any sort of fight but I have been in many of them and not once did a weapon come into play. Being trans, I would think it most likely that you would get singled out for looking like an easy target for an unarmed thug.