Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site usl.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!akgub!usl!jla From: jla@usl.UUCP (Joe Arceneaux) Newsgroups: net.women Subject: Re: rape and other assorted stuff Message-ID: <579@usl.UUCP> Date: Sun, 30-Jun-85 17:37:41 EDT Article-I.D.: usl.579 Posted: Sun Jun 30 17:37:41 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 1-Jul-85 08:14:17 EDT References: <191@cuuxa.UUCP> <2919@sdcc3.UUCP> <2301@sun.uucp> <257@kontron.UUCP> <2568@randvax.UUCP> <285@kontron.UUCP> Reply-To: jla@usl.UUCP (Joe Arceneaux) Distribution: net Organization: University of (SW) Louisiana Lines: 38 Keywords: practice, trial runs Summary: There has been an amount of discussion concerning the usefulness/dangerousness of carrying a gun for defense against potential rapists. What I am about to say applies also, of course, to protection against other dangers. The first question to ask one's self is "Do I indeed have a fairly reliable weapon for my defense?" and if the answer is no, then one should avoid to the maximum extent potentially harmful situations. I think it is stupid to ignore such a basic question, as apparently many people do. A gun may be such a weapon of defense, and so the issue of whether or not to carry one is part of this first question. Some people may be quite capable of using such a weapon, while certainly many are not. I suggest that persons considering carrying a gun should do their best to determine which category they fall into. Try the following method. Go out and buy a nice water pistol. Place it on your person where you would carry the real thing. Then get a friend to go through various forms of attacks upon you, and see if you can squirt the friend. Make the acted-out scenarios as realistic and varied as possible. Decide on the basis of the results. If the answer to the first question is "yes," then one must next determine in one's mind a line. A virtual line, such that if anyone crosses it one will take immediate, unhesitating action. Such a line will depend on the situation, as perhaps will the action. An example might be: a man hassles a woman through the course of the evening, and the woman decides that IF the guy puts his hands on her she will hit him. The idea is to have a predetermined course of action, and a predetermined point at which it will be applied, no matter what. This can keep one from hesitating until it's too late. -- Joe Arceneaux Lafayette, LA {akgua, ut-sally}!usl!jla