Self Defense

Living in a world increasingly filled with danger, self defense is not only a topic everyone should educate themselves on, but it is something I feel particularly women should know a little bit about. According to Law Street Media, Memphis, Tennessee is number three out of the top ten most dangerous cities in America. The city of Memphis has experienced 124 murders, 437 rapes, 3,133 robberies, and 7,200 aggravated assaults in the year 2014. These facts do not necessarily help me sleep soundly at night. Don’t get me wrong, I love the city of Memphis and am proud of where I come from, but I do admit walking to my car at night alone gives me an uneasy feeling. Memphians have grown accustom to waking up every morning to hear of at least two to three people being shot due to gang, drug, or other vicious activity related incidents. It is now something we hear all the time and think nothing about. What we need to be thinking about is, how do the parents of teenagers feel when a police officer knocks on their door in the early morning hours just to tell them their daughter was raped or murdered the night before? Scenarios like this occur too often in this city, which is why women need to learn self defense. The recent debates over gun control have sparked my interest in taking a class to earn my carriers permit, specifically due to the cities crime rate increasing, as well as laws constantly changing around the use of guns. On July 1, a new law in Tennessee passed that allows gun carriers to obtain their firearms in their vehicles, whereas before only state-issued handgun-carry permit holders were allowed to do so. With the gun laws altering, I believe an eight hour class is well worth my safe being. Simply knowing how to shoot a firearm creates a sense of independence women need. Gun laws seem to have a never ending debate over the age of people able to carry guns, when the real issue at hand is not age, but proper background checks and mental health stability. As Sam Cohen said, “The philosophy of gun control: Teenagers are roaring through town at 90 mph, where the speed limit is 25. Your solution is to lower the speed limit to 20.”