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.”
Categories: