Conservative Talking Points views self defense as a responsibility that must be implemented. Law enforcement is a reactive procedure rather than a proactive defense. We all must have the ability, the tools and the will to defend ourselves against those who wish us harm.
Begins in the School Yard
· Bullies and victims take their places in elementary school. Future felons begin their verbal and physical assaults on the weak when there is no opposition to them. (Source: Harassment - CYH.com)
· Studies show that children and young people who bully others are more likely to end up in prison as adults. (Source: Harassment - CYH.com)
· Kids should be trained in self defense techniques such as Tae Kwon Do and other martial arts. Youngsters that earn a black belt in the martial arts are not only quite able to defend themselves, but also get into fewer physical altercations. (Source: Numerous martial arts instructors)
Dangers to Kids
· School aged children need to be aware that there are evil doers in this world and they need to be not only careful, but should know avoidance and defensive techniques to fight the bad guys off. (Source: Stranger Safety DVDs - 2008)
· Kids who are approached by kidnappers are far more likely to avoid or escape the attack if they yell "Fire!" or "I don't know you!" and begin to vigorously fight off the attack. (Source: LoveOurChildrenUSA.org)
· A 16-year old boy was awakened when an intruder kicked in the back door of the family's home in Houston, TX. The youth grabbed his .22 cal rifle and fatally shot the armed intruder. The boy was not injured nor charged with any crime. (Source: Channel 2 Houston - Jul 2009)
Domestic Violence
· With statistics in America like (1) 85-95% of all domestic violence victims are female, (2) over 500,000 women are stalked by an intimate partner each year, (3) 5.3 million women are abused each year and (4) 1,232 women are killed each year by an intimate partner, women need to protect themselves from violence. (Source: American Institute on Domestic Violence - 2001)
· The cops will NOT protect you! In Castle Rock v. Gonzales, the Supreme Court found in a 7-2 decision that Jessica Gonzales did not have a constitutional right to police protection from a private individual even in the presence of a restraining order. Jessica Gonzeles' estranged husband Simon kidnapped and killed their three young children despite the “restraining order”. (Source: iFeminist.com - Jul 2005)
· Most "fights" are won before they start, and aggressors will back down if you maintain eye contact and are not intimidated by them. (Source: SafetyForWomen.org)
· Self-Defense classes can help a woman not be a victim of domestic violence if she learns the ABCs of the art of self defense: A-Awareness, B-Boundaries, C-Combat. (Source: American Institute on Domestic Violence)
Street Crime
· Though violent crime in America is down in all population groups; murder by 4.4%, aggravated assault by 4.1%, forcible rape by 3.3%, and robbery by 2.2%, that doesn't matter if you are the victim. (Source: FBI.gov 2008 Stats)
· Between 1994 and 1997, over 2.8 million women reported sexual assaults in the United States and 78% of these victims avoided being raped by fighting back. Of the ones who fought back 82% said it helped their situation with only 18% saying it worsened the attack. (Source: Women's Personal Safety Network - Jul 2009)
· On July 31, 2009 in Houston a vendor while loading his truck was physically attacked by three robbers when he was able to pull his licensed concealed handgun and shoot one of them. The shot attacker died and the other two ran. (Source: KTRK ABC - Jul 2009)
· A Jacksonville, FL. man who wrestled a gun away from an armed robber and shot another attacker said he probably wouldn't be alive if he didn't fight back. (Source: Florida Times-Union - Jul 2009)
Home Invasions
· Since the FBI does not keep a separate official count on home invasions, providing accurate statistics is difficult. However, over the past ten years hot burglaries, or home invasions, have skyrocketed along with the level of violence accompanied with those crimes. (Source: USA Today - Jun 2006)
· Forty-five home invasion robberies occurred in Chattanooga, TN. in the two months since Oct. 31, 2000. (Source: Times Free Press - Jan 2001)
· An armed and masked home invader, who was dressed in all black, broke into a house in Wellington, Florida at about 2:00am. The home owner was able to shoot the criminal in self defense, saving his life and ensuring that no other occupants of the home were harmed by the criminal. (Source: WPTV - Feb 2009)
· A man wearing a ski mask and gloves, while carrying a crow bar, broke into a Cartersville, KY home and the home owner fired one shot in self defense, saving himself from violent attack and fatally wounding the home invader. (Source: Examiner - Jun 2009)
· Some College Park, GA. students said they are lucky to be alive and thanked a fellow student who shot and killed one of two masked men who burst into their apartment. (Source: WSBTV Atlanta - May 2009)
Gunfight Caught on Tape: Store Owner vs. 2 Armed Robbers
Armed Homeowner Shoots Robbers During Daytime Invasion (AZ)
Homeowner Shoots at Fake FBI Agents
Clerk Shoots Robbers
Store Owner Shoots Knife Attacker
Robber Gets Shot By clerk
Clerk Shoots Robber in The Face (Video)
Security guard beats up store thief
Shooter who aided officer gives his account of Peach House RV Park incident