There is a saying long held in self-defense training circles: “You are on your own.” This tenant refers to the clear fact that the majority of the time, violence occurs fast, and law enforcement is unlikely to be there to intercede. Thus, you are on your own in an emergency, and you should train and equip yourself to deal with such.
However, this saying is now more meaningful than ever. If you are the sort of person that presumes Good Samaritans in public will intervene, sorry, that is a thing of the past. This trend of non-intervention among the general public has grown in the past few years, and many will jump to false conclusions about it. For example, it is easy to say that society has become more callous or that men, in particular, are now just wimps. There may be validity to both observations, but the primary issue is that the political powers in big cities protect thugs and prosecute good people. It is that simple. Do you expect a stranger to risk life in prison if he harms the violent thug in your defense? The stranger likely has a family, as do you. Why should they risk their future for yours?
In the past year, a woman was molested on a crowded subway train. Nobody did anything. Why should they? The offender was undoubtedly a repeat violent offender, and a Good Samaritan would end up being prosecuted for murder if the rapist was harmed in the altercation. The current prosecution of a Good Samaritan in New York City for choking out a violent lunatic who was threatening people on the subway is the latest atrocity of justice. Tragically, the altercation led to the death of the repeat violent offender, but instead of being a situation of unfortunate outcomes due to a necessary intervention, the heroic individual who sought to protect others is now being prosecuted for murder by a corrupt prosecutor. You are on your own, and that is by design, as the powers behind such prosecutors want lawlessness.
Security Considerations
It should be a fallacy to rely on the intervention of others for your own personal safety, even under the best of circumstances. Even if living in a chivalrous society, what guarantee is there that others will be present when you are accosted by the criminal element? If you are an able-bodied adult, you are responsible for your own safety against criminal predation. However, due to the political landscape that has swept many parts of this nation, the fact that you are on your own should be more pressing than ever. The non-prosecution of criminals, along with the simultaneous prosecution of self-defenders, has ushered in a lawless time period of soaring criminality. Similarly, the nature of crime has changed as criminals are emboldened by their newfound freedom.
Law enforcement response is now limited in many places. This should lead the prudent individual to realize that there is likely a need to possess the skills and tools needed to withstand the unforeseen violence that may befall you, with the anticipation that law enforcement will not arrive until well after the event, if at all. You are on your own. A growing trend of late is the coordinated actions of many individuals in flash mobs and other forms of criminality. Assault by multiple assailants is at an all-time high. You are on your own.
Avoidance is Paramount
While it is certainly a good time to be a thug in big cities, it is a poor time to be a law-abiding citizen. The same prosecutors who let repeat violent offenders out will be sure to ruthlessly pursue anyone who dares exercise their basic human right of self-defense. In certain places, no matter how clearly justified a self-defense use of force is, you will get prosecuted, and your fate will hang on a jury’s decision. Even if found not guilty, the ordeal is life-ruining. Avoid violence and conflict at all costs. If the at means limiting your time spent at social events in certain big cities or particular vicinities, then do so. Leave such crime-ridden cesspools for the criminals, as well as the citizens who keep voting for such politicians and prosecutors. They can have it.
Tools for the Job
If all else fails, and you are forced into an unavoidable situation where you must use force, then be equipped for the situation. Now is the time to be armed at all times possible. Unless venturing into forbidden places where you can’t carry, you should be armed. The needed weaponry for the modern world encompasses a good defensive handgun, preferably of significant ammunition capacity. Beyond the gun, however, should be a less-lethal tool. OC spray can short-circuit a simple assault. A deadly assault requires a lethal response, but a simple assault does not justify lethal force but does justify less-lethal force, and OC spray can often force an aggressive assailant to break contact before things come to blows or worse.
With consideration to how long response times for law enforcement and other first responders is in certain places, the armed citizen should be carrying emergency medical gear and should know how to use it. This is a significant consideration. In the wake of any sort of violence, a scene must be secured before first responders can attend to victims. If you or a loved one sustains an injury, how long might that period of time be? In an environment where law enforcement is under scrutiny and often unwilling to actively do their job for arguably understandable reasons, scene security may take a long time to manifest. If you or a loved one sustains a severe injury or life-threatening hemorrhage, you need to be able to stabilize that individual to wait for the response. Trauma gear and the skills to use it are in order.
You are on your own. That is the result of the political movement that has been in play for several years now. Others in public will not jeopardize their own freedom to protect you, and who can blame them? Be prepared to protect yourself, and avoid confrontation at all times possible.
