Tragedy too close to home; what to do?

[buck00]

I sense we are straying from the original post:

As an afterthought I guess; I feel like there is something I need to do about this, but what?

The question you are asking seems to be, not what can a female student do to protect herself, but what can you do to prevent this from happening again?

My first question for you is- are you sure guns aren't banned from campus period? Most colleges ban even a visitor from bringing a CCW on campus- it is not illegel (by law to carry) but you can be asked to leave by campus security and/or banned from campus if they catch you.

The second question (your question) is what can you do? I got the sense you were toying with the idea of a "Guardian Angels" type of patrol on campus (remember they used to be big in NYC?). I think the school would be very wary of allowing a vigilante group to operate, especially if you are a non-student. There would be too much liability and risk that a Travis Bickle type might join.

And also, what would the SOP of a campus watch-group be? College campuses can be very chaotic and different than a normal suburb neighborhood. Would you confront drunk males? You might find yourself a) very busy and b) creating fights and conflicts you shouldn't be. Plus campus security may quickly antagonize you rather than work alongside you.


So in case you were considering a night-patrol thing, I'd reconsider. JMO

What you could do is get involved with a local karate program and distribute fliers/posts to encourage college students to attend.

 

[jefnvk]

As for skin color, covered in head to toe and at night, good chance it is unknown. Read some research papers for psychology class, as well, in cases like this skin color is frequently screwed up by the victum. Doesn't seem like an easy thing to do, but it happens.

 

[The Wiry Irishman]

I've gotten three or four similar emails from my University already this semester. Its terrible and disturbing, but its also a great motivation to become active.

 

[MrPeter]

I think that what I can/should do, since I have Oleg's permission (as I interpret it) would be to take some of his posters, some that aren't too insensitive, but still to the point, and add them to a 8.5x11 piece of paper with tearaway tabs "advertising" www.corneredcat.com and www.a-human-right.com.

After that's been around for a little bit I think I could write a letter to the dean (or whoever the head honcho is) asking for them to offer a self-defense class free of charge for students, and reconsidering their policy of "weapons" on campus. Having a little bit of publicity with the fliers I think would help me gain support if I needed a petition signed or protest demonstration or something.

The current policy for the housing (which is where this took place) is as such:
Policy

Weapons include but are not limited to firearms, ammunition, anything that shoots projectiles, fireworks, knives (used as weapons), explosives and flammables. All knives other than kitchen utensils or foldable multi-tool pocket-knives are prohibited. Any knife used as a weapon is a violation of the weapons policy.

Housing is defined as including all rooms, apartments, hallways, common spaces, pathways between buildings and parking areas. You are responsible to check with your Resident Director if you are unsure if an item is banned, such as a toy or decorative weapon. If you wish to store prohibited items, such as sports rifles or bows, contact Police Services.

The Campus-wide policy is as such:

Employees and visitors may not possess, carry, or store firearms, edged weapons, blunt force weapons or explosives or dangerous chemicals on college property, to include privately owned vehicles parked on college property. These items are also prohibited at college events and functions, which take place off campus. This restriction shall not apply to weapons carried by police officers in the performance of their duties. It shall also not apply to tools that are used by employees in the performance of their assigned work duties, or otherwise legal items such as a small penknife or pocketknife carried or possessed without the intent of injuring, threatening or intimidating others.

So while it's not illegal to carry there, they can kick you out if they see you carrying. I hereby declare war on this policy.

 

[BlackBearME]

*sigh*

Every college I've been to (and I've been to 4, so far) had similar policies. Firearms I could almost understand. Didn't agree with, but almost understand. But knives?

Anything that could be used as a weapon...anything is forbidden. So what in the name of Odin are people supposed to use to protect themselves? Common sense? Intelligence? Denial?

GAH!

 

[Tyris]

Just because they tell you something does not mean you have to obey it. College students are not 5 years old, they are adults and can make their own decisions. I would never comply with a knife ban, hell, my brass knuckles and hatchet were not "allowed" either, the university disarmament policy is not worth two squirts of piss.

Their rule is unenforceable.

-T

 

[Noxx]

You know I often miss college. I enjoyed college much more than I enjoyed high school, in many ways I consider it one of the finest periods of my life.

I am however, glad that I am not in college today.

Personally I'll be damned if some yutz with a bad tie and fairy tale ideals is going to decide for me if I can defend my life or not. I slept with a coach gun throughout my college years, at a few different schools, policy be damned.

 

[1911Tuner]

Tyris and Noxx. The "Who the hell are you to decide what tools that I may or may not have" attitude is a fine old American tradition.

 

[ColinthePilot]

When I was in college, the school banned guns in campus housing, and FL law banned concealed carry on ANY educational campus. Solution? I kept my pistol and sometimes a rifle in my truck (totally legal and within 30sec sprint at all times) and moved off campus where said weapons lived next to my bed at night.
We had a 3-day self defense class for our ROTC detachment. The instructor didn't advocate or discourage any weapon, provided the user was trained and practiced with it. He mentioned that if a person elects to keep a gun for defense, they should train in loading it in the dark. I quietly scoffed at this to a friend, mentioning my carry/nightstand piece is rarely unloaded. he responded "well I bet most intruders would be scared away when they hear you chamber a round." I calmly informed him the only sound an intruder will hear upon invading my house is the safety being clicked OFF.

I do like the hornet spray idea, though. no training required, not illegal.

 

[PX15]

FWIW:

My wife always has a cell phone size "Stun Gun" with her.. It's the "Small Fry Stun Gun" offers one MILLION volts in her defense, and only cost $43.95 off Ebay.

I haven't tried it personally, but my understanding is that if a person grabbed her and she pressed it against them they would shortly lose interest in the attack, and in fact if they didn't let her go quickly enough they would have the dubious honor of releasing both colon and bladder, muscle control, and the ability to think or reason beyond a "lady please get that thing away from me"...

J.Pomeroy

 

[ColinthePilot]

i forgot to mention one thing. I fully support non-lethal armament on campuses. I say this only because I remember my freshman year in the dorms. Thousands of stupid freshmen getting their first taste of booze and drugs. Add firearms into the mix and you're asking for disaster. stun guns and pepper spray in the hands of a drunk 18yr old may add to the hangover but they won't kill anyone.
When I moved off campus, I had explicit control over who was allowed in my house and total control over my guns.

 

[Tyris]

My wife always has a cell phone size "Stun Gun" with her.. It's the "Small Fry Stun Gun" offers one MILLION volts in her defense, and only cost $43.95 off Ebay.

I think it takes about 50k volts to ionize air to the point where you'll get air gap arcing between 1" terminals of most stun guns (bear with me, it has been a while since I've worked with plasma reactors). That said, voltage on stun guns means little compared to the amperage that they can deliver.

I'd rather be hit by 1M volts at 1mA amps, than 10 volts at 100A!

Have you tried the stungun out on yourself? Some work better than others... They certainly hurt but the claims are really exaggerated.
Certainly, no one will lose bladder control unless you're zapping their bladder. Don't believe the marketing blurb.

-T

 

[Officers'Wife]

Hi Ghost Tracker,

While it's true there are many good folding knives out there, a girl can claim she had the razor near to shave her legs and be given the benefit of the doubt. In a college atmosphere, the campus cops are going to say that a knife of any length to be useful was kept solely to harm your fellow man.

Going back to my uncle's advice there are two facets of surviving an attack. #1 is the physical attack where you use the three basic knife cuts - 'long', 'deep' and 'a lot.' Second is the legal attack where one must justify every part of your life from the attack going back to when you were born. The straight razor may be out-dated tech, but it also gives you reasonable deniability for the second attack.

Selena

 

[Oana]

On the bright side, at least they allow folding knives. Some colleges don't even allow that. On the negative side...

Any knife used as a weapon is a violation of the weapons policy.

Um... So essentially, they're banning self defense with a knife?

Not that I'd stop in the middle of picking up my multi-purpose penknife and say, "Excuse me sir, campus law does not allow me to use this as a weapon, so would you just step back out the way you came?"

 

[DC3-CVN-72]

Better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6. I rember when I was in the NAVY and we would pull into a port overseas.The Division officer would read off all the places that were off limits. Guess where we all ended up?