A woman gets off her shift of work at midnight. She is walking out to her car in a
parking lot with no street lamps on a dark, overcast night. She finds her car only by pressing the unlock button on her key fob, lighting her headlights. She approaches her car and opens the passenger door as an assailant emerges from the dark. As she lays her purse on the passenger seat, he latches onto her arm. The woman has no form of defense and any chance to break free and flee has been forfeited. The assailant has complete control over her and is free to do whatever he desires.
This situation has occurred numerous times across the world. However, the result of it does not have to be the inevitable end. With some instruction, that same woman can not only avoid the assault, but even protect herself by performing an effective counter attack.
When one thinks of the term “self-defense,” guns are among his or her first thoughts. This thought is not entirely right, nor is it entirely wrong. Self-defense is using knowledge and resources to protect one or others’ lives. The proper use of this knowledge and resources can result in a beneficial outcome that prevents injury and removes practically all threat from dangerous encounters.
Self-defense is one of the many rights that humans gain naturally. It is also an instinct that all living animals possess. Commonly called the “Fight or Flight” instinct, self-defense truly is determining whether to flee from danger or to face it head-on.
Lately, however, the legislative branch and many citizens from the United States have been arguing how far that right extends. Although their debate exercises many excellent points, their wish is to ban guns altogether and ultimately limit a ...
... middle of paper ...
...lf-defense : Pepper spray can incapacitate an assailant. But you must be certified to legally possess and use it--and that's where the class comes in. - Los Angeles Times. (n.d.). Featured Articles From The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 29, 2011, from http://articles.latimes.com/1994-11-18/news/va-64349_1_pepper-spray- training
Second amendment | American Civil Liberties Union. (2008, July 8). American Civil Liberties Union. Retrieved January 5, 2012, from http://www.aclu.org/racial-justice_prisoners- rights_drug-law-reform_immigrants-rights/second-amendment
Supreme court rules gun ownership justifiable for self-defense. (n.d.). findingDulcinea | Online Guides | Internet Library | Web Resources. Retrieved January 5, 2012, from http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/Americas/June-08/Supreme-Court-Rules-Gun- Ownership-Justifiable-for-Self-Defense.html
Self-defense is not something that should be taken lightly. Its dictionary definition is, “the act of defending one's person when physically
In Louisiana, gun ownership is one of the most valued rights because many see it as the only means for self-defense. Though it is a right, if crime rate increases due to gun violence, should self-defense hamper with the enforcement of gun-control laws? Currently, gun related crime is at “18.9 [...] deaths for every 100,000 people [...]” (“States With The Most Gun Violence: 24/7 Wall St.”). This statistic places Louisiana in one of the top spots for gun related crime, thus reminding us that gun-control is necessary. Gun-control measures can include restricting weapons such as the AK-47; a gun designed for battle-like encounters. Why would ordinary citizens need AK-47's anyway?
Over the past five years Americans have seen many horrific tragedies related to gun violence. Each of these terrible events has been accompanied with scrutinizing media coverage, and subsequently, a push on government level for increased gun control. On the surface these movements to take away guns from Americans may seem justified because of these events. In reality the federal government is encroaching upon our Second Amendment, the right to bear arms.
In America guns have been a part of the country’s society since it’s birth. Throughout history the citizens of the US have used firearms to protect the nation, protect their families, hunt for food and engage in sporting activities. The issue of Guns and gun control is complex. Weighing the rights and liberties of the individual against the welfare and safety of the public has always been a precarious balancing act. In the United States, gun control is one of these tumultuous issues that has both sides firmly entrenched in their positions. Those parties in favor of gun ownership and the freedom to use and keep arms, rely on the fact that the provision for such rights is enshrined in their constitution. In this climate of growing violence, rife with turmoil and crime, gun advocates feel more than ever that their position is justified. As citizens of the “Land of the Free” possessing a gun is a fundamental right, and may even be a necessity... Anti- gun lobbyists point to the same growing violence and gun related crimes in an effort to call on the government to take action. By enacting more laws and stricter control, these people not in favor of guns feel society would be better safer.
The use of reasonable force to protect oneself or members of the family from bodily harm from the attack of an aggressor, if defender has reason to believe He/She/is/are in danger. Self-defense is a common defense by a person accused of assault battery
A legitimate defense for the use of force to protect oneself from imminent bodily hand or death at the hands of an aggressor is self-defense. It is our right to protect ourselves, innocent people, and their property from harm of other people. (Davenport, p 244). In Moran v. Ohio, a wife asserted that she acted in self-defense, as a result of the repeated and brutal beatings by her husband.
Gary Kleck and Marc Gertz, "Armed Resistance to Crime: The Prevalence and Nature of Self-Defense with a Gun," (903 KB) Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, Autumn 1995
Guns save more lives than they take. According to statistics on gun owners.org two and a half million times a year, guns are used for self defense. Self defense can be anywhere from sexual assault, to open fire against the criminal. One example given on foxnews.com of open fire against a criminal, would be during the school shooting in Pearl, Mississippi. Luke Woodham walked into a high school and open fired. Luke tried to walk across the street to the intermediate building, only to be stopped by the assistant principal. While Luke was firing at the high school, the assistant principal got loose to get to his
un have been long supported by the notion that it is for self-defense. Use of gun has been altered over time, many questions what these uses of guns mean to our nation. Debates on gun control and pro-gun control prevalent to self-defense. In the reading entitled Gun Control Isn’t the Answer by James Wilson, he emphasizes that if gun becomes power in the United States of America, the U.S will likely see an increasing of violence. Adam Winkler writing The Second Amendment All for Gun Control discusses possible support of having gun control by the second amendment. Through factors of gun control and anti-gun control, it is evident gun violence continues to occur in our nation affecting innocent and vulnerable lives.
Gun control is an issue that has been debated by Americans since the 1960’s (Dolan 1). The debate questions the right of Americans to bear arms, this including, handguns, shotguns, and rifles. Some say a simple restriction of these arms is in order while some think they should be banned altogether (Dolan 1). Both sides hold strong opinions often causing conflict in the matter and confusion among the citizens of the United States.
The woman witnesses the murder of a man and then passes out for quite sometime before she then awakes and reports the crime to the police. We notice this woman is quite similar to the one that was trampled by Hyde she is quite weak and helpless. They rely on the men to take of the business and don’t really contribute a lot to helping solve the crimes that have been taking place.
“Their best defense against injury is to put no defense and give them what they want” (Kates). Critics may argue that concealed handguns are not an effective form of self defense. To the contrary, robbery and assault victims who used a gun were less likely to be attacked or suffer injury, “Neither a martial art skills nor chemical sprays provide a real option for victims faced by attackers who are stronger or armed” (Kates). People feel safer when they carry a concealed weapon because they feel that criminals will avoid attacking them. Citizens want to conceal carry a handgun because every day there are dangerous individuals who prey on the weak. In addition to that, concealed handguns are an effective non-lethal form of self defense a majority of the time. Gary Kleck from the Federal Bureau of Investigation “estimated that, 2 million to 2.5 million victims annually use handguns to repel criminal attackers” (Kates). The surprise of being armed is the advantage for the victim, which the victim has the disadvantage of knowing the time and place of being attacked. Concealed carry actually provides protection to citizens that do not carry because the criminals are not sure who is able to defend themsel...
There are many reasons that people want to own a gun. One of the main reasons that people own a gun is protection for themselves and their family. In a survey given about guns, “self defense” was the main reason for owning a gun. Guns provide a great source of psychological reassurance even among citizens who are not particularly concerned about the fear of crime of being victimized. The right of self-defense and the right to use firearms for self-defense and the defense of your family is the foundation for rights written in the U.S. constitution.
Liberty – the state of being free from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority – is a defining element of American values. The right to liberty from tyranny was a central motivation that fueled the American Revolution and the subsequent founding of the United States. The implications of and limits to liberty have been continually debated and evolved since the revolutionary era and are perhaps more relevant than ever today. One prominent issue pertaining to liberty is gun control. Established by James Madison in the Bill of Rights, the Second Amendment gave citizens “the right to bear arms.” Since then, some lawmakers and citizens have sought to restrict the right to bear arms in an attempt to preserve safety for all. As a result of such
suddenly jumps in front of her and drags her into an alley. The attacker strikes (A) and rips her clothes. Fortunately, (A) hits the attacker with a rock and runs to safety. The man’s actions do not amount to assault, they amount to a battery as he dragged the woman to an alley, stroke her, and ripped her clothes off with the intent of causing her harm. The acts of the woman are a measure of self-defense, and she cannot be held accountable for the infliction she may have induced to the man. If the man just followed her without having any physical contact with her, his actions would have constituted to assault, as he would inflict fear into the