I never doubted the value of my little bottle of pepper spray.
As a Washington, D.C., intern last summer, I spent countless hours on the
public subway system and walked to my car at the station late at night many
times. I was aware it was a station where five attempted sexual assaults had
previously occurred.
Each time I made that walk, I would discreetly grasp my pepper spray -- a
present from my parents -- and hope that I wouldn't be making the trek to the
parking garage with any of the degenerates I'd seen on the train. I didn't
realize the worthlessness of that bottle until I thought I might actually
have to use it. A suspicious-acting man driving an old, beat-up car followed
me through the empty parking lot until I reached my own car. It was then
that I realized my complete vulnerability, a feeling that was solidified for
me after attending my first year at Virginia Tech.
The false sense of security that a college campus provides is what allows
women to lower their guard, unwittingly putting themselves at greater risk.
Sure, we hear the horrors caused by date-rape drugs and too much drinking,
but who is on guard at the bus stop, on a mid-day jog around campus, or even
just in the classroom?
The answer? Nobody.
Nobody was on guard that terrible morning in April at Virginia Tech, myself
included. Most universities in Virginia, including Tech, require students to
check their firearms with local police or campus security. This policy
didn't stop the gunman. Nobody could defend themselves, and nobody was safe
from his rampage. What's worse is that Virginia Tech administrators
previously applauded the defeated efforts by the Virginia General Assembly
to allow Tech students to carry concealed weapons on campus.
Following the most recent attempt to pass a bill in early 2006, Tech
Spokesman Larry Hincker self-righteously responded in a January 31st article
in the Roanoke Times that, "I'm sure the university community is
appreciative of the General Assembly's actions because this will help
parents, students, faculty and visitors feel safe on campus."
Although a tragedy of that magnitude will hopefully be avoided in the
future, we should not overlook the fact that students, particularly young
women, face daily risks on college campuses.
How should young women protect themselves? For that matter, how should any
innocent citizen avoid being a victim? According to the Metropolitan Police
Department, you should stay alert and "wear clothing and shoes that give you
freedom of movement." Those are well-intentioned ideas, but for those of us
not interning at Sports Authority, sneakers and running shorts are usually
not included in our daily dress-code.
So assuming I can't run away fast enough in heels or move to a well-lit area
(perhaps under one of the lamps in the deserted parking lot?), the options
they provide during an attack include screaming and blowing a whistle. I am
not surprised "call the police" doesn't show up on the list, as their
eight-and-a-half minute response-rate would seem about as long as waiting
for Christmas morning when you were little.
What if the assailant has a weapon? According to the police, you may then
have no option but to submit. Well, may I suggest an addition to the list?
Option 6: shoot him.
For years guns have been banned in both the District of Columbia and on many
campuses nationwide. As a 20-year-old intern and student, I have never felt
more marginalized. Whether it is walking to my car at the station, trekking
across campus from the 24-hour library, or, in light of recent events, even
going to class, the inability to protect myself is ever-present. To put a
fine point on it, I am often in fear of my life.
Both of my parents work in law-enforcement, and I have spent countless hours
at the shooting range and attending classes for a gun-carrying permit. It is
unfortunate that the only place I have ever been allowed to carry a gun is
at our mountain cabin-and that's only to protect myself from bears!
The ownership of a gun requires much responsibility. Numerous laws have been
established to keep guns out of the hands of violent or otherwise unstable
individuals. However, to outlaw guns for law-abiding citizens who have no
other reasonable way to protect themselves is asking all of us to jeopardize
our feelings of security, our safety, and, ultimately, our lives. That is
not a gamble I'm willing to take.
As long as the Left dictates where and when I can feel safe, allow me to
suggest alternative option #6. Perhaps the liberal "do-gooders" who support
gun-bans would be so kind as to volunteer to escort me everywhere I go to
ward of potential attacks. But in reality, the left doesn't care about
defending the rights of a free people. If they did, administrators at
Virginia Tech and D.C. bureaucrats would never have taken steps to strip us
of our Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.
Allison Aldrich is a junior political science and English major at Virginia
Tech and a Summer 2007 intern at the Young America's Foundation headquarters
in her hometown, Herndon, Virginia.
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