| Awareness of your surroundings is the key to | | | | someone is able to sneak up and grab you before you |
| effectively defending yourself against assault. Now I | | | | have a chance to prepare yourself, well. I know life |
| know their are people who would say, " I'm a trusting | | | | can be distracting, talking on a cell phone or thinking |
| person, I don't think about things like that!". You can arm | | | | about your next class or whatever. |
| yourself with tools to effectively defend yourself but if | | | | Do yourself a favor, BE AWARE, BE PREPARED. |
| you are oblivious to your surroundings you can be | | | | Arm yourself with the tools and then be prepared to |
| taken by surprise and those tools never come into | | | | use them. Hopefully you never will. Also, be suspicious |
| play. | | | | of people you don't know well. I'm not saying that you |
| If you are alone, at night or in the daytime, (please don't | | | | should suspect everyone you happen to come in |
| make the mistake of thinking assaults only take place | | | | contact with of being a "bad guy" but you should be |
| at night), you should make a practice of looking around | | | | wary of people you don't know well. Remember, most |
| you and preparing yourself for the what ifs? Always | | | | victims actually know their attacker. Most people don't |
| be aware of your surroundings! I can't stress that | | | | think about these things until they or someone they |
| enough. If you are walking to your car in a parking lot | | | | know is attacked. Don't wait, prepare yourself now. |
| late at night, look around you. | | | | If more people did, maybe the human waste that |
| Carry a small stun gun or pepper spray or a loud | | | | preys on human beings would think twice before their |
| personal alarm and keep it in your hand until you are in | | | | next assault. My sincere hope is that my words or the |
| a safe place where you can't be surprised. Again, you | | | | words of others that preach prevention and |
| can carry these items on you , (maybe a stun gun in | | | | preparation will help raise awareness. If I can help to |
| your purse or pepper spray on your key ring) but if | | | | stop ONE assault from happening, I have done my job. |