[whataretheysaying] Mary Madigan: What do you tell your college bound child about crime, danger and self-preservation?

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Posted by Mary Madigan:
What do you tell your college bound child about crime, danger and self-preservation?
http://whataretheysaying.powerblogs.com/posts/1176909177.shtml


   Thanks to a [1]law enforcement officer at a major urban university and
   Armed Liberal:

     Recognize that a University is just a city within a city, filled
     with people. Some are good, some are bad, some are there to take
     advantage of the environment for profit and others, to prey upon a
     particularly vulnerable population.

     By vulnerable, I include students, staff and faculty, all of whom
     tend to believe the hype about the University Community being
     somehow insulated from the crime that exists outside the borders.
     By design, Universities are filled with idealists wishing to take
     the higher road of understanding and compassion when it comes to
     dealing with the dangers people often pose toward their own
     species.

     Tell your son or daughter that in order to decrease the risks
     hidden behind the school's marketing facade, they must listen to
     their instincts when confronted with danger, rather than letting
     their intellect and ideals overcome them. A student needs to be
     willing to see danger when it presents itself. They need to
     understand that bad things happen to good people every day, even in
     places that are supposed to be safe. That all of nature survives
     and thrives upon decisions of fight or flight, but fails or dies if
     they succumb to the immobility of fear.

     Unfortunately, we live in a would-be virtual world, where we
     protect our children from fear and leave them to practice their
     survival skills in games that allow them to respawn when they make
     the wrong choice. This leaves them believing that they cannot come
     to harm and although I don't think walking around riddled with
     anxiety over every potential encounter is healthy; skepticism,
     caution and adaptability to swiftly changing circumstances are
     excellent tools for long term survival.

     To be more specific, if something doesn't look right, it probably
     isn't and you should report your concerns to the authorities. If
     someone seems irrational, delusional or just plain weird, let
     someone know. If someone seems to believe you have a romantic
     relationship and you don't - be alert and report stalking or
     obsessive behavior as soon as you encounter it. Sometimes, if these
     situations are caught early, the subject can be helped with medical
     intervention. Do not put embarrassment above safety.

     Most importantly, if you find yourself in an active shooter
     situation and you can access real shelter or cover, waste no time
     running full speed in that direction. If you are trapped, in a room
     with an assailant who is picking off victims as he/she finds them,
     FIGHT. Throw things, big things if you can grab them. Use that as a
     distraction to assault the shooter. Go down fighting if you must,
     but do not let yourself be immobilized by fear. Unless you can hide
     among the bodies and successfully play dead (a risky tactic if the
     assailant decides on a 'coup de grace' shot), you may as well go
     down fighting. If you cower in a corner or under a desk, as soon as
     he sees you he will kill you. Take the initiative away. You have
     nothing to lose in this situation. Remember the lesson of 9/11,
     submission to an adversary bent on killing plays into his
     expectations and will likely result in your death.

References

   1. http://www.windsofchange.net/archives/009586.php