Recently my family moved from one of the safest cities in our our area. It was a small town mostly white town; people were friendly and everyone knew each other. Then we moved away into a small, not-so-nice town. There are parts of it that seem a little sketchy and I wouldn't dare to walk through it by myself. With the exception of that part of the neighborhood, the town itself is pretty. There are many diverse people that live there; making this a whole new experience for my family.
Now, in the town we moved from, people could go without locking their doors; because like I said before, the town was very safe. Now, we lock our doors and have to make sure we don't hit the bad part of town.
So, I told my dad that I wanted to find a park in the neighborhood to walk in. (I used to walk all the time around the lake in our old town.) The first thing he said was, "You have to find a good one. I don't trust many parts around here, because people hang out there." Hmmm...people hang out there. Wow. New concept: people hang out at parks. He went on to explain that I just had to be careful. I knew what he meant. For one, he was looking out for my safety, but he can also be judgemental.
To be honest. my dad can at times be a little racist. So anyone who isn't white seems suspicious to him. (Which is rediculous.) But I used to think like that before. I went to a small, all white school and lived in a predominately white town; I was very closed minded. Since I started working with people or different backgrounds, I've become more accepting.
So I had to argue with him that you can't avoid people. You're going to run into both good and bad and you just have to be careful. And just because someone looks different than you, doesn't mean that they are bad and will attack you.
So, I'm certainly not going to just lock myself up in my house when I get home everyday. I might take a walk through the park.
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There is a very real evil out there, and it seeks people such as yourself.
This evil does not have a race or appearance.
I live in a decent city, in a nice neighborhood by a good school. Within a few blocks of my home is a walking/biking trail. At least once or twice a year I hear about someone being killed there.
Those who would do bad things aren't always content waiting with other bad people, sometimes they find you.
Especially if you're walking, alone, in a park. To them, a high school aged girl walking in a park is the jackpot.
If you want to be safe, I'd recommend you take some form of martial arts. Preferably something from the aikido or aikijujitsu family. Those are great for people who are easily overpowered, as it uses your opponents' energies against them (not getting into the 'chi' bit, just talking about kinetic and potential energy)
When you are old enough (and if you live in a state that allows it) at least carry a stun gun, preferably get a concealed carry permit and practice at the range with your firearm.
Many rape victims (of those who do not know their rapist) all pretty much thought that they were smart enough to avoid the bad people.
I agree. No one should walk alone. Not high school girls, not adult women, not men. I've lived in several neighborhoods in the city. Every single one had incidents of theft, assault, drugs, rape, or murder. It doesn't matter how affluent or white the area is. Don't go out walking alone. There may be fewer incidents in some areas, but there are still incidents. Why take a chance?
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
I go biking alone, but I have a concealed carry permit and I am ALWAYS armed.
However, I am also a guy, so the chances of 'rape' are much lower.
That still leaves mugging and murdering.
Fortunately, I live in a state in which I set the value of my life, it is not set by the criminal when they attempt to mug me. (I.e., I can defend myself and I have the right to not be a victim.)
However, I am also a guy, so the chances of 'rape' are much lower.
I always joke with my friends that you can't rape a man. Your use of quotations reminded me of that. Seriously, however, men can get raped.
Biking is less dangerous than walking as well, since you can go much faster than someone on foot, but you're still agile enough to escape a car.
I walk alone where I live, but it's a very safe area. I also carry myself in a manner that shows confidence.
F*** Religion. Read more here:
http://www.progressiveu.org/020528-f-religion
Anyone can attack you whether they are black,white, asian, or indian. Safety is never just around the corner. You can live in a neighborhood for years and hear about no one getting killed. I bet you before you lived there or later on, someone got killed or will be killed or assaulted. No place is safe.
That is, of course, why I push for people, who are legally able to, to get a concealed carry permit, or at least a stun gun.
There is never a guarentee of your safety, but if you are unarmed, your chances drop to nearly 0.