When they speak of crimes of opportunity on unsuspecting targets I am reminded of instances in my past where I was targeted for having -no- situational awareness. I lived with the mentality of "the bad stuff on the news could never happen to me." Like when I was beat up and mugged at midnight on the sidewalk outside of my work by 4 men. I was with my boyfriend at the time, and we were walking to our car, arm-in-arm completely OBLIVIOUS to the 4 men that snuck up behind us from half a block away. Mind you, the 4 men passed by another couple on the sidewalk and "chose" us instead, because we looked like easy, soft targets. The couple that they bypassed watched us get thrown on our backs and stomped on, and did nothing but watch it all happen... they did not call the police, they did not try to stop the assault, they just stood silently watching and listened to me screaming for help. After what seemed like an eternity a restaurant worker responded to my screaming and came charging across the street with the wrath of God in his eyes. The 4 men fled at the sight of him. All it took was a single person with an OFFENSIVE mindset to stop their assault. That man was a Sheepdog. This is usually the case with predators, they flee or kill themselves when a Sheepdog comes charging TOWARDS them. This is why officers have been trained to CHARGE an active shooter after the Columbine shootings happened. Another time I was targeted was when I was roofied at a friend's large birthday party. I wasn't drunk, it was my 1st drink, that I poured myself, but I left my drink unattended. I let my guard down thinking it was a "safe place" at a FRIEND's home. Thankfully my own friends were surrounding me and caught me as I collapsed to the floor, and I was taken home immediately and safely. Thank God. Ladies, dump the "it could never happen to me" mentality. It happens to 1 in 4. That means it's you, or someone you know. We hear these statistics all the time, and yet we gloss over them. Women are targeted the most, and yet it seems like women prepare mentally and physically the LEAST. Predators are not only stalking you in clubs, or in dark alleys, it can happen at your friend's birthday party too. Denial has no survival value. We must prepare for violence. Stop being a soft target, and start being a HARD target, first and foremost by paying attention to your surroundings.
When I started taking shooting classes from military & police officers everything I had learned from David Grossman was reinforced. You can make yourself a hard target without ever carrying a gun. But if you can do more, then do more. Increase your fitness, take self defense classes, take home invasion defense classes, take shooting classes, take first-aide classes. Even with your increased effort, you might not reach a level where you are able to avoid or overcome a predator, but if you don't prepare
at all then you guarantee your fate to be whatever it WAS going to be. Do what you can to increase your chances of survival. Like they said in the video it can be hard to be vigilant all the times, but I can tell you from experience more is better than nothing. "Awareness is the answer... utilize your awareness in various degrees, to minimize the risk of being targeted."
It's so much easier to put on the rose colored glasses, turn on the tunnel vision and avoid the gaze of hecklers, to zone-out on the bus, to drive home on auto-pilot, to take whatever spot is easiest in the parking lot... that assessing the people in the area seems like one more task on the grocery list you never look at. But I urge you to wake up. PROFILE people, profile your surroundings, TO HELL with political correctness if your senses tell you "danger close." You may even get assaulted while sheeple watch you, like I was. This is way beyond the Knockout game hysteria, it's everyday, every ethnicity, friends and strangers. The Knockout game is a tiny fraction of the assaults that take place against women every day! The name of the game may change, the tactics may change, but the predators are ALWAYS there. It's YOUR life, trust your instincts. Better safe than sorry, or dead. Do it constantly until it becomes second nature. Condition yourself to stay situationally aware of the "Triangle of Victimization" they mention in the video, and go on living your life. Hope for the best but prepare for the worst. I am not any less happy or positive than I was before I adopted a bulletproof mind. Now the only thing I lack is denial.
-Jessica Hook
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Have a Wonderful Weekend!
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