Poli-Safety:
A Non-Political View of the Politics of Public Safety
Poli-Safety is a term the self-defense gurus at Stinger Solutions coined when it became obvious that an entirely new perception of personal safety and self-defense was necessary in the year 2020. Traditionally, individuals thought of public safety being somewhat synonymous with personal safety. This was the case even after the US Supreme Court had ruled multiple times that public safety agencies could not be held liable for failure to respond to a call for help to protect the public at large.
Don’t get us wrong. We are very pro-law enforcement. However, the fact remains that in this day and age, the public’s reliance of law enforcement (as well as their confidence) has been shaken. No matter what side of the debate you favor, it is important to recognize a few glaring facts that we must all accept.
First, just because you call 911 doesn’t mean that law enforcement will be able to respond to your call for help. Second, we are all susceptible to being surrounded by violent “flash-rioters” that materialize at a moments notice. Once that happens, we could be “cut-off,” from safe avenues of escape. Third, the old social mores of not intentionally intruding on someone’s “personal space,” no longer apply. Out-of-control, aggressive, violent individuals can be “triggered,” over almost anything. Within seconds you can be violently and aggressively accosted by someone over a hat, your shirt or even a bumper sticker on your car.
The New Standard for Personal Safety…
Unfortunately, it appears that the new standard for Personal Safety is… you are on your own. At the very least, you are on your own for 30 minutes or more! Even that timeline may be wishful thinking. As an example, when the Texas Municipal Police Association (TMPA), the largest Police group in the State posts billboards on the Austin city limits that state, “WARNING! Enter at your own risk! Limited Support next 20 miles,” you know that your personal safety is your responsibility now more than ever.
However, the real question becomes how do you develop a personal safety plan if you never had to before? Before we get into the “nuts & bolts,” of your personal safety plan, we need to discuss the overall warrior’s mindset you will need to adopt. While this may sound a bit dramatic…the truth is that if you are not mentally ready to defend yourself, it really doesn’t matter how good your plan is.
Ex-heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson once said, “…Everyone has a plan…until they get punched in the face.” What he was explaining was that the visceral reaction to getting physically attacked is to completely abandon your plan and resort to your basic instinctual reactions. That being said, let’s face it. Most people in this era, have lost (or never had) solid survival instincts.
Someone with a “warrior’s” mindset will immediately adapt their plan to counter whatever attack is directed towards them. In short, the warrior’s mindset is another way of saying you must prepare yourself to fight through pain, overcome your compassionate mores towards your adversary, ignore the rules of fairness and completely commit yourself to surviving the assault…at any cost.
Your Plan…
Once you have committed yourself to accepting the responsibility for your own personal safety, it is time to transform those thoughts into action. The first place to start is to practice becoming far more aware of your surroundings. At the same time, learn to trust your “gut.” An observant person will learn to identify the emergency exits as soon as they enter an office or restaurant. Try and sit where you have an unencumbered view of the entrances to a space you are in. Don’t just pay attention to the people 10 feet around you, but expand your area of observation to include people across the street.
Once you begin to train yourself to be more observant of your surroundings, you should simultaneously take the next steps. Below is a short list of some of the most basic steps you can take to increase your odds of survival:
- Get in better physical shape. During an attack you will fatigue quickly, your physical endurance will be key to both fighting off an assailant as well as escaping one.
- Learn to always communicate your travel itinerary and expected arrival times to family and friends.
- Develop basic self-defense skills. Training like WASP (Women’s Assault Survival Program) is a great first step. Learn where you can inflict the most damage on an assailant and practice those techniques.
- Change your body posture when you are in public. Walk with your head AND eyes up. Stop staring at your phone when you are “out and about.” Walk with a purpose. Scan your surroundings. Project confidence and assuredness. Do not look like prey to predators.
- Carry and know how to use reliable and effective defensive tools. While no single defensive tool is perfect, choose a tool that will always be with you, is discreet and can intuitively be deployed at a moments notice. Remember, most people that are assaulted are ambushed so your defensive tool should be in-hand or close-at-hand at all times. If it is in your purse or backpack it is likely useless.
20-20 Vision…
In the year 2020, the politics of public safety has radically changed. Local and State governments in many cases are no longer committed to keeping the public safe. Whether you are pro-law enforcement or not, the simple fact is that law enforcement is no longer always able to come to your aid when you need it. It is very likely that you will be on your own during times of peril in many parts of the country.
We developed the Yellow Jacket Smartphone Stun Gun Phone Case as a discreet, formidable and effective non-lethal defensive tool. Now more than ever, the Yellow Jacket makes sense for the average person. At minimum, we would respectfully recommend you find some type of defensive tool you trust.
The politics of personal safety (unfortunately) have now devolved to “survival of the fittest,” or at least the most prepared in many cases. Make sure you meet one of those two requirements.
