Crime Awareness Email to Women
Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 12:48 pm
This is an email I am planing on sending to friends it was inspired by the 5 women killed in Illinois. Please let me know what you think any suggestion or critiques are appreciated.
If this should be posted somewhere else please let me know.
Dear Friends
I know most emails you receive from me are just silly jokes or forwards today I am actually personally writing something. I apologize in advance if it becomes a bit long but please bear with me.
The weekend before last while getting ready for church I had the TV on listening to the news. The story that caught my attention and that I have followed for the past week was the shooting of 6 women in a department store in Tinley Park, Illinois, prior to this they had only had one murder in the last eight years. Only one of the six survived. The youngest killed was only 22, she was shopping for an outfit to wear to her new job. Another of the women was shopping for something to wear to a gathering of former college friends. I believe that the reason this particular story has grasped my attention as opposed to the other horrible tragedies that also occurred this week was how absolutely ordinary what these women were doing was. They weren’t doing any of the things we are so often warned against. They weren’t going to the ATM late at night, walking alone to their car parked at the edge of a dark, deserted parking lot. They were simply working their job or shopping on a Saturday morning at 10 am a time you would assume to be safe but tragically was not.
One of the articles I read believed the killer targeted a women’s shop to avoid a confrontation with men. In other words he wanted easy targets, he didn’t want to chance anyone fighting back and from what I read that’s what happened. These women were herded into the back of the store, bound and then shot execution style at close range.
We have always heard just do what they ask and you will be okay. In some situations this may be the best course of action but be aware that more and more we are seeing news stories showing the absolute disregard for human life criminals have. They rob a convenience store, take the money and still shoot the clerk. They carjack an automobile and still injure or kill someone who willing gives them what they want. In this case he bound and then executed his victims.
Ladies I am going to ask you to do what we have asked of some of the youth group before on different matters, decide what you will do now. It is the same, we ask them to make the decision about drugs and other thing now before they are confronted with them. I am asking you to do the same, decide what your boundaries are now before you have to use that decision regarding your personal safety. I know we cannot run a hypothetical scenario for every situation that can occur but we can be mentally prepared to make decisions if the time should ever arise. I know for many their reaction is I carry a cell phone I’ll call 911. The reality is when seconds count the police are minutes away. This is not a dig at our law enforcement but they simply cannot be everywhere at once. We have to do something during the gap.
I am not saying the boogie man is lurking around every corner but there are those given the opportunity are more than willing to do harm unto others. I am just asking you to think about what if, and look at any bad habits that would distract you from being aware what is going on around you (talking on the phone, digging in your purse, etc) and put you at greater risk and if something happens have a plan. Take a self defense course, get pepper spray (and learn how to use it), get firearms training and carry one, whatever works for you but do something. Make the decision as to at what point cooperating is no longer in your best interest and realize that avoiding “bad� places does not always keep us safe. The link below is an article on personal boundaries if you have the time read it and think about what yours are.
http://www.corneredcat.com/Mindset/boundaries.aspx
Thanks for taking the time to read this, sorry it was so long.
If this should be posted somewhere else please let me know.
Dear Friends
I know most emails you receive from me are just silly jokes or forwards today I am actually personally writing something. I apologize in advance if it becomes a bit long but please bear with me.
The weekend before last while getting ready for church I had the TV on listening to the news. The story that caught my attention and that I have followed for the past week was the shooting of 6 women in a department store in Tinley Park, Illinois, prior to this they had only had one murder in the last eight years. Only one of the six survived. The youngest killed was only 22, she was shopping for an outfit to wear to her new job. Another of the women was shopping for something to wear to a gathering of former college friends. I believe that the reason this particular story has grasped my attention as opposed to the other horrible tragedies that also occurred this week was how absolutely ordinary what these women were doing was. They weren’t doing any of the things we are so often warned against. They weren’t going to the ATM late at night, walking alone to their car parked at the edge of a dark, deserted parking lot. They were simply working their job or shopping on a Saturday morning at 10 am a time you would assume to be safe but tragically was not.
One of the articles I read believed the killer targeted a women’s shop to avoid a confrontation with men. In other words he wanted easy targets, he didn’t want to chance anyone fighting back and from what I read that’s what happened. These women were herded into the back of the store, bound and then shot execution style at close range.
We have always heard just do what they ask and you will be okay. In some situations this may be the best course of action but be aware that more and more we are seeing news stories showing the absolute disregard for human life criminals have. They rob a convenience store, take the money and still shoot the clerk. They carjack an automobile and still injure or kill someone who willing gives them what they want. In this case he bound and then executed his victims.
Ladies I am going to ask you to do what we have asked of some of the youth group before on different matters, decide what you will do now. It is the same, we ask them to make the decision about drugs and other thing now before they are confronted with them. I am asking you to do the same, decide what your boundaries are now before you have to use that decision regarding your personal safety. I know we cannot run a hypothetical scenario for every situation that can occur but we can be mentally prepared to make decisions if the time should ever arise. I know for many their reaction is I carry a cell phone I’ll call 911. The reality is when seconds count the police are minutes away. This is not a dig at our law enforcement but they simply cannot be everywhere at once. We have to do something during the gap.
I am not saying the boogie man is lurking around every corner but there are those given the opportunity are more than willing to do harm unto others. I am just asking you to think about what if, and look at any bad habits that would distract you from being aware what is going on around you (talking on the phone, digging in your purse, etc) and put you at greater risk and if something happens have a plan. Take a self defense course, get pepper spray (and learn how to use it), get firearms training and carry one, whatever works for you but do something. Make the decision as to at what point cooperating is no longer in your best interest and realize that avoiding “bad� places does not always keep us safe. The link below is an article on personal boundaries if you have the time read it and think about what yours are.
http://www.corneredcat.com/Mindset/boundaries.aspx
Thanks for taking the time to read this, sorry it was so long.
, I never would have caught that myself. I think most of the ones I am sending it to are somewhere in the middle realizing there are dangers but not deciding to personally be proactive about it yet (I hope that changes).