Thoughts on "A Good Protection Idea"

[Batteriesnare]

I received the following email from a person who is very close to me, and one who doesn't appreciate firearms for self defense. Following the article is my response. Thoughts?

A Good protection Idea

If you don't have a gun, here's a more humane
way to wreck someone's evil plans for you.
Did you know this? I didn't. I never really
thought of it before. I guess I can get rid of the baseball bat ...
Val Galinka teaches self-defense to students at Sylvania Southview High School . For
decades, he's suggested putting a can of wasp and hornet spray near your door or bed. Glinka says, "This is better than anything I can teach them." Glinka considers it inexpensive, easy to find, and more effective than mace or
pepper spray. The cans typically shoot 20 to 30 feet; so if someone tries to break into your home, Glinka says "spray the culprit in the eyes". It's a tip he's given to students for decades.
It's also one he wants everyone to hear. If you're looking for protection, Glinka says look to the spray.. "That's going to give you a chance to call the police; maybe get out." Maybe even save a life. This is a great idea, for women and for older folks.

Wasp Spray

A friend who is a receptionist in a church
asked the local Police Department about using pepper spray and they recommended to her that she get a can of wasp spray instead. The wasp spray, they told her, can shoot up to
twenty feet away and is a lot more accurate, with the pepper spray, they have to get too close to and could overpower you. The wasp spray temporarily blinds an attacker until
they get to the hospital for an antidote. She keeps a can on her desk in the office and it doesn't attract attention from people like a can of pepper spray would. She also keeps one nearby at home for home protection. A can in the car would also be a good place to keep one.


MY RESPONSE:

Interesting, but I don't think that is a good idea. Presenting a can of spray, especially if the intruder is armed is only going to inflame the situation, and if they have a gun, you just brought the proverbial knife to a gun fight. You'd better hope that goes 30 feet accurately (keep in mind that's 10 yards, how many spaces in your home are longer than 10 yards? That means you have to get closer to engage the person, shortening the distance they have to travel to harm you, and the amount of time that you have to escape or make a decision under pressure.) Presenting the business end of a firearm to an intruder unless they are equally armed with most likely cause them to flee. Even if they do have a gun, most criminals aren't expecting you to fight back (studies show) and will be so shocked they will leave, if not, give them three thousand times their daily allotment of lead. (If they are in your home, absolutely legal - "Make My Day Law" and remember the phrase "I feared for my life.") You don't have to get closer, and you don't have to aim specifically for their eyes (keep in mind how small the eyes are of a target, especially at ten yards, without a sighting system on a can of wasp spray.)

If someone was intent on harming you, aggravating them is probably a worse idea than just letting them do what they want.

Two to the chest, one to the head. Repeat.

See you soon,



Thoughts????

[mutt]

100% agree wasp spray is a bad idea. Seriously, why would you want to be humane to someone who has broken into your house and probably intends to do you bodily harm?
This whole pacifist attitude is beyond me. I'm peaceful till you fuck with me and at that point the only life I'm interested in saving is my family's and my own.

That people actually think wasp spray is a valid self-defense method only reinforces my belief that only stupid people are breeding.

[jim02]

so what if i see you and turn my head and close my eyes, or have glasses on, im not a big fan of a spray as my home defense.
seems silly.

[jake]

Personally, I think if someone doesn't appreciate guns for whatever reason but isn't of the 'ban them all' persuasion, I'm happy to respect their beliefs and maybe gently try and persuade them otherwise.

My wife (a liberal like me) doesn't really like guns herself, thinks a 9mm is too loud (I'm working on getting a .22 to see if I can get her to come to the range with me - but there are just too many bigger ones I want first!) but doesn't have a problem with me or anyone else (with the usual caveats) owning them for defence, hunting or sport. I can live with that.

[Batteriesnare]

The person who sent this to me is of the "I've never needed one in my life, why do you need one?" We live in the same residence, so it has been a point of contention at times.

[jake]

Yeah, I was going to add that it would depend on whether the context of the conversation was "as you know, I don't like guns, so what do you think of this as an alternative for me?" or "why don't YOU get rid of all your guns because this is a MUCH better idea."

In that case I'm all for your reply

[Irving]

I've known people to carry a ketchup bottle (the ones you find at hotdog stands, not the grocery store) full of Ammonia. The guy said he used it on a purse snatcher once. Sprayed it on the front of his shirt and it instantly brought him to his knees because he couldn't breath. When the police showed up, one of the officers asked him why the hell he just happened to be carrying a bottle of ammonia around with him. The guy responded that he liked to keep his windshield clean and the cop just snickered because he knew he was bullshitting him.

I don't know. I've been maced before, but never directly into my eyes.

Your friend is broken. Using wasp spray is no different than using a gun or a vat of boiling oil or acid or something. Just the idea is a logic failure. "I don't want to hurt someone with a gun, but I'll hurt them with countless other things that suit my fancy instead." Just the idea that someone thinks it's okay to spray a toxic chemical into someone's eyes is okay, but shooting them with a gun is not okay, is all you need to know. Ask your friend if they would feel comfortable spraying hydrochloric acid or bleach directly into someone's eyes. They will likely says "Yes, as long as it's not a gun."

Is your friend the same kind of person who jumped on the SUV hating bandwagon a few years ago when there were roll over accidents? Constantly reminding people that SUV's can roll over, as if dying in a roll over accident is any worse than dying in any other kind of roll over accident?

There is an episode of Penn and Teller's BULLSHIT where they interview this lady that is against swearing. So she teaches her students to say Budda Damnit instead of God Damnit, and instead of flipping the bird, she created some elaborate way to use BOTH hands in order to flash someone the "whole turkey." She went through all this trouble to make substitute names for regular curse words, and went on and on about how that was better. It's the same damn thing, with the same intention behind it. Why waste your time trying to be creative and just get the job done the best way that you can? [/rant]



Finally, suggest to your friend that he/she just keep a bottle of wasp spray by their bed, and in the event of a break in, spray THEMSELVES in the face with the spray. Then the burglar will see that they are already incapacitated and leave them alone right? Makes perfect sense.

[Zundfolge]

One problem with any sort of spray bottle (with the exception of some pepper spray canisters) is that they don't automatically orient the "business end" of the spray nozzle at your target when you grab them ... in the dark ... while half awake ... and suffering from fear and the accompanying massive adrenaline dump. A gun does.

Also, if you spray someone with the wasp spray and it DOESN'T dissuade them from proceeding, then what?

[Irving]

Why not just hang a wasps nest in each room?

[bellavite1]

If I close my eyes and pretend they are not there will they go away?