Of All the Options for Self Defense, I'm Sticking With My Pepper Spray

July 05, 2014, 5:50 PM

 

Michigan has so many legal options now for weaponry to carry around, it’s difficult to decide which is the best.

It’s complicated, really, deciding how to retaliate against any would-be attackers, leaving aside, for the sake of argument, the likelihood that I’ll ever need anything.

If nothing else, we metro Detroiters share a common identity: We’re all potential crime victims. That being said, packing a weapon should be part of my daily prep routine: Jacket, wallet, keys, phone…gun? Taser? Pepper spray?

I’ve put a lot of thought into what I should be armed with as I hit the grocery store, visit the gas station and walk the dog.

Like most, I easily could get a concealed carry permit and stuff a pistol into my purse. (The male version is strapping a revolver onto your belt…) That way I could actually KILL anyone I perceive to be a danger -- even though, in reality, they might just be interested in asking for spare change or directions. I could also kill a crazed dog that attacks my dog.

I could get a stun gun, the latest in Michigan’s legalized personal weaponry. This class of weapon is commonly called a Taser, which is actually a specific brand.

The actual Tasers shoot darts, that when lodged, send out an electrical stun. If you miss, you can touch the person with the weapon for the same result. Other brands lack the darts so you have to actually make contact with the person to make it work. Cops use Tasers as an option to restrain suspects without fatal force.

So many fatal or pain-inducing weapons. So much modern technology. So many choices.

So, why am I sticking to pepper spray as my choice of personal protection?
Because it’s the best option. By far.

It’s easy to carry, effective, cheap, widely available and doesn’t have life-ending consequences for the person or animal I use it on.

If I misplace it or lose it, I don’t have to worry that it will be misused for years with fatal or debilitating results. That’s what can happen when a gun goes missing.

If I misuse pepper spray, I won’t hurt myself beyond a temporary burning sensation.

If I don’t score a direct hit on my target, I don’t have to worry about doing permanent damage to anyone else nearby, unlike a gun.

If I use a Taser , there’s always the possibility of that person getting up and going into a rage over getting stung by the painful electrical charge. That’s not good.

Pepper spray will likely knock them down a bit longer. If I screw up launching pepper spray, well, I might make myself cry. But chances are much higher that the “bad guy” (or girl) will get it worse. And if you haven’t been sprayed or in the vicinity of it, don’t underestimate its power.

Thanks, Michigan, for allowing me a few choices to defend myself, but I’m sticking with the simple tube of pepper spray, and I hope more will make this choice.


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