My friend brought it to my attention that someone needs a concealed weapons license to carry a taser. She had to take hers home because they said it was against the law for her to have one. I could see how this could have been potentially dangerous but I do not think it is fair, especially in light of all the dangers in the world, especially to women. If a woman was to defend herself against a potential predator, for example, a rapist or a sex trafficker, and use a taser, she could still be charged with having an unlicensed concealed weapon. Women and especially young girls cannot be expected to always have a concealed weapons license to carry a taser.
Jason Pope was arrested in October of 2019 for alleged sex trafficking over 700 black girls. There are many cases in the past year where people have been trying to catch predators kidnapping girls and boys from places like the mall and the grocery store. People defending themselves against potentially deadly harm should not be a crime. Another example could be the case of Cyntoia Brown. She fought her attacker and killed him and had to spend 15 years in jail because of it. The options should not be get raped or sex trafficked or go to jail. Either way, the victim, who is usually a woman, loses.
It is unfair and sexist not to hold men accountable for their actions and to demonize the victim. All people, women especially included, have the right to protect themselves. People continually argue against gun control so why should this be a problem? People use the narrative that it is our second amendment right to be able to bear arms and protect ourselves with guns so it should not be an issue for someone to defend themselves when they are attacked and there is no one else there to help them.
The majority of the people who are anti-gun control are usually males and they tend to be white. These are most likely the same males that would find women who are using self-defense, guilty, and sent to jail. The two ideologies are fundamentally opposing. In light of the number of sexual assault alerts that have been sent out, there should not be a concealed weapons charge at Furman or anywhere else. There were three different cases reported last semester of sexual assault. It is unfair to the students to not allow them to carry a non-lethal weapon that could save them for physical and mental trauma.