TRY THESE STATISTICS FROM TAE KWON DO TIMES!

[Halford]

Of all the states in New England, New Hampshire had the lowest murder number of murders but some were double homicides! This double homicide number was up,apparently. I can't recall the exact figures of the murders. But the important thing is that many in NH are armed,on the street or in the home!

[Halford]

article in TAE KWON DO TIMES on STREET SMARTS FOR WOMEN ? There is also another interesting article entitled,AN ARRESSTING SITUATION which describes "a real world fighting systems for police" in the same issue,January 2004. The writer is Kregg P.J. Jorgenson who is a well-known martial arts writer,etc. Thanks for your time. Halford at http://arnis.homestead.com

[KZMiller]

Sorry, I haven't read the article but I thought I'd point out as far as stastics in regard to rape of women under 17, just as the number of assaults against women may be padded by domestic abuse victims, some of those under 17 women might be cases of statuatory rape and therefore may have been consentual sex, though still illegal. I also have to wonder how many of these women are in high risk situations, such as street walkers. I don't mean to diminish the pain of any woman's experience regardless of background and circumstance (being a woman myself), but I do want to point out that the chance that your average Jane minding her own business will get hit by a falling brick while walking down the street past a brick building are less than what the statistics would indicate. This is important to note as I believe there are a lot of women suffering from chronic anxiety believing they are living in a hyper-violent society in which any day now they might become a victim. I think this is as damaging as under-vigilance. It may also lead to a self-fulfilling prophesy if women walk around expecting to be victimized. Got to keep your chin up and act like a healthy bird if you don't want the falcon to snag you. Walk with alertness and a desire to see the fullness of beauty of the world around you, not with fear and furtive glances of submissive fear. -- Kami

[Halford]

Yes, attitude and poise often have preventive aspects to them when used positively! The self-fulfilling prophecies of others do tend to be self-fulfilling! Usually they are,as you point out, self-destructive! Being in barrooms may pose certain risks and dangers that being in church does not! Walking down dark alleys at night and walking down the same alley during the day might be an interesting comparison! Would a man be safer or a woman be safer?

[JBeaton]

I would have to say that one rape is about 1 to many.

Here where I live in Truro, we have the highest % of drug use in all of canada, the highest % of depression in all of canada,the highest % of std's in canada, and the highest teenage pregnancy rate in canada!!This is just a small town!!

[Halford]

Whatever we care to blame for the state of modern society the fact remains it could be worse and probably will before it gets better! You have to be in such towns and read the local news, the news that makes it to the papers, and realize a larger amount never gets counted! Multiply that by all the towns in the nation(s) you are considering and then add in the cities and what have you got? That which you have reaped !

[Deep Sea]

On Bearing Arms

Of all the states in New England, New Hampshire had the lowest murder number of murders

Good thing the bears don't carry else places like Berlin would be wiped out.

I can't recall the exact figures of the murders. But the important thing is that many in NH are armed,on the street or in the home!

I've lived in thirteen states [not the 13 Original Colonies], and there are several predominate "makeups" that seem to be attributable for lower crime rates. One of them is population density. Another is the "menality" of the general population.

I've lived both in the city as well as in the sticks of New Hampshire. New Hampshire was the only state that I would see unoccupied cars running, doors unlocked, and often windows down while shopping in the local corner grocery store. Here, people frequently leave their house doors unlocked and their windows open [first floor, milder weather] in New Hampshire as well. God bless New Hampshire and the beautiful people who live there.

Certain parts of Tennessee are almost like N.H. as well.

In sections of Abuquerque and Phoenix, doors and windows of homes are barricaded by wrought iron. Not for decor either.

Forget about Baltimore, Rich. The population there, and in Newark as well, was once infamous for overturning cars and setting them on fire, making the sweltering summer nights a little warmer. Remember the cowcatchers the locomotives of the 1800s had mounted on the front, Rich?

Some areas of some states I lived I carried TWO handguns -- and still did not feel safe.

[Halford]

unsafe. The recent Malvo incidents in the DC area,etc. was only a highly reported affair,etc. It's been most dangerous there for years,way back in the 50's and 60's! I've described in other forums such things and so don't want to repeat myself here,but there are areas in the world that no matter how well armed you are,you won't be safe!