Stun guns could be a deterrent to sexual assault

Every 2 minutes a woman is sexually assaulted in the United States. In a typical year over 275,000 women have their bodies and souls pillaged and that is only the known cases. Due to fear of the assailant and the unfortunate feelings of lessened self-worth following the assault or rape, it is estimated that more than 60% of all incidents go unreported. It’s no wonder the numbers show that 1 out of every 6 women is sexually assaulted in her lifetime.

This continues to happen because our government allows it to. Even though the general assumption is that women always win in civil and criminal cases this is not the case. Only 6 out of every thousand rapists ever spend a day in jail. The others are left to wander the streets to commit such indiscretions again, be it against their past victims or against new ones. Deviants recommit.

Because of our laws, women are left powerless against those free-roaming offenders. They have to go through hurdles to get a handgun, they can’t own stun guns and they can possess only a limited amount of pepper spray. Lawmakers are oblivious to the fact that even with the most advanced self-defense techniques there is very little that a 120 pound woman can do against a 225 pound man, naturally more powerful than she and made even more so by his hunger for her flesh. Our officials have done everything in their power to give the predator the advantage by taking all means of protection from the prey.

We must turn the tables by arming the prey and allow women to keep rapists at bay. This won’t be accomplished through handguns, especially in New York State, the land of the SAFE Act, where our natural rights and the Second Amendment are constantly under attack.

That leaves but one option, something of a middle ground for the pro-gun and anti-gun crowds: the legalization of stun guns.

New York is one of only 7 states where stun guns are illegal. Considering how safe yet effective these weapons are, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t legalize them.

The biggest reason for increasingly-stricter handgun and ammunition laws in NY is that critics consider guns to be lethal. Stun guns are the antidote to that -- they have become an extremely popular law-enforcement tool because they are decidedly non-lethal. They are effective tools for stopping criminals and, by using brief 100,000-volt surges, they spare aggressors from the physical injury or death associated with guns. When looking at how often stun guns and tasers are used by police, death is extremely rare and when it does occur the "victim" (really the wrong word to use for a criminal) had a pre-existing health condition or was strung out on drugs.

The safety of stun guns extends beyond that non-lethal status. The weapon’s electrical force is engaged only when the attacker comes into contact with the gun’s prongs. So, the other perceived consequences of handguns – stray bullets and innocent bystanders – never materialize because it’s a close-quarters weapon, one called into play when the situation has escalated to the point that the thug is in his victim’s personal space.

The stun gun is the perfect weapon for women – and lawmakers - uncomfortable with the thought of handguns. It’s portable, innocuous, safe and cheap (stun guns can be had for less than $20 each).

Best of all, stun guns work. They are veritable pocket-sized health and life insurance policies for any and all women. It can give them – and their loved ones - the peace of mind they need when they’re running the bike paths or walking the streets at night. We need to empower women – not their predators - and legalizing stun guns may be the best way to do it.

From the 19 September 2016 Greater Niagara Newspapers