In these recent weeks, several rumors of human trafficking and assault cases have sprung up on my university’s campus and sent many peers of mine into a state of alarm. While a macabre sense of trepidation to carry with us wherever we travel to, it is even more somber when you acknowledge that as females, we have been carrying these emotions with us since childhood. Never mind all of the voices who told us “boys will be boys” or to “be modest” with ourselves. Those phrases can turn any woman irate, yes, but we must also come to realize that danger can come in any form now. The latest rumor lighting fire under people’s tongues featured a social media post of a string of Snapchat messages. The woman who originally sent the messages claimed to have been drugged by a keychain that was left beside her car at one of the parking garages on the campus. After an in-depth investigation with the campus officers, this story which spread seemingly fast than a wildfire turned out to be false on nearly every account. The keychain was an integral part of the story only for the fact that it belonged to a student on campus who had lost them before the post was made. Additionally, no traces of drugs were found on the keychain despite the person behind the messages claiming to receive a toxicology report that came back positive to chloroform and was a catalyst for her sudden “bloodshot eyes, nausea” and “migraine.” Even more, jawing is that the woman who originally sent the bone-chilling account was not even a student on our campus! Nevertheless, people took it upon themselves to contact the campus police in need of higher security among campus. Whether that be more emergency buttons or better lighting dispersed around the buildings, this was a call to action for VSU students to carry around more protection. Despite the entire case being a floozy, it surely opened the eyes of the students and faculty of the university and told them simply that things like this could happen anywhere. This recent fiasco has also inspired me to list a few options of self-defense that every person should invest in to ensure their safety in the future.
- SipChip
-
Even spending a night out with friends leaves no exception for taking extra precautions. This tiny chip, after being exposed to just a single drop of your drink (alcoholic or not) can reveal “most common date rape drugs including roofies, Xanax, and valium in as fast as 30 seconds, with 99.3% accuracy” (UndercoverColors). To read more about the use and disposal of this product, you can visit the official website through this link.
- Concealed Carry Clothing
-
From backpacks to tank tops, the company Tactica provides a whole new sense of security to a woman’s everyday wear. Their concealed carry clothing line provides fashionable outerwear with specially designed seam-work to holster any firearm and do so secretly. Some styles include their Classy Concealment Two Piece Top, and Athletic Style Concealed Carry Leggings. If you want to feel powerful and stylish at the same time, consider visiting their website during your next online shopping spree.
- Disguised Pepper Spray
-
If you’re looking for something a bit more discreet, try something smaller out first. One recommendation I have is the Lipstick Pepper Spray by Supreme Defense. This item is easy to carry with you at all times and is rated by the website “at 2 million Scoville heat units” (Supreme Defense). The canisters come in four classy colors of your choice and are said to bring any attacker to their knees! To read more about the product or see their extensive line of other self-defense tools, you can visit the Supreme Guard website by clicking this link.
There are a vast amount of options one could use for protection. Do not feel the need to limit yourself down to just a pocket knife or a personal alarm. Whatever you choose to protect yourself with, guarantee that you feel fully secure with it and that it is easy for you to handle.