Should every woman have a gun?

[Liriena]

No, but this is mostly because I believe that the problem is better combated through a change in societal attitudes. Creating fear for misogynists on the streets is only treating a symptom, not the disease.

Pretty much my exact thoughts.

If anybody, regardless of gender, wants a firearm for self-defense, more power to them (as long as they meet certain mental health and training requirements), but I do not believe making female firearm ownership compulsory, or promoting it as the universal solution to problems faced specifically by women, is a good idea.

[Dread Lady Nathicana]

Thread cleaned to hopefully an acceptable degree. Please keep on topic, and refrain from baiting/threadjacking going forward. Thanks.

[Terraguerra]

Frankly, swords would be the best equalizers. Most people have been cut once or twice, who's really been shot. We all know cuts hurt, so we could easily imagine that multiplied. With guns, we all know it hurts, but we've seen people on TV shrug it off like a punch. If people REALLY want good equalizers, nothing beats a good old fashioned arming sword or claymore.

[Cascadeland]

When in Rome...

[Talonis]

I mean, fuck - you get told that many women are fearful when a strange man approaches them in the street with a 'compliment' and are asked to maybe stop bothering women you don't know in future and instead letting them go about their business without feeling the need to insert you and your opinions into their lives unsolicited - in itself a request fairly consistent with showing a basic level of respect to other people - and your response is "but show me empirical evidence, then I might believe you!!".

I do not have high hopes.

I don't bother people on the street. Therefore asking me to not can be ignored because it doesn't apply to me.
I was asking for empirical evidence over every woman feeling afraid of people who say "Hi". I've never gotten even a nervous look for smiling and saying hello, and I can read faces quite well.

Also- the information in the article is false due to statistical exaggeration. You can see the actual study here:
http://www.stopstreetharassment.org/wp- ... Report.pdf
The report also calls making "psst" sounds harassment.This kind of response accounts for 51% of cases.
Furthermore, it has a very small sample, and only 6% of women report often harassment- only 1% higher than men.

I further apologise for any misunderstanding I might have caused, and ask once more for any wide reaching empirical evidence.

[The Forsworn Knights]

Pepper spray will make them back off, and you wont kill someone by spraying some in their eyes.
I know this because when I was six I tried to use some to flavor a quesadilla and it burned my entire head and my hands for a day and a half, in which I could barely open my eyes.

Of course, another thing we could do is simply not be pervtastic creeps in general.