Refuse to be a Victim
This is a guest post by Desi Bergman, NotMeSD Project Manager.
As of July 2022, the San Diego Union Tribune reported that the current response time to a Priority One police emergency call in San Diego County is 40 minutes. That’s right, 40 minutes! This means if you are being domestically abused, if your life is threatened, if your child goes missing, or if someone commits a home invasion or home robbery, the police will arrive approximately 40 minutes later. In these examples of Priority One calls, a lot can happen in 5 minutes, let alone 40 minutes waiting for the police to arrive.
NotMe understands that police officers do a great job, but we also understand that police cannot be there to save us. Rather, the police will show up after the crime has been committed and take a police report and outline the body on the ground in front of me. I will do everything in my power to keep the body being outlined from being mine, starting with being a gun owner and being properly trained on how to use my firearms. I understand that I need to be my own protector because if my life is being threatened, I cannot call 911 and expect that they will save me; rather, I must save myself.
Police officers have a hard job, and their job is continually being made harder by politicians that have gutted our police departments. The world is getting crazier by the day and crime is up while the number of officers on the street is down. Police officers are retiring sooner than ever before because they no longer want to be under the microscope by the mainstream media and those individuals they are trying to serve.
But who can protect you when there is no longer an available police officer that can get to you if you are being raped? According to the National Crime Information Center, most rape instances happen in less than 5 minutes. Home invasions and armed robberies take criminals between 90 seconds to 12 minutes to execute. By the time the first police officer arrives, they will likely only serve to secure the scene, begin interviewing witnesses, and start cleanup. They will be far too late to stop the crime or make an arrest.
Our Second Amendment is our constitutional right to bear arms, and we each have a natural right to protect our lives against the criminals that are attempting to cause us harm. The Second Amendment applies to EVERYONE, whether you choose to own a gun or not. Those that choose not to own a gun will be left with nothing but their hopes and prayers that someone with a gun will arrive in time to save them. Firearms ownership carries a significant level of responsibility. Owning a gun is not enough. You must also seek the necessary training and knowledge to use a firearm competently, deliberately, and legally for personal defense.
NotMe is a program created for women by women for those ladies who want to take control of their own safety. We are here to assist women with their firearms journey and want to help women add as many tools to her tool belt as possible for her to be her own protector. We want to empower every woman to know that she doesn’t have to be a victim once armed with the tools to protect herself. We hope that every woman understands the sad reality that by the time you call 911, the crime has already happened, therefore the only way to PREVENT crime is by being your own first responder.
I refuse to be a defenseless victim. I am a gun owner and have the knowledge and training to protect myself. I encourage everyone to take their safety into their own hands and to continue training and obtaining more knowledge on firearms. For those ladies who are not yet gun owners, NotMe is here to help you start your journey today by assisting you in selecting and purchasing a firearm, finding local training resources and classes. Moreover – YOU take your safety into your own hands and refuse to be a victim.
You can find more information at notmeca.org.