I’m a woman who runs alone. I’m furious about Eliza Fletcher’s killing.
Opinion by Amanda Lee Myers, USA TODAY – Yesterday 4:34 PM
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Robinson said she’s now considering carrying some sort of self-defense on her runs. But she resents even having to think about it.
“I am not a violent person, I don’t own weapons, I don’t have a gun in the house,” she said. “So for me to even make a comment saying, ‘I feel like I need to carry something,’ it’s intimidating. Like, we shouldn’t have that feeling.”
Like Robinson, running has made me feel invincible at times. Strong, healthy, fearless. But one leer, one sexual comment, a threatening lunge, can take that away in a split second.
No one should have to feel like this. No one should be attacked on a run. No one should forget Eliza Fletcher and the run she couldn’t finish.
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Sorry but it is a cruel hard dangerous world out there. In the wild, there are predators and prey. Large and small. And, for as much as the “civilized world” would like to ignore that simple fact of life, it’s inevitable.
Everyone has the RIGHT OF SELF-DEFENSE! No matter what politicians and bureaucrats say, legislate, or enforce, EVERYONE must be prepared to defend themselves from the crazies, the lunatics, and the feral humans. Not to forget the animal kingdom’s less threats — bear, cats, and dogs.
At the very least, every recreational runner should have a shark knife, pepper spray, and a suitable handgun. Think of it as added “training weights”!
Then, the situation awareness to identify threats and, as necessary, eliminate them.
Remember “God made men and women; Sam colt made them equal.” — Unknown
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Reinke Faces Life 