Refuse to be a Victim

Refuse to be a Victim
By Desi Bergman, NotMeSD Project Manager

Last week The Voice of San Diego published an article, Police Response Times are up Dramatically. The time it takes for the San Diego Police Department to respond to domestic violence incidents and assaults is currently at the highest response time ever seen. The San Diego Police response time for an active domestic violence call has nearly doubled from 2018 and is now at 50 minutes. A lot can happen in 5 minutes, let alone 50 minutes.

NotMe has full respect for law enforcement, but the sad reality is that we cannot count on them to save us anymore. 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. Having the knowledge and skills to defend yourself could be the difference between life and death.

Police officers have a very difficult job, which 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 domestically abused? According to the National Crime Information Center, 8 out of 10 women knew the person who abused her. By the time the first police officer arrives, they will likely only serve to secure the scene, begin interviewing the victim, and start cleanup. They will be far too late to stop the crime.

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 their tool belts as possible for them to be their 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.