Your nice neighborhood is not safe, let alone very safe.Hoodasnacks wrote: ↑Tue Jan 07, 2020 5:38 pm So my wife and I have had this argument quite frequently. It starts with one of my sons asking to go down to the neighborhood park or to the neighborhood basketball court. She says no unless his friends are going...or unless I go. If I have no desire to go, I am of course asked over and over again until I am annoyed enough to stop it. And then I turn to my wife and re-start the argument..."really, he can't just go? He could beat up child molesters and kidnappers. How unsafe is it really?"
I once found my wife's position absurd because, at least as of now, this particular son is nearly six feet tall and not exactly an easy target. Further, I live in a very nice neighborhood that is very safe. I thought my wife was just being silly until recent events:
1) the el paso shooter lived near (perhaps within walking distance).
2) random recent shooting of a kid on a bike in the city.
3) other random recent shootings in nearby apartments, etc.
--All within the last few months.
So my question to my esteemed wise CHL Board members--are we really to the point where she is right and we can't let teen-aged kids simply walk around in the neighborhood, or is it still that bad things randomly happen and it is so statistically improbable that we shouldn't baby the youth?
My wife's argument seems to get stronger by the day...
Perhaps this is a good time for your teenagers to learn about pre-assault indicators, managing unknown contacts, and at least basic empty hand skills. Perfectly legal for teens to carry pepper spray and edge weapons - pairs nicely with their smart phones - for self defense. Get them some pepper spray and basic edge weapons training - then calm your wife's anxiety with family force on force training. Your future grandchildren will thank you.