When people comment on some news story about yet another instance of assault on the street -- robbery, murder, or what-not -- I commonly see expressions of gravely flawed thinking. The comment will be some form of "She should have had a gun, problem solved."
The problem with such thinking is that a gun does not protect you. A gun is a tool for self defense. Someone (you) has to use the tool.
Carrying a gun in your pocket, purse, or automobile does not create a force field that evil cannot penetrate. Even having a gun in your hand and waving it around like a can of insecticide doesn't give you the magical power to make an attacker submit. An experienced attacker can take a gun away from an inexperienced victim with little difficulty.
Those making these impulsive comments on news stories have no training and no experience in hand-to-hand combat, and they are spreading misconceptions that will hurt good people. The topic of personal security is broad and deep. Let me offer a few insights that can guide you toward a sound understanding of the problems and solutions.
1. The foundation of personal security is situational awareness: you need to know what's going on around you. When you avoid a certain shopping area because it seems a little unsafe, you're using situational awareness. Likewise if you notice some males sitting in a parked car. Your mind is the primary tool for self-defense, and other tools will fail without it.
2. You cannot use a weapon that isn't in your hand. If a mugger holds a gun on you before you can draw yours (probably because you failed in your situational awareness), he will probably take your money and the gun that you're carrying. Likewise with any knife or pepper spray that you were counting on. To defend yourself, you need to be able to deploy your weapon effectively. Ladies, if a rapist gets close enough to you to break your jaw, that cute pink gun in your purse will be small consolation.
3. It's hard to place a shot well with a handgun. It takes practice.
4. Lethal force isn't always justified. If a guy picks your pocket and runs off with your wallet, you cannot shoot him.
5. If you brandish a gun without legal justification, you'll pay.
6. Every round that comes out of the tube has a lawyer attached to it. If you misuse lethal force, you can be bankrupted and sent to prison.
Therefore I offer two suggestions:
1. Search the Internet for handgun training in your locale, such as handgun training waycross georgia.
2. Buy and study this book.