You know, after seeing multiple news stories containing issues on campus or involving students, I am fairly certain 50% - 75% of problems could be avoided by not being out after midnight.
Although I generally agree, this incident happened ON CAMPUS. When I was an undergrad, there were a LOT of times I was out walking around after midnight--late hours in the labs or studios, VERY late study sessions, hanging out with friends late at night, and yes, the occasional party.
Late-night life is part of the college experience. On campus, (or ANYWHERE in a civilized society) there should be NO reason to fear for your life just because you are walking from a building to your car after midnight. To insinuate that the time of day somehow contributes to some sort of negligence or culpability on the part of the victim is just downright offensive...
First off, the girl who was most badly beaten (she had to get metal plates put in her jaw!) was NOT out by herself--she was with a group of friends.
http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/3324/jen1015101.jpg
http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/3425/jen1015102.jpg
Second, they weren't just wandering around the streets of Greenville late at night--this attack happened right outside of a dorm ON CAMPUS.
And third, the reports are that this guy and a bunch of his friends assaulted these young women because he thought the were gay. They were verbally attacked, spit upon, and then beaten--because this punk thought they didn't like boys. That is just SICK...
If this had been one of my daughters, there may well have been a VERY different outcome to the story. I'd like to think that they could handle themselves better--that the pepper spray, car keys, kicking, running, or other defensive training I've given them would "kick in"...
Personally, I hope this punk and his hateful cronies get the book thrown at them. Hate Crime? Nope, not in NC--our "Sex Crimes" statute does not include sexual preference as a "protected class", so the whole "hate crime" thing is going to be nearly impossible for the DA to make stick. But here in NC we do have "assault on a female" which is a few steps up on the violation list from "simple assault".
Any male who would spit on and severely beat a woman because of something he THOUGHT she did is a punk, and a dangerous one at that. He needs to be expelled from school, and put somewhere apart from civilized people for a long time. And he should consider himself lucky this wasn't my daughter...
I do believe that if the guy had seen a firearm being OC'd, he would have left them alone. I know I wouldn't want to pick a fight with someone carrying a pistol.
I agree 100%.
That is why I'm working with several people to get an SCCC chapter started at ECU, and why our first public activity is going to be a "Range Day".
I've already personally invited about half a dozen women from campus to come. Hopefully a few will show up!
I OC all the time when I'm in Greenville--day or night (but NEVER when I'm on campus. of course). I think the State and Federal laws that prohibit lawful carry (OC or CC) on campus are evil, offensive, and unconstitutional infringements on my fundamental human rights and a potential threat to my safety, but it IS the law in NC, so I reluctantly abide by them. I never carry on campus and I never bring my vehicle on campus unless I've left my firearm at home or some other secure, off-campus location.
But I will do EVERYTHING I can to try and change this stupid, immoral law, and I will be putting a fair amount of my own personal time (and money) into getting as many students on-board with this program, and bringing as many "new shooters" into our "flock" as I can.
We've got an excellent "core group" of folks in the new SCCC chapter and I have high hopes for future activities, publicity, and protest. Hopefully, we can increase the numbers of sympathetic people through future activity.
It is my goal to be personally responsible for a MASSIVE increase in the number of CHP's held by Grad Students and Faculty in the coming year at ECU, and I am also working on brokering a deal with a major pepper spray manufacturer so that maybe we can distribute pepper spray to women on campus next semester.
