Last week, one of the female students at Humboldt State University, in Arcata, California, was accosted by a knife-wielding individual, described as a white male around 6 feet tall and wearing ski clothing. He allegedly pulled a knife on this woman and forced her into a car and raped her. As far as I know the police have not found any suspects yet.
The students are all aware of this now and there is an ongoing discussion on what to do about it. There was a walkout to raise awareness about this and to find ways to prevent future sexual assaults. It seems to me that this response is not effective, many people saying that they need to spend more money telling men that rape is wrong. A few people are talking about self defense. I agree with that solution.
I am talking about concealed carry. I know women who are carrying knives, mace, and have taken self defense classes. I do not think this is enough, as these may not be sufficient to deter a determined attacker, who may also be armed. And I do not think that the police can instantly respond to every situation.
So I have done some research on this. http://www.ncpa.org/... states that concealed carry reduced rape in the country as a whole by 5% after controlling for other factors, this appears to be a libertarian thinktank. This study http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/... also mentions a deterrent effect, with the added possibility that crime may increase in nearby areas as criminals go elsewhere to search for victims.
This is especially important in the event of a natural disaster like Hurricane Katrina. The police may not be able to respond for some time and it is necessary for women to defend themselves. The gun confiscation of the people of New Orleans is something I believe is wrong although I am not sure whether cities can legally do it as the 2nd amendment only applies to the Feds, afaik.