Asian Americans have been targeted by racists ever since the coronavirus pandemic began. According to Stop AAPI Hate, there were 3,795 hate incidents against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders reported from March 2020 to February 2021. From the hurling of derogatory words, the attacks against Asian Americans have become increasingly violent. This has driven the community to become more vigilant and to take the necessary precautions to stay safe against hate crimes.
Elderly Asian Americans minding their own business have been punched or shoved down the pavement. And now eight people in Atlanta including six Asian American women are dead in what some believe to be a hate crime. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director recently stated that the shooting “does not appear” to be racially motivated. The suspect said he targeted the spas because they were “a temptation for him that he wanted to eliminate.” Regardless of his motive, the fact remains that people are harassed and attacked because of who or what they are. This is why everybody should take personal safety seriously and learn how to stay safe against hate crimes.
What is a Hate Crime
We’ve been hearing a lot about hate crimes on the news recently but do we really understand what it is? According to the American Psychological Association (APA), a hate crime is a “criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender or gender identity.” Think of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis hating on the Jews. These monsters murdered millions of them just because they were Jews.
There were 7,314 hate crimes in 2019, according to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program. Over 57% of the single-bias incidents were motivated by race or ethnicity while 20% were because of religion. Around 16% were victimized because of their sexual orientation.
These numbers are likely bigger since many crimes don’t get reported. The figures also don’t reflect the harsh reality these people are experiencing every day of their lives. If you belong to any of these groups, please read the tips on how to prevent and stay safe against hate crimes.
How to Prevent Hate Crime
In an ideal world, the people with evil thoughts in their minds should be the ones trying to fix themselves. However, the reality is that everyone else needs to look after themselves just to be safe against hate crimes and other wrongdoings.
Don’t Be An Easy Target
You may have noticed that some of the victims of recent hate crimes were elderly people. They are easy targets since they can’t normally fight back and their level of awareness is not like before. To be safe from hate crimes and other crimes, for that matter, you need not look like an easy target.
First, don’t look down. When you’re out, make sure you’re looking at your surroundings and not your phone or book. Avoid listening to music with your earphones. Thieves and other wrongdoers are always looking for that person that is not aware of what may happen to them.
Also, you need to look strong and exude confidence. Back in school, bullies like to target students that look weak. It’s the same in the so-called real world. Walk with confidence and look people in the eye.
Develop Your Situational Awareness
You need to spot trouble before it happens. We’re not asking you to be a seer or oracle. You just need to develop your situational awareness in order to be safe from hate crimes and other forms of danger.
Since you’re already aware that hate crimes are happening all around, you should be doubly careful from now on. Like what was mentioned above, you need to know what’s going on around you so you should always keep your head up and your eyes wide open.
Learn how to assess a situation. Pay attention and use your perception. If you enter a place, for example, you should quickly size up the situation. Look for emergency exits and memorize how to get there. You should be able to spot obstacles so you’ll be wary of them on your way out.
If you’re minding your own business and notice a person eyeing you, make eye contact. That will tell them that you’re aware of them and see their face. This should make the potential threat think twice about attacking you.
At the same time, you have to size up the person. Figure out fast if you can take him in a fight mano-a-mano. If there is more than one threat, you must quickly look for the safest way out while grabbing a weapon.
Don’t Go Out Alone
Avoid going out on your own. Better yet don’t go out at all. The country and the rest of the world are still dealing with the pandemic so it should be wiser for everyone to just stay at home.
In case you do have to go out, ask someone, preferably from the same household to come with you. The perpetrators have been targeting Asian Americans who are alone. They’ll do a double-take before attacking if they see someone else with you. Plus, you could use another set of eyes to watch your surroundings and spot incoming trouble.
Avoid Unsafe Areas
This one is pretty obvious. If you think a place is not that safe to be in or pass through, then avoid it. While some of the reported violent hate crimes happened on the street, you should still be wary of alleys, car parks, and stairwells.
Put Emergency Contacts on Speed Dial
Make sure you have emergency numbers on speed dial. First on the list are the numbers of family members or persons to be contacted if you were in an emergency. In this scenario, the person providing assistance will use your phone to call your emergency contact person to tell them what happened. It’s important that your emergency contact have the legal authority to decide on your behalf in case you’re unable to. Also on speed dial are phone numbers of local authorities and medical emergency services.
Always Bring Your Everyday Carry Gear
Whenever you go out, take your everyday carry kit with you. It’s an emergency kit containing all you need to survive the day. One person’s EDC kit may slightly differ from another’s since each person has particular needs.
Women, for example, need to carry feminine products. There’s no law, however, that prohibits men from carrying some of these products in their EDC kit, especially if he’s always with their significant other or daughter. As a general rule, bring what you think is necessary.
There is a list of EDC essentials that everyone should follow. Your wallet, cash, cards, house and car keys, and phone are some of the obvious everyday carry items. These are items you simply can’t leave home without them. There will be instances when you leave any of them behind. Make sure you have extra cash and duplicate keys stashed somewhere safe and easily accessible.
Invest in a powerbank. It’s important to always have a fully charged phone so you can stay in contact with your family. Of course, you’ll need your phone to call for police or medical assistance if you need it.
The QuickHeat Rechargeable Hand Warmer with Portable Power Bank by Frog & CO allows you to charge your phone and other small USB devices. This one is a definite EDC must-have since it also functions as a hand warmer to help keep you warm during cold days.
You can also opt for a solar charger like Redfora’s Solar Charger + Light. Having a solar charger in your EDC kit means you’ll never worry about your phone running out of juice. The Redfora Solar Charger has three solar panels to take in the sun’s energy and convert it to electricity to charge your devices. You can also fill up your solar charger through a wall outlet.
It comes with a couple of USB outlets allowing you to charge two devices at the same time. It also has a wireless charging feature and a built-in smart IC chip for faster-charging speed. The Redfora also functions as a light source, which makes it pretty useful in travel, camping trips, and everyday use.
Other everyday carry items include a lighter, flashlight, notebook and pen, first aid kit, medicines, snacks, and water. Always bring a water bottle with you so you can stay hydrated. Dehydration can affect your brain function. You need it to be fully functioning so you can think clearly during emergencies.
The Journey Water Purifier Bottle by Sagan Life is a good choice for everyday use. It filters the water so you’re safe from bacteria and all those nasty stuff. Plus, it’s durable and hard enough to hurt if you have to swing it at an attacker.
A multi-tool is another handy EDC gear. The Gerber Diesel Multi-Plier Multi-Tool comes with fully locking blades, which you can use for self-defense.
You want your multi-tool to be accessible when you need to fix something or defend yourself. The Stat Gear Kydex Sheath lets you keep your Gerber Diesel on your waist where you can easily reach for it. The handmade sheath has two adjustable retention points for better tightening or loosening. It also features an adjustable belt or pocket clip.
Carry A Weapon
A few days ago, a 75-year-old Asian American woman was suddenly punched by a 39-year-old man while she was waiting at a traffic light. The woman fought back with a stick sending the man to the hospital on a stretcher. While the racist dude certainly deserves to be walloped, the woman was left with a swollen eye.
Not everyone has her spunk but she was still fortunate that she got the better of her attacker. In most cases, all you can do when someone attacks you is try to escape and find help. If you have no other option but to fight back, you’d have more success if you were carrying something to defend yourself.
The victim was fortunate to have picked up a stick in her effort to fight back. The outcome could have been different if she fought with her bare hands. This is why it’s important to have an everyday carry kit.
Firearms
Aside from the items mentioned already, you also need to carry some kind of weapon in your EDC kit. If you’re a gun owner, you need a concealed or open carry permit before you bring your firearm. Check with your local laws about this.
A little reminder: even if you are a legal gun owner and have a carry permit, you should not brandish your weapon unless for self-defense or the defense of another person. Brandishing a weapon or wielding your gun in a threatening manner is considered a crime.
Another reminder: read up on how to keep your guns safe. When you’re not out with your firearm, make sure it is safely hidden at home. You don’t want other people, your kids especially, to find your gun. You also need it to be accessible in case you need to use it.
Non-Lethal Weapons
With those out of the way, let’s now look at some non- or less-lethal weapons that you can pack in your bag. As you probably know already, non-lethal weapons are supposed to neutralize a threat without killing them.
First on the list is a stun gun. This self-defense tool is effective in disabling a threat using electric shock. The LifeShield Stun Gun from Frog & Co emits up to 2.2 million volts of electricity that can knock the daylight out of any racist scum hell-bent on hurting you. The stun gun is pretty portable at 4.5 inches in length and only 3.2 ounces in weight. It definitely deserves some space in your EDC kit.
Stun guns are illegal in Rhode Island as well as in Hawaii and the U.S Virgin Islands. If you’re from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, or Wisconsin, you need to get a permit before you can carry one on your person.
Pepper spray is another popular self-defense tool. The LifeShield Pepper Spray uses a formula made of red pepper, ethanol, polysorbate, and water to temporarily incapacitate a threat. The best thing about this pepper spray is that it can stop an attacker from 10 feet away. That 10 feet of space between you and the attacker will definitely help you escape to safety.
A personal alarm is technically not a weapon. But since it comes with the LifeShield Self-Defense Kit along with the stun gun and pepper spray, we’ll go ahead and talk about it here.
The LifeShield Personal Alarm gives off a blaring 120 decibels of sound that should help deter an attacker. The loud sound will also attract people up to 600 feet away alerting them to your situation and location. It’s also pretty small at 3.8 x 1.25 x 0.5 inches and lightweight at 0.8 ounces.
Pocket Knife
A pocket knife can be considered a less-lethal weapon. It’s not as deadly as a gun but it can still cause injury and even death. Laws regarding the carrying of knives differ from state to state. Some states allow knives with blades 2.5 inches or shorter. Others put the limit at 3 inches.
To be on the safe side, bring something like the Survival Neck Knife from Frog & Co. The actual knife measures 5.5-inches long but the 440c stainless steel fixed blade is only 2.9 inches. It also features a compass and signal mirror, which can be useful when you’re lost in the wilderness. The Survival Neck Knife comes in a nylon fiber sheath with a paracord lanyard so you can place it over your neck.
If you prefer not to have a sharp object hanging on your neck, you can keep the Tactical Pen Knife in your pocket or bag instead. The 5.5-inch pen knife hides a 2.5-inch serrated blade under its cap that should scare those darned racists away. It is made of aircraft-grade aluminum so you know it won’t break easily. Plus, the pen actually writes.
What To Do When You Are Attacked
Despite all your efforts to prevent or avoid hate crimes, you can still end up a victim. If or when that happens, you should know what to do exactly to get out of such a horrific conundrum.
Stay Calm
It’s easy to feel fear when a person approaches you in a threatening manner. In fact, fear and even anger are natural reactions when threatened or attacked. However, that fear will cloud our judgment and keep you from responding the right way to the situation. Remain calm so you can stay focused on doing what you can to survive.
Draw Attention
Loud sound is a good deterrent against threats. Yelling can dissuade your attacker and attract other people’s attention. Shout something like “Stop,” “Get your hands off me,” or “Call 911, I’m being attacked!”
While yelling can reinforce your message, using an emergency whistle can reach farther. Always bring an emergency whistle to help you be safe against hate crimes. It will also be useful when you’re lost in the woods or trapped under rubble after an earthquake.
The Micro Scream Whistle by Frog & CO produces 100 decibels of piercing sound. The pealess whistle is made of ABS plastic so it won’t easily break in case you drop it. It’s also pretty lightweight at only 0.2 ounces. The whistle comes with a key ring.
Escape and Seek Help
If you fail to spot a threat before they get violent with you, your best option is to run away and look for help, especially if you’re injured. In some of the recent hate crimes, the attacker pounced on the victim once and then fled away.
After the attack, check first if the assailant has indeed run away. If he’s still around, get away as fast as you can. Use your EDC gear to buy you some time to escape. Head towards busy places where there are people who can help you.
Defend Yourself
In some cases, it’s quite difficult to escape your attacker. You must be prepared to fight back. Practice grabbing your weapons and assuming a defense position regularly so your body will know what to do when the time comes.
Get some training. If you plan on carrying a gun, make sure you know how to use it. In case pulling your gun out is not enough to scare away your attacker, you should be prepared to use it.
Enroll in a martial arts school. Those hand-to-hand combat skills will come in handy when you are attacked. A self-defense class, meanwhile, will teach you the exact move you can make to counter an attack. You’ll also learn how to use a tactical flashlight or tactical pen to defend yourself.
The Alpha Defense Tactical Pen is made of high-quality durable material that won’t break when used as a weapon. There’s also a glass breaker on one end, which you can use to break windows.
What To Do When You Witness A Hate Crime
If you chance upon a violent hate crime, hide and call 911 or the local authorities immediately. Do it discreetly so the attacker won’t turn his attention on you. Please don’t stop to take a video of the crime. While the video clip may help identify the culprit, your first move should be to call for police or medical assistance. Lives are more important than likes.
Even if the hate crime is non-violent, you should try to help out first instead of whipping out your phone to record everything. Try to get in between the harasser and the victim. While acting as a barrier between the two, you should talk to the victim to let them become aware of your presence. Don’t lose sight of the perpetrator, though. You need to be fully aware of him in case he gets violent.
Remember as much as you can about what you are witnessing. Survey the situation thoroughly. It may be dangerous for you to try to intervene or approach the victim after the attack. Make sure the coast is clear first.
If the victim is badly injured, don’t try to move them. It’s important to learn basic first aid so you know if you can touch the victim or not. If yes, keep the victim conscious and treat what you can while waiting for medical help.
One way you can be safe against hate crimes is to help spread awareness. Let people know it’s wrong to hate and harm others based on their race, gender, preference, religion, and such. Your actions may hopefully open some eyes.
At the same time, learn what you can about staying safe against violent crimes so you can teach them to others. Hopefully, you’ll find lots of useful stuff here on Gentleman Pirate Club.
