Graduation Season – Give the Gift of Personal Safety
By Bren Brown
Our twins graduated from high school. It is a bittersweet journey that some of you are on right now. All the feels when you remember the sweet little pigtails and grubby, chubby cheeks that marked childhood. You rifle through pictures and drag out all of the photos with their peers and reminisce. You cry; you laugh and you begin to see them saying goodbye. They say goodbye to teachers. They say goodbye to friends. And, you feel the impending doom of them saying goodbye to you. But, first—you wade through dozens of graduation parties where you wonder, what do I get this budding adult? What is meaningful? What will they remember or care about?
We are in a unique industry, running Frontier Justice, where I contemplate our kids’ safety. That extends to all those kids I have fallen in love with and parented from the sidelines, who are scattering in the wind in all different directions. I feel like college brings about a new vulnerability to contemplate as a parent and adult. You have been able to watch your children, and their friends, grow up right before your eyes but they were before your eyes. Now, you must face the realization that they won’t be before your eyes and the big world is opening up to swallow them and their innocence.
None of us want to think about our kids being hurt in the world. But, in order for them to not be hurt, we need to prepare them for it. It doesn’t have to be complicated! We offer a class: Safe Without a Firearm that will make them at least think about what they would do if faced with an attack.
The first key is being situationally aware… The second key is the speed of response and violence that they bring to defend themselves.
Most of us, and particularly girls (please don’t berate me on women’s lib hypocrisy—as what I am saying is true for most and not all) have a hard time contemplating violence. It is counter to our “play nice” talks we have had our entire lives. Girls, especially, don’t think about being violent. But, if a girl is to survive an attack, they need to act QUICKLY and VIOLENTLY. I always like the saying—-if you are confronted act like you are the third monkey on the ark and it’s starting to rain. Fight like your life depends on it –because it DOES.
Statistics say that 1 in 6 girls will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime. I can tell you that my daughter has met more girls who have a story about an assault than do not. It’s a sad reality.
Some items you can consider as a gift are tactical pens, mace, and personal alarms. I, personally, always have a tactical pen on me. You can write with it but it is weighted and shaped to be a weapon if needed. Additionally, most will also break out a car window with a tap of the end. All good life-saving tools.
Most campuses do not allow firearms, but you can have tools to protect yourself. I have gifted dozens of tactical pens to high school graduates!
One of the best texts I ever received was from the first semester of college in the fall of 2020. One of my kids’ sweet friends, texted me to tell me how thankful she was for her tactical pen. She has to walk from a studio (architecture major) late at night and she has a girlfriend who always walks with her because she has her pen. Two girls, walking at night, being aware and thinking ahead. I told her—“Awe, thanks! I’m so glad you love it and it makes you feel safe. If you get attacked, you sewing machine them.”
Consider unique items from Frontier Justice for your graduation gifts! We also offer a Safe Without A Firearm Class which shows you how to defend yourself with tools other than a firearm. It will teach you to use items such as pepper spray, stun guns, and tactical pens. We offer this class at our Lee’s Summit, Missouri, Kansas City, Kansas, and Omaha, Nebraska locations!
Pair a defensive item with a nice dorm Yeti or something fun from our boutique and be remembered! Graduation is a special time. Pray as they leave and know they will be fine. Have peace that they are ready and the world is going to be changed by their brilliant minds!
