Safety

Many of us have vivid memories of a safe world. Our children would go out to play or go to a friend's house after school. The general rule was to be home before dark. We left our doors unlocked and if someone came to the door, it was usually a neighbor or Avon calling or another familiar business that we invited in. We once walked down our streets enjoying the day and we even left our cars unlocked. Today our personal safety is a concern, whether we're at home, walking down the street, in a parking lot, on a road trip or in a hotel room. Our world has changed.

It is a daily occurrence that we see a personal tragedy on TV; abductions, children being stolen into the sex trafficking trade, assaults, robberies and the absolute worst – a murder. These crimes are occurring every day in every corner of our beautiful country and the frequency is startling. These victims didn't think it could happen to them - but it did.

Today we have burglar alarms on our cars and in our homes and businesses. We have security doors and need to feel cautious should someone come to our door. Parents drive their children to school to keep them safe.

The statistics are concerning:

• One in five women will be assaulted in their lifetime • College-aged women are four times more likely to be assaulted • One in three women are victims of domestic violence • 60% of home invasions happen in the daylight hours

Practicing safety requires vigilance and awareness of our surroundings. The use of cell phones, either texting or talking, and wearing ear buds is what a predator is looking for; someone that is distracted. Awareness is our most important defense for safety – our Gut Instinct. .

Think about your own personal safety and the safety of those you love.

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