Over the last several months, Arab and North African immigrants have been attacking women (and children) in Germany, Sweden, and other places in Europe. Some of these women have been groped, others groped and robbed, and yet others groped, robbed, and raped.

Before we discuss this issue, we need to stipulate a few things:

  1. Everyone should have the right to walk anywhere in the world without fear of assault. But the world doesn’t work that way, so we have to deal.
  2. It’s not racism or Islamophobia to point out that Arab and North African Muslims have perpetrated the lion’s share of attacks. Facts are facts. We can talk about cultural differences between western women and Arab Muslim men all day, but, to quote William Henry III, “It is scarcely the same thing to put a man on the moon as to put a bone in your nose.” We have, in the West, standards of behavior that supersede cultural differences, including abhorrence and criminalization of rape. Western culture and mores are superior to all others, particularly those in which rape is considered acceptable.
  3. The Europeans brought this immigrant rape crisis on themselves. It’s foolish to think that there wouldn’t be some sort of consequence to the mass importation of thousands and thousands and thousands of foreign people to your country who don’t share your language, culture, or morals.

Rather than pretending that this problem doesn’t exist, let’s see what we can do to help those who have to live with it.

When considering your personal defense, the first thing to do, no matter what, is not be where assaults are most likely to occur. It’s fun to discuss the tactic of retention shooting in an extreme close-quarters situation, especially against multiple assailants, but gun laws across the EU are far more restrictive than in the U.S., so it’s moot. The average German hausfrau isn’t going to whip out a Glock 19 on a mob of horny, unemployed immigrants and start putting holes into kneecaps. And even if you do carry a firearm, why go to a place where you’re likely to be victimized unless you absolutely have to? Isn’t that asking for a gunfight? Responsible people avoid unnecessary physical altercations.

The police chief of Vienna, Austria was pilloried when he said, “Women should in general not go out on the streets at night alone, they should avoid suspicious looking areas and also when in pubs and clubs should only accept drinks from people they know.”

Why was this a problem? Why is this victim-blaming? Now that we know that gangs of immigrants are assaulting young European women, why should these women not take precautions to defend themselves? Top Viennese cop Gerhard Purstl is absolutely right. Your personal safety is your responsibility, and you need to be proactive in your own defense. Don’t be where groups of young, unemployed immigrants congregate. When you see crowds of them, go in the other direction. Nobody on this planet can teleport or be invisible, so your assailant has to have been somewhere before he attacked you. Look around. Be aware, alert, and avoidant, and your chances of being attacked lessen significantly.

(Yes, I’m toeing the line that got John Derbyshire canned from National Review, but I haven’t crossed it.)

We have to get past what should be and deal with what is. If the Europeans don’t like how they have to modify their behavior to keep from getting victimized, they need to discuss that with their elected representatives. This is an entirely self-created problem, but it’s not insurmountable. They just have to have the courage to implement a solution.

Until then, don’t go out alone. Always carry at least one weapon and practice accessing and deploying it under duress. Nobody else in the world cares more about your safety than you do, so take it seriously and act accordingly. It’s a dangerous world out there, but if you take reasonable precautions, you don’t have to live in fear.

(Cross-posted from my brand-new and even more awesome blog that you should visit often because it’s frequently updated with great content.)