In the United States and around the world, minorities of all kinds have been, and continue to be, oppressed, marginalized, attacked, and discriminated against. This oppression takes many forms, some on a macro institutional level, some on a micro individual level.

While we work to slowly but surely make progress on the institutional level, we need to be realistic about the need for personal defense and force equalizing options on the individual level.

Many minorities (people of color, LGBT, etc) are largely on their own when it comes to defending and protecting their lives and the lives of their loved ones.

While the average response time for law enforcement varies from city to city, even the most efficient, best-funded, metro police departments have response times that are often well over eight minutes.

Imagine yourself in a scenario that many individuals live every day. You and your partner are going to be violently assaulted with no more than 10 seconds of warning. Now let’s assume you or a bystander are able to call police and, through some act of divine intervention, don’t wait on hold and are immediately connected to a dispatcher.

Let’s also assume that you know the exact address where you are and that there are no other major active calls that are tying up police resources. Now count out 480 seconds (a full eight minutes) while imagining yourself and your partner being assaulted by three adult men. That wait will seem interminable.

The reality is that calling and relying on the police for self defense simply isn’t enough to protect your life or your family’s. Like the pastor in the recent Washington state parking lot incident, you are your own first responder and you need to prepare accordingly.

Many people today have become soft, comfortable and complacent living under an illusion of modern safety and security. Thankfully, others are more inclined to fulfill a ‘sheepdog’ role in our societies. More often than not, individuals who undergo training and take steps to protect themselves and others have already been victims of violent crime or experienced frighteningly close calls.

We need to understand lessons these prepared individuals have learned and strive to prepare for the worst so we can relax and hope for the best. Armed self defense training and preparation gives the individual the confidence and ability to handle situations when they are their own first responders.

The smallest minority will always be the individual, and when it comes to defending your life, it’s truly up to you.