You hear about assaults on women almost on a daily basis. Colorado Springs and Pueblo are good examples of what happens everywhere else. Southern Colorado-the area served by our local TV stations-is mostly conservative, Hispanic and loaded with assaults on women.

Last night the lead story was about a woman who was a domestic violence victim. Her husband almost beat her to death. They pointed out that one in four women is a victim of domestic violence-one in four!

And that is in a country that considers women as equals. How about countries where women have little or no rights at all and are treated worse than cattle?

Without getting preachy, women need to take a stand. There are all sorts of resources for men and women to fix the problem. The first part is deciding what they want to put up with. Two of my daughters were victims after they were married so I have little second hand experience.

Some of the most popular self defense products women can use to defend themselves against domestic violence and assaults are listed here. They are meant to give you time to get away from a dangerous situation and seek help-nothing more.

1. Stun Devices-Stun guns are 86 percent effective, tasers are nearly 100 percent effective. Most police officers carry one or the other on their utility belt-that is how good they are.

2. Pepper Sprays-They are the most popular self defense tool in the world. The main appeal is it can be applied from a distance of up to 18 feet. Pepper spray will incapacitate an assailant for up to 30-45 minutes and hurts like....

3. Personal Alarms-My first recommendation for college age women. The bad guys don't like anything that draws attention to them. These alarms can be heard from hundreds of yards away.

4. Self Defense DVD's-The best way to start a self defense program is with a self defense DVD to learn the basics of street fighting in the comfort of your own home.

A well rounded approach to self defense with a self defense course as the foundation is the best way to go. Then carry at least two self defense products like a pepper spray and stun gun or taser. You cannot possibly be too prepared.