Courts are banning words that are crucial for defendants

There is a disturbing trend being taken by courts around the country that bans or makes certain words inadmissible in trials. Words such as RAPE, VICTIM, HOMICIDE, etc are not being acknowledged by judges because using those terms would, according to them, make the jury assume the defendant is already guilty of the crime. For instance, a woman cannot say she was "raped" in court. She has to use the words, "had intercourse". More words that are banned in courts are; crime scene, murder, terrorist, gang... If these words are used, they are removed from the testimony. According to a defense attorney, "the very words themselves assume facts not in evidence".

This is of most concern for many women that are rape victims. As it stands now, many women feel intimidated to charge their rapists with the crime and go through the whole court ordeal. These bans will make it even harder for women to present their cases and deter even more women from going to court. This of course will lead to more rapists getting away with their crimes!

If you are interested in reading more about this matter go to Taboo Trial Words: 'Drunk', 'Victim', 'Rape'

Yet another pregnant female soldier found dead in North Carolina

The body of Spc. Megan Lynn Touma, 23 was found in a motel bathtub last Saturday by a maintenance supervisor of the motel. She was staying temporarily there after arriving from a base in Germany. Megan was 7 months pregnant and was looking forward to having her baby.

Police have ruled her death suspicious. Apparently she wasn't reported missing by the Army, which is not in accordance with Army regulations. She had not shown up at a formation on June 16 and was suppose to have been reported missing after 24 hours. The Army didn't even go check her motel room in which her body stayed for 2 days according to her ex-husband. He stated that they said she was AWOL. The Army has started an investigation regarding this overlooked case.

This is the second time in NC where a pregnant soldier has been found dead in less than a year. This does not look good for the military in general who have been failing female soldiers by ignoring numerous sexual assaults or rapes reported by women. This is yet another example of that negligence.

For more details, click on the headline of this article.

Federal Supreme Court rules that all Americans have the right to bear arms

It's official, for the first time in history the Supreme Court passed the ruling today, June 26, 2008. This means that slowly, the cities in this country that had bans on handguns, such as Washington DC, will have to change their restrictions. Of course, you would still need a permit, you can't be insane, you would not be allowed to take guns into schools, etc.

I personally prefer to carry a non-lethal weapon such as my Taser C2. As some of you know Tasers and Stun Guns have had restrictions in several cities such as New York, Michigan, Chicago and others. This new Supreme Court ruling will probably eliminate these restrictions and allow citizens from those cities that want to purchase non lethal, self defense products, to finally do so.

Hopefully this decision will help more Americans than hurt them!

Do you stay in hotel rooms alot?

If you are one of those people that travels and stays in many hotel rooms, you may experience some vulnerability to intruders. When you are ready to go to bed, you might consider, for your piece of mind, placing a door alarm under the room's door.

The Door Stop Alarm is a handy item to take with you on trips. Whether you are away on vacation or a business trip, it is handy and small to include in your baggage or purse. Use this 125db doorstop alarm to block a door from being opened. If anyone tries to open the door, this alarm will sound. There is also a movement sensor with adjustable sensitivity to activate the alarm if tampered with. An on/off switch allows the alarm to be turned off so that it doesn't go off in your luggage.

Enjoy and relax in your next resting spot, knowing that you will be notified if someone tries to intrude!

When was the last time you took an after dinner stroll around your block in the evening?

It's always nice to go for a walk after a filling dinner to help you digest your food. During summer nights, it's even more enjoyable because there usually is a nice cool breeze and you can smell the flowers of your neighbors lawns and hear an occasional bark of a dog. It's one of those pleasurable things you can enjoy that is free and good for you.

My sister and her husband enjoy this time together and walk most evenings. I, on the other hand, don't. It's not because I'm lazy or too busy, it's because I feel that walking by myself or with a friend at night is unsafe. Unless I am part of a group, I really would rather stay at home. My brother in law is 6'2" tall and would be a deterrent if anyone decides to mug or rape my sister. Fortunately for men and especially tall men, the threat of an attack is less likely than if he were a woman. This is the unfortunate reality we have to live with in our society and in many societies around the world. Physical dominance is still practiced over the usually weaker female.

If you are one of those women that likes to take a stroll in the evening outdoors or wants to enjoy it, please make sure you carry a self defense product with you. Make it a habit to leave your keys next to your stun gun or better yet, have your keys attached to a pepper spray that has a keychain. Taking some kind of non-lethal product for self defense would help you feel more secure and more able to enjoy your walks.

WomenOnGuard.com Makes Pepper Spray Donation to a Sexual Assault Crisis Center in Wisconsin.

For the month of June, WomenOnGuard.com has chosen to donate products to: The Healing Center in Milwaukee, WI. This center offers sexual abuse and assault survivors and their loved ones, opportunities for healing through support, advocacy and community education.

Indian Beach, NC June 20, 2008. Every two minutes, somewhere in America, someone is sexually assaulted and for that reason WomenOnGuard.com donates products to a different sexual assault crisis center around the country on a monthly basis. WomenOnGuard.com is an e-commerce website that sells non-lethal, self defense products such as Mace products, pepper spray, stun guns, Taser products, personal alarms and home protection products. This website includes hotlines, safety tips, helpful links and a Blog for it’s customers.





The Healing Center, which is located in Milwaukee, WI, was founded in 2000 by a group of survivors, service providers, and community members whose goal was to create an innovative advocacy center for those affected by sexual violence. The idea of The Healing Center was born out of individual conversations, focus groups consisting of community members, professionals, and survivors, and an advisory committee. From this, The Healing Center was formed and began offering services in 2002.

One of the co-owners of WomenOnGuard.com, Martha Z. Martinez stated, “I spoke with Maryann Clesceri, the Executive Director of the Center, and she mentioned that they offer a self defense class to abused victims on a regular basis. The class is taught by a police officer from the community, who will distribute the pepper sprays donated by WomenOnGuard.com to the participants in the next class.

Susan Eaton, co-owner mentioned, “Milwaukee, like other cities in this country, has had it’s share of rapes. Just this week, on Wednesday the 11th, Rodney Washington, was convicted by a jury on seven counts of sexual assault that occurred in the ‘90s. Rodney Washington could be ordered to spend 190 years in prison when he is sentenced July 7th. His victims were two 14 year-olds, a 15 year-old and a 20 year old. He actually has been in and out of prison for the past 30 years. DNA evidence linked him to the crimes.” She goes on to mention that DNA is critical in convicting criminals and victims should keep that in mind. Susan says, “As hard as it is to live through these assaults, women and also men, must make sure they don’t tamper with evidence on their clothing or their body, if they want to have their attacker captured and convicted. Many victims feel invaded and dirty and take showers to clean themselves off. This is the worse thing a sexually assaulted person can do.” Susan also informed us of a new Federal law that will be in effect nationally, next year. This law will require all hospital emergency rooms to offer a free ANONYMOUS forensic rape exam. This exam is offered right after the assault occurs and the anonymous results are kept for a future date if the victim decides that they want to press charges.

Baseball Bat Under Your Bed?

Are you one of those people that still has a baseball bat under their bed? Does your husband still think that this is the best weapon ever invented to defend yourself from home intruders? Well, some people would prefer to clobber an intruder rather than shoot him. They rather not have a gun which is lethal or not even a taser, although tasers are not lethal. They would rather just go at it in a more physical way...

The baseball bat defense is slowly disappearing and being substituted more and more these days by the baton. As you know police carry batons, but these more popular batons among home owners that are replacing their baseball bats, are more powerful than the typical batons. The new replacement for baseball bats is the STUN BATON! Yes, not just a regular baton but a stun gun too! Stun batons are the latest craze for ex baseball bat owners. They come in different sizes, some are collapsible and some even have a flashlight attached. Stun batons come in various voltages ranging from 300,000 volts to 1,000,000 volts. You also have the option of getting a stun baton that is rechargeable or battery powered.

So there you have it. The baseball bat as a weapon kept under the bed has evolved into the stun baton! No need to have a baseball bat under your bed anymore!

Ex-Police Sgt. Guilty of Mutiple Rapes

Jury finds former police officer Jeff Pelo guilty of raping 4 women

DAVID MERCER Associated Press Writer June 18, 2008

A jury found a former Bloomington police sergeant guilty Wednesday of brutally raping four women and stalking a fifth after a trial in which he was described as both driven by pornography-fueled fantasies and a man arrested on flimsy evidence.

Jurors deliberated over parts of three days in Bloomington before convicting Jeff Pelo on 35 counts, including 25 of aggravated sexual assault.

The six men and six women reached their decision despite a lack of DNA or similar forensic evidence linking Pelo directly to the rapes, said prosecutor Mark Messman, who added he was pleased for the victims.

"There was no smoking gun; (but) there were several very strong pieces of evidence," he said.

Messman said he would expect jurors had varying reasons for finding Pelo guilty.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you polled the jurors...if you got 12 different responses, or three or four different responses," he said.

To continue reading this article click here.

Hidden or Spy Cameras

Are you a sneaky person? We all are sneaky sometimes, but I would not call it sneaky if you feel you should find out about something that can hurt you or others. That is where hidden cameras come into play. Parents sometimes are curious about what goes on in their homes when the baby sitter is around and they're not. Students who share dorms with roommates, like to keep a close eye on their stuff. Married couples sometimes don't trust their spouses and place cameras in their bedrooms! The list can go on and on. For whatever reason, hidden cameras are sometimes indispensable and can sometimes be used as evidence if a crime has been committed.

Hidden or spy cameras come in all shapes and sizes and built to look inconspicuous. Some hidden cameras come in teddy bears for child safety. Others just look like an ice cooler, tissue dispenser, pencil sharpener, wall clock, etc. These cameras can easily go unnoticed in an office, living room or other interior environment. There are mobile hidden cameras that come in backpacks to see if anyone is following you and some even in baseball caps! Most of these cameras are wireless and convenient to have for those of us who sometimes might need an extra eye.

WomenOnGuard.com has a large selection of hidden cameras to choose from, under our Security Cameras. Please feel free to call us if you have any questions about any of these products.

Avoid Falling Asleep While Driving

The kids are out of school and the family wants to go on vacation! With Air fares so expensive lately, the best solution for traveling these days is by car. Especially if you have a large family.

One of the main concerns when you drive on long trips is falling asleep at the wheel. Sometimes you want to catch up during the evening hours in order to enjoy more daylight time for your vacation. This is smart but also can be dangerous, since night time, especially between midnight and early morning, is when your body wants to sleep. Everyone in your vehicle is asleep and quiet, so that makes it even harder to stay awake.

Did you know that there is a product that's not a drug and will help you stay awake? It is the Driver Alert Safety Alarm. This is a must for long trips whether you are driving during the evening or during the day. It is worn over the ear and has an electronic position sensor. When your head nods forward, it sounds a loud alarm to instantly wake you and alert your passengers.

The Alert Sleep Alarm is also handy for other tasks that require alertness, such as, being on duty as a security guard or operating dangerous machinery in factories. Not to mention, if you are a truck driver and take long interstate trips!