Comments

I am a junior at Gettysburg College in PA. I don't know if you have been watching the news lately, but there has been a murder on our college campus last Thursday. One student (a male senior) strangled and murdered his (ex-)girlfriend of one year (a sophomore). It really shook our campus hard, along with myself, even though i did not know either one that was involved. After breaking down a little tonight, i realized, crying was not going to change the past; nor prevent incidents, assaults, nor murders like this from happening again in the future.

What will? Taking action!

I found your contact information after googling 'self defense for women classes' and wanted to get in contact with you right away. I was hoping you could hold self defense classes for female students, or any woman (faculty, staff or students) on our campus to help protect us if we were to ever get ourselves in this type of situation. It is very scary to know that an innocent 19 year old young woman was strangled, stabbed and murdered by someone that loved her for a year. Not even a stranger, or a crazy drug addict rapist on the street! Her boyfriend! Someone she trusted and loved! How scary is that? She was not able to get away, she was not able to defend herself. She died because of that.

But you... you have the power to give us woman that power. You have the ability to give us woman the ability to defend ourselves. To win. To live. And to help with our recovery of her death on our campus. I believe that immediately holding these self defense classes on our campus will prove that Emily Rachel Silverstein did not die in vain.

Please help me, help us. Give us the power, the ability to defend ourselves and live.

I first read about the video "just yell fire" in last weeks People magazine, and immediately went on line to get more information. As a gynecologist, I have seen firsthand the lifelong devastation of sexual assault. As a martial artist, I understand the importance of empowering everyone to be able to defend themselves. I am encouraging all of my friends, family, coworkers, etc. to visit your site, and learn more about this important message. I also hope to teach some of these skills at our next office meeting. Thank you, Thank you, for making this video.

Hi. Awesome job on this video. In fact, I think it�s so important that I want to organize an evening of instruction for my 11 year old daughter and her friends.

I can't begin to tell you how relieved I am to see that our youth are concerned about this topic. I am a troop leader for Girl Scouts of the Rio Grande, in El PAso, Texas, and a detention officer for El Paso County Juvenile Probation Department. I currently run the Studio 2B Program ( Girl Scouts) which is a program designed by girls for girls at the Juvenile Probation Department. It appears that our youth are fed up with abuse and rape. One of the focus series books is called "Take Charge" and it is about rape and abuse. In the book it also recommends to "yell fire" for the same reasons you described. Your video , along with my group will be most helpful and impactful. I will definately forward your link to Girl Scouts of the Rio Grande.

I just used some of your organization's history in my end of course sum up for my word processing and computer tech classes. My overall message this year has been to encourage my middle school aged students to use the tools being learned to find their voice and to be heard.

After I send this email out I plan on purchasing your book to use in future classes.

Thank you for being such a great role model to my students who are told by society and by education in general to sit down and be quiet far too often.

Sincerely,

Calvin

Matheson Junior High

Thank you, thank you, thank you!! I have tried to involve both my children in role playing situations so that they can think about what they are empowered to do in any difficult situation - - to think outside the box and to throw "respect" out the window if they are in danger of another person.

Your video sounds terrific!! I plan to show it to my kids' friends (with parental permission, of course), their parents, girl scout buddies, my friend who is a realtor who I worry about since she is around so many strangers in vacant homes. I'm a teacher and I work with lots of women who need this. One teacher I work with was attacked in a fast food parking lot in the middle of the day. She was knocked to the ground and mugged before she knew what hit her. I can think of so many people who would benefit by this dvd. God bless!

Fantastic. I'm a father of a 13 year old girl and a 15 year old boy.

I've been after both to take some courses. Hopefully this video will help motivate them or at least teach them a few things that could help.

From what I've seen so far of the movie, I'm going to tie them both in a chair and make them watch it.

Thanks again...

I attended the 2009 International Student Leadership Conference, at which Dallas Jessup spoke to everyone and then conducted a workshop to teach us how to defend ourselves, which I also attended. Since her speech, I have become increasingly passionate in the fight against domestic violence. I have helped with projects and fundraisers for the past two years, and this year, I am trying to start a club at my school that focuses on raising awareness and raising money to help fight against domestic violence. I was wondering if there would be any possible way that Dallas Jessup could come and speak to our school briefly about the warning signs of a dangerous situation, and how to defend ourselves if ever caught in one. Also to talk about how she has changed the world with her film and book, and anything else she wishes to speak to the student body about. I am sure that our school would be honored to have her speak to us.

I am a psychologist, volunteer at the Sexual Assault Center at York University, and mother of a 13-yr.-old daughter who also has her black belt. I congratulate you on what you have produced and hope your work will inspire all females to stand up and fight back.

I was searching online for something about young people changing the world in order to inspire a young friend. I discovered and ordered Dallas' book, which I'm reading before I give it to my friend! Then I found out about JYF. OMG. Many, many congratulations to Dallas - wow, wow, really, really wow!

Best wishes for the continuation of JYF long, long into the future.