There's something quietly telling about a city known for its progressive politics offering intro-level self-defense classes to its residents. Berkeley is now hosting an Intro to Personal Safety & Self-Defense Class, and honestly? Good.

Let's be clear: nobody should have to learn how to throw an elbow strike just to feel safe walking home. But when property crime stays elevated, when retail theft goes largely unprosecuted, and when police staffing across the Bay Area remains well below what communities actually need, people start doing the math themselves. The math says: maybe I should learn to protect myself.

This is what happens when the social contract starts fraying at the edges. Government's most basic job — keeping people safe — gets deprioritized in favor of whatever shiny policy initiative is trending, and eventually residents stop waiting for City Hall to figure it out. They sign up for a class. They buy a Ring doorbell. They start a neighborhood watch group. It's not paranoia; it's pragmatism.

And there's nothing wrong with that. Self-defense training builds confidence, situational awareness, and personal resilience. It's the ultimate expression of individual responsibility — the idea that your safety starts with you, not with a 911 response time that may or may not meet your expectations.

What is worth questioning is why we've arrived at a point where local governments feel the need to offer these classes in the first place. A well-funded, well-managed public safety apparatus shouldn't leave residents feeling like they need a backup plan. But here we are.

So take the class, Berkeley. Learn the skills. Stay sharp. Just don't let your elected officials off the hook while you're at it. Personal responsibility and government accountability aren't mutually exclusive — in fact, demanding both is the only way anything actually gets better around here.