Who said women are Pro Gun Control?

24 January 2008

In my post “Can Clinton and Obama Talk About the Issues not About Racism?” the user Kip commented “‘Scuse me, you’re a woman, and you’re AGAINST gun control?“

This seems both stereotypical and weird to me.  I have been a member of both a local shooting team and the Massachusetts State Smallbore Rifle team for the last 4 years.

When I started with Taunton Rifle and Pistol Club there were 4 girls out of 16 people or 25%.  When I stopped going frequently at the end of the summer there was 5 girls out of 12 people or 42%.

In the state team when I started the state team was 2 girls out of 12 people or 17%.  Now there are 4 girls out of 10 people or 40%.

In both cases this shows an increasing number of females learning to shoot and participating in firearms related activities.  This follows with NSSF research that says more women are joining into firearms related activities such as hunting and target shooting between 2001 and 2005.

Maybe it’s just me but I feel safer with a firearm.  If someone is going to commit a crime against me whether it be burglary, rape, etc. or it’s a situation of my life or there is at least with a gun I can protect my life and the lives of the people I care about.  Without a gun very few women, including myself, would have the ability to stand up against a man just because of the sheer size and strength difference between the sexes.

Even gun-hating Rosie O’Donnell feels safer with a firearm, that is after all why her body guards have one to protect her and her kids.  In May 2000 she even said, “I don’t personally own a gun, but if you are qualified, licensed and registered, I have no problem.”

And on the more specific gun control aspect, I hate it.  Laws only restrict people who abide by them.  True?  The very nature of a criminal is they break the law.  So if you impose a law saying I can’t have a certain type of gun because it may be used in a crime when I have never committed a crime in my life, how is that helping?  You didn’t stop the criminal, just the law abiding citizen.  Criminals break the law, at least if there is the possibility of an armed victim, maybe they will think twice about committing a crime.  After all most criminals aren’t willing to risk death to commit a crime.

I’ve always had guns around.  And ever since I have become more active in the gun-owning community I have seen an increase of women getting involved.  Granted gun ownership is still dominated by men but more women are becoming involved and helping to break a stereotype that all women must be anti gun.

---