self-protection for women

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DC Project Brings Attention To Women Gun Owners At SHOT Show

January 25, 2020 by

The DC Project held a rally yesterday at the Fiocchi booth. It featured many of the women of the DC Project who were attending the SHOT Show. My guesstimate on the number of women wearing teal DC Project shirts was over 50.

From DC Project Facebook Page

This rally attracted the attention of the local Las Vegas media. The focus of the report was on women becoming involved in both armed self-protection and the shooting sports.

Dianna Muller, championship shooter and the founder of the DC Project, and California attorney Lara Smith were featured interviewees in the story.

While at the SHOT Show, I learned that there are plans to expand the DC Project. The goal is to recruit at least one woman in every Congressional district. The hope that these women will establish relationships with the local representative and become viewed as a resource on firearms issues.

Speaking of women at the SHOT Show, there were quite a number of women participating as buyers, exhibitors, and media. Yes there were a few “booth babes” but the number continues to decrease each and every year. This is good news for the industry as it realizes that women are a growing market that needs to be shown the respect they deserve.

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A Sea Change From A “C” Change Will Help Us See Change!

October 11, 2019 by 1 Comment

In musical notation a change in pitch up or down a full octave is known as a C change.  Anyone paying attention to the fight to protect our second amendment rights has likely noticed the sound of the most prominent voices has indeed risen a full octave.  I am referring of course to the growing cacophony of women’s voices that refuse to be ignored or marginalized.  

When considering the protection of our 2nd amendment rights it is easy to get overly focused on legislation and litigation and ignore the cultural messaging that is the true driver of both.  It is in this messaging that the women in the gun rights movement seem to be having great success.  It is much harder to use the same old arguments and decades old character assassinations against a mom who says she just wants to be able to protect her family.  

When Dianna Muller of the DC Project testifies before a house judiciary committee and says ”I will not comply” she can’t be dismissed as just some eccentric rancher that needs to be taken down.  When A Girl and A Gun women’s shooting league hosts their Fall Festival it gets press as a fun event for strong women offering training, competition and fellowship not a para military terrorist training camp.  

The other factor to remember is that winning hearts and minds on the issue of guns is an emotional endeavor that can’t be won by just regurgitating facts and figures and on this point women speak with much greater perceived authority and sincerity.  

One woman speaking sincerely of her journey from victimhood to empowerment from fear to strength can open a lot more minds than a thousand men shouting Molon Labe.  

I’ve come to recognize in my own life that for all my bravado it is often my wife that really get’s things done, especially the hard things!  So I say thank you to all the women in the shooting sports and the 2nd amendment battle, keep doing what you’re doing it’s working and always know we got your back! 

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An Idea That I’d Like To See Spread

August 28, 2012 by 4 Comments

My friend Rob at the SlowFacts blog had a story Sunday about a trainer in Reno, NV who provides free firearms training classes to anyone who has a signed protective order.

Actions speak volumes about a person, and that is why I’m impressed with Vicki Kawelmacher. Vicki is a firearms instructor in Reno, Nevada. She specializes in teaching women. She offers free classes to students who have a signed protective order. A protective order, also called a restraining order in some other states, means these students convinced a judge there is a serious threat to them or their children. These students to learn self-defense right now. Vicki has been in that position with an attempted abduction of her daughter. Vicki knows that a piece of legal paper is ineffective without a means to back it up.

He proposes that local gun clubs, ranges, and other such organizations establish scholarship funds for those in immediate need of training and who have limited means. I agree fullheartedly with Rob that this would a charity I’d love to support. As Rob say, ” If we really advocate responsible self-defense, then we should donate and volunteer to make that happen without asking instructors to teach for free.” It’s great that Vicki Kawelmacher is doing what she is doing but we as a community should make it so that she and others like her don’t have to assume the burden.

I think Rob’s idea is one that we should encourage.

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Good Story On Women Getting Carry Licenses In Detroit

May 17, 2012 by 2 Comments

This is a great story from Fox 2 News in Detroit on women in that city stepping up to get Michigan Concealed Handgun Licenses to protect themselves and their families. I love the quote near the end from one woman who said, “I’m not a vigilante but I’m going to protect myself, my family, my property.”

I had a chance to meet their instructor, Rick Ector of Rick’s Firearms Academy, at the NRA Annual Meeting in St. Louis. He is one of the good guys out there and I think it is great what he is doing to bring firearms training to women in Detroit.

Women Packing Heat: More Getting Concealed Pistol Licenses: MyFoxDETROIT.com
My only criticism of the story is that I wish TV reporters would find another cliche instead of “packing heat” to describe women obtaining concealed carry permits.

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Or You Could Just Allow Campus Carry

March 3, 2012 by 3 Comments

TV station WAVE-3 in Louisville, Kentucky ran a story this week on self-protection for women. They wanted to know if some of the “secret weapons” for women were worth the money and they asked a University of Louisville police officer for his opinion. Some he liked and some he didn’t.

I do agree with his suggestion to be aware of your surroundings and to avoid getting into risky situations. That is good advice for anyone. However, neither the story nor Officer Graham mentioned the one thing sure to make a rapist think twice – a legally concealed handgun.