This last week, women in the gun industry led by The DC Project pledged to “Turn SHOT Teal” in an effort to raise awareness on women gun ownership. Dozens of women gathered at the Fiocchi booth during SHOT Show 2020 donned in teal t-shirts bearing the slogan “Educate over Legislate”. The DC Project is an educational initiative made up of women from every state across the country who travel to Washington DC every year to speak with their legislators about gun rights and to share their stories. These women travel to our nation’s capital to continue forming these relationships with their lawmakers in an effort to change the face of gun ownership. To show our decision makers that gun ownership in America is normal.
These women work endlessly not only on a federal level but have expanded onto the State level to help protect our Second Amendment rights. All on their own time and money. They are not pushed by some “big gun” agenda or some multi-million-dollar ex-mayor. In a recent tweet by Moms Demand Action front runner Shannon Watts “Anecdotal puffery like this puts women’s lives at risk. The percentage of gun owners is low (about 12%) and has stayed steady for decades. A gun in the home of a woman in an abusive situation makes her five times more likely to be shot and killed”. This post was in response to media coverage of women flooding SHOT Show in teal t-shirts explaining how gun rights are women’s rights. In a recent study in 2017, 22% of gun owners are women and have been projected to continue increasing.
Some other statistics that have been used against a woman having a firearm is that 1/5 women are more likely to have their own firearm used against them in a domestic violence situation. Although the same statistic applies to women who are victims of sexual assault and rape. What they haven’t taken into consideration is how many women are saved because they have a firearm. How many women have not been a victim because they have been properly trained and prepared? How many women have decided to take their safety and their life into their own hands? Shannon Watts needs to understand that she does NOT speak for all women. Women have decided to take their own stand and become their own first responder.
The average response time for police to arrive to an emergency in the United States is 10 minutes. As a first responder myself, I understand the need for immediate resources. I have understood the need to be able to defend yourself. What women like Shannon Watts and the women of Moms Demand Action don’t understand, is we are not like them. We have made the decision to take our stand and defend ourselves, our families and our rights. We have decided to prepare and become situationally aware, to take self-defense seriously, to refuse to be a victim. We have become our own first responders in our lives and protect ourselves and our family.
The women of the DC Project are becoming the face and the voice of the Second Amendment and all that it stands for. They have put themselves out there to share their stories, some of how they have been a victim, or how they have prevented themselves from becoming one. They have coined themselves as the counter to Moms Demand Action and have been writing their own narrative on gun rights and what the Second Amendment means. To follow more on the DC Project, or find out how you can get involved, check out www.dcproject.info and follow them on social media.
Girl's Guide to the Gun World 