Posted on 06/17/2009 4:38:08 AM PDT by marktwain
The United Kingdom and Australia instituted gun bans in 1997. Between 1995 and 2006, women in the United Kingdom suffered a 76.5% increase in rape; by 2007 Australian women experienced a 29.9% increase. Meanwhile, rape decreased 31.7% in America.*
Today, women are raped twice as often in the UK as America, and Australian women are raped three times as often. This is damning evidence that gun control places women at greater risk. American women are hearing this message, and more and more are arming themselves every day, not only to protect themselves and their families from harm, but to ensure our government doesn’t enact laws which disenfranchise women.
In support of this effort, the National Rifle Association developed the Women on Target (WOT) program to introduce women to shooting sports in a safe and fun manner. Yesterday, 61 women participated in WOT at the American Shooting Center in Houston, Texas, hosted by the Houston Daughters of Liberty.
Beth Hellmann, Program Coordinator for NRA Women’s Programs, was a WOT clinic coordinator for 5 years at her gun club before joining NRA headquarters and has run the WOT program since its inception. She has seen WOT grow from just 13 clinics in the first year to over 200 clinics annually, and says that 2009 looks like another record breaking year. Clinic directors report that classes are filling up months in advance, and often add clinics to accommodate demand. The WOT program is on track to teach over 8,000 women this year, breaking last year’s record of 7,250 students and 240 clinics. By mid-June of this year, 232 clinics are already registered.
Beth started her career in shooting instruction when her son wanted to join the high school rifle team. She was surprised that the school even had a rifle team in this “civilized” era, but grew up in a shooting family, so she was amenable. She asked the coaches if they needed any help, figuring that being a woman they would have her bake brownies for fund raisers or something along those “traditional” lines. Instead, they invited her to become a rifle instructor and then get her coaching credentials. Now, she is a national leader in bringing women into shooting sports, changing the face of the shooting community to one that is family-friendly and mainstream America.
At Monday’s event, 61 women braved the Houston heat and had an opportunity to learn how to shoot rifles, shotguns and pistols. After a range safety briefing by Deb Wardlaw, TSRA Director of Women in Shooting Sports, women divided into three groups, each one receiving instruction in one of the disciplines.
Response was positive, with students asking for tips on buying a firearm, additional training, and how to qualify for a concealed handgun license. Some women inquired about joining the NRA and Texas State Rifle Association, and a couple asked about becoming instructors.
The next generation of Liberty champions will be born to women like these.
* Rape data compiled from government sources. Email request for Excel spreadsheet. (All photos by Sharon Slover.)
bump
Give some thought to becoming an Appleseed Project instructor.
www.appleseedinfo.org
My CCW class was just wonderful. As I keep nagging, everyone who isn’t completely familiar with firearms should take one, and this WOT course would be perfect as well. Go do it! It’s great.
If every one of us is educated about guns and gun safety, then we will be able to 86 the “licensing” laws.
[TheOldLady wanders off, realising that she is an idealist, but can dream]
Get your womenfolk to an Appleseed Project event: www.appleseedinfo.org
Times change...:)
It’s *best* to teach them as young as possible.
Even younger than that, I watched my dad and uncles shoot cows or pigs every butchering day and I KNEW what the “results” of being shot were and understood them completely.
I never “played” with guns or handled them recklessly *because* I understood the grave consequences of doing so.
Kids aren’t stupid.
They can easily understand the concepts of cause/effect and alive/dead.
To this day, I have the utmost respect for firearms and still believe, as my dad taught me, that “an unloaded gun is just as deadly as a loaded one”.
I never take ~any~ chances when handling firearms.
I didn’t have firearms until my kids were grown. Now, I figure, once kids understand what a real spanking is, then it is wise to educate them as you said.
There were times when I had to carry my hand gun just to the mail box.
My wife just completed her required course to carry a firearm. Things I had told her for years about self defense and the 2A were coming from the mouth of a police officer and she finally saw what I have been talking about.
Good article! FYI: There is no NEED for the Supremes to consider 2nd Amendment “Incorporation”! FACT: The 2nd Amendment is SELF-incorporated to all government entities at every level. It is MORE ABSOLUTE than the 1st Amendment, or any of the others, because the wording forbids not only CONGRESS, but ANYONE from infringing on it. The 1st says “Congress shall make no law...”. The 2nd say “shall NOT be infringed!” Period! End of debate!
“Whatever happened to the liberal solution of don’t resist?”
There was a thread on that exact topic this week, in fact:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2271841/posts
In other words, reality knocked it out of the park.
Although a lot of men may hate to admit it, women are often better natural shots. I think a lot of it has to do with greater patience and fine motor skills. I, for one, have never felt bad by being out-shot by a female. Just glad to have them out there with me.
Who knows?
(the more shooters the better, I say)......;)
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