I AM A SUBJECT, NOT A CITIZEN (BUT YOU SHOULD SEE ME WITH A GUN)

American Enterprise Magazine Online ^ | May 9, 2003 | Marni Soupcoff

[clintonbaiter]

I have never been what you would call a gun nut. Sure, I’ve always been up for defending an individual’s Second Amendment rights in a theoretical argument. It’s my libertarian pleasure. But when it comes to real life encounters with guns themselves, I’ve been happy to keep my distance....

[clintonbaiter]

An excellent exercise in arms control.

[wysiwyg]

Bang!

[Vic3O3]

good article!

[Frohickey]

but...but... a woman with a gun will have have it taken away and used against her by a criminal. ;)

if that line ever gets used against you by a gun-grabber, tell them that they are right, and a woman with a can of mace will NOT have it taken away and used against her by a criminal.

[end-sarcasm]

[elbucko]

I was in control, I was able to respect the weapon in front of me without feeling terrified of it, and, for the first time in my entire life, I understood what it meant to hold the physical power to defend myself (yes, even my small, five-foot-two self) against anyone who might come along to threaten me or my rights.

I am still not a gun nut. I doubt I ever will be. But I can now understand, on a gut rather than just an intellectual level, the liberating power of possessing the ability and the means to protect oneself and one’s freedoms. It is what makes Americans an especially privileged people. It is what makes each one of them a citizen, not a subject.

A citizen, as in an "individual" and "not a subject, as in a "unit". .

This article reminds me that if we are going to keep this right, we are going to have to share it with those who have the desire to learn. Even at our own expense, or we will loose it.

[elbucko]

and a woman with a can of mace will NOT have it taken away and used against her by a criminal.

Nor will her cell phone be taken away while she dials 911.

[/sarcasm]

[Tahoe3002]

I love an open mind. This lady has one.
It is really irr1tating, to me, that women are not more 'proactive' in their own defense. These are generalizations, but too many women depend on men, or laws, to defend them. Men, as in husband, or father, or in police uniforms. As more women live, drive to work, raise children alone, it is imperative that they understand calling 911, getting a restraining order, or carrying pepper spray is NOT the answer. Ladies, Want to feel liberated? Get a Gun, learn how to use it, and keep it handy.

[marktwain]

Nice article. It shows how being polite and helpful (as most gun owners and instructors are) pays off.

[riverrunner]

I always tell them to you want and try and take a loaded gun away from someone a lot harder done then said.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

it is imperative that they understand calling 911, getting a restraining order, or carrying pepper spray is NOT the answer.

Sure it is. Well, partly. You get the restraining order and that helps remove the possibility of you being charged after you dial 911 to report that you shot your attacker.

Not sure what you would use the pepper spray for.

[ConservativeMan55]

"but...but... a woman with a gun will have have it taken away and used against her by a criminal. ;)"

When I first read that line, I thought you were talking about the government taking the gun away from the woman, and the criminal being allowed to keep his, and using it against her.

[Tahoe3002]

"Not sure what you would use the pepper spray for"

Hmmmm...the reporters who come to see what the fuss is all about? Good on the other comments.

[ninenot]

She looks a bit young-ish to be writing a column on Hot Flashes.

[Swordmaker]

Not sure what you would use the pepper spray for.

Seasoning the dead meat?

[El Gato]

and a series of automatic weapons mounted on the wall behind the counter

Hmm, possible in Florida,, but not real likely, I would think. OTOH, the nearest gun range to my house in Texas has 3 MP5s, one of them suppressed, a Sten, and a .45 ACP "grease gun", for rent. $15/mag (25 or 30 rounds depending) ammo included. Or you can take your own machine gun and fire it there. (I fired a co-worker's M-2 Carbine there, being MG deprived myself, and that being before the owner got his own MGs. The coworker has fired his belt fed tripod mounted air cooled M1919a4 in .308 there as well ) I once read about a place in Hawaii that did the same, the Japenese tourists ate it up, but sadly that's no longer "legal" there.

[Centurion2000]

the Japenese tourists ate it up, but sadly that's no longer "legal" there.

Don't know why but EVERY Japanese businessman I've ever met LOVES shooting machine guns.