[Lazamataz]

Considering guns as women's only shot at self-defense is like eating fat-free cookies to ward off obesity

This is actually accurate. I am an NRA certified instructor in Personal Protection, and one of the first things I teach is that a firearm is only one component of a Personal Safety Plan. You should have as many layers of protection around you as is reasonable, and your most formidable Personal Protection devices are your eyes. Observe your surroundings.

[RogueIsland]

You should have as many layers of protection around you as is reasonable, and your most formidable Personal Protection devices are your eyes. Observe your surroundings.

I'm in agreement. I've had advanced handgun training (and learned that I could use a lot more), and I am actually of the firm belief that far too many handgun owners overestimate their abilities with it in the same way that the woman in the article overestimates her ability to physically deter an attacker. As an instructor, you know that the Art of the Handgun is a martial art in its own right, and requires just as much mental discipline as any traditional martial art to employ to maximum effect.

If the article had taken that nuanced approach instead of the ideological tack it did, I wouldn't have any issue with it.

[VoiceOfBruck]

That's what I was thinking as I read - just having a gun is not enough to protect onesself, and if a woman thinks it is, then it would be a false sense of security.

The article's author is speaking more from politics and emotion, but there is a grain of truth to it.

An assailant usually strikes first (you can't pre-emptively shoot a suspected mugger) and the element of surprise is on his side. He isn't going to wait while his prey fumbles through her huge, disorganized purse for her 38. However a good swift kick in the clangers might give her a chance to run.

[1Old Pro]

your most formidable Personal Protection devices are your eyes. Observe your surroundings.

First, you need something between the ears.