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.)
I’ll say it again: “Ladies, HOLSTER UP!!!!!!”
Whatever happened to the liberal solution of don’t resist?
Liberal rapists and wannabes are especially enthusiastic about that.
The “Don’t Resist” strategy doesn’t work, in fact it just makes some perps more angry and vicious.
Rape isn’t about sex, it’s about twisted, hateful persons using power to humiliate others. Sort of like what the Obama administration is doing to America.
TapTap Ping!
I have done two WOT clinics at my local shooting range—rifle and pistol. They are fantastic and really emphasize the basics and sporting aspect of firearms in a very collegial, enthusiastic environment. I am proud to say that I have since joined the ranks of the NRA and become a gun owner myself. I am even considering joining one of the local gun clubs.
Been there, done that since I was 8.
[.22 rifle]
When I was 10 or 11, my dad took me to the local garbage dump in the woods, handed me a pistol and told me to try and hit the 6 pop cans he’d lined up on a fallen tree.
I picked them all off in quick succession without even thinking about it.
Turned around and sincerely asked “Was that okay?”.
He just muttered “Yeah.”
I wish I could’ve taken a photograph of of his face.....:)
My mom still tells the story of “the .410 and the hundred yard barn rat”.
Ping!
We are of course, much smaller than the NRA, so our classes are small---no more than 20 women, and we stick to training handguns, for the most part.
With all the guns rights organizations doing their part, women across this land are arming themselves, and that's a good thing!
I have a feeling Liberty will need you gals. (when the time comes)
Love your story. For Christmas when I was 7 I got a Remington .22 rifle. Still have it. Kept it with ammo in my closet. No problems.
Got another one you might enjoy. My Great grandmother born in 1888 was living with my grandparents during the 30’s. She heard some rustling in the bathroom and assumed it was a burgler. She grabbed my grandfather’s 1911 .45 and investigated. Turned out to be a rat, but she shot anyway. One dead rat and a big hole in the bathtub.
A well trained woman with a gun is a hell of a deterrant to crime. I got the world’s best firearm intruction from the USMC and am extending that knowlegde to my kids.
My wife did the nearly same thing with a .22 pistol.
We set up some targets, I told her about “sight picture” and she hit them all and handed it back and asked “that was fun - but I don’t see what the big deal is”.
I hope her talent is genetic, because I want my daughters to be just as “dead eye”.
C.S. Lewis: “battles are ugly when women fight.”
It’s gonna get ugly before the clash between the “elite” and free individuals is over.
Except for the bathtub....:))
I never had any “formal” training.
[*plink*]
Dad said I must be a “natural” or something.
Caesar, in his “Bello de Gallico” talked about the fearsome Celtic warriors which vexed him no end...*but* he also said he’d rather fight the men than their women.
He saw them as merciless, wild eyed, savage, screaming she-devils, equal in size and strength to the men.
[I think he had “issues”]....:))
“Whatever happened to the liberal solution of don’t resist?”
It was raped by reality multiple times, then murdered by logic and reason.
I don’t think the girls/women would be screaming in the faces of the collectivist/elitist jackboots so much as peeping at them through the sites of a rifle about 1000 yards out.
We’ve taught 300+ ladies over the last several years at our San Diego NRA Members Council-sponsored WOT clinic. It’s been very rewarding for both the students and instructors. Highly recommended.
My hubby just gives me a weird look whenever I say things like, “The proper, safe handling of firearms should be taught to 8 year olds.” Thanks for affirming my belief that an educated child is a safer, more responsible citizen.
Mt recently widowed mother in law wants to purchase a firearm. I had her, my wife and my mom go to a WOT clinic last month. They had a great time, learned a lot and came home very excited. I tried to get my daughters to go to, but they didn’t want to go.
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