"Pink Rifle" Podcast

If you type in "pink rifle" in the search bar of iTunes, you will find a podcast that covers the feminine side of gun use. One podcast features a 911 call that they play for the listener. It is about a woman with an aggressive stalker. A man who had previously broken into her home, slashed her tires, and consistently harrassed her even after she had restraining orders on him, simply because she refused to have a dating relationship with him. That night as she sat on the phone with the 911 call center, the man began to beat on her back door. After retreating to an upstairs bedroom she heard him break a window and enter her house. After she reported that he had made it up the stairs, the operator asked her if he had a weapon. She said that she didn't know but that she had a gun. After the operator confirms that the woman has the gun in her hands she tells her not to do anything rash. The phone is put down as the man begins to beat down her locked bedroom door. You can hear her across the room from the phone, crying and screaming for him to leave. The door crashes down and the noise is so loud that it is difficult to distinguish the clamor from the two rounds she fires off at him. You hear her still crying and screaming as he shouts "what are you trying to do? Kill me?" With that she fires off the thrid and final round. All that's left is her sobs, the operator calling out to her, and the sirens in the distance.

At the end of the call tape, the podcaster describes a bit more about what transpired during the final loud and confusing moments. Apparently, he barged in and came at her. The final shot was actually fired while he was attepting to strangle her. The gun was one given to her by a friend the day before who was worried about her safety due to the man's aggressive and violent advances. The man died with that third and final shot.

What would have happened if she had not had a gun? She could not have defended herself against him without it and he would have killed her -you only have to listen to the recording to tell that much. What is really awful is that you don't hear sirens until the very end. That means that she would have been dead by the time to police arrived if she had not had a gun.

People need guns for protection. Period.

Do you carry a gun?

Let's go for something controversial. You might agrue that although it's OK to have a gun at home, but that only police officers on duty should be carrying around guns on their person. It sounds quite violent and maybe idiotic to allow people to waltz around town with guns in their jacket, but that's not all there is to it. There are rules, which vary by state, that determine where you can and cannot carry your gun -for example, government buildings are off limits.
Think in terms of employment, what if part of your job was going to people's homes -this can range from door to door sales to nursing? Now think of how you feel when you end up lost in a very sketchy part of town. Combine the two feelings. You've been sent by your employer to go and redo a bandage on a man in a very shady neighborhood. Wouldn't you feel safer if you had a gun to protect yourself in case of an emergency situation? I would.
Besides any of that, even if you don't worry about yourself going off the handle on a shooting spree, what about everyone else? First of all, I highly doubt that if you're planning on committing a massacre that you will bother to get a concealed weapons permit. Second, statistics have shown that since Florida has adopted the "right to carry law in 1987" the "firearm homicide," "handgun homicide," and overall "homicide" rates have gone down over 35% each. "Firearm homicide" decreases by 37%, while the "handgun homicide" rate has declined 41%, and the overall "homicide" rate has gone down 36% (all from 1987 -1996). So, this means that while Florida citizens were gaining concealed weapons permits, less bullets killed people in the homicide arena. This deeply contrasts the popular belief that allowing citizens to carry guns is barbaric and can only lead to violence.

Think about it.

amber

Safety is #1

Before I get into the issues surrounding 2nd Amendment rights, I think some simple safety info should be noted. Guns are very powerful and require immense responsibility. To check out gun handling, cleaning, and storage safety rules from the National Rifle Association, click here. Although many of the rules appear to be common sense to many, it is surprising how many people do not know the first thing about gun handling, creating dangerous situations.

Welcome

Welcome. In this blog, you will soon find various posts -all about guns. My opinion: guns are good. I agree with the old saying "guns don't kill people, people kill people." Taking away our Second Amendment rights is unconstitutional. Restraining ownership and ammunition is unconstitutional. A people without guns is vulnerable to the violent world. And as bit by bit our freedoms are taken away, we may not realize our trouble until its too late.


amber