Horror and bemusement have often been the looks in the past of gun shop owners and employees when a woman steps foot in the door to purchase a gun of her own.
When people think about guns, they usually picture a man with a rifle hunting, a male officer protecting his neighborhood, or a car of gangsters (again men) that point their firearms out vehicle windows in a drive-by shooting. They don’t picture a woman on a gun range, or a female military officer.
The times are slowly changing with the ever-powerful feminist movements and marches of the past few years. Firearms amongst women is a trend that is growing and a trend that will stay. According to Harvard Injury Control Research Center, 12% of women in the United States own a gun.
There are numerous women each and every day that are signing up for firearms classes at local gun ranges. Marc-On Shooting, an indoor gun range, pro shop, and training center, offers all women introductory classes to firearms at their Lake Hallie location in Wisconsin.
The fear that has long been associated with women and guns is slowly but surely easing. Women want to feel powerful and strong; to show they are just a capable as men in all aspects of their life.
Nearly three times as many men own guns as women. Why? The combination of women with guns is still a
taboo area for most to talk about. From a young age, men have been exposed to guns via toys such as Nerf guns, squirt guns, toy soldiers carrying guns, rubber band guns, etc. Women’s toys were Barbies, princess sets, and play kitchens.
But just as the trend of firearms is changing among adult women, it is with small girls as well. My step-daughter recently got a teal and pink girl Nerf gun for Christmas. She loves it because now she can hold her own against her brother. Instead of hiding from his blue flying foam discs, she can shoot back with hers.
Some may say that this is a bad thing to teach violence of any sort in the household. But I believe it is teaching her to fend for herself in a male dominated world.
A decent portion of the nation’s female population thinks about guns on a weekly basis. 34% to be exact, and 10% of those women think about guns every day. That is kind of a staggering number that isn’t openly talked about in our world.
Women care about more than their looks. Ask any woman what her three most important things in life are, and I bet she won’t mention the color lipstick she wears. Most men, and even women, don’t realize that there is more to us than the dress-wearing, stick-figure drawings we are so often portrayed as.
Strong. Sleek. Powerful. Pretty. Loud. Misunderstood. Deadly. These traits can describe guns as well as women. This is not a coincidence.
A combination like no other. A combination on the rise. A combination of power and grit and everything in between. Women and guns.
By Carrie Reichs
Carrie lives in northern Wisconsin with her two pugs, Gunther and Rachel. Reruns of Friends consist of much of her free time when she isn’t writing.
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