Women & Guns

The United States Constitution gives us the right to bear arms, but let’s face it, there are a lot of idiots out here exercising that right with full access to powerful weapons wreaking havoc in our communities. Note: idiots of all colors, shapes, & sizes. To be honest, for that reason, I’ve always been a little scared to have one in the home. I’ve been very gunshy, pun intended. But 2020 has come in and changed the game. Increased crime rates, racial issues, an economic crises, and a disaster of an administration have left me feeling like I need to protect myself and my family.

Well, that feeling was riddled with fear as I had never even touched a gun before. The thought of holding one literally scared me. In my research, I found that only 12% of women own a handgun, but men own and carry nearly 3x more. Maybe it’s because men are made more comfortable early with toys and hunting whereas women are left unexposed. I know I’m definitely in the unexposed category. But not anymore. Enter an unconventional girls night out with the Talls & Smalls…to the gun range. I needed to take the first steps to get over this fear and I’m so glad I did. We chose Top Gun Memphis and they were awesome! They have 23 lanes of shooting spread out over two giant ranges with a full staff of certified NRA Range Safety officers.

First, we rented our weapons and purchased the ammo. The Talls went with a 9mm, while the Smalls chose something else a little smaller. They later ended up with the same 9mm, like the big girls. Teehee. They’re gonna get me for saying that. We then chose our targets and the fear was slowly turning into excitement as the thrill of experiencing something new was kicking in. We had an instructor/range officer that helped us the entire time. I was so glad because I knew nothing. He gave us quick tutorials on proper hand placement when holding the firearm, how to load, and pointers on aiming and shooting.

This was sooooo much fun! I now feel so much more comfortable with the thought of operating a firearm safely. The fear is gone and I was surprised at how “good” I actually was. I definitely feel like I would be able to defend myself should it become necessary in this way. You know, stop them in their tracks. Of course, I’ll continue to make sure I don’t make stops at night (like to the gas station or ATM) & my head is on a swivel (and not scrolling my phone) when in public…you know those common sense things. But, please believe that I’ll be ready when that “fight or flight” kicks in. Tupac said it best in the first lyric of ‘Hail Mary.’ If push comes to shove, I’m hitting torsos and testicles, you heard me!?

I do plan to visit the range more to get more comfortable and get better with aim as well as purchase my own firearm. I’ve always known that guns have never been the real problem, it is intent of the the individuals with them.

According to Q, stricter gun laws are definitely needed, but if you’re like me and have some fear, I encourage you to go, learn the proper technique for handling a firearm, and get comfortable. There was something quite powerful and liberating about the whole experience.