by Danielle DiQuattro
While fundraising in San Francisco, Barack Obama, referencing citizens of rural Pennsylvania and Ohio, mentioned with an underlying tone of exasperation that "it’s not surprising then that they get bitter, and they cling to guns or religion…"
However, I do not find it surprising that Obama and liberals have taken up arms against the First and Second Amendments. This war against guns and religion in reality is a disguise to continue the liberal dependency culture.
I am not a country girl. I grew up with a view of New York City skyline from the top of my street and I even wanted to transfer because of the culture shock I experienced going to a college in a rural Pennsylvania town. However, unlike liberal elitists, I promote "clinging to guns and religion" because I do not look to the government as my only protection and faith, especially as a woman.
President Obama did not want these rural Pennsylvania citizens to cling to their guns and religion because he wanted government programs and policies to be their protection and to be their god. The left promotes political, not personal, solutions to the problems facing our country. While the Supreme Court is adding new rights, such as government funded abortions, Gayle Trotter explains that they are attempting to eliminate the first and second amendments, freedom of religion and the right to bear arms.
Out of Touch Liberal Elites
This is evidence of how out of touch liberal elites are with the American people. According to Pew Research Center, 76.5% of Americans claim a religious identity and according to the United States Congressional Research Service American own upwards of 310,000,000 guns.
In 2014 there were 33,599 firearm related deaths, 10,999 of which were homicides. These 33,599 deaths and 10,599 homicides are not insignificant because they are evidence of the heartbreaking violence in American culture today. However, statistically this shows that only about .01% of the guns owned in the United States were used for violence.
When it comes to economics, the left decries the "one percent," and when it comes to guns, they retort the .01%. However, there are additional statistics to consider. For example, every year there are 500,000 — 3,300,000 instances of self-defense using guns, and 200,000 women each year use firearms to defend themselves from sexual abuse. Americans and women are taking matters, and guns, into their own hands to defend themselves against violence. The left decries the richest 1%, but then deny the 99%—the ones who cannot afford gated communities and personal body guards—the ability to defend themselves.
Gayle Trotter, CBLPI speaker and Second Amendment attorney, notes that 90% of violent attacks are committed without guns, and that if the victims had been carrying a firearm, the attacker could have been stopped. She cites the story of CBLPI speaker Amanda Collins, who was raped on her college campus. Amanda believes that she could have stopped the violent assault if she had been carrying her gun that night.
Actress turned political activist and CBLPI speaker, Stacey Dash, has a similar story. Stacey was stalked for many years by a man who eventually broke into her home and headed upstairs where her newborn baby was sound asleep. If Stacey had not grabbed her gun and shot at the intruder, she and her baby would have surely suffered critical harm. Stacey defended herself using a firearm and her stalker never came near her again.
Most women do not have the same physical stature as men and are more vulnerable to violence. This is why Gayle calls guns the "great equalizer" for women in situations where they are being attacked.
Not Another Victim
I do not want to be another victim. I do not want to depend on government policies. I want the right and the power to rely on myself for protection from violence. I want to be empowered. This is why I was so grateful for the opportunity to learn gun safety and usage at the local gun range with the rest of the CBLPI staff.
Danielle during classroom firearm usage and safety instruction
As I mentioned, I am a city girl. I had never shot a gun before our trip to the gun range. After a session on how to safely use a gun, I went up to practice for myself before going onto the range. My hands were shaking and I was unsure of myself. But then it was time to try it for real. My instructor guided me through and I pulled the trigger for the first time in my life, hitting the bullseye.
I have never felt more empowered as a women and I have never felt more dismayed that the government would want to take that strength away from me, the strength to defend myself. I do not want to depend on the government and its policies, I want to "cling to my gun," as President Obama puts it, and protect myself and the ones I love.
A Challenge to Every Woman
I leave you with a challenge. I urge every woman to learn how to shoot a gun. Go to a local gun range and learn about the "great equalizer" that can make the difference between life and death for you or a loved one. The government wants you to run to them when you feel afraid. I want you to run to your safe, grab your gun, and defend your right to protect yourself.
Danielle proudly displays her shooting targets at her desk in the CBLPI office
Danielle is a 2016 summer intern.