Being four foot and eleven inches and weighing one hundred and twenty pounds, I know the personal struggle of not feeling confident that I could physically protect myself or more importantly my children, if need be. I completely agree with Linda Hasselstrom's essay, "A Peaceful Woman Explains Why She Carries a Gun," when she explains that carrying a gun can "shift the balance of power and provide a measure of safety" (358). The number of women carrying guns is reaching record highs nationwide. The motivation behind one in four women packing heat is due to violent or fatal incidents across the U.S., a means for protection and safety, and for the overall feeling of power and freedom that one can go about their day without others being in control.
I have just passed the one-year anniversary mark for taking the concealed carry class with a girlfriend of mine. I began to question how safe this world really was after the Aurora mass shooting in Colorado and the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. I worried not only for myself but also for my children. It did not seem like anyone was safe to go anywhere or do anything anymore. As sexual assaults, murders and kidnappings increased, so did gun sales. People feared that the laws were going to soon change about what types of guns could be owned, and they wanted to buy them while they were still legal. I know that it is illegal to carry concealed weapons in schools, universities, banks, hospitals, public transportation vehicles, and places with alcoholic beverages, stadiums, libraries, and other government buildings. I have found myself entertaining the idea that what if we were allowed to carry concealed guns in those establishments? What kind of outcomes would there be if people were armed, and how many lives could potentially be saved? How many attackers might have been scared off when seeing the power of a gun pointed at them instead? If one thinks about it, suspects target these kinds of places because they know they have the upper hand - victims are at their mercy, and everyone is vulnerable.