Red Tornado
Member
I did a search and didn't find a link to this, so I thought I'd post, lest it go unnoticed. http://www.annabenson.net/ I followed a link from ESPN and ended up with Dear Gun Haters on the front page, much to my surprise.
For those who don't know Anna Benson, her husband is an MLB pitcher, and she's a publicity hound who provides a lot of talk show fodder. I never would have guessed she was such a 2A advocate.
P.S. The site has pictures.
This is the post:
Dear Gun Haters,
I am writing this letter as a young, female pistol-packing mama. I am a staunch defender of my right to bear arms, despite the fact that I do not belong to a militia group. This does not mean that I don't support gun control, because I do. But even with gun controls in place, I still want to protect my right to defend myself, my home, and my family.
I think that one of the most important aspects of gun ownership is gun education. Over the last few weeks, I have made a point to go to the range and hone my skills as a capable gun fanatic. I even took my two best girlfriends with me so that I could teach them the proper way to carry, load, and fire a semi-automatic handgun. I have been going to the range since I was a kid. In fact, when I was about nine, my father took me to the range to instruct me on how to properly handle a gun. My dad was not a big believer in locking up guns (his valid argument is that if the guns are locked up, it will be too difficult to access them when needed... like when some deranged 200 pound man is busting through my front door). So, my dad kept guns hidden in easily accessible places, and knowing how my curiosity often got the best of me, he did not want to leave me ignorant about safe handling procedures. Thus, right or wrong, he taught me a healthy respect and fear for the firearm. He acknowledged my natural childhood curiosity and addressed it by educating me. These are some of the fondest memories that I hold from my childhood. My dad trusted my intellect and coached me during my shooting lessons. I sensed that trust and eagerly listened to everything he said, and now, at the age of 29, I can shoot all kinds of guns (handguns, rifles, AK-47's, sub machine guns... you name it). I have no fear.
Well, that’s not entirely true, I am afraid of gun-control lobbyists. I am afraid that their skewed perceptions of safety are threatening my rights. I am an avid supporter of our Second Amendment and, consequently, my right to bear arms. My father has guns, my grandfather had guns, and even my great-grandmother had a pretty little pearl-handled .357 that she carried in her purse (and I guarantee that she would have used it to protect her ninety pound frame from threat). Even my mother carries a .38 special in her briefcase as she heads to work in downtown Atlanta due to an increased amount of carjacking and assaults in the city. And like my father, I share my enthusiasm and respect with my own children. My eight-year-old son frequently shoots with my husband at very safe and controlled ranges. I truly believe that if properly used, guns are a benefit to those who own them.
I have many guns (strategically placed) in my home to be used in the event of a home invasion—a crime which frequently occurs in my city. I do not, however, have a gun in my New York City apartment because it is impossible to get a permit in NY. Only 700-800 permits are issued in the city every year, and these select permit holders have to be business owners who can prove they make 7-10k in revenue every week. I guess the small business owner just has to hope and pray he never becomes a victim, and individual citizens can hope and pray even harder. I think that it is ridiculous that I am not allowed to protect myself in my private NY apartment because people like Jim Brady want to remove potential crime guns from the market. So, in a futile attempt to keep guns out of the hands of gangs and thugs, Brady and other gun control lobbyists have effectively kept guns out of the hands of respectable and responsible citizens. Correct me if I’m wrong, but any gun can be used in a crime. Hell, I can turn a pen into a weapon if necessary. Double hell, forget the gun and the pen, I’ll mow somebody over with my car…are you gonna try to take my car away, too? The fact is that criminals are criminals and probably have criminal means to obtain guns. And I, not being a criminal, do not have the same access to such means. Somehow I don’t think I can compete, even with a super-sharp knife, with a gun-wielding intruder. Fight fire with more firepower! In Atlanta, I can have as many guns as I want and I can even carry the weapon, in plain view, on the front seat of my car. Don’t get me wrong, I AM worried about criminals with guns, and I AM worried about guns on the streets. But, this is why I believe that each and every law abiding citizen should have the right to own a gun and the legal means to obtain a gun in order to protect their family. I’d bet that even an anti-gun activist would really wish they had a gun if someone broke into their home.
Isn’t the theory behind the second amendment one of the reasons that everyone from England got on that boat and came over here? Freedom of speech…right to bear arms…remember all that? The framers of the constitution gave us the individual right to bear arms and the collective right to form a militia. I’m pretty happy with the way our government functions, so I really don’t see a need to form a militia at this time; however, this has nothing to do with my right to bear arms, which I do choose to take advantage of. Framers like Thomas Jefferson were clear: "no free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms" (T. Jefferson Papers 334). Hell, even Gandhi wrote that, "among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the act of depriving a whole nation of arms, as the blackest" (Gandhi, An Autobiography 460). And who can dispute that Gandhi the Gunner was a great, wise man?
Look, there are millions of guns in the world. Face it... we will never have a world that has no guns, so, therefore, we should all have guns. If you want to own a gun, then you should. If you are afraid of guns, you should learn from a trained professional how to handle them properly. I agree with Freud in his General Introduction to Psychoanalysis that, "a fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity." Guns don’t kill people; people kill people. They are tools that we use. They are a source of power. Some of the most horrific dictators of all time, like Hitler and Mao Tse Tung, recognized this and, therefore, barred their people from owning guns. The last time I checked, I was still living in a free and democratic society where I have been granted certain rights. I have a right to defend myself against bad guys, and if they come after me I will get my gun and shoot them…believe it. Gun control advocates are afraid of the bad guys too, I’m sure, but they are too busy crying about kids and guns. Kids should be taught to fear and respect guns. Children are never unattended in my home, nor are my children ever in a home where they are not monitored. But even if my kids were ever unattended around a gun, which would never happen, but hypothetically speaking, I am confident that they would not touch it. I think gun accidents are horrible and we should take steps to prevent them…but not to the detriment of our home and/or personal security. Basically, I think that if you don’t want to own a gun, you shouldn’t. Oh, and good luck with that knife.
I want to own guns, so I do.
Lock and load
Anna "the cocked gun" Benson
For those who don't know Anna Benson, her husband is an MLB pitcher, and she's a publicity hound who provides a lot of talk show fodder. I never would have guessed she was such a 2A advocate.
P.S. The site has pictures.
This is the post:
Dear Gun Haters,
I am writing this letter as a young, female pistol-packing mama. I am a staunch defender of my right to bear arms, despite the fact that I do not belong to a militia group. This does not mean that I don't support gun control, because I do. But even with gun controls in place, I still want to protect my right to defend myself, my home, and my family.
I think that one of the most important aspects of gun ownership is gun education. Over the last few weeks, I have made a point to go to the range and hone my skills as a capable gun fanatic. I even took my two best girlfriends with me so that I could teach them the proper way to carry, load, and fire a semi-automatic handgun. I have been going to the range since I was a kid. In fact, when I was about nine, my father took me to the range to instruct me on how to properly handle a gun. My dad was not a big believer in locking up guns (his valid argument is that if the guns are locked up, it will be too difficult to access them when needed... like when some deranged 200 pound man is busting through my front door). So, my dad kept guns hidden in easily accessible places, and knowing how my curiosity often got the best of me, he did not want to leave me ignorant about safe handling procedures. Thus, right or wrong, he taught me a healthy respect and fear for the firearm. He acknowledged my natural childhood curiosity and addressed it by educating me. These are some of the fondest memories that I hold from my childhood. My dad trusted my intellect and coached me during my shooting lessons. I sensed that trust and eagerly listened to everything he said, and now, at the age of 29, I can shoot all kinds of guns (handguns, rifles, AK-47's, sub machine guns... you name it). I have no fear.
Well, that’s not entirely true, I am afraid of gun-control lobbyists. I am afraid that their skewed perceptions of safety are threatening my rights. I am an avid supporter of our Second Amendment and, consequently, my right to bear arms. My father has guns, my grandfather had guns, and even my great-grandmother had a pretty little pearl-handled .357 that she carried in her purse (and I guarantee that she would have used it to protect her ninety pound frame from threat). Even my mother carries a .38 special in her briefcase as she heads to work in downtown Atlanta due to an increased amount of carjacking and assaults in the city. And like my father, I share my enthusiasm and respect with my own children. My eight-year-old son frequently shoots with my husband at very safe and controlled ranges. I truly believe that if properly used, guns are a benefit to those who own them.
I have many guns (strategically placed) in my home to be used in the event of a home invasion—a crime which frequently occurs in my city. I do not, however, have a gun in my New York City apartment because it is impossible to get a permit in NY. Only 700-800 permits are issued in the city every year, and these select permit holders have to be business owners who can prove they make 7-10k in revenue every week. I guess the small business owner just has to hope and pray he never becomes a victim, and individual citizens can hope and pray even harder. I think that it is ridiculous that I am not allowed to protect myself in my private NY apartment because people like Jim Brady want to remove potential crime guns from the market. So, in a futile attempt to keep guns out of the hands of gangs and thugs, Brady and other gun control lobbyists have effectively kept guns out of the hands of respectable and responsible citizens. Correct me if I’m wrong, but any gun can be used in a crime. Hell, I can turn a pen into a weapon if necessary. Double hell, forget the gun and the pen, I’ll mow somebody over with my car…are you gonna try to take my car away, too? The fact is that criminals are criminals and probably have criminal means to obtain guns. And I, not being a criminal, do not have the same access to such means. Somehow I don’t think I can compete, even with a super-sharp knife, with a gun-wielding intruder. Fight fire with more firepower! In Atlanta, I can have as many guns as I want and I can even carry the weapon, in plain view, on the front seat of my car. Don’t get me wrong, I AM worried about criminals with guns, and I AM worried about guns on the streets. But, this is why I believe that each and every law abiding citizen should have the right to own a gun and the legal means to obtain a gun in order to protect their family. I’d bet that even an anti-gun activist would really wish they had a gun if someone broke into their home.
Isn’t the theory behind the second amendment one of the reasons that everyone from England got on that boat and came over here? Freedom of speech…right to bear arms…remember all that? The framers of the constitution gave us the individual right to bear arms and the collective right to form a militia. I’m pretty happy with the way our government functions, so I really don’t see a need to form a militia at this time; however, this has nothing to do with my right to bear arms, which I do choose to take advantage of. Framers like Thomas Jefferson were clear: "no free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms" (T. Jefferson Papers 334). Hell, even Gandhi wrote that, "among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the act of depriving a whole nation of arms, as the blackest" (Gandhi, An Autobiography 460). And who can dispute that Gandhi the Gunner was a great, wise man?
Look, there are millions of guns in the world. Face it... we will never have a world that has no guns, so, therefore, we should all have guns. If you want to own a gun, then you should. If you are afraid of guns, you should learn from a trained professional how to handle them properly. I agree with Freud in his General Introduction to Psychoanalysis that, "a fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity." Guns don’t kill people; people kill people. They are tools that we use. They are a source of power. Some of the most horrific dictators of all time, like Hitler and Mao Tse Tung, recognized this and, therefore, barred their people from owning guns. The last time I checked, I was still living in a free and democratic society where I have been granted certain rights. I have a right to defend myself against bad guys, and if they come after me I will get my gun and shoot them…believe it. Gun control advocates are afraid of the bad guys too, I’m sure, but they are too busy crying about kids and guns. Kids should be taught to fear and respect guns. Children are never unattended in my home, nor are my children ever in a home where they are not monitored. But even if my kids were ever unattended around a gun, which would never happen, but hypothetically speaking, I am confident that they would not touch it. I think gun accidents are horrible and we should take steps to prevent them…but not to the detriment of our home and/or personal security. Basically, I think that if you don’t want to own a gun, you shouldn’t. Oh, and good luck with that knife.
I want to own guns, so I do.
Lock and load
Anna "the cocked gun" Benson
