A Well Armed Woman's Independence Day

As Well Armed Women we enjoy our own personal form of Independence Day each and every day! 

By taking responsibility of our personal self defense, we gain a sense of independence which is both physical as well as emotional. 

Physically, we are equipped and trained to carry and use a firearm to use effectively if heaven forbid our lives are at risk. Emotionally we have a confidence and sense that if we have to, we will know what to do and will have the strength and courage to defend ourselves effectively.

I will never forget the overwhelming sense of personal confidence I felt when I began carrying a firearm. Internally I felt strong and capable. It really changed the way I "moved" through my life. My self confidence rose and for probably the first time in my life, I knew what it was to be truly empowered and independent!

I recently posed the following question to the women on Facebook: As a Well Armed Woman, one word that describes how that makes me feel is ____________. The words the hundreds of women used to describe this feeling was really inspirational. Let me share a few of them with you. 

Secure

Empowered

Safe

Strong

Smart

Normal

Confident

Capable

Self-assured

Peacekeeper

Protected

Self-sufficient

Fabulous 

Independent

Prepared

Ready

Equal

Free

Dressed

Responsible

Beautiful

Covered

Bad A**

Smart

As we all celebrate our nations independence, 

I want to celebrate YOURS!  

I'm proud to be your Sister In Arms and I salute your commitment to safe and responsible gun ownership. 

Happy Independence Day! 

The Well Armed Woman ULTIMATE Giveaway is ON

The Well Armed Woman has teamed up with Clint and Heidi Smith, owners of Thunder Ranch in what may be the most significant giveaway ever for women firearm enthusiasts. Women from all over the country are submitting essays and videos sharing “What makes them a Well Armed Woman and why,” to be entered into The Well Armed Woman Ultimate Giveaway. The winning Well Armed Woman will win a full 3 day training course (of their choice) with the Smith's at their premier firearms training school Thunder Ranch in Oregon, lodging in a quaint lakeside cabin, 1000 rounds of ammunition and a $200 shopping spree at The Well Armed Woman. This is a $2200 package!  

"I carry a gun cause a cop is too heavy." Clint Smith

What an amazing way to educate, equip and empower a woman shooter! So many women are eager and hungry to learn to handle firearms safely and effectively to defend themselves, what better way to accomplish this than to train with one of the firearm industry’s most respected legends?

Clint and Heidi are amazing people and are such extremely experienced and gifted trainers.  The training facility at their ranch is top notch and their desire to bless others and arm them with knowledge and skill is a beautiful thing. 

Entries for The Well Armed Woman Ultimate Giveaway will be accepted through July 28th, 2012 and the winner announced August 1, 2012. Contestants may submit a brief written essay on what makes them a Well Armed Woman and why, along with photos or they may create a brief video. Entrants must be a woman, 21 years or older and be legally able to own a firearm, with no criminal record. Contest information, rules and entry form can be found on The Well Armed Woman website. HERE

So film your video or write your Well Armed Woman story and enter the fun. Maybe you will win this dream package. Help us to spread the word around the country. Share on Facebook or Twitter and send to your email list - let’s offer this to as many women as possible!

Here are some famous Clint Smith quotes:

"Dont shoot fast, shoot good."

"If you carry a gun, people will call you paranoid. That's rediculous. If I have a gun, what in the hell do I have to be paranoid for."

"When seconds count, the cops are just minutes away."

DADDY'S LITTLE GIRL

Have you ever wondered where all of these women shooters are coming from? They are everywhere; At the range, at gun stores and they are even going to gun shows! It’s like they are crawling out of the woodwork. Even the color and shape of gun gear is  changing because of them all. They are EVERYWHERE. 

Did they just appear out of nowhere, are they some new form of creation?  Where did they all come from and how did they become such good shots?  It actually isn’t all that mysterious. Many have just been busy being girls and since the world of shooting for the most part, has been a “manly” culture,  they have left it to them. But as with most things, the times have changed. The door has swung wide open for women and they are skillfully and happily - stepping over the threshold. 

Many in fact aren’t new to shooting at all.  If you ask them you are likely to hear that their father showed them how to safely use a firearm when they were young. They will share their fondest memories of falling on their behinds because of the recoil, or of hitting the bullseye on their first shot and the shocked look on their dad’s face at the sight. Time with dad is a very special thing to a young girl and they remember every minute of their times shooting together. For many it was one of the few places where they could really connect with their fathers. They will lovingly give him the credit for teaching them about safe gun handling and for making them such good shots. Many share that they had put these times and the guns behind them to move into womanhood to assume their roles as wife, mother and/or professional. But, as I said, the times have changed. Necessity drives many of these women to return to their roots and pick up a gun again to protect themselves. 

What great gifts for a father to give his daughter; precious time with him and the skills to safely handle a firearm. As so many women are sharing their memories of shooting with their fathers this Father’s Day and how grateful they are because of it, I hope the dads of today continue to invest in their little girls and realize that it is about so much more than guns.   

Happy Father's Day!

THE TRUTH

A recent post on The Well Armed Woman Facebook page on “Why we carry a firearm” created quite a stir and evoked an awesome amount of passion. One word kept smacking me in the face. That word was TRUTH. What frustrates the law abiding, good American citizen is the avoidance and mistreatment of what is the truth in the typical anti-gun conversation.  

Not all of the words below are mine, but I will write them in the first person,  as my reasons for carrying a firearm are the truth for me personally. Therefore no one can argue with me as what is true for me, is mine alone. However, I do not own these truths, they are not new and I know that for millions of firearm owners these truths are what lies at the heart of their choice to arm themselves. 

“Truth is tough.  It will not break, like a bubble, at a touch, nay, you may kick it all about all day like a football, and it will be round and full at evening.”  ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

Who can argue with the truth? If we align ourselves and can clearly communicate what is true then it perhaps becomes more difficult for those that simply want to argue. To effectively explain our choices, we must arm ourselves with articulate words of truth and then, simply stand on them.  

I don’t carry a gun because I want to shoot people, I carry a gun because I refuse to be a victim. 

I don’t carry a gun because I hate the government, I carry a gun because I realize the limitations of government to protect me. I carry for emergency self defense when there are no better options left.

 I don’t carry a gun because I am paranoid, I carry a gun because sadly there are very real threats all around me.

I don’t carry a gun because I am an evil person, I carry a gun because I’ve lived long enough to see the evil in this world and to accept that I am prey to those who are evil.

I don’t carry a gun to compensate for anything, I carry a gun to equalize the battlefield. My physical size and strength can’t even come close to that of an attacker.

I don’t carry a gun because I am angry, I carry a gun so I don’t ever have to hate myself for not being prepared and protecting myself or those I love.

I don’t carry a gun because I love it, I carry a gun because I love life and the people who make it meaningful to me.

I don’t carry a gun to scare people, I carry because I am trained to do so, safely.

I carry my gun, because it is my right to do so... responsibly. 

“If one tells the truth, one is sure sooner or later to be found out” Oscar Wilde