I invested a lot of time in myself in 2011 taking classes from several instructors, most of them National Champions in the competitive shooting sports of IDPA and USPSA.   I learned how to be a better competitor for sure, but I what I learned over the past 7 years participating in competitive shooting sports is how to be in control of my gun under stress, which has helped me, leaps and bounds to understand my self-defense preparation and mindset.

There are arguments that participating in competitive shooting sports does not prepare someone for a life or death situation, but I can attest that I have working muscle memory to know if I am shooting the gun accurately or not.  I also am aware how slow or quick my reaction times are, and I have a strong sense of confidence and trust that I know what I am doing with my gun, which we know is a very important component when choosing self-defense tools.  

I encourage my clients and friends all the time to seek out training.  If you are going to keep a gun at home or carry a gun on your body, wear a knife, or depend on your hand to hand skills to help you out in a crisis situation where you are the target of a crime, you have to get training and you have to practice.  For the average citizen, the competitive shooting sports offers up a safe and affordable place to practice holster work, figure out your gear and learn how to work through malfunctions and get back in the fight.   But most important... it is just a whole lot of fun! 

Silencers Are Legal

PASSING ALONG...



Silencerco and the American Silencer Association is putting on the first annual Silencers Are Legal Shoot in Dallas Texas on Saturday, April 28, 2012.  This event promises to be one of the most exciting and educational live fire events of the year. Bring your personal firearms and have the opportunity to test various manufactures suppressors on it. All live fire at this will be suppressed and no unsuppressed fire will be allowed.  Proceeds from this event will benefit the American Silencer Association.

WHEN

Saturday, April 28, 2012, 9:00 am – 6:00 pm

WHERE
10751 Luna Road
Dallas, TX 75220
www.elmfork.com

WHAT
Testing products from silencer and firearm manufacturers
Learn about silencer ownership
Raffles for a chance to win products
There will be vendor booths selling firearms, ammo and accessories.

Accomodations
For our out of town guests, a discounted group rate at the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport Marriot will be available from April 27-29. Click here to book at the discounted group rate.

• Must be 18 to attend the event.
• Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by a guardian.
• If you have children, the minimum age is 5 and the minimum age for shooting is 12.

For more information please visit:

www.silencersarelegal.com

Common Sense Ways to Stay Safe

Ever wonder how you made it through your teen and college years?  I have looked back at that time of my life with amazement on how I avoided being a victim of rape or violent crime.  I thought I was invincible for sure, but I also remember having a few panic moments praying to God that if he got me through this one, I wouldn’t be so stupid next time.

Women age 18-24 are at the highest risk for being assaulted.   But women of all ages need to recognize how important it is to be aware of the risks, and live a lifestyle that takes responsibility for your own safety.    It is a huge misconception that the police are there to protect us, or that superman will appear in our time of need.    I would like to think that if I were being assaulted or mugged, that someone would help me.  I also know that there are more people not willing to get involved because of the risk of liability, the fear they have for their own safety, or their inability to really do anything because they are unprepared as well. 

So it is up to you.  There are many options that include lethal and non-lethal methods: Firearms, knives, kubatons, pepper spray, hand to hand, and the big one… self presentation and being aware of your surroundings. 

Here are some fantastic tips from www.rainn.org that are focused on traveling on Spring Break vacation, but are also things you can do as you travel in your own community, going to and from work, or just a night out on the town. 

1. Trust your instincts. If you feel unsafe in any situation, go with your gut. If you feel uncomfortable or something doesn’t feel right, leave and get to a safe place immediately. If someone is pressuring you, it’s better to lie and make up a reason to leave than to stay and be uncomfortable, scared, or worse.

2. Protect your location on Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare etc. Think twice before sharing every detail of your spring break on Facebook and Twitter. Despite security settings, posting information about your whereabouts or activities can still reveal details that are accessible to the public. Use your best judgment when “checking-in” on Facebook or Foursquare and be cautious of revealing personal information through status updates or tweets with Twitter trends like #Spring Break and #SB2012.

3. Get Local. Know your accommodation address and the safest routes to and from your local destinations. Have the number for local cab companies on hand and always keep enough cash on you to take a taxi home. Know who to contact in the event of an emergency, such as 911 or local authorities. If traveling internationally, have the contact information for the U.S. Embassy with you.

4. Be a good friend and stick together. Arrive together, check in with one another throughout the night, and leave together. Think twice about going off alone; if you have to separate from your friends, let them know where you are going and who you are with. If something seems questionable or someone is acting aggressively, don’t be afraid to intervene. By speaking up, you may help prevent your friend from being the victim (or perpetrator) of a crime.

5. Don’t let your guard down. A spring break destination can create a false sense of security among vacationers. Don't assume that fellow spring breakers will look out for your best interests; remember they are essentially strangers.

6. Use your cell phone as a tool. If you find yourself in an uncomfortable situation, shoot a quick text for a "friend-assist." Make a back-up plan before you go out just in case your phone dies. If you are traveling internationally, buy a pay-as-you-go phone or contact your cell phone provider to activate international coverage during your trip.

7. Drink responsibly and know your limits. Always watch your drink being prepared, and, when possible, buy drinks in bottles. If you lose sight of your drink or believe it might have been tampered with, throw it out and get a new one. If you or a friend seem too intoxicated for the amount of alcohol consumed or you suspect that someone has been drugged, get to a hospital.

About RAINN

RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) is the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization and was named one of "America's 100 Best Charities" by Worth magazine. RAINN created and operates the National Sexual Assault Hotlines (800.656.HOPE and online.rainn.org) in partnership with more than 1,100 local rape crisis centers across the country and operates the DoD Safe Helpline for the Department of Defense. The hotlines have helped more than 1.6 million people since 1994. RAINN also carries out programs to prevent sexual violence, help victims and ensure that rapists are brought to justice. For more information about RAINN, please visit rainn.org.

This is the face of women and guns... who is listening?

Self esteem, empowerment, confidence... words that are always closely associated with women and girls. It is how we see our self, how others judge us by our actions or in actions, and the constant image that is projected by media, political agendas, even how products are marketed to us. Lets talk about my market... the firearms industry. I am a bit bothered that in this current explosion of women and guns, there is a strange mix of empowerment and belittling happening at the same time. For sure the firearms industry wants our consumer dollars, and our husbands are jumping for joy because if mama is buying guns, then the chances go up for hubby to buy more guns too. But there is a constant image of half naked women holding guns wrong, and snickers about pink guns or painted backstraps, even disrespect at the gun counter that separates us from really participating in the mainstream. What has been missed in this entire equation is how women really relate to their guns, which is a direct connection to their self esteem, sense of empowerment and confidence, as it applies in this discussion of women and guns. 

I have a nice glimpse of this social experience. A Girl and A Gun Women's Shooting League has connected me with hundreds of women, all different stages of life and reasons for participating in shooting activities. No matter if it is a woman I meet in person at the range, or the gal I meet on Facebook across the country, we are all bonding in a sisterhood, the common interest of shooting guns because it is fun and we can invoke our own style. It has nothing to do with if we shoot a pink gun (or my color of choice... purple). It has nothing to do with the color of our range bag or the bling on the earmuffs... it has everything to do with personal connections and how those personal touches makes us feel. The explosion of women and guns is a direct connection with the fact that we are embracing "girly" behaviour along side learning a skill set that enables self esteem to blossom into the empowerment and confidence to walk into the gun store, step up to the line or join the discussion.

 

I am proud to be in this community of women (and the men who support us). The talent in the leadership is amazing, the women who are stepping out are inspirational, and the relationships are priceless. This is the face of women and guns... who is listening?

What A Year!

What a year!

2011 I had a vision spark in my mind of how I could get more women to the range with me, February 28^th I invited some friends to the range… November 2011 we hosted a major camp instructed by National Champion Shooters.  Then on February 28, 2012 a full year since our first Girl’s Night Out, AG & AG gave away $6000 worth of products and services to almost 300 members.  WHO DOES THAT! Two wacky gals name Julianna Crowder and Renee Blaine deep in the heart of Texas, and with the help of motivated women across the country who shares our vision. 

2011 was certainly the year of the woman in the firearms industry.  2012 is looking to be even more promising with products that are being developed to accommodate the female shooter.  The trends are showing that more women are packing heat for self-defense which is awesome.  The trend AG & AG would like to inspire is to get those women out to the range for practice, then on to competitive shooting sports where the real fun happens. 

AG & AG has been received warmly by our colleagues in the firearms industry, and they are supporting our efforts to get more women to the range.  What everyone doesn’t know yet is that we plan to revolutionize the competitive shooting world.  How you ask… well I can’t tell you that right now because it is a works in progress.  The firearms industry is changing, I can say with confidence having a new surge of women in the think tank, it will change in ways that is unexpected, and it will be a wonderful beautiful experience. 

Mark your calendars now February 15-17 2013

Thoughts That Cross My Mind On Road Trips,,,

Thursday March 8^th I was on my  to League City for Girl’s Night Out with my Houston Chapter of A Girl and A Gun Women’s Shooting League.  I was flipping thru the radio and I landed a conservative talk radio and heard some more back and forth on the “pay for my birth control” issue.  When I lost that station, I found a country station.  The next song up was “God Bess the USA” (aka Proud to be an American) by Len Greenwood.  I started to sing along, mind drifting to around the music, when the lyrics hit. 

If tomorrow all the things were gone,
I’d worked for all my life.
And I had to start again,
with just my children and my wife.

I’d thank my lucky stars,
to be livin here today.
‘ Cause the flag still stands for freedom,
and they can’t take that away.

The hamster in my brain took off on a marathon.  My interpretation of starting over in today’s terms would be if we had economic or social collapse and we need to figure out how to survive (Little House on the Prairie time).  And the statement about being free, well are we really free anymore?   There is so much government telling us what to do and trying to control other aspects of our freedoms given to us by our constitution.   I choose not to debate in major political conversations… anymore… but I do voice what is important to me, and what I think it means to be free.  The wonderful and sometimes backstabbing reality of being free is that everyone gets to be right in their opinions and have their say. 

My point here is how interesting it was to me that a song that was released in the early 80’s stood for something relevant at the time, and now, for me, the words mean something VERY different.