ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI — The FBI estimates that by year’s end, 25 million background checks will have been conducted for the purchase or transfer of firearms. That’s an incredible number of Americans looking to grab hold of their Second Amendment right. But driving those numbers up even further is a growing demographic in the gun community: women.
According to KPLR News 11, one gun store owner is so enthused about this new market, he wishes he could cater to it full time.
“If I could open a new store it would cater to women and self-defense and it has been growing the past five years,” Steve King of Metro Shooting Supply said to KPLR News 11. The reason, he believes, is that as more single household mothers are raising kids on their own, they understand the importance of being able to protect themselves and their children from harm.
“The more single household families we have where women are the head of the household, you have them realizing that not only are they only the provider financially and emotionally for children, but also the physical provider as well,” King said.
That makes sense. If you’re living on your own, raising a child, it’s up to you to make the tough decisions if there’s a knock at the door at 3 a.m. We’ve seen a lot of stories where women are increasingly placed into the position to choose their life over a violent stranger’s.
“Defending your home and family has become (a) priority over past eight years or so,” King said.
It should be a priority for everyone but women are especially at-risk. Incidences of sexual assault, burglary, and even carjacking have been stopped by good men and women with guns. Citizen defense is a natural right. It’s not something guaranteed by the constitution, it’s guaranteed by proxy of us living and breathing. More and more men and women are getting that and making the big decision to arm up.
That’s also why we want to focus so heavily on reinforcing good habits for concealed carriers and gun owners. It’s not an issue to have a gun in the house while a child is there. There is a responsibility, however, to educate that child and take measures to ensure you are the main person who has access to your firearm at all times.
Waiting to be a victim just isn’t good enough. It’s time to step up and we’re glad so many Americans have made that decision in 2016. Get armed, get trained, get the permit and carry every single day — especially in the home.
