March is Women’s History Month  by Bohdan Rabarsky

The history of women’s rights in America often starts with the 20th century when Congress, led by men, enacted laws to give women the same rights as men. But there is an earlier law – a Constitutional Amendment – that may be the most empowering of them all.  There is a saying that God created men (& women) but Samuel Colt made them equal.  The 2nd Amendment made that possible. 

Let’s look at some of the more important ones that were enacted into law in the 20th century:

1920-the 19th Amendment guaranteed women the right to vote.

1963-Equal Pay Act, prohibiting wage discrimination based on sex.

1972-Title IX in federal programs pertaining to women’s sports and academic opportunities.

1974-Equal Credit Opportunity Act-allowed women to apply for credit and loans without a male co-signer.

But the one that really made them equal didn’t require an act of Congress in the 20th century.  It protects women’s rights and it goes back to December 15, 1791; the ratification of the 2nd Amendment to the United States Constitution, which is taking on new meaning in the 21st century. 

For years, the right to bear arms focused on a “well-regulated militia” and since women were not, historically, a part of that militia, they were an afterthought.  The Bruen case and its successors took the emphasis off militia and emphasized a historical context. 

At first glance, relying on historical precedence is a problem since, in 1791, women did not have the same rights as men.  For instance, married women had no legal identity, independent of their husbands.  But even today’s most far left, anti-2A judge would not dare rule against a woman’s equal right to “keep and bear arms.”  The Bill of Rights doesn’t differentiate by gender, so I’m pretty sure that women’s 2A rights are as safe as men’s 2A rights - which in New York State, they are far less safe than they should be.     

When a woman becomes a single Mom, sometimes they’ll turn to organizations and to social services to survive.  They also rely on the legal system to protect them from abusive partners. But an order of protection or restraining order is a piece of paper and doesn’t offer very much protection.  And of course, there is the unrelated criminal who is always willing to take advantage of anyone they see as easy prey.

Where a protection order is just a legal piece of paper, a firearm can stop an intruder or abuser dead in their tracks - no pun intended.  In many situations, women need to take the lead in protecting themselves and their family. If trouble arises, depending on where they live, getting help from a 911 call may take many minutes, when all they have are seconds. Women are the first line of defense against intruders while waiting for law enforcement to arrive, so they need to be able to protect themselves and their loved ones.  An armed woman is no longer easy prey. 

The fastest growing demographic of gun ownership in America is women, which can be viewed as sort of a "first responder" mentality.  With a gun in hand, no one could accuse women of being the weaker sex. 

When listing the laws that empowered women, the 2nd Amendment should be prominently displayed.