Women and Guns  by Tom Reynolds

When trying to buy a gun, there can be a delay in getting clearance from the background check.  In this past New York legislative session, bills were introduced in both houses (A.3233 and S.362) which would add a 10 day waiting period after passing the background check. 

Gun control proponents laud this as a cooling off period – even though the buyer has just passed the extensive background check. 

The flip side to this is that the delay may prove fatal.  Women who suddenly face threats from a stalker or former partner often do not feel they can wait the months it takes for officials to approve a permit application.  Their danger is here and now.

Two groups that benefit the most from carrying firearms: physically weaker individuals, such as women and the elderly; and those most likely to become crime victims, such as poor blacks living in high-crime urban areas. 

Robyn Sandoval, the president of A Girl & A Gun said: “Too often, women who are being stalked or threatened are told to limit their movements, alter their routines, or rely on a piece of paper to stop someone determined to harm them…Women deserve better than living in fear. By learning to responsibly carry a firearm, they can gain the confidence and means to protect themselves and live their lives without fear.”

Brevard County, FL, Sheriff Wayne Ivey added: “Every day, more law-abiding citizens choose to legally carry firearms because they refuse to be victimized by criminals and thugs…Responsible gun owners know that even the best police response times takes minutes, while violent criminals can take a life in seconds!”

A.3233 and S.362 were not enacted into law but they were close and we can be sure they will be reintroduced in the next NY legislature.  They deserve to be buried in the grave of bad ideas.

There is another idea that would foreclose on these bad ideas: Constitutional Carry, which would benefit women who suddenly face threats from a stalker or former partner and often do not feel they can wait the months it takes for officials to approve a permit application.

If you are a woman who fears that she has been or may be threatened, think about this when you cast our November ballot.  Remember, the future is decided by those that show up.