Why every woman should shoot a gun.

Want to learn more about firearms? Join us Nov. 22 for a workshop in a supportive, safe environment.

Politically speaking, I try to keep my distance from issues concerning gun control. As a former soldier and born-and-bred Oklahoma girl, I'm more familiar with firearms than most people (and in fact I own two rifles, one an old Czech rifle my grandfather brought home from WWII, and the other  a birthday gift from an old flame). But as a mother and a citizen (I was active in the Million Mom March campaign when my daughter was a toddler), I am generally for stricter gun laws.

That being said, shooting a firearm is an experience that everyone should try at least once. Not only will it give you a better understanding of how weapons work, it might give you some perspective on why so many people are literally up in arms about the gun control issue. 

5 reasons why every woman should fire a gun

1. You're just curious. Firing a gun is a huge part of our culture in America; so much power and emotion seem to be wrapped up in guns, and you've just always wanted to try it. After all, it is your constitutional right to own a firearm.
   
   
2. You believe in gun control, but want to know what all the fuss is about. You'll have a better foundation from which to object to or support issues surround gun control if you've actually fired one youreself.
   
   
3. Women have better aim. It's true. I first heard this in bootcamp. As a rule we tend to have better fine motor skills, and squeezing a trigger without moving your muzzle away from the target has a lot to do with fine motor skill coordination. But more importantly, we're not born believing that, because of our gender, we obviously know how to shoot a gun. So we're more open to proper instruction — and not simply "how do I do that?" but "why should I do it that way?" 
   
   
4. Self-defense. Research shows that guns hardley ever a viable method for self defense, except in the most dire of cases. You're much (MUCH) more likely to be killed by your own gun rather than stop a bad guy. But gun safety and knowledge put you that much closer to properly using a gun, and thus reducing your chances for being accidentally (or otherwise) shot.
   
   
5. It's fun. It really is an amazing and empowering experience to fire a weapon down range at a target after you've received the proper training. I can list all the cerebral reasons about gun safety and politics, but when it comes down to it, firing a gun can feel amazing.
   

Want to learn how to fire a gun properly? Join us Nov. 22 for a firearms workshop where you'll learn he basics of pistol safety, how a pistol works, proper stance, grip, sight alignment and trigger squeeze in a classroom environment. 

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