Tipsheet

Again, Gun Control Won't Help Liberals In Their War On Women Nonsense

Are liberals trying to turn gun control into a “War on Women” issue again? Amanda Marcotte is surely trying to rekindle that misguided crusade. After Newtown, the feminist and Cosmopolitan senior political writer tried to paint the NRA as the “domestic abusers lobby” last March. Recently, Moms Demand Action released an ad featuring a woman being killed in a domestic dispute, which was an exercise in a lack of self-awareness. As Katie pointed out, the ad made the case for expanding Second Amendment rights than curtailing them. And, the LA Times, which reported on the rise on concealed carry permits in Orange Country, had to make the extraneous claim that 95 percent of permits went to men.

Of course, men participate more in firearm-related activities and have higher rates of gun ownership. Is that really news? On the other hand, women are becoming a “rising voice” in gun ownership, which could throw a wet blanket on the left’s plan to mobilize women voters for gun control.

Women are the fastest growing demographic of gun owners; the rates of ownership jumped from 13 percent to 23 percent between 2005-2013. In terms of concealed carry permits, participation in shooting sports, and gun sales, women are becoming a driving force in these areas–and the gun industry knows it.

Young women have boosted Colorado’s gun ownership rates. Colorado women were a key group, along with blue collar workers and Hispanics, that successfully booted two anti-gun legislators in the recall elections in September of 2013.

In Utah, women have led a surge in the roll for concealed carry permits:

According to statistics from the Utah Department of Public Safety, the number of permits issued to women by the state of Utah has steadily increased over the last few years, and last year the numbers shot up.

In 2011, the state issued about 14,000 permits; in 2012 about 15,000 were issued; and in 2013, 34,597 permits were issued to women.

Women are learning how to defend themselves by exercising their Second Amendment rights–and that’s a good thing.

For more on liberals and gun control, check out Sarah's interview with Frank Miniter: