Weekly Spotlight 12/15/23 – 12/21/23
Women Gun Owners Bring Empowerment to Capitol Hill Hearing
This week, the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Crime & Federal Government Surveillance held a hearing to explore how the Second Amendment empowers women’s rights, not only the right to defend themselves in violent situations but the right to live free from fear. To illustrate the profound impact that responsible gun ownership and firearms training can have on women, the committee welcomed several witnesses to testify about their personal experiences. They shared incredibly personal stories of escaping domestic abuse and other violent situations, which ultimately drew them to becoming their own first line of defense.
Among the witnesses were U.S. Concealed Carry Association (USCCA) instructor and educator Beth Alcazar, who shared a powerful testimony on her journey to gun ownership as a way to protect her three children, as well as her deep experience training other women in self-defense fundamentals. Alcazar highlighted the fear many women are experiencing due to rising violent crime in America’s cities, saying,
- “For the women who walk across a dark parking lot every night after work. For the Realtors who show houses to strangers every week. For any young women who have shadows in their past. And for moms like me, with children in tow. I think they would all agree: They refuse to stand by, idle and helpless. They refuse to become someone’s victim. They refuse to allow harm to come to the ones they love.”
Other witnesses included Geneva Solomon, owner of Redstone Firearms in Burbank, California, and firearms instructor and Second Amendment policy advocate Shirley Watral. Both witnesses shared numerous reasons why gun ownership and training empower women to be protectors instead of victims. Watral shared the horrific experience she endured living in a home with a violent and abusive man who constantly threatened her safety. She was able to escape, though not without wounds, and was driven to train to defend herself, ultimately becoming a licensed firearms instructor.
The hearing demonstrated not only the powerful impact that gun ownership can have in empowering women, but it also exemplified the groundswell of support for Second Amendment rights among women and the actions they are taking to stand up for those rights. In one exchange with Rep. Barry Moore (AL-02), Alcazar touted the potential for National Concealed Carry Reciprocity in empowering women to protect themselves and their loved ones anywhere, anytime:
We commend Beth Alcazar and the other hearing witnesses for making their voices heard, but we also want to note that you don’t need to testify before Congress to make a difference. The first step toward protecting the right to self-defense is education, then activation, and the USCCA-FSL Action Fund is here to help with both. We encourage you to visit our Advocacy page to get involved.
Watch the full congressional hearing on women and the 2A!
OTHER NEWS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
New York Republicans — including U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik and state Sen. Mark Walczyk — are hammering state Democrats over the slew of gun control regulations allegedly behind Remington Arms’ decision to close the historic Ilion, New York, factory. On December 1, 2023, Breitbart News reported Remington had announced the factory close and noted that the factory in Ilion first opened nearly 200 years ago.
- The Reload Podcast: NBC Pollster Unpacks Gun Ownership Spike, Political Implications
NBC News recently released one of the most impactful polls on gun ownership in America. So, it’s time to take a deep dive into what it tells us. Who better to do that with than one of the analysts who actually conducted the poll? That’s why we have Micah Roberts of Public Opinion Strategies on the show this week. He and his company run surveys for NBC, CNBC, and a number of political operations.
The gun charges against Hunter Biden are “unconstitutional under the Second Amendment” and the case should also be dismissed as a collapsed plea agreement still grants him immunity, his attorney said in federal court filings Monday. The big picture: Federal prosecutors maintain the plea deal didn’t go into effect as the Probation Office didn’t approve it, but attorney Abbe Lowell said there’s “no provision” for this and that President Biden’s son should have “sweeping immunity” from this case and the “recently filed tax charges in California.”
- FOX News: Gun Rights Group Applauds After Federal Appeals Court Deals Blow To NY Concealed Carry Law
Gun rights activists cheered Friday after a federal appeals court struck down parts of New York’s expansive concealed carry law. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit blocked three provisions of New York’s “Concealed Carry Improvement Act” (CCIA), a law Democrats passed last year in response to a Supreme Court ruling that declared the state’s previous concealed carry permitting requirements unconstitutional. In doing so, the appeals court allowed other parts of the law to go into effect.
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