Since Sept. 11, Women Are Taking Protection Into Their Own Hands
By CANDACE J. SAMOLINSKI [email protected]
Sep 29, 2001
A state senator, a young wife, a middle-aged office manager and a
grandmother set out on a mission this week.

They might have been strangers, but they found common ground in their
reasons for going.

It was a Wednesday night, and after about four hours of training, they
emerged with something else in common: the ability to carry a concealed
weapon. Locally, gun dealers and trainers report the number of women
buying guns is on the rise since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, with
women sometimes outnumbering men 6-to-1.

When “Annie Get Your Gun” burst onto Broadway in 1946, it brought to
life the Wild West story of a woman known for her sharpshooting ability.
Irving Berlin’s songs captured the quandary of women who, during World
War II, tried to hold on to femininity while taking on roles once
reserved for men.

“A man’s love is mighty. He’ll even buy a nightie for a gal who he
thinks is fun. But they don’t buy pajamas for pistol-packin’ mamas,” the
character Annie Oakley sang in “You Can’t Get a Man With a Gun.”

Today, American women are more independent, but there possibly remains a
stigma associated with a woman carrying a pistol. But a lot has changed
since hijacked airliners crashed into the World Trade Center and
Pentagon, and society’s notion of protection might have crumbled along
with the concrete and glass.

“When I was growing up, there was no question that the government could
protect you,” said Janey Baldwin, a 72- year-old Brooksville grandmother
who attended a concealed-weapons class in Port Richey. “Sept. 11 that
all changed. I feel now I need to be responsible for my own safety. I
hope many women will rethink how they view guns.”

It’s also time for the government to do some rethinking, said office
manager Donna Munsen, 45, of New Port Richey, who attended the class
largely because of the attack.

“For so many years, the government has been concentrating on its
citizens being criminals. It’s to the point that when you walk out your
front door you’re worried about breaking a law,” she said. “I mean, it
wasn’t so long ago that the politicians were so concerned with me
driving my [sport utility vehicle] and talking on my cellphone. Now I
hope they will see that there are real criminals living amongst us that
pose a real danger.”

The terrorist attack also hit home for Laura Benz, 24, of New Port
Richey, who had been mulling over the idea of carrying a pistol before
she watched the trade center towers fall.

“That sealed the deal for me,” Benz said.

Some might question whether Benz and her husband, who are considering
starting a family, should have a gun in their home. Benz said the
thought of a child only reinforced her desire to learn the proper way to
handle a gun.

“I want to be able to protect my child,” Benz said. “My husband also is
going to go through the [concealed-weapons] class. The class wasn’t just
about learning to fire a gun, it was a lot about safety and how to
safely store a gun.”

Personal Safety Concerns Senator An in-depth safety lesson wasn’t what
Sen. Ginny Brown-Waite, R-Brooksville, had anticipated when she signed
up for the class. “I was impressed with the thoroughness of all of the
training,” said Brown-Waite, who has carried a .38 Colt in her car for
about nine years but never has fired it. She recently was tapped to lead
the new state committee on homeland safety.

The senator and two staff members, Judy Wells and Janice Laxton, decided
to attend the class because of personal safety concerns.

“I think in terms of day-to-day protection, the government does an
excellent job,” Brown-Waite said. “But I do think after Sept. 11 a lot
of people rethought their personal security.”

The majority of women attending instructor Bill Bunting’s
concealed-weapons class have been motivated by the attack, he said. This
is the first time he has seen so many women of all ages registering.

Attendance numbers at recent gun shows in Lakeland and St. Petersburg
might reflect an increase in interest among women. More than 1,200 women
between the ages of 24 and 35 were on hand at each show, officials said.

“I have received 18 telephone calls from women since the attack. That’s
compared to three calls I’ve gotten from men,” Bunting said. “I think
Sept. 11 was a real wake-up call.”

Bunting conducts concealed-weapons classes upon request, and he
biannually joins Pasco-Pinellas Public Defender Bob Dillinger and
Assistant Public Defender Tom Hanlon in providing free awareness
training to single parents and their children in Pasco and Pinellas
counties.

Most of the women who went to the training said they haven’t decided
what kind of gun they will buy. They are satisfied just knowing they
have the ability to fire a gun safely.

Reporter Candace J. Samolinski can be reached at ====

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