y’know, even in Canada guns are NOT JUST about sports shooting. What about the women who own firearms just for the defense of themselves and their chiildren! canda may not have a 2A; BUT, they DO ,as human beings , have that basic fundametal HUMAN RIGHT to defend themselves and their loved ones…….

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Who says girls and guns don’t mix?

PUBLICATION: The New Brunswick Telegraph Journal
DATE: 2003.03.06
SECTION: Sport
PAGE: B6
COLUMN: Canada Games
BYLINE: MARY MOSZYNSKI Telegraph-Journal
PHOTO: Karen Ruet/Special to the Telegraph-Journal
DATELINE: BATHURST
ILLUSTRATION: Erin Sloan of Murray Corner won
a
silver.

—————————————————————————-
—-

Who says girls and guns
don’t
mix?

—————————————————————————-
—-

Although Erin Sloan of Murray Corner proved naysayers wrong when she
captured a silver medal Tuesday in the air pistol individual shooting
competition, females are still under the stigma that guns aren’t for
girls.

Airen Ernest is a member of New Brunswick’s air rifle team in the Canada
Games. Barely 1.5-metres (five-feet) tall, Ernest said people are often
surprised to find out she shoots a gun.

“There’s a lot of people that think that because I’m small I won’t be on
the
shooting team,” she said. “People ask me what sport I’m in and they’re
surprised.”

The 17-year-old athlete from Gagetown said the thrill of shooting doesn’t
come from destruction or violence, but from the concentration and skill it
involves.

“I don’t go hunting but I love shooting,” she said. “It’s all about
concentration, it’s a mind game,” she added.

In fact, shooting is a very safe sport, she said. In the sport-risk level
provided for the Canada Games, shooting is in the lowest risk factor,
while
badminton is in the moderate-risk level.

“I think it’s one of the misunderstood sports in the Canada Games,” she
said. “You have to have things from all different sports, including focus
and strength.”

Ashley Goddard, also of the New Brunswick shooting team, said she gets
some
jeers from guys when they find out she shoots a rifle.

“I know a couple of people that are like ‘I could shoot better than you
and
I’ve never picked a gun up before’,” she said. “So I’m like, ‘Here’s a
rifle, here’s a target. Try’.”

In fact, girls often excel in the sport as they’re more likely to have
better concentration and steady nerves, she said.

It’s a sentiment her male teammate, Mike Isabelle, agrees with.

“I guess people think guys should be in shooting but there’s some pretty
good female shooters,” he said.

Ernest said the stereotype of shooting being a man’s domain is just
antiquated thinking.

“Most people figure girls should be interested in other sports and
shooting
is not one of them because guys used to do all the hunting and stuff,” she
said. “And I guess now they feel threatened.”

Goddard and Ernest both got involved in the sport of shooting through
cadets. Although at first, Ernest’s parents weren’t thrilled with the idea
of her shooting a gun, they’ve always supported her.

“My parents really didn’t want me to shoot,” she said.”My parents aren’t
really big people into guns or anything but they support me 100 per cent
on
everything,” she added.

For Goddard, she said some guys just aren’t comfortable with the idea of a
female shooter.

“Female shooters intimidate guys,” she said.