The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance provided the venue for the hearing titled “Second Amendment Rights Empower Women’s Rights.” Lawmakers heard first-hand accounts of how draconian gun control measures make it more difficult for women to utilize their freedom to protect themselves and their loved ones.
Committee Chairman Andy Biggs (R-AZ) noted that females are a fast-growing demographic of new American gun owners. National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) data showed that the rate of gun ownership among Black women soared 87% in 2021.
“I commend these strong women, and all strong women, for stepping up to protect themselves and their families.”
It is no accident, Biggs explained, that this dramatic surge aligns with continued high crime rates along with the prevalence of prosecutors who prioritize keeping criminals free to roam the streets over victims’ rights.
“They fail to realize how more gun control only harms and impacts the vulnerable populations they claim they want to protect.”
One by one, witnesses told lawmakers how they were driven to gun ownership by a variety of dire circumstances. Some endured unthinkable threats and dangers to their lives and those of their families. But they found the will to stand up and not allow these horrific experiences to dictate their lives.
Now many are sharing this experience with others, including training women on legal and responsible ways to defend themselves with firearms.
One brave example was presented by Geneva Solomon, an NSSF member who is also part of the National African American Gun Association (NAAGA).
She recounted her experiences to legislators. “My journey from victim to survivor to advocate has led me to this moment today.” Facing the very real threat of harm to herself and her family left her with no choice. “I had to become my own first responder.”
Solomon told the audience that along with the power of self-defense came “a profound sense of empowerment.” No longer was she at the mercy of someone who would victimize her and had no recourse except to wait for help to arrive.
And now she trains others to close what she and her husband describe as a gap in the Black community of gun ownership education.
“The initiative has empowered thousands, if not tens of thousands, across California emphasizing that no one is coming to save you,” Solomon testified. “The reality is there’s a thirst for knowledge and empowerment and it’s happening in California big time.”
The Second Amendment advocate denounced the Golden State’s notorious gun control laws as an impediment to safety and wellbeing. “Imagine having to wait 10 days, in fear of your life, wondering if your next moment will be your last.”
Another witness, Beth Alcazar, is a U.S. Concealed Carry Association senior training counselor. She listed her professional and personal accomplishments to the representatives before declaring, “first and foremost, I am a mother. And I have made a personal choice to live as a mom with a gun.”
The editor of Concealed Carry Magazine noted that she tirelessly works for women who cross dark parking lots and realtors who show homes to strangers. She is an advocate for young women with bad actors in their past and moms with children.
As she told Fox News Digital in a preview of her testimony, “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.”
