It’s kinda hard to argue against arming women to defend themselves against rapists. Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo does so by asserting that rapists would use their victims’ guns against them. As in shooting and killing their victims. In other words, it’s better to be unarmed and raped than shot and killed. Unless you’re raped and shot and killed. Go figure. Anyway, the head of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America knows her antis are losing ground in this debate. So Shannon Watts penned an “answer” to the guns-against-rapists trend for msnbc.com. Here’s Ms. Watts’ rationale for maintaining a gun ban on campus relative to its impact (or lack thereof) on rapists . . .
. . . guns on college campuses are not the answer to keeping women safe.
That’s because campuses are rife with alcohol, drugs, and depression: a dangerous recipe that may be made deadly by adding guns to the mix. Indeed, research shows that alcohol is involved in most campus sexual assault, and alcohol leads to impaired judgment about gun use.
Wait. What? Women on campus shouldn’t be able defend themselves against rapists because they’re drunk when they’re being raped? C’mon. That can’t be it. What does that even mean? That these drunk rape victims would shoot shoot someone who wasn’t raping them? Drunken co-ed lushes would the wrong person? Shoot themselves?
I get the idea that Shannon and her ilk don’t like the idea of [legally owned] guns around college students who are drunk, drugged or depressed. Too bad. Someone with a legal right to keep and bear arms should not be restricted from exercising that right by someone else’s fears of unintended consequences. Especially this fear – which is just plain stupid.
Actually, Shannon’s “excuse” for denying women their right to armed self-defense is demeaning to women. It’s outrageous. Almost as outrageous as Acevedo’s “logic.” Oh wait. Shannon’s down with that too.
But women are not falling for the NRA’s false narrative that most predators are strangers jumping out of the bushes and attacking women. In fact, between 80% and 90% of sexual assaults at colleges involve acquaintances, not strangers. A professor at Florida’s Eckerd College summed it up succinctly during her recent testimony at a hearing on campus carry in Florida: “Proponents will tell you that allowing concealed carry will protect female students from sexual assault. I will point out the obvious; you’ll be arming the assailants, too.”
Can this get any more stupider? I will point out the obvious: rapists aren’t waiting for a change in the law to arm themselves to commit their crime. What is wrong with this woman? She is delusional. As in unwilling to accept reality. Literally.
As a mother of five children—three of whom will be away at college this fall—the issue of campus carry is very personal. Like any mom, my primary concern is for my children’s safety—especially when they’re away from home. The thought that my daughters could be surrounded by students making impulsive and sometimes dangerous decisions while carrying a firearm or be expected to defend themselves with a gun, is not something I am willing to accept.
Shannon may not be willing to accept the idea of armed assailants at her children’s colleges, but that doesn’t change the fact of the matter. They’re out there, somewhere, whether Shannon accepts it or not. [Note to Shannon: click here for a video report, Suspected armed rapist barges in on college birthday party.] As for expecting Ms. Watts’ children/step-children to defend themselves with a gun, I certainly don’t. But I want them to be able to should they decide to do so.
Of course, Ms. Watts isn’t into letting adults make their own decisions either. She wants to make decisions for them. Specifically, she wants all adults on campus disarmed, even if it leaves them defenseless. Even if it’s her own children. Because Mother knows best. She knows where the real danger lies.
The NRA is right that our daughters need protection; they need their parents to protect them from the NRA.
I think she actually believes that, even though she’s paid to say so. Too bad she couldn’t be more wrong if she tried.