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With Mother's Day 2019 approaching, what better way to welcome the festivities than to hear from some Strong Moms, who go out every single day and fight like the mothers they are?
In this article, and three more to come- leading up to Mother's Day, you'll meet some pretty incredible women who have found purpose for their lives... through their 2nd Amendment Right.
We start off with Anne's story...
On a cold, bitter February night, of 1982, a young NYU grad student, Anne, was leaving her night class around 10pm. Rather than going out the main entrance with other students, Anne exited through another door, that led out onto 5th Avenue- being it was closest to the 6th Avenue subway.
She walked briskly through the neighborhood, that's said to be where Ronald Reagan's son lived, taking in the beauty of the historic Brownstone homes that lined both sides of the street. Considered to be a great area to live, Anne did not expect her mission of getting home, to be filled with obstacles.
As she made it halfway down the sidewalk, two large men in down-coats, came from the shadows, and started to approach her. Although Anne's senses gave her warning, she forced herself to stay calm. Her plan was to cross the street as they got closer, and as her foot left the curb, several cars started to pass by, that stopped Anne in her tracks.
Within an instant, the intimidating, 6" tall men surrounded Anne's tiny, 5'6", 115 lb frame- one in front of her and the other behind, and they demanded her to give them money. Her brain went into overdrive, processing thoughts of "what ifs" at warp speed. Things that she thought she would do if the situation she were in ever happened, she was not doing in that very moment.
"Who gets mugged by two people at once!?!" she wondered.
Her main objective was to stay calm.
"Give us your money, now!"
Anne explained to them that she was a college student and didn't carry much money on her as she fidgeted to open her bag.
"You better find money," the guy in front of her demanded, as he pushed his hand into his pocket, implying he had a gun pointing at her.
As a New York City college student, Anne was cautioned to keep her money stashed in random areas for these types of situations. She fumbled through her belongings, finding her wallet that she knew had a couple of dollars in it. She pulled out the folded money. Immediately the guy in front, snatched the bills from her, knocking the wallet out of her hand, and both guys took off running.
Turning in the direction the muggers went, Anne watched the guy that was behind her turn the corner, and as he left her sight, a Police Officer was crossing the street. Anne bent down to gather her wallet and belongings. She wasn't crying, but tears poured from her eyes as she began to shake severely at the thought of what could've happened if the guys only knew she gave them $2.
Anne promised herself in that moment, that she would never be a victim again and as soon as she could, she started researching self protection methods.
Fast forward to 2019, Anne is now married with grown children, who have children of their own. Looking back on that moment in her life, she confidently says that having a firearm for protection would've kept things from going the way they did.
"I was a starving grad student and it was TWO guys. Both towered over me. I didn't know what was going to happen. My brain raced through every scenario. I most definitely feel that from the time that they started coming towards me up the sidewalk, I would've had the firearm ready, if I had one. It was that gut feeling. Plus, both had on super heavy down filled coats... what else would've worked if things went more worse than what they did?
The only reason I was trying not to have my bag stolen was because the semester had just started and my class cards were in my bag. As they demanded my money, the only thing I could think about was that, weirdly enough. You didn't get into your class without a card, and at a University that size, getting it replaced would've been a major nightmare.
Nothing is 100% guaranteed, but what would've given me better odds in that moment, then? I can remember that day like it was yesterday. The brutal cold air of February. All the emotions and thoughts of what could've happened. I thought about 'what to do.' As a young girl in NYC, everyone talked about it and warned you to keep $20 handy in case of muggers. They'd say, "If you're mugged... blah blah blah..."
So, through education, I feel more confident and capable of protecting myself and my loved ones with a firearm, now." - Anne from Pennsylvania
Anne's experience, though unique to her, is one that we have often been warned about. Young women, on their own for the first time in a big city, we are advised to keep a low profile.
"Head up and focus straight ahead, don't look anyone in the eye. Keep your belongings held tightly against you. DO NOT SPEAK TO STRANGERS!!!"
We are told these things in attempts to prepare us for unknown dangers within society. Our families pushing us to be proactive, through simple little maneuvers. We know to call 9-1-1 in case of an emergency. We know to scream "FIRE" in case of an attack. We know that the eyes of our assailant is what we need to gouge out, in case of a physical altercation. Are these things enough, though?
What if your attacker is armed with a gun, knife, or something of the like?
What if your attacker is stronger than you, with more determination to get what they want?
What if your attacker has no value for the quality of life, in general, that they are willing to do whatever they need to, to get what they want from you?
Anne certainly came face to face with these realities on that cold, February night in NYC. She knew that, even though she left THAT experience with her life, the next time might not go so well. She knew that in order to avoid that at all costs, she needed to take her well being and overall safety into her own hands. Anne is a now a law abiding, firearm owner, who seeks out education and training as often as she can as part of staying responsible and accountable for exercising her 2nd Amendment Right.
Anne #FightsLikeAMother