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Life Changes

July 1, 2019 / NHWomen / Blogroll, Personal Stories

From time to time, we share personal stories from our members and supporters about why they are gun owners and what the Second Amendment means to them. This note is from Leanne, who changed her mind about firearms a few years ago. This is fairly common; for many of us, circumstances in our lives change that make us think about things in a new way.


Once upon a time, I was very against having guns in my home. I took no issue with people owning guns, since it is a constitutional right, after all. But I was so scared to have on in my home. As the years went on, crime rates and violence began to rise not only in the cities, but in the quiet suburb much like ours. It dawned on me that if I was alone with my three children and someone invaded my home, I would have absolutely no way to protect them. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense to have a firearm in the home in case a situation ever arose.

Also, working in real estate law, there are times when I am leaving my office alone at night, working with large sums of money, or unfortunately, working on foreclosures. There are so many factors that play into a need to protect myself.

My husband and I signed up for a NRA class as required for a Massachusetts license, and after quite a bit of waiting, we received our licenses to carry. The more I learned, the more comfortable I was. We kept the firearms locked in a safe that was away from the children, but close enough to access in case of an emergency.

I’ve since moved to New Hampshire and we are in a much more rural area. I believe our police force has three full-time officers and two part-time, at most. Our 9-1-1 system goes to a hub that is about 40 minutes from our home. I absolutely believe I made the right choice by educating myself and becoming a responsible, law-abiding gun owner now that I am presented with this situation. While I love our police force dearly, being in a remote area creates situations that help may not arrive in time.

I first heard about the Women’s Defense League through Facebook, and immediately took interest. I began to follow the League and saw that not only was this a group of strong women who shared a common interest, but the accomplished things politically and socially – I was enamored! The classes they offer to members and non-members alike are so very valuable. Also, the women I’ve met who head up the League are simply amazing; strong women who make me proud to be “a chick.”