First let me start off by telling you a little bit about myself. I do not fit any of the stereotypes for the typical gun owner. I do not like NASCAR; in fact I like hockey and football. I was not born in the Deep South or in the Western states. I grew up in an affluent neighborhood just outside of DC. I am female and a minority. I am relatively well educated. I graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Chemistry double majoring in Biology with a minor in mathematics from a top 25 university. I am currently working on my second Bachelors/Masters in Mechanical Engineering. I am young, only 22. I grew up in a house where we never worried about guns or violence. That was just something that happened in the bad areas of DC. Once I got to college, I watched Bowling for Columbine my sophomore year for class and was swayed enough by the documentary, at least enough to buy it. Then life changed for me.
I was a typical college student. I drank at frat parties three nights a week partying away and then suffered in the library the other four nights doing homework just to do it again week after week. Unfortunately, I had to grow up sooner then I thought I would. I was just 17, away from home for the first time in my life. I grew up in a strict Catholic family where values and morals were set and were expected to be followed. Despite volunteering in a hospital, I was very naive about the inherent goodness of people. My very first year of college, a boy who I trusted decided he wanted to be with me. He drugged my tea and then proceeded to rape me. This was my first lesson in human nature. I blocked the incident and continued on with school and started partying. I also started on my premed requirements and decided to join the local rescue squad. Through squad, I had calls that I will never forget. I saw people and things in the city that a normal college student should never see. My sophomore year of college made me lose faith in my own judgments and my own faith in people. My best friend at the time decided to hold a knife 3 inches away from my neck and then three days later threatened to kill me. I found out later that he meant it at a joke, but it was not funny to me. After that incident I started to change my opinions on self defense and finding a way to protect myself. I started carrying around a pocket knife just in case and had a can of mace on me most of the time.
Luckily, between my junior and senior year of college, I met my current boyfriend. I always wanted to learn how to shoot but was always scared on how to approach it. I did not know where to start. He offered to take me out for the first time. The only problem was that I was 20 and was not allowed to shoot in a range. He settled instead for a rifle. I bought my first rifle a month away from my 21st birthday. During the months before I turned 21, he also started carrying openly at first and then concealed when his permit came in. He was carrying a full size IMI Jericho. I was so scared that in my liberal college town, somebody would stop us and then give us grief. After a few weeks, I got used to him carrying a gun around and generally did not notice until I hugged him and felt a hard metal object. On the weekend right before I turned 21, he bought a new pistol for himself and then let me borrow his old one. On my 21st birthday I applied for my concealed carry permit. I was still unsure of myself and was uncomfortable carrying. I thought all eyes were on me. Eventually, I started carrying almost daily when I was not in class (against University policy).
I wanted to write to tell you the reason why I carry. I carry because it is an inherent right and a right not used is a right not given. Most of all I carry because I never want to feel like I during those past events in my life. I never want to feel helpless to anybody again. I never want to feel like there is nothing I can do. I have no doubt in my mind that if I have to use my gun, it will be easier to deal with then another rape or another knife to my throat by a trusted friend.
-Kat
