Need some advice from the INGO ladies.

[AR Maker]

I need some arguments from a womans point of view to try and win my wife over to carrying her own weapon for personal protection. My wife is not opposed to 2nd amend, or me carrying for that matter. She is also NOT opposed to shooting guns, in fact she rather enjoys shooting with me and is fairly accurate with any firearm she picks up. She also enjoys archery and would like to hunt dear with bow and arrow.She just dosnt want to carry her own handgun, she wants her own revolver (a pink Charter Arms). She just dosnt think she would carry on her person. She did say she would probably carry it in her car under the seat.

I tried all the arguments i could think of...

1. What if you are in Kohls and some zombies try and take one of the kids?

2. What if you are at the hairdressers and your stylist goes postal and attacks you with a curling iron?

3. What if you are at the park and Martians attack?


All to no avail.

Help...

 

[JetGirl]

You won't "win" from trying to convince her with a lot of "what ifs". If that were possible, the nightly news would have your back.
It's just something we all have to come to on our own. Doesn't mean you can't lead...*gently*...
Good luck.

 

[kimmi]

Maybe use examples she could consider real possibilities. 1. Most people don't believe a zombie attack will actually happen; 2. She trusts her hairdresser, and won't assume that she would be vulnerable to a curling iron attack; 3. Again, most people don't believe that aliens are going to come down and attack us.

If you are serious (which I'm undecided on) in trying to convince her to carry, lay out real scenarios that you've seen on the news. The kind of stuff that you don't really want to think about happening to your wife: rape, kidnapping, assault, etc. If you show her real situations where she would need to defend herself, eventually she'll be thinking "Why didn't I start carrying a firearm earlier?"

 

[Cru]

I think your problem here, is that she isn't going to think about the need to carry seriously if you make the examples of "why" big jokes.

I know you're trying to be funny (at least I think so) but if that is seriously the examples you gave her, she's going to just roll her eyes and laugh at your sillyness.

Since she already wants her own gun (and if it's pink and that makes her comfortable, then more power to her) then she is half way there! Encourage her to take a Self Defense course. I know for both myself AND my wife, a training class shows you how fast a situation really can arise and how if you aren't prepared for it, you can be in big trouble fast.

That's what I would do. But she'll have to decide for herself that she wants to carry or just having a gun on her won't do her any good.

 

[AuntieBellum]

Take her to a gun shop, let her pick out a gun that fits her well and that she is excited about, and buy it for her.

Take her out, let her shoot it and have a good time.

Explain that she needs to get her LTCH if she's going to take the gun to and from the range. She may say she's only going to go with you, but there's always the chance that you have to take separate cars, she goes to the grocery and you left a handgun inside, etc.

And then when she's truly comfortable and has the LTCH, listen for any hint that she might be interested in carrying. Don't push it, but if everything before went well, she just might consider it. I did.

 

[stilllearning09]

Scare of postal curling irons??? Patience not prodding will bring her around. Does she have friends that shoot? A girls' get together is a great way to bring her around. You are in Brooklyn, is there a way she would be interested in joing the INGO ladies for a little dinner and get together on the 30th? No pressure, just us gals getting together and finally meeting one another and sharing some girl talk. Good luck.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

OP, you might want to take a look through the Cornered Cat blog.

Cornered Cat - Table of Contents

 

[drgnrobo]

Posted by Kimmi
Maybe use examples she could consider real possibilities. 1. Most people don't believe a zombie attack will actually happen
I didnt think my house was haunted until my resident spook turned on my PC ,flipped the desk chair around & turned off the bathroom light . Im a rational guy but dont crush my Zombie Assault Teams hopes. I cant convince my wife to carry either but she is a teacher & feels in her position that she shouldnt carry a handgun ,Thats what Im for she says but I cant be there all the time .

 

[sclark]

Just have her look at it like an car insurance policy, wrecks happen all the time and when you least expect but you have to carry a policy 365 days to stay protected.

 

[88GT]

First post wins again.

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't...well, you know how it goes.

The bottom line is that she doesn't see a real need. She's insulated from the reality that crime truly is random and she's just as likely to be a victim as the next guy (or gal). There is nothing you can say that will change that.

Unfortunately, it's going to take a close call--or worse--I think, for her to realize that there is a need to be prepared. And we can't exactly go around creating those "come to Jesus" moments, can we?

I agree that she might benefit from spending time around other ladies who carry. Could be she's got a mental hang-up about "going strapped." Otherwise, you just might have to get used to the idea that your woman is stepping out into the world with a less-than-ideal level of preparation to meet the threats.

[I don't recommend this, but it is an option. Have you considered putting your foot down and "demanding" that she carry when she has the children? It's one thing to be so cavalier with her own life, but her choice is affecting the children as well. (I will never forget hearing about a killer on America's Most Wanted who specifically targeted mothers with smaller children. After watching her strap them into the car seats, he'd wait until she shut their doors and made her way around to the driver's side to get in. While she was walking around the vehicle, he entered the passenger rear door and put a knife/gun to the child. You can guess what happened after that.) I'm sure in this day an age with "women's lib" it will probably go over like a lead balloon. And "demand" may be a bit harsh. Whatever works within your family dynamics. Just throwing it out there.]