• Bevy of brave gals battling for right of self-defense for all women
By Keith Johnson
Many of the patriotic American women who’ve been pushing back against the enemies of the Second Amendment can also be counted among the thousands of grassroots activists who just recently handed the gun grabbers their latest major defeat.
On September 10, angry Colorado voters, who cherish their inalienable right to keep and bear arms, took to the polls and successfully ousted two democratic state legislators who helped push through a series of unconstitutional gun-control laws earlier in the year.
In the state’s first ever legislative recall, state Senate President John Morse and Senator Angela Giron were both handed their walking papers despite $3 million in financial backing from deep pocket anti-gunners like outgoing New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who personally forked out $350K to counter the recall campaign.
While the Colorado voters are certainly worthy of considerable praise for this historic victory, due credit must be given to the brave Colorado women who championed the cause early on. Among them is Kimberly Weeks, who joined with several other women in March to testify before the Colorado State Judiciary Committee in opposition to the proposed gun-control laws.
“It was very difficult, but I shared the night I was raped,” Weeks said in a recent radio ad produced by the Colorado Woman’s Alliance. “I begged Senator Morse and Senator Giron not to strip me of my right to legally defend myself and family. I was stunned at the arrogant response we received…It seemed like they were not remotely interested in what we had to say…We have a right to choose how we protect ourselves and our families—but Senators Morse and Giron didn’t think twice about taking that right away.”
This AMERICAN FREE PRESS reporter recently reached out to another patriotic woman whose efforts were instrumental in defeating Colorado’s powerful anti-gun lobby.
Linda Elliott is coordinator for the Colorado chapter of 1 Million Moms Against Gun Control (1MMAGC), a pro-Second Amendment women’s organization that was formed early this year in response to the anti-gun hysteria that arose out of the Sandy Hook tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut.
“I went to the capitol and sat there for 12 hours watching these laws get bullied through,” Mrs. Elliott told AFP. “It made me so angry that there were so many people opposed but [the Democrats] couldn’t take the time to listen. They already had their minds made up.”
Mrs. Elliott goes on to describe the farce she witnessed on the senate floor: “On one side of the aisle, there were Republicans fighting tooth and nail [in opposition to the legislation] while the democrats were playing games on their laptops. A couple were even braiding each others hair. When it came time for a voice vote, Republicans were screaming ‘No!’ and the Democrats just arrogantly nodded or mumbled ‘yes’ –but the laws passed anyway. There was such uproar [from the audience] that they almost had to clear the seating above [the senate floor].”
From that day forward, Mrs. Elliott dedicated herself to righting the wrongs she witnessed at her state capitol. “I told myself that if these laws passed, I have to do something or at least be able to say that I tried,” she says.
Over the past several months, Mrs. Elliott has helped to organize, and participated in, about half a dozen armed marches.
“We do this to make people aware of what’s going on,” says Mrs. Elliott. “And that has had a big impact. Even in a small town like Westcliffe, Colorado [pop. 568], we were able to attract 500 gun owners who marched with us in support of our local sheriff, who has joined 55 of the 62 Colorado sheriffs in a lawsuit to repeal these gun laws.”
When asked to describe the gun-control laws that are being targeted in the suit, Mrs. Elliott replies: The laws require a $10 fee for each gun transfer…a background check for every transfer, whether public or private…[and] limits magazine capacity to 15 rounds.”
In the days leading up to the recall, Mrs. Elliott concentrated her efforts on getting voters to the polls. “I’m close to Pueblo, so I did a lot more work for the Giron recall,” she says. “We were knocking on doors up to the last day to remind people who signed the recall petition to get out and vote. And if they needed a ride, we helped them get there.”
Mrs. Elliott stressed that all her activities pertaining to the Colorado recall are done as a private citizen and independent of her affiliation with 1MMAGC, which she describes as a place where women can find support, training and advice on how to exercise their constitutional right to defend their families with firearms.
“After Sandy Hook we saw that there was only a voice for one side of the debate,” says Mrs. Elliott. “We want women to know that supporting gun rights doesn’t make you a bad mom. Many women are fearful for their lives. They’re easy targets. We are the weaker sex. And sometimes, the protection of our children rests on our shoulders.”
Keith Johnson in an investigative journalist and creator of the Revolt of the Plebs.
