John Sigler is one of the first past presidents of the National Rifle Association (2007-2009) to join the ORA as a Life Member. Pease welcome John as he shares his thoughts and experience at the national, state, and local level in our firearm communities.
There I was sitting in my office daydreaming about the new shotgun I had been lobbying “The Boss” (my wonderful wife) to allow me to buy. The “Sporting Clays Bug” had bitten me and bitten hard. The shotguns I had used for years as a trap shooter and a waterfowl hunter were not “cutting the mustard.”
The phone rang and my paralegal (yep, that’s right, I am one of them – a lawyer) told me that my wife was on the phone. Of course, I immediately answered, and she asked if I had plans for lunch. I answered that I did not, and she said “Good, let’s go to Smyrna Sporting Goods” (my favorite gun shop).
Continued from pg. 5 I, of course, jumped to the conclusion that she had finally relented, and she was finally going to allow me to buy that clays gun I had my eye on – WRONG! Sensing my incorrect conclusion, Ingrid informed me that she wanted to look at shotguns because she was tired of being left at home with the dog while I went to the range to shoot – she wanted me to teach her to shoot sporting clays. That day, that little Dutch girl who came to this country when she was ten years old and had never even been in a household where firearms were present until she married me, joined the ever-growing ranks of first-time female gun buyers. That was many years ago and she now has many other guns in “her safe,” the bragging rights to three Ladies State Sporting Clays Champion titles, and her own concealed carry permit. She was in her early forties at the time. Since that fateful day, Ingrid and I have competed together, hunted together, and practiced our concealed carry drills at the range together. Shooting with my wife makes shooting that much more enjoyable. But, more importantly, it was not until I began to shoot with my wife that I became aware of just how important women are to our gun rights movement, and just how important it is that the men of our movement make room for them, welcome them, respect them, and treat them as equals. Years later when I became NRA’s 59th President, I frequently told our members that “If the hand that rocks the cradle does not hold a
firearm, then the occupant of that cradle probably won’t either.” If you think about that statement, you will find that it is true. Many American women are single moms, and they are the ones raising the next generation of American men. My message to the men was that we had to clean up our act – no more “scratch, chew and spit” range operations. If “Mom” is not comfortable at the range, she will probably be opposed to her offspring going to the range. Our ranges and our gun clubs must become and remain “female friendly,” not just in attitude, but also in operation – keep those porta-potties clean and fresh. Women are by far the largest number of first-time gun buyers. They are also leading the movement for self-defense and home-defense gun ownership. While men may buy guns for hunting and competition, most women buy guns for the first time for defensive purposes. They may eventually become competitors and hunters, but defense of self, family and home are the prime reason women buy guns. There are more women in the United States than men. Women tend to vote more frequently than men. Women tend to control the family finances and to be the opinion leaders in the family. Oh, the man of the house may believe he’s in charge, but we all know that simply is not true in most cases. Women have become the leading, strongest, and fastest growing political force in our country. That means that in many cases, women are now setting the political agenda in many jurisdictions, and those who are not actually setting the agenda, are in the background driving that agenda.
If our Second Amendment is to remain strong and if our Firearms Freedoms are to remain safe, it is the women of America who will make that happen. Look at the anti-gun crowd and who do you see? Women! The anti-gun forces are being led by women who want to destroy the Second Amendment, destroy our history, our culture, and our heritage, and who firmly believe that the Second Amendment should be repealed. In many cases those women are being used by the men who finance their efforts, but it is the women who are out in front leading the anti-gun fight against our God-given freedoms. If we are to win this fight and if we are to save American Freedom and the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, it is our gun owning, freedom-loving women who will make the difference. Gun-owning, freedom-loving women, like my wonderful Ingrid, are the key to our success and we, the men of the gun-freedom movement, must help them, support them, teach them, respect them, and then let them be our voice and our leaders. We must give them the opportunity and the ability to take their rightful places as leaders in the fight for American Freedom and the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. Ladies, it is your turn to carry the flag and to lead the fight. America and American Freedom need you. It is time for you to step forward and to do your part on behalf of our beloved America and our sacred Right to Keep and Bear Arms.
America’s women are the key to saving American Freedom.
John Sigler is a life-long hunter, competitive shooter, collector, and Second Amendment activist. He is a retired police captain, US Navy Submarine veteran and attorney. John is a Life Member of the Oklahoma Rifle Association and a Benefactor Member of the NRA. A member of the United States F-Class Rifle (Open) Team that won the 2023 World Championship in South Africa, John holds International Distinguished Rifleman Badge #67.
