DISCLAIMER!
Making the Commitment
The following links are useful if you are looking for more information on women's self-defense and firearms. If you have already made the commitment to do whatever it takes to protect yourself and your loved ones in a responsible and judicious manner, these links will serve to reinforce and support that decision.
Women's
Firearms Network : this page features articles written by
women (myself included!), for women
Janis
Maria Carmella Costanzi Cortese : you may or may not agree with
Ms. Cortese's politics, but her page is nothing short of brilliant, quirky,
and eclectic.
Paxton
Quigley : basic, sound info by a woman who understands marketing!
rec.guns FAQ
: excellent information overall, written on a volunteer basis by contributors
to the rec.guns newsgroup, which is one of the 'Net's most polite and chivalrous
newgroups out there.
AWARE
: Arming Women Against Rape and Endangerment, an organization that offers
a slew of courses for the thinking woman.
And now, some recommended reading (I have included ISBN numbers, in case you wish to order books from online providers):
In the Gravest Extreme, by Massad Ayoob, © 1980,
Police Bookshelf ISBN 0-936297-00-1
This is probably the most important book for every beginner to read, about the role of the firearm vis a vis personal protection. While it covers plenty of the basic perameters of handgun ownership, its most important - - no, monumental - - contribution are the chapters outlining the gunowner's inherent responsibilities in the moral, ethical, legal and judicial use of lethal force, to himself, the perpetrator, and the community at large. Nearly twenty years after it was first published, the information is still amazingly relevant. But a second edtion would be most welcome, since there are many new firearms to choose from, and which beg review in the book.
Armed & Female, by Paxton Quigley, © 1989,
Paxton Quigley Productions, St. Martin's Press ISBN 0-312-95150-7
This book is a well-written treatise on self-defense and gun ownership for women. But to me, the most remarkable thing about this book is the courage Ms. Quigley displayed in having the guts to publish it, way back in '89 when "nice" women weren't supposed to think of guns as an effective tool for self-defense. She obviously struck a chord, however, as Armed & Female can be found at just about every newstand, bookstore and library in the country.
Effective Defense: The Woman, The Plan, The Gun, by
Gila May-Hayes, © 1994, The Firearms Academy of Seattle ISBN 1-885036-01-9
This is a great book that is chock-full of practical and substantial information, and which is well written, to boot. Ms. May-Hayes is feminine, petite, charming, and tough! And she knows her stuff.
more about the women's
self-defense course I attended
