(Article-Interview) An Interview with Carrie Lightfoot of The Well-Armed Woman.

An Interview with Carrie Lightfoot of The Well-Armed Woman.

           Ruth Stafford Peale, wife of Dr. Norman Vincent Peale (author of The Power of positive Thinking) will forever be remembered for inventing the phrase “find a need and fill it.” Carrie Lightfoot did just that.

Following up on our recent article discussing the rapid rise of female gun ownership over the last few years I spoke with Carrie Lightfoot. Back in 2012, Carrie set out to address what she seen as an imbalance in the male-dominated firearms industry. It was hard to imagine that her personal frustration when seeking information geared towards women would lead to the formation of The Well-Armed Woman. With over 12,000 members worldwide, the Shooting Chapter Program has helped countless women enter into the sphere of gun ownership, better informed, better trained and with the full support afforded by a fellowship with like-minded women. The organization’s website has become the “go to” resource for products and information geared specifically for the unique needs of the woman shooter. Her story highlights how one determined woman can make a difference by identifying a need and setting out to fill it to the best of her ability.

DW: What originally led you to create The Well-Armed Woman?

CL: I was in my late forties and living in the Sedona area. I started having concerns about my own personal safety. My last child was heading out the door for college. I was a single mom and there was that realization that I would be alone. It was a wake-up call. I had taken a job working with the homeless and people struggling with poverty. So that took me to a rough part of town. The combination of those two things started me thinking about how I would protect myself. I started doing research as to my options for self-protection. Obviously, a gun was one of those options. I had some friends take me out shooting. That’s kind of the first stage. I wanted to know if I could handle it. Could I pull the trigger on another human being if I had to? So I went through that process. I loved the shooting instantly. I really enjoyed it. I felt confident that I could do this. So I set out to find answers about all of the different types of guns, different types of ammo, and how one should properly conceal-carry.

DW: What did you discover?

 CL: There was nothing out there that spoke to me as a woman. The industry is so male-dominated. Everything was geared towards men. Women do have unique questions and concerns. I felt like there was something really lacking in the industry. Often, if women were depicted shooting it was exploitive or over sexualized. What little information I found was usually condescending and treated me like I was not smart enough to make my own decisions or that I need to be told what I needed. I didn’t like that. I wanted to be spoken to respectfully.

DW: That’s when you decided to create an organization to fill that vacuum?

CL: I wasn’t afraid to start my own business. I knew that there was the need. Somebody needed to answer the call. I said I’ll do it. In 2012, I started The Well-Armed Woman with the focus of trying to create a comprehensive resource that contained not only the information and content that would answer the questions that I think many women had as I did, but also products like concealed-carry holsters for women. There really weren’t a lot of options.  I started designing products that would fit a woman’s body. That really was the start. It’s been a very exciting thing since then.

DW: Do you think that the environment has changed for women gun owners? Has it improved, in part based on what you have accomplished?

CL: Yes, I think so. One of the things that the Well-Armed Woman has done along with providing information and products for women is that it has also grown a community. It created a platform for women speak up and share what their wants are with the industry. They are beginning to take notice. Numbers talk. Women are buying a lot of firearms. That’s putting pressure on them to meet that need. I think they have heard that women are a bit more complex and perfectly capable of making great decisions once they have the information they need. I think the industry has really responded. The old adage was “just shrink it and pink it” and that somehow met the needs of the woman shooter. Size and color are things that are important to women, but they are now realizing that it goes well beyond that. We are starting to see a greater variety, a lot more depth in the offerings. We work with a number of the larger gun manufacturers; we work closely to connect them with a number of women to provide them with feedback as to what they want. They are listening. You can really see it in their product development. You can really see the fruits of that.

DW: Tell me about the growth your organization has experienced from just yourself to over 11,000 members.

CL: We are closer to 12,000 members now. The Well-Armed Woman is basically two separate entities. There is the Well-Armed Woman website which has the content, products and resources. In 2013, I started The Well-Armed Woman Shooting Chapter Program. It is a network of shooting groups all across the country and that’s now a 501C3 non-profit. That organization has almost 340 chapters across the country.

DW: Other than self-defense, what are some of the other reasons that women are purchasing firearms in ever greater numbers?

CL: I do think that the primary goal for most women is the personal defense and self-protection. That really is the driver of a lot of what we are seeing in the industry as more women pursue ownership. But there are other things like competitive shooting; the sport, the fun of it. For most women, once they get over their fears and try shooting, the majority of them love it. That moves into other disciplines like shotgun or IDPA [International Defensive Pistol Association] competitive shooting. We are seeing thousands of women moving into the competitive realm which is really exciting. And there is also hunting. Many women are transitioning into that world as well.

DW: Is there a sense of fraternity? Is this a place where they really feel like they belong?

CL: Yes, that’s why the chapter program exists. To create a comfortable environment that’s woman-friendly and non-intimidating. Once they start to build confidence, they become emboldened and move into different disciplines. It is a really important component. The level of sisterhood that is created when women come together is just as important as their own self-protection. It’s really something to see, that level of friendship and loyalty and support that they derive from each other.

DW: Are you in favor of open-carry?

CL: I think that our rights as American citizens to carry a firearm are really important. They should not be heavily legislated. I would never want to interfere with our right to carry. We each have to make that personal decision of which is the better choice for us, open or concealed. The majority of women carry concealed because the element of surprise is significant, so we want to protect that advantage. There are times when I do open-carry. It’s much more comfortable. I don’t need to be provocative. I don’t need to make a point. I don’t see it as a statement. I don’t need to make people feel uncomfortable. I don’t need to draw attention to myself. So personally, I think that concealed-carry is the better choice for personal protection and it also helps minimize some of the negative response and risk. As scary as it is, there are some people that will call in to report you if you are just out shopping with a firearm on your hip just to create a scene. There is a lot of risk in that.

DW: Are women more likely than their male counterparts to seek out professional training?

CL: I think that is true. What I hear all the time across the training industry is how women are really like a sponge that will just soak up everything. They are very eager. Once they take the responsibility of protecting themselves and their families they want to be good at it, they want to be effective and know how to handle the various situations they might encounter if ever threatened. They make great students because there are fewer egos at play here. We are very comfortable saying “I don’t know what I am doing…..teach me.” I think that may come a little easier for a woman.

DW: Many women, once having made the decision to arm themselves, to connect with like-minded individuals and train, report that there is a sense of empowerment that transfers into other areas of their lives. Can you speak to this from your own experience?

CL: The ability to protect yourself and feel as though you are competent and capable to do that creates a confidence that women historically haven’t had. Women have been the protected gender. Gun ownership is transformational. We teach all of our chapter presidents that this is about much more than the gun. The gun is the tool and it’s the pathway to a great level of confidence. Once they raise their situational awareness and understanding and take control of their environment it changes how they move through their lives. They walk through parking-lots differently, they make eye contact, there’s a confidence that changes the way they interact with other people. It’s physical. You can see it. They have a whole different aura about them.

DW: What advice would you offer women once they have made the decision to arm themselves?

CL: Training is the key. Find the right instructor to get that one-on-one live instruction. Videos are great, there are some good books out there and they are a compliment, but nothing can replace working with a certified instructor. The training is not something that happens only once, it’s on-going. Also, selecting the right firearm for you is important. Once you have decided to purchase the question then becomes “which one?” there are so many choices, it can be overwhelming. Visit a range that rents firearms so you can evaluate them. Attend a chapter meeting where you can try other firearms; shoot as many as you can before deciding. We see a lot of men, while well-meaning; make that decision for the woman in their life. They buy them the gun the think they will need rather than what she wants or will work for her. I would rather see men give a gift-certificate or that couples would visit the gun store together. It’s like buying a bra or a pair of shoes; we really need to make these decisions ourselves.

DW: What are some of the benefits for couples that pursue shooting together?

CL: I think that anytime a couple can find activities to pursue together it is healthy for their relationship. My husband and I train together for personal defense and that really has brought us together as a team. We know that we have each other’s backs should a situation ever arise. We have a great time shooting together.

DW: What do you think are some of the greater challenges for women shooters looking forward?

CL: I think that we cleared many of the hurdles that have women have faced in the past. Some political and legislative issues require on-going attention. Some states like California and New York are passing some laws that are concerning. We need to stay vigilant. These are issues for both men and women that we really need to fight for. Also, there are still a great number of Americans who really don’t understand our lifestyle. They don’t understand our choices or fully grasp the need, as we see it, to be prepared. We have work to do to dispel the myths about who we are and who we are not. Every single day we are ambassadors for gun owners and we need to really take that seriously. How we talk about guns, how we joke about them or handle them influences people around us. That is a task we will always have. We need to be conscious of it, especially for women.

DW: Do you think women are better equipped to act as ambassadors for the community?

CL: Yes, I do think so. Women are master story-tellers and we have very emotional ones to convey; especially when we are talking about protecting ourselves. The overwhelming majority of violent crime is perpetrated against women so our perspective is really powerful towards influencing people to understand why it these issues are important.

DW: Traditionally, women have organized themselves according to feminist tenants of self-determination, independence and equality. Are you troubled by the position that a woman’s expression of these mantras seems to end when gun-ownership enters into the discussion?

CL: Many of the arguments that we hear that support that thinking are that women are too emotional or that if we have a firearm it’s just going to be taken away and used against us. The messaging is that we are too weak or ill-equipped to be able to defend ourselves which flies in the face of real equality. It’s really frustrating that women’s rights are confused by agendas. If I am able to make choices concerning my body then I am perfectly capable of making choices as to my own defense. It is really perpetuating the stereotype of women as victims. It is nonsensical that I can somehow be equal in areas of employment, pay, and choice yet remain unequal in the world of violence.

          As more women are evaluating their own needs for self-protection and seeking products geared towards their unique needs the ability to find information and resources is now merely a click away. Originating from one woman’s frustration with the traditionally male-dominated sphere of shooting enthusiasts, The Well-Armed Woman works to dissemble the stereotype that women are less able to adequately defend themselves. We thank Carrie for taking the time to share her story.

Daniel Williamson February 2017