Tori Matkin
Mrs. Straub
Economics - B3
10 September 2014
Grab Your Guns, Ladies!
I personally have shot my dad’s 45 gauge handgun and have shot clays with a shotgun at the Milford Hills Hunt Club. Whenever I walk into the Milford Hills gun shop, I always see the little pink purse guns for girls. But women haven’t always been interested in guns. Back in the day, it was the stereotypical American white male who owned the guns because of the fact that it was thought of as a man’s sport and a “defense of the home” as a man’s responsibility. But the game has changed, and women are becoming more interested in gun ownership.
“Recent research by National Sporting Goods Association shows that number of women gun owners in the United States has jumped from 13 percent in 2003 to 23 percent [in 2011]” (Sukow). This increase in number is most likely due to women wanting a weapon to be able to defend themselves. And, of course, a gun is an optimal choice. Kirsten C. Tynan, who describes herself as a “pro-self defense feminist,” added in an email: Whether I am in a high crime area, car camping alone on a road trip, or hiking solo in bear country, carrying a firearm gives me another tool to ensure my own safety without having to depend on someone else. It opens up more opportunities for me because I don’t feel I have to have a partner by my side for my protection (Ritz). Protection is a self-interest for women. The women that enjoy the feeling they get knowing that they don’t need anyone there because they’re packing, gives them a sense of courage and they gain confidence.
But why now? It obviously makes sense that due to the increased number of independent women, that they are more interested in owning a gun, but the number of female shooters has significantly increased. And with that, more firearms are being produced.
All told, the firearms industry contributes more than $33 billion to the U.S. economy and supports about 220,000 jobs, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation (Hall). The economy has grown with innovation trying to focus on the new female demographic: “gun manufacturers are trying to find the angle in their product line that will turn a predominantly male-focused industry toward females with options so far including smaller sizes, color options, and elements that reduce user fatigue” (Ritz). Gun manufacturers are thinking at the margin on this one, and it was the right move.
The economic value created by the firearms industry also is increasing steadily, from $19.2 billion in 2008 to $27.6 billion in 2010 and reaching a record $33 billion last year, according to NSSF calculations based on wages and salaries (Hall). All of this meaning that more firearms are being produced - especially in the United States. The 25-year survey estimated that 2,228 U.S. companies produced more than 106 million firearms from 1986-2010 (Hall).
So even though gun ownership will most likely always be a debate, it has become a significant benefit towards society: jobs have been created, the economy has grown with innovation, ...and self confidence in women is always a plus.
Works Cited
Hall, Glen. The ATF. The Blaze. Web. 10 Sept. 2014.
Hall, Glen. “The Gun Industry Employs Twice as Many Americans as GM.” The Blaze. Tactical Firearms Training Secrets, 26 Mar. 2013. Web. 10 Sept. 2014. <http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/03/26/nr-draft-how-important-are-guns-to-the-u-s-economy-for-starters-the-firearms-industry-employs-twice-as-many-americans-as-bailed-out-gm/>
Ritz, Erica. "Women and Guns: Why Female Gun Ownership Is Rising and Why Many Are Taking Notice." The Blaze. Tactical Firearms Training Secrets, 9 Apr. 2013. Web. 10 Sept. 2014. <http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/04/09/more-and-more-women-are-buying-guns-heres-why/>.
Sukow, Jill. “Ladies...Grab Your Guns!” Milford Hills Sept. 2014: n. pag. Print.
“Women Defying Gun Owner Stereotype.” Guns in America. NBCUniversal. MSNBC, New York City. 16 Feb. 2013. Web.
This was a very interesting piece for it showed the marginal benefit for a woman owning a gun for she does not have to rely or depend on a man to do it for her and that a woman can stand up for herself. For in this day and age women are getting more independent and that can be a bad thing because men could take advantage of them, but with women who own a gun and know how to use is a huge benefit for now they know they can go out and not be afraid and rest assured that they are safe.
ReplyDeleteTori, I enjoyed the insight that I received from your blog post! I never realized how many women actually shoot guns, because coming from my family there aren’t too many hunters, and nobody in my immediate family hunts. Personally, I have always been terrified of having a gun in my hand, so props to you for shooting; it sounds awesome. I also never knew about all of the facts that you mentioned in your article - especially the ones about how gun-selling actually contributes a lot of money to the economy.
ReplyDeleteThe piece grabbed my attention right away because it was a more unique topic and you started with an example right away. However, the title, although good, was pulled straight from one of the articles, just rearranged. Some areas you could improve on are having a better first paragraph because your first paragraph could have easily been a body paragraph.
ReplyDeleteTori, you picked a really interesting topic, and one that is very, very controversial. Being a gun advocate myself, I feel that this trend is really good because it spreads gun awareness and empowers women at the same time. In the past couple years, I've noticed an increase of woman-oriented products at hunting stores, such as pink guns, smaller caliber guns, and purses designed for concealing a pistol. It'd be interesting to compare the increase in women gun owners in the United States to the rest of the world to find out whether this is a localized trend or if women all over the world are starting to own more guns as they become more empowered. It would also be interesting to take a survey of women in our community to see if this trend has happened close to home. Economically, this is interesting because taxes on guns and ammunition are extremely high, so in this sector of the economy, the government has a stronger influence than many other sectors.
ReplyDeleteTori,
ReplyDeleteI found your topic to be very interesting being the pro gun advocate that I am although it is a very touchy subject with many people. I found it quite shocking that 23% of women in 2011 owned a gun. I had realized that there was a rise in women that owned guns but 23% seems a lot higher than I expected. I agree that despite the controversy over guns nobody can deny the economic benefit within the United States as well as the fact that ammunition is taxed heavily and the government regulates much of the industry which isn’t common in the mostly free economy we have.
Wow. I did not know that the firearms industry brings in that much money to the economy! I, nor does my family own any type of gun. We have just never been that family that goes out to the shooting range or the family who goes hunting. Personally, I think people should have a gun inside their homes if they are in an unsafe neighborhood, and live alone. I know if I lived in an unsafe area I would be buying a gun to protect myself. You showed that each year the firearms industry has continuously increased the amount of money they bring to the economy each year. Well written blog post; good job!
ReplyDeleteTori, you bring up an interesting topic. As awareness of self defense rises, especially for women, it seems to be directly proportional to the rise of percentage of firearms obtained by women. This makes sense, however, as more people are taking measures to maximize their safety. What I didn’t realize, though, is how much money the gun industry actually puts into the economy and how many jobs it provides, for it is much greater than I would have expected.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really interesting topic Tori! Power to the ladies! I as well shoot clays with a shotgun whenever I visit my grandfather in Kentucky. I found it very interesting how much the firearm industry contributes to the economy. And based on the facts given, I must agree that it contributes greatly to society. Supporting over 200,000 jobs! Although what I did find slightly annoying, is the gun manufacturer's strategy to getting women to buy more firearms. Changing the color and size. What's that supposed to mean? If it's pink and fits in my purse I'll be more likely to purchase it? Perhaps I'm being a bit overly offended, but still. This was a great topic and I loved many of the research quotes you found, and I do have to disagree with Evan, by saying that your title is what made me want to read the rest of the article.
ReplyDeleteI thought that this was a great topic for economics. Though, I thought that you should get a little more facts, the economic portion was very strong. People don't actually realize how much the firearm business brings with jobs and help economically. You do bring up a good point with people needing more self defense too, especially women. People are more independent now and need to have a better way to defend themselves.
ReplyDeleteHey Tori, this was a really interesting blog post. Like you mentioned, I’ve seen the variety of “woman” oriented gun products in stores but I’ve never really realized the cause of that and the economic impact it has on our country. I think it would be kind of interesting to know how the rising economic impact of gun and gun product manufacturers is being used either for or against gun control debates. I also think you made an interesting point about ladies carrying guns, and how it gives them more confidence because they feel safer. I can totally see this, however personally speaking I’m not sure that I would ever really carry a gun, but I can totally see where a lot of women would and how it would be a beneficial for them.
ReplyDeleteYour blog post about guns was very intriguing to read since I, too have shot a variety of firearms and have hunted with them. I’m glad that many more women have taken up owning guns for fun and to protect themselves in today’s society. But, it made me a little annoyed that the gun companies are trying to sell more guns to the female population by making them pink. Like, who want’s to carry around a hot pink gun? I never knew how much gun sales had been increasing and effecting the job market as well as benefiting the economy.
ReplyDeleteI noticed a couple grammatical errors in your response. Specifically that you write "women gun owners" when technically you should be saying "female gun owners". However, I like that you present data on how the firearms industry has contributed to the economy, and that you used some of the terms, like self-interest, to describe something that you wouldn't think of right away in terms of economics because the context you use it in does not directly have to do with money. When you say that gun manufacturers are "thinking at the margin" you should really provide examples of what they are considering in terms of an opportunity cost. Does it cost more money to change the colors of the guns or to make them more user friendly? What kind of benefits are the gun companies giving up by opening their target market up to women? Overall, I like your idea though, and I think you develop it well.
ReplyDeleteImmediately when I saw this post I was drawn to it. Because shooting guns is one of my favorite things to do. I LOVE how you made something interesting relate to economy and this is a possible inspiration when I choose my topic.
ReplyDeleteDue to the fact that I for one am a woman and for two enjoy using a firearm whether it be for hunting or just simply going to the gun range, I was drawn to your post. Overall I love the interesting way that you chose to connect your piece to the world of economics. It is true as there come to be more jobs in this department, we as a society must look into further educating individuals about the proper ways to use a gun and especially in relation to gun safety. In the end I was very interested with your piece and it has caused me to look further into the situation as well! Nice job Tori!
ReplyDeleteTory, I really enjoyed your topic. I had never realized that so many women were actually into shooting guns. It makes sense because of how many women enjoy hunting and the number of women looking to protect themselves. I found it very interesting how much the firearm industry contributes to the economy. However I find it annoying that gun companies think that by changing the color and size of the gun means more women will buy guns.
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