Jennifer Willis is a freelance writer. And she has a stalker.

She decided, it was time to get a gun. She put her anti-gun sentiments aside. She had an epiphany:

That’s when the old Theodore Roosevelt adage popped into my head — “Speak softly and carry a big stick” — and I finally got it. I can still be the compassionate, diplomatic, interfaith groovy gal I’ve always been; I’ll just be packing heat in case negotiations tank.

Happy for her. I do hope she’ll seek out more training and practice more.

There was one thing in the article that made me cringe: all the “advice for the ladies”:

I read that the .357 Magnum and .38 Special were ideal for women interested in a gun for self-defense because they’re relatively lightweight, aren’t prone to jamming and don’t carry too many bullets. Because who really needs a 20-round magazine when you’re defending against a stalker? “Six or seven bullets will do you just fine,” read one Web comment.

The FAIL is strong with that one.

What is ideal for a woman is what she can shoot well. Packing .357 Magnum self-defense rounds into a snub revolver? How about no. She needs a gun that can fit her hands: if she’s got small hands, if she’s got large hands. It’s a matter of size and shape, not gender. She needs a gun that fits her whole hand… full-sized guns, not subcompacts, since you can get all of both hands onto the grip and thus control the gun better. Lightweight? That might be useful for carry, but it hurts for shooting. The heavier the gun, the larger the gun (esp. since larger guns with longer slides generally have less stout springs), the easier it will be to shoot, generally speaking. If the gun is pleasant to shoot, she’ll be more willing to shoot it more often, which means more practice, which is only a good thing. If the gun bites back when you shoot it, negative reinforcement like that doesn’t serve her desired goals. Who needs a 20-round magazine against a stalker? Maybe you. Are you able to predict what situation you will face? What if the stalker brings a friend? Now instead of 6 or 7, you may need 12 or 14. What if the stalker brings 2 friends? 20 rounds and even an extra full magazine doesn’t seem so out of the question now does it?

I’m not sure where Jenny got her advice, but at least she seems to be serious about her efforts in the gun world. Thunder Ranch is only about 6 hours from Portland and a week there might be a good thing. Could make for a great follow-up article as well. 🙂