Katie Gardner (left), who is GOA’s Empowered2A coordinator in Michigan, is pictured here with several excited firearms trainees.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cWe had zero injuries, no one was hurt, we did a good thing, \u201c Ector said in an interview with Michigan News Source, \u201cWe put a lot of women on the path to personal protection and taking care of their families \u2013 being sure that they can do what they can to learn more to be safe in our community.\u201d<\/p>\n
The event hosted more than 1,400 women ages 12 and up who had the option to learn individualized firearms safety and shooting training from qualified instructors.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe manpower was ample and we didn\u2019t have as many as I thought we needed, but the instructors that were there were doubly committed to ensure that we didn\u2019t turn anyone away and that we remained safe the entire time we conducted the activity,\u201d Ector said in the interview.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.gunowners.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/pratt-ector-225x300.jpg\")
<\/p>\nGOA’s Erich Pratt with Rick Ector.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
In addition to the dozens of firearm instructors for the event, several other organizations donated time and resources including the Gun Owners of America, a grassroots lobby representing more than two million gun owners nationwide.<\/p>\n
\u201cGun Owners of America bought dinner for all the trainers and volunteers who helped make this event such a success,\u201d Erich Pratt, Senior Vice President of GOA said in an email to Michigan News Source. \u201cIn past years, GOA has bought the ammunition or eye [protection] for Rick Ector\u2019s events \u2013 in addition to providing \u201cGun Rights are Women\u2019s Rights\u201d swag for each person in attendance.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to Pratt, the group aids in the event for several reasons including teaching women how to protect themselves.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is important that women are empowered to protect themselves,\u201d he said in the email. \u201cNo one gets their own personal cop for protection, and courts have routinely held that the police are not duty bound to protect any particular individual\u2014no matter how many threats they\u2019ve received. Several studies\u2014and anecdotal examples\u2014have shown that women greatly benefit from having a gun to protect themselves, as opposed to remaining defenseless.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no greater equalizer for a woman than a handgun to protect ourselves,\u201d Jennifer Devitto said, who came from Illinois to participate in a previous all women\u2019s training. \u201cMen are bigger than us and stronger than us, and we can\u2019t fight them off.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pratt also added that some of the participants had their minds changed after participating in the program.<\/p>\n