Just Another Everywoman For Gun Rights

Sometimes all it takes is a simple question to shift your way of thinking. In the comments section of an article I wrote on HotAir about the campus carry debate here in Wisconsin, a reader asked, “Who is Jennifer Jacques?

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Good question. Who is Jennifer Jacques? Ever stop to think about that in regards to how many people you could reach on a daily basis given who you are?

I’m the protective mom in the car pool line in front of you wanting to carry in our schools to protect students and staff.

I’m the observant woman pumping gas next to you at Kwik Trip who scans the parking lot continuously.

I’m the friendly lady behind you in line at the grocery store, diligently surveying the entrance.

I’m the cautious minivan next to you at the stoplight watching for pedestrians and bikers crossing the street.

I’m the back-to-school shopper clearly informing the staff at the Jansport Outlet that if they don’t support customers’ right to carry, then I will no longer be their customer.

I’m the amateur wine connoisseur carefully deciding what to buy at the cheese shop and trying to get everyone behind the counter to say “charcuterie”.

I’m the chatty customer talking to you about the impending winter at the co-op when I stop in to order propane.

I’m the out-of-breath runner on the trail making a mental note of each person I encounter coming and going.

I’m the Christian church member sitting in the center section behind the entrances, surveilling all who enter the service.

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I’m the (crazy) cat lady chatting with you at the veterinarian’s office while we wait for our appointments.

I’m the impatient woman accompanying her grandmother to the DMV, agreeing with you that the lines are way too long.

I’m the thrifty bargain hunter, sifting through the clearance racks with you at the end of each season.

I’m the diner in the next booth, the customer at the next teller, the driver in the parking spot behind you, the patron on the next stool, the volunteer at the senior’s center, and I’m just an ordinary citizen who would not hesitate to put herself between you and an active shooter in any one of these scenarios. No matter where I am, I am the face of gun rights to everyone I come in contact with and I don’t let any encounter slip away without taking that moment to let people know just who Jennifer Jacques is.

What do you think would happen if gun owners would take the opportunity to respectfully (and proudly) convey why we choose to carry with those we come in contact with on a regular basis?

I know gun grabber’s stereotypes of gun owners would be destroyed because I have personally witnessed it. I don’t wear a badge that says “Bearing Arms Writer” or have a “Gun Owner” tiara, people I meet face-to-face only see ‘Lady McWoman Pants’ until I start talking to let them know who I am. I take advantage of telling everyone I have the opportunity to talk to that I do carry, that I am a regular person just like them, living in our community but willing to go above and beyond to protect myself and people around me.

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Public figures like Amy Schumer, Shannon Watts, and California Lt. Governor Gavin Newsome can stand up and give all the anti-gun speeches they want. Let them have their videos and news conferences, give them their 15 minutes in the spotlight, that’s fine. Not only can we use their own words to show their ignorance, but our spokespeople will still be a part of every community long after their cameras stop rolling. All we need are gun owners to accept their role as a spokesperson and be willing to use daily encounters to be the face of gun rights in an effort to inform the people in our communities who gun owners really are.

Just like Jennifer Jacques.

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