My wife is responsible for setting up speakers for the "SC Insurance Women" group.

She asked me to do 20- 30 minute address on safety, women and gun issues.

So, I'm brainstorming here. And looking for good ideas and topics to cover in the speech.

I'm looking for:

1. Sources of relevant statistics(tho I don't wanna overdo it)

2. Visual aids to get points across (I gotta talk to the facility director to see if a single firearm would be allowed on the premises.)

3. Angles and perspectives that would interest women.

4. Any other good suggestions.

So, lay it on me boys. If you ever wanted to tell garandman what to do (that doesn't include where to go  heh,heh) THIS IS YTOUR BIG CHANCE!!!!!

Might I suggest you let someone have the job who is a better wordsmith.
Judging from your posts, one would think you were educated in South Caroli....
Er, nevermind.

I'm just hoping you don't look like a redneck (as if I knew what one looked like).

Women are very sensitive to emotion. They do not think like men, so facts are probably not neccesary.

If you make them feel like they want you to be the father of their kids, they will listen to ANYTHING you say.


You could maybe approach the issue from the standpoint personnal safety. Find as many stories about rape as you can...Deduct which ones wouldnt have happened if the woman was armed and use those.

May I even suggest bringing along a WOMAN who carries...maybe a woman who has actually used a gun to save her own life?

Basically, fight fire with fire.

Dude, if I brung ETH, [b] I WOULDN'T GET TO SAY [size=4]ANYTHING[/size=4]!!!!! [/b]

[}:D]

Be sure and wear your AR15.com shirt.

Might I suggest praying for inspiration and leaving it all in gods hands??


LOL...


No seriously...congrats!  Take every advantage of it.  

The best statistics you can get is from your Federal Government itself.  If you use sources from our side it will make you look bad.  Look for rates of deaths when compared to other activities.   Show that the ANTIs always include suicide in their stats, which is NOT affected by gun controls.

In Canada I am able to buy my liability insurance as a gun owner for $4.75 per year for 5 million Dollars worth!!  That should turn heads for your group.

I managed to get 2 hours on Canadian National Radio in March.  In listening to it online I found a few things I would change but it went ok.

Remember to TALK SLOWLY!! PAUSE FOR EFFECT!!


For gods sake EXPLAIN the differences between FULL AUTO, and SEMI AUTO!!

Try this.

[url] http://www.gunowners.org/fs9712.htm[/url]

[url] http://www.gunowners.org/[/url]


THISISME

Definitely hit on the self defense aspect of it.  Make sure they know that when they are attacked if they are packing heat they will be able to kill the mother fuc...oh, I mean well, you know![8D]

Sounds like a good op though.  Have fun[50]

Take them to a range if possible!!

Congratulations on the speech, garandman.

As for statistics, check out the Research area at [url]www.nraila.org[/url]; I believe there is some topics regarding women and guns.  I think you probably have the right tools for visual aid [;)].

YES!  Take this opportunity to dispell the myths that dog the gun crowd.

-Saturday Night Specials
-Gun Show loophole
-Assault Weapons

etc, etc

[URL]http://www.keepandbeararms.com/[/URL]

[URL]http://www.nraila.org/library.asp[/URL]

THISISME

Congrats on the opprotunity.

I would definitely stress the self defense aspect.  Also, dispell the myth that a woman is likely to lose her gun and have it used against her.  Bullshit--a woman with a gun is likely to light up the filthy rapist.

One thing I always find amazing is that the people who most need guns are least inclined to carry them.  My gun buddies and I will, in all likelihood, never need to draw our weapons in defense.  On the other hand, our wives, sisters, mothers, etc. very well may need to do so.

My Mom was staunchly anti-gun until I got her shooting about 18 months ago.  Now she has her CHL and a number of different guns.  Two things she's told me--1) "Every time I leave the range, I'm confident in my ability to protect myself" and 2) "I find shooting really relaxing" (bear in mind that Mom's idea of shooting is hanging a target and rapidly blasting the hell out of the center and head--we're not talking bench-rest or bullseye here).

Women, much more so than othrs, need to learn to use guns and have them readily available.

Billy Ray

Also, I would stress that guns do NOT just "go off."  A gun will NOT fire unless someone presses the trigger.

Billy Ray

Here are a couple of sites that may help you get up to speed:

[url]http://www.paxtonquigley.com[/url]
[url]http://www.a-human-right.com[/url]

DA is right.  People, especialy women, respond more strongly to emotion than to logic and numbers.  Given that, you might want to work something in like:

"The liklihood of being attacked by a criminal on any given day is not very high.  But what difference does it make if the odds are 1 in 10,000 if you are that one?"

Here are some different avenues from which you might approach the issue of guns:

Personal Protection
Women's Empowerment
Home Firearms Safety

You might want to try to turn the tables on the anti's by characterizing them as "pro rape".  You could address the notion that anti's see a raped woman strangled with her own pantyhose as morally superior to a woman standing over a dead rapist with a smoking gun.

You might be better off not bringing any guns, if they do not serve a very specific purpose.

Go get 'em!

[50]

I disagree.  Gun people will not be interested in that.  I wouldn't get too political, because that's not a good way to build rapport with your audience.  Many of them may be anti-gunner liberals.

You might try an approach like this:

"Regardless of where you stand on the gun issue, we can all agree that people that choose to own or carry guns should get training to do so safely and proficiently."

Then you could work the safety training angle.

But how many of your "insurance women" will be big time hunters or casual gun owners?  I think protection of self and others (family) should be high on your list of issues to address.

Try contacting the NRA's Refuse to Be a Victim program.  It's easier to convince women that being armed is a good thing if they understand how to identify threats and that help will not likely be available.

try this site i found:

[url]http://libertybelles.org/index.html[/url]

good, informative site about lady gunowners.


oh, and good luck with the talk. tell us how it went.

Yup, member of that group.  Has a ton of stuff...lot of posters.

Congrats on the gig [b]garandman[/b]!! I wish I had some good advice.

Any chance of someone taking video? Any chance of getting a copy? It could be edu-tainment!![;D]

btw, I two was edge-u-cated in South Cakki-lakki.[:D]


ByteTheBullet  (-:

Garandman: this is similer to what we do at some of the FSEDs (firearm safety and education demonstrations) that I have worked for [url=www.goal.org]Gun Owners Action League[/url]. If you have any question email me at my ar15 account.

I would start out with an introduction of myself (in your case you), how you became interested in the sport. Throw out some numbers of how many shotgun rounds are fired every year; it’s up towards the billions when you look at trap, skeet, hunting, etc.

You can also go over who uses firearms, junior, women, .22 pistol leagues etc. Ask if they have ever heard about any problems with these leagues. Also ask if they know who the first gold medal winner was for the 2000(?) Olympics. It was an American woman from MA and the event was air rifle.

Go over the four basic safety rules of firearm handling, set up an area of the room as “down range” for demonstration purposes, show how to clear a firearm, semi and revolver.

If you can bring some firearms bring a 10/22, AK-47, and an AR15 to explain that they all work on the same principle, i.e. semi-automatic.

This here is a good one for an argument about trigger locks and why they shouldn’t be put on a loaded gun.

Bring a double action revolver,
Show clear,
Put the lock on (not too tight, this is an important part of the demo)
Show that the cylinder can be opened and loaded (use snap caps if you have any)
Cock the hammer, which you can do if you put the lock post in front of the trigger,
You can ask if someone wants to try to take the lock off with out dropping the hammer.

If this demo is done right i.e. nobody takes you up on the challenge you can show how taking the lock of a loaded and cocked revolver can be a serious safety concern.

Another good demo is take some powder ~ 20- 30 grains. This is about the amount that a police officer has in their mag, ask what would happen if you dropped a match on the powder. Please put the powder in a small flash pan or old camp pan. Try this one before the demonstration so you’ll know high the flame reaches and you can adjust the powder to fit your needs (just so you don’t have a flame that takes out your eyebrows or burns the ceiling) a two foot flame would be best. This demonstrates that gunpowder is not explosive.

I’ll post some more if I think of them.

Good luck and remember talk slow and look at different people when you are talking to the whole group.


edited to add:

[size=5][b]Do not use the word "weapon" use firearm. It may sound like a small thing, but trust me these are firearms not weapons.[/b][/size=5]
Some people will shut off to you if you do not use firearm, those are the ones that you want to reach so don't shut them off. Remember to smile.[size=6] [:)][/size=6]

I suppose an AK-47 is a "sporting arm"...  COME ON!  Political correctness has gotten us nowhere.  This is one issue that I cannot agree upon with the NRA.  I understand what you are trying to do here, I just can't agree.

Guns are weapons, and there's nothing wrong with that.

How is showing that a 10/22, AK47 and AR15 are all semi-automatic politically correct?



Yes guns are weapons, I carry a weapon, as I'm sure you do too, however when you are in a classroom giving a demonstration you are working with firearms. When I teach a 12 year old kid how to shoot a pistol I'm teaching firearm safety not weapon safety. I don't expect him or her to have to use the pistol as a weapon.

Just out of curiosity how many people (that you haven’t' meet until the class) have you taught how to use firearms?

Excellent stuff guys.


Keep it coming, and btt.

I need your email. The stuff I have is too large or Word docs. [email][email protected][/email]

easy to say, but try to destigmatize or take some of the mystery out of "firearms." i find the biggest hurdle is getting over the "OMG ITS A GUN" factor. i have heard of girls crying when trying to shoot a gun, and have seen it come close to that. jsut think about making firearms not so scary i guess. i know easy to say.

Ha, exactly!

My opinion is: lose the stats. They're for debating, not public speaking & they're boring as hell if presented only verbally.

I would definitely stress responsible firearm ownership & the **ability** of a single mom or a woman alone to defend herself. Most women know of another woman who's been mugged, attacked or even raped. Strongly mention the Eddie Eagle program & take some of their stuff if you can.

I would also strongly stress that firearms are NOT for everyone. Some are too timid to own one & properly learn how to use it.

My .o2

Calling them firearms instead of weapons is politically correct.  Saying that a Glock pistol, an AR-15, or a semi-auto AK-47 is a firearm and NOT a weapon is kind of silly, in my estimation.  They were all designed and intended to take human life.  But that's OK, because that can be a legitimate use of firearms.



The primary usefulness of a pistol is for self-defense.  Pistols were intended to be fighting tools.  When you teach a kid the four universal rules of firearms safety, it's not important that you always refer to firearms as weapons.  However, when you are teaching someone how to shoot, i.e. how to fight, you shouldn't have to beat around the bush and always avoid calling them weapons.



At least half of people I teach are people I know.  I will be teaching more total strangers (at least 100) later this year, and when I do, I will be referring to guns as weapons.  [;)]

remind them that when their neighbor comes over to your house and takes your daughter in the back yard and rapes her and tries to kill her with a hammer, they can retreive there properly secured firearm and take out the molester.

g. man, re your speaking engagement, 'Knockem DEAD' !!

(Only the antis of course.)

[:D]

Find compelling real life accounts of two stories: One a brutal rape or robberies where a woman was injured or killed.  The other an account of a woman who use a firearm to defend her self or family.  Read each one with emotion and as much graphic description you think the audience can handle.  Women can identify with emotion and gross injustice.  With your two accounts you should fill them with rage, fear, and anger.  Then explain to them; one they have the ability to defend themselves, and two all the anti gun rhetoric in the world will do nothing to help them in a violent encounter.  

I agree with using only federal stats.  The Mustard-Lott study was statistically sound but read it and know it before you use it.  

Lastly; I all my experiences with women and guns fear stems from lack of education and media brainwashing.  Tell these women ANYBODY can learn to safely and effectively handle firearms.  Positive exposure and education are the key to brining women in the fold.  

Perhaps you can end with or pass out contact information on local ranges, gun shops (if there are any good ones left...) and training.

Good luck my friend.  You are doing a wonderful thing.  

I just have to ask, what are your credentials?  I mean how do you plan on establishing your credibility?  The best way to discredit what you say is to simply not show what makes you an expert in the field.

What kind of public speaking experiences do you have, aside from your daily rantings here?  I'll give you a little advise on public speaking that might come in handy.

What is your objective?  Is this simply an informative speech, are you trying to influence them, motivational?  Do you want them to all leave the room and drive to the gun store?  You need to decide exactly what your intentions are and not stray from it at all.  

Thirty minutes is a loooooonnnnngggg time.  A good formula is to spend one day preparing for every minute you plan to speak.  And I don't mean a couple hours here and there either.  Frankly you could probably give an impromptu 30 minute speech, but it would not be very effective.

Practice and practice and practice.  Practice to yourself, practice in front of your wife.  Practice in front of a crowd.

Don't use notecards.  They are way to friggin easy to get out of order.  Use a speaking outline instead.  You don't need to memorize every word of you speech but your speaking outline is only there to remind you of the key points.  For every ten minutes of speech, you should use about one full page of type (one side).

Use Powerpoint or overheads for your visual aids.  Don't leave an overhead up longer than you are talking about it.  If you put up a picture of something the audience will automatically begin reading/looking at it and will ignore what you're saying.

Do you plan on a question/answer session?  If so, strictly limit the time and only allow questions at the end of your presentation.  Short is sweet, but offer them the oportunity to approach you afterward with any other questions or comments.

Do not assume that they'll agree with anything that you say.  Be ready for some of the dumbest questions or arguments that you've ever heard.  Be prepared for all counter arguments.

I could keep going but you probably get the point.  Just ask if you have any questions.

Congrats on the oppertunity bud.

There have been a lot of good sugguestions mentioned. But I didn't see what I thought would be obvious. Ask the ladies what they want to hear. Okay, okay. Our ladies in the Womens Forum. Get a female gun enthusiast's point of view on what to cover.

Maud Dib -

Fair questions.

As far as my gun credentials, I'll have to let my upcoming speech speak for itself.

As far as my public speaking credentials -

Former youth pastor. WEEKLY Scripture lessons of 30-40 minutes in length. NEVER had a single student fall asleep on me. One professional teacher told me I had missed my calling. I should have been a teacher.

Assistant Sunday School superintendant - adult class. Monthly 45 minute lessons. Was WELL received as many lessons had physical object lessons and props to get points across. I teach in pictures.

Accounting sysytem trainer for a former employer. Taught / trained dept of 20+ people (8 at a time) on new accounting system.

I prolly have  200 - 300  hours of public speaking to date. Speaking comes naturally for things I am passionate about. Do you think I'm passionate about firearms????

[:D]

Your suggestions are all well-made, and intended to be implemented.