“You Are Your Own First Responder”: The Case for Armed Self-Defence in SA

“You Are Your Own First Responder”: The Case for Armed Self-Defence in SA

In a country where the sound of a gunshot is tragically familiar and the wait for a police siren can feel like an eternity, a difficult question persists: what is a citizen’s best chance of survival during a violent attack? For Gun Owners South Africa (GOSA), the answer is clear and unequivocal: a legally owned firearm.

GOSA CEO Montenique Booley doesn’t mince words. In a nation grappling with astronomically high rates of violent crime, she argues that a firearm isn’t a weapon of aggression it’s a vital tool for survival. It’s the great equalizer in a fight you didn’t choose.

The Cold, Hard Reality of Response Times

The core of GOSA’s argument rests on a stark reality check. “South Africans live in a country with high violent crime rates. Our police response time is slow and criminals show no hesitation in using violence,” states Booley.

This brutal calculus leads to one conclusion: in the critical moments of an attack, you are utterly on your own. “You are your own first responder,” she says, “and a firearm provides an immediate, lawful means of self-protection and a chance at surviving an attack on your life.”

It’s a sentiment that resonates deeply in a society where stories of home invasions, hijackings, and violent assaults are regular front-page news.

The Equalizer: A Firearm in a Woman’s Hand

For women, who face what Booley describes as a “second pandemic” of gender-based violence, the argument for firearm ownership takes on an even greater urgency.

“Firearms were an equaliser against stronger and multiple attackers,” she explains. In a confrontation where physical strength is mismatched, a firearm can shift the balance of power, offering a means to deter a sexual assault or home invasion that might otherwise end in tragedy.

This isn’t a call for recklessness. Booley strongly emphasises legal and responsible firearm ownership, coupled with consistent training to maintain proficiency. She frames it not as a desire for violence, but as a practical extension of one’s constitutional right to safety.

Beyond Theory: When Guns “Saved Lives”

The argument moves from the theoretical to the visceral with real-world examples. Booley points to recent events, like the smash-and-grab incident involving MP Ian Cameron, where a firearm was used to protect lives.

She recounts harrowing stories from her network:

• A woman, home alone after her husband left for work, facing multiple armed attackers who had jumped her wall and forced their way inside. She used her weapon to defend herself.

• A husband who walked into a home invasion in progress, with his pregnant wife present. Shot at multiple times, he returned fire to save his family.

For GOSA, these are not isolated anecdotes; they are proof of concept. They represent moments where a lawful firearm provided a fighting chance against seemingly insurmountable odds. In the ongoing debate about gun control in South Africa, GOSA’s position is firmly planted in the soil of everyday fear and the primal urge to protect one’s own life when no one else is coming to help.

{Source: TheCitizen}

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