We are excited to introduce you to Cheryl Todd. Cheryl is a wife, a mom, and a grandma. She is the co-host of Gun Freedom Radio, co-owner of AZFirearms.com, a small mom & pops gun shop in AZ. Cheryl is also the AZ Delegate for The DC Project. She sits on several Boards including the Arizona State Rifle & Pistol Association and the Arizona Citizens Defense League Foundation. While Cheryl Todd is indeed a Carry Girl, and has her Concealed Carry License, she considers herself foremost an Advocate for our Constitutional Rights and an Ambassador for the Firearms Community, and she speaks to the value of her 2nd Amendment Rights through the lens of self-protection and instilling those values in the generations to come. 

Carry Girl: Why you shoot or carry?

Cheryl: I carry because I am a fierce Mama-Bear who was born without fangs and claws, but rather, with the intellect to use tools and tactics of self-defense. I carry because danger walks among us, and uses the element of surprise to gain the upper hand. Therefore, I must be prepared to be my own First Responder, because I am the one who will be immediately responding to what is happening to me. And, I carry to instill in my daughter and granddaughter that we are strong and capable women who value our Constitutional and Civil Rights and exercise these Rights unencumbered, and as free American Citizens, who need no permission from anyone to do so.

 Carry Girl: What has led you to this point in your life? 

Cheryl: For most of my adult life I was out of touch with my Constitutional Rights and the importance of protecting and defending them. Not only with the way I interacted (or didn’t interact at all) with our elected officials, but also with the ways I voted. Once my husband, Danny, and I opened a gun store nearly 15 years ago, I became acutely aware of how politicians use talking points to vilify not only the guns themselves but also the people who own guns and most certainly those of us who sell firearms. 

We would hear utter nonsense being repeated like a metronome every night on the evening news, and in a very short amount of time we began to see our neighbors and friends begin to believe these politicians’ half-truths and outright lies. I found myself in a defensive posture more often than not when someone would happen to ask what my husband and I did for a living. I was constantly trying to un-ring the bell of misinformation over and over again. The good news is that I found that most people were genuinely hungry for the truth and would listen with open minds to what guns actually are (and are not), and why someone as “normal” as my husband and I are would be in the business of selling these “weapons.” That was when I realized that I needed to broaden my sphere of influence, and the idea for Gun Freedom Radio was born. Through the radio-show / podcast format I am able to reach people from all over the globe to help educate, engage and inform them about the rare and beautiful freedoms we have because of the Second Amendment.  

Carry Girl: How do you train?

Cheryl: While I am sure your question has to do with getting out on the shooting range and practicing with my firearms, I want to answer this question a little bit differently. As I mentioned earlier, I do own and carry firearms, and training with them is highly important, however I am foremost an advocate and an ambassador for those of us who value our rights. So, the way that I stay informed, educated, and proficient in those areas is by connecting with experts in their field. With our radio show I am able to interview people from all areas of expertise in the Firearm Industry, in the Constitutional Advocacy Communities, in Competitive Shooting, in Law Enforcement and Personal Protection Training, and in, yes, Politics. Also, as the AZ Delegate for The DC Project I connect with women from all across the United States to keep in touch with the individual concerns of the various cities, counties, and states across the nation. 

The DC Project was founded by Dianna Muller, a retired police officer, who served 22 years with the Tulsa Police Department, and is now the Captain of Team Benelli 3-Gun. The DC Project is 50 women, one from each state, who join together in Washington, DC each summer to spend four days meeting with members of Congress. The DC Project is a nonpartisan initiative to bring women and girls from each state to our Nation’s Capital to dispel common myths and garner support for gun rights. 

Carry Girl: What impact have guns had on your life?   

Cheryl: Guns have had an incredible and positive impact on my life. Because of the tremendously emotional and illogical push from some in this country to dis-arm law-abiding American Citizens I have been made aware in ways I otherwise would not have of the importance of the sacrifice of our Founding Fathers. Also the purpose and need of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the enumerated Amendments therein. By becoming connected to the unique and sometimes difficult past of our nation, I realized the part I play in passing along the baton of liberty and freedom to my daughter and granddaughter. Whatever I do or don’t do in my lifetime will have ripple effects into the future. And I choose to be on the side of those who fought, bled, starved and died to secure the Legacy of the Second Amendment which is the legal protection of our God-given rights to self-protection. 

This is a responsibility I take very seriously, but I might have missed it entirely had I not been in the business of selling the tools of self-defense that American citizens use to save lives 2.5 million times each year. And that women use 200,000 times each year to defend themselves from sexual assault. 

Isn’t it interesting that the Rights-Restrictors who seek to confuse American voters and disarm law-abiding American citizens are the very reason I had to wake up and speak up. I might have stayed disconnected and silent about my Rights, and therefore not have instilled these values in the next generations, had these Rights not been threatened. I believe there is truth in the statement, you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone (or endangered). 

The encouraging news is that I am not alone or unique in these things. I have met thousands of other fellow Patriots that I like to call “Ordinary Warriors.” Men and women alike, who see themselves as part of the almost secret society of 2A Warriors. I even began using a hashtag and created a lapel pin to help connect these Patriots. The hashtag is #PolkaDotsAreMyCamo and is a nod to the millions of ordinary everyday warrior patriots, skilled and prepared to be their own First Responder and protect those around them.

To follow Cheryl Todd:

FB: Cheryl_Todd GFR: https://www.facebook.com/CherylToddAZF/

IGram: https://www.instagram.com/cheryltoddgfr/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GunFreedomRadio

-Rose, Hawaii

Developer & Writer

http://unearthedlifestyle.com 

@roseunearthed

I am a NRA firearms instructor and an instructor for the “Well Armed Women} in Southern California.

So the number one question I get asked all the time...Why? Why guns?

Well...

At a young age, I was attacked…

After my attack I felt ashamed, scared. I didn’t want to feel that way ever again,  So I decided I wanted to learn how to not only protect myself but as a mom protect my four children.  I shot my first gun at the age of 16. It was an AR-15. I was completely hooked!!!!! I got into hunting and I would shoot anything I could get my hands on.  Over the years, I shot more at local ranges, and learned a lot about hunting.

I love being outdoors but teaching others to shoot is my passion. I took some classes with a male instructor but did not feel comfortable. I felt almost intimidated. I knew a lot of women who wanted to shoot but were intimidated by men or just to even walk into a gun store because it’s a “man’s world” I decided I wanted to change that in my community. Times are changing!!! So I wanted to be the voice for those women who wanted to learn how to protect themselves and their families.

A few years ago, I headed to Arizona and took classes with Carrie Lightfoot, the founder of The Well Armed Women, at the amazing Gunsite Academy. I spent the weekend there with 13 other amazing women from all around the country. We had long hours in the classroom and on the range. We all supported each other and a beautiful bond grew within all of us. Since I have been back at home, the support from my community has been truly overwhelming. I am beyond thankful. Doing classes here in my community gives me the pride of knowing I am teaching other women like myself not to ever be a victim. The smiles, the confidence they build while on the range is absolutely amazing to see. I love teaching beginners because I know once they take any of my courses, they will be hooked!

The friendships and bonds I have created through this journey have been what makes what I do so enjoyable. Empowering other women, lifting each other instead of breaking or bashing each other is what’s it’s all about!! Teaching other moms who are terrified of firearms how to safely handle them is one of the best feelings. Knowing I’m giving them the knowledge to protect their loved ones is priceless ...overall the best feeling a mother can have is knowing she herself can protect her children and herself.

-Jackie, Southern California 

@packin_momma_society

It isn’t about what we have gone through, it’s about what we learn from those experiences. I grew up in a household full of firearms, and I was taught firearms safety at a young age by my dad. I also grew up in a household with a clinically depressed, alcoholic, possibly schizophrenic mother. As a child, fear and I were close friends. I was around 7 or so when the nightly rituals started. I would fall asleep only to wake up to a drunk mother standing over my bed smiling at me. She would say things like “I know where daddy keeps the guns, and I’ll kill him before he can hurt me.” “The devil sleeps next to you at night because you’re a bad child and have to be taught a lesson.” One thing that I will never forget hearing was “One day you will come home from school to see me laying on your bedroom floor with my wrists slit open to show you what real pain is like.” Eventually, she would leave, and I would muster up enough courage to sneak into my father’s room (they did not share a bedroom) to see if he was still alive. I was so scared to tell him about any of this because I didn’t want to make her angry. 

It got a lot worse from there. She would have bad nights, grab me, throw me into the back of her car, and drive 60mph through our neighborhood drunk and screaming. I used to jump out of the car at stop signs and hide in the trees because I didn’t want to die. I remember barely breathing behind the brush. I would watch her drive back and forth looking for me, taunting me from the window of the car. There were a lot of nights that I spent at our local park.. it is honestly a miracle that something worse didn’t happen to the kid alone outside in the dark.  

I broke a coffee pot once by accident and she chased me through the house with a cast iron pan. I hid in the bathroom and the only thing I could think to do was grab the top cover from the toilet to use as a weapon if she broke the door down. 

I moved out when I was 17 and ended up dating a guy for two years who would rape and emotionally abuse me. I had to testify in court alone to get a PFA order against him when I finally left.  

The point of all of this is to say that I have experienced evil. Not once in my life have I thought that taking guns away from people would stop evil. Shooting saved my life. It gave me a purpose, and it gave me control over my life for the first time. I will carry everywhere, and every day, because a long time ago I made a promise to myself that I will never allow myself to be in a terrible situation ever again. Gun rights are everyone’s rights. The right to self defense is everyone’s right. I would love to see a world where everyone had a way to protect themselves, I would love to see a world where innocent people aren’t taken advantage of.  

Today I speak openly in the firearms community about mental health, rape, and domestic violence. Every single thing that I have ever gone through will be worth it if I can help even one person. Fear is a choice, and Although we will never be able to eliminate evil, we sure as hell can be prepared to face it. 

-Genevieve, PA

@beyond.the.unknown

 I’ve recently had a baby and I have postpartum anxiety. I used to carry everywhere and now I can’t. I was at the mall one day with my baby and a friend and her baby when the mall went into a lockdown. Normally I wouldn’t be scared because I usually have my Glock on me. But that day was different; my anxiety won’t let me carry. There was an armed robbery across from the mall and the guy fled towards the mall, so the mall went into lockdown. I couldn’t believe I put myself my baby, and friend and her baby in this situation and I had nothing to protect us. I felt like I failed us all. From then on I decided I never wanted to do that to my child, I am his mother and it is my responsibility to protect him. Not mall security, not the police, not another armed citizen, but myself. I need to be that armed citizen for my baby, family and friends. Though I still have trouble with postpartum anxiety, I am trying my best to get over that fear and carry as often as my mind will allow me.

            I have taken Krav Maga, which is an Israeli self-defense class, for those times where I simply can’t carry. There are always going to be times when we legally can’t be armed, like a government building, the airport, a school etc… So I feel it is important to know other ways to defend yourself and family. Whether you carry pepper spray, a tactical pen, or take self-defense, I feel it is important to have those skills.

I carry for my family, friends, and myself.  I believe a woman should learn to protect herself and not have to rely on others to do so for her. If my husband isn’t around, it is my responsibility to protect myself and those around me. Though I live in a small town in Idaho with a low crime rate doesn’t mean we are completely safe, bad things can still happen in small towns. Now that I am a mother I feel a greater responsibility to protect my baby’s life I never want to be in a situation where I would think “if only I had my gun on me” because then it could be too late.

-Alyssa, Idaho

IG @armedalys

My journey to becoming a Second Amendment advocate is a journey I never thought I’d take. In the fall of 2016, I was living the life I’d always dreamed of. I was just months away from graduating from college. My parents never went to college, and I was beyond excited to walk across the stage and accept the college degree I’d worked so hard for. 

Temple University was my dream school. I loved nearly everything about the University, from its working-class roots to its North Philadelphia campus. I loved my church, my friends, and my job. I was active on campus, and during my junior year I won Temple University’s Diamond Award, the highest recognition from Student Affairs for leadership, service, and academic achievement. 

One night, however, it all came crashing down. 

What started out as any normal day ended up becoming the worst day of my life. A man I’d been casually dating came to my apartment for what was supposed to be a movie and a beer. 

Instead, he raped me. 

I felt like I was holding my entire life in my hands and was watching it crumble. Trying to hold it all together only made things fall apart more. All my hard work felt like it’d been thrown away. 

Due to the trauma, I dropped out of college during my senior year and moved back home to Virginia. I kept my assault a secret for as long as I could, but the secret soon began to eat away at me. One day, I couldn’t keep it the secret any longer, and disclosed the rape to my Women’s Group at church. There I found the support I so desperately needed. I found the strength to tell my immediate family and closest friends. 

I found myself enraged about the fact that I’d been shooting since elementary school, but various laws prevented me from having my firearm with me at school. While I could have technically had it in my off-campus apartment, I couldn’t bring it with me to campus or any of the places I normally went. Break-ins were common in North Philadelphia, and I wasn’t comfortable leaving a gun in my first-floor apartment all day. 

I desperately wanted to scream “I told you so!” on the top of my lungs but wasn’t sure how to go about telling my story in a way that would invite conversation. 

One thing I did know, however, was that I was tired of keeping the secret. 

I was tired of people asking me why I dropped out of Temple. 

I was tired of being vilified in the media because my opinion was unpopular amongst fellow college students.   

More than anything, I was tired of the anti-gunners leading the public debate on firearms. 

My dear friend, Matthew, encouraged me to put pen to paper in the fall of 2017. I sat down at my kitchen table, and word-vomited my pent-up frustrations into a Google Doc. That op/ed was published in The Washington Examiner the next day. I had never felt so free. I finally got my voice back. 

I knew I wanted my #MeToo story to encourage women to consider their means of self-defense. As much as I wish teaching people about consent was enough to prevent rape, my assault shows that for some people, that’s not enough. I had a rape whistle on my keys, but when I blew the whistle, no one came. 

After my first op/ed, I continued to write. Soon, I was invited to tell my story on various news outlets including CNN and NRA TV. 

One day in February 2019, I was doing homework and I received a call from a Washington D.C. area code. I didn’t recognize the number, but I answered it. On the other end of the phone was the Chief Counsel of the House Judiciary Committee, inviting me to testify at the following week’s hearing on H.R. 8 - The Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019. I was nervous, but I agreed. 

A few days later, I stood in front of the committee and swore to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God. I told them about my assault, growing up with guns, and how my gun could have saved me. 

The experience was both nerve wracking and surreal, but I was thankful for the opportunity to share my story. I’d once been so full of shame, but I was learning to use my experience to bring more attention to both sexual violence and the importance of responsible gun ownership. 

Last Sunday I featured on the front page of The Philadelphia Inquirer, where they explained my support of concealed carry and why my sexual assault lead me to become a passionate advocate for the right to bear arms. 

I pray none of you have ever gone through what I did, but I want every single one of you to know that you have opportunity to change public opinion on firearms -- one person at a time. If you have friends that fear guns, invite them to the range with you. Offer to teach them gun safety with an unloaded firearm or teach them how to field-strip a handgun. It’s easy to be scared of the things you don’t understand, and when it comes to firearms and firearm safety, a firm grasp on how to safely operate the gun is imperative. 

When debating gun policy, it’s easy to get angry. Safety and self-defense are important topics that many people take personally. Remember that the person on the other side of the aisle is a human being. Kindness goes a long way toward getting people to at least listen. 

I advocate for female gun ownership because I never want another woman to go through what I did. Sexual violence is an epidemic, especially on college campuses where 23.1 percent of female undergraduates are victims of sexual assault during their academic tenure. 

For years, my beliefs about gun ownership were rooted in the hypothetical, but my assault showed me that there are real stories with real people where firearms could have saved them.

-Savannah, Virginia

Twitter/IG @savannahmaesays

Note: If you’ve experienced sexual trauma, you’re not alone. You’re always welcome to message me through social media (DMs are confidential) or you can reach out to the RAINN Sexual Assault Hotline by phone at 800.656.4673 or online at https://hotline.rainn.org/online.

I have always lived in homes that were protected by firearms. I’ve never had to use one in self-defense, but I have often felt more secure in the knowledge that they are close by if needed. When I moved away to college, my father suggested that I take my revolver with me. He taught me the rules of gun safety and made sure that I was proficient with my weapon before I carried it on my own. That little .38 special gave us both peace of mind during that time period. 

Years later, my daily commute took me through remote areas with no cell phone service. I applied for my Concealed Handgun Permit and began to carry a firearm in the car. One summer evening, I made a quick trip to the local garden center just as night was falling. When I left the store, the area in which I had parked was dark and vacant. I noticed the figure of a man standing in the empty shopping cart return adjacent to my vehicle. With no one parked nearby, I couldn’t think of a good reason for him to be there. As if that weren’t enough, I noticed a large passenger van slowly circling the parking lot. I made a wide arc around the man, who seemed to take no notice of me. I quickly climbed into the opposite side of the car with my purchases, locked the doors, and opened the center console so that I could access my gun if it became necessary. I drove away without incident, but it was then that I realized that my firearm would be much more useful if I kept it on my person. Ever since then, I carry. 

I carry because I was raised to take responsibility for protecting myself, my home, and my family. I live in a rural area with unreliable cell phone coverage. Even if I am able to call the police, they are often more than twenty minutes away. A lot of bad things can happen in twenty minutes. 

I carry because we live in a world where my kids worry about active shooters at the movies, in church, or at the mall. It can be tempting to live in fear, but I believe that the antidote to fear is action. I choose to be prepared. 

I carry because it is my right as an American. Our founding fathers understood the importance of preserving the right of the citizens to own firearms as a defense against tyranny and corruption. It was so important to them that they included it in The Constitution of the United States, which is the supreme law of our country. I believe that the ability to defend oneself is a basic human right that should be protected. 

I carry because I want to set an example for others. I enjoy introducing people from all walks of life to firearms and concealed carry. There are so many innovative products on the market that I believe that anyone can find a safe and comfortable way to carry. 

I carry because, no matter how much I work out, I’m still a physically small person. Petite women, the elderly, or the disabled may look like easy targets, but a firearm can be a very effective equalizer for all of them. There is nothing more empowering than taking responsibility for your own protection.  

I carry because anything can happen at any time. If you watch the news on TV, you know that people are attacked while running through the park, pumping gas at the service station, or carrying groceries from the car to the house. These are all everyday activities that most of us do without giving them a second thought. It’s easy to tell myself that I don’t need to bother with my gun and holster when I’m just running to the store for milk, but I understand that we don’t get to choose when we’ll need to defend ourselves. Unfortunately, the criminal makes that decision for us. It’s up to us to be prepared to respond effectively. That not only entails carrying the self-defense tools of our choice, but also training with them to achieve and maintain proficiency. Concealed carry should be more than just carrying a firearm. I believe it should include dry fire and live fire training, practicing drawing from concealment, knowledge of firearms safety, and basic first aid skills. 

Concealed carry isn’t for everyone, but it is the right choice for me. I have much more to learn, and I don’t plan on stopping any time soon. Because I carry, I am not afraid, but confident. I am not paranoid, but aware. I am not a victim, but a protector. I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

-Tara, Virginia

www.instagram.com/howicarry 

I carry for me and my church. 

I knew from a young age that I wanted to get my concealed carry license. What gave me the urgency to get licensed, is all the church shootings. I’m not paranoid that it will happen at my church, but it gives me a peace of mind that I have the tools and training to stop a deadly threat. I can’t fit a man in my back pocket and expect to be protected. It is definitely not a social norm for a girl to carry, but we are a natural easy target. Evil and sin exist, so as a consequence bad people do bad things. I pray I never have to pull the trigger, but I will protect me and my loved ones from a deadly threat. 

I train by taking classes every other month and I just recently got into USPSA competition shooting. Training is no joke, but making it fun motivates me to keep regular training in my routine. If you don’t train, don’t carry. Get trained, take classes and get plugged into something that fits your lifestyle so you are prepared!

I work in a church office and great people come in our doors! But there are times where something is off with someone and we just need to keep an eye on them. Since I got licensed I am much more aware of my surroundings, most of the time someone is hurting and needs to be heard and loved like Jesus calls us to love. 

Be blessed,

Annie, Texas

www.instagram.com/PistolAnnieB