Rape Survivor Criticizes Moms Demand Action, Says Banning Campus Carry Will ‘Turn Women Into Powerless Victims’


One of the most outspoken special interest groups centered on gun control, or at least gun sense, is Moms Demand Action For Gun Sense In America. Empowered by their mission to provide a safer America for children, Moms Demand Action (or just Moms) have achieved unprecedented wins for gun sense at the voting booth, state legislation, and corporate sector.

Despite their intentions, most people know about Moms Demand Action for how seriously they support their initiative. The Inquisitr once reported on just how serious they can be when they expressed disdain for a new Orlando theme park known as Machine Gun America. Apparently, they allow 13-year-old children to shoot guns. Despite the fact said shooting of firearms are in a controlled and safe environment, all Moms Demand Action can see is that it doesn’t fit with the stereotypical view of a theme park, arguing it is not family friendly.

Either they be considered admirable or agenda-driven, Moms Demand Action are consistent with what they believe. Now, their newest campaign is against concealed carry on campus, which is also known as campus carry. As always, they receive both positive and negative attention, which includes that of a rape survivor. However, this may be the kind of attention they don’t want.

According to IJReview, Amanda Collins wrote an op-ed for MSNBC in response to another article written by Shannon Watts, the founder of Moms Demand Action, for the same news site. In Shannon’s article, Moms Demand Action claims that allowing campus carry will increase the number of rapes that occur. Utilizing social media, specifically their Facebook page, they were able to garner support from many college students from the University of Nevada in Reno.

FB Moms Demand Action
Moms Demand Action took to their Facebook to campaign the removal of campus carry, or the concealed carry of weapons, on the grounds of institutions of higher learning.

Contrary to Moms Demand Action’s statement, data from a Colorado Springs University revealed that after they legalized campus carry, there was a 90 percent decrease in sexual assaults. Though factual study is always valid, it is always honest personal testimony that is considered a trump card, especially in situations of this sensitive nature.

As written earlier, Amanda Collins wrote an op-ed for MSNBC arguing against the support to remove campus carry. Though op-ed articles are usually opinions enforced by facts, Amanda’s story goes a different angle because she is writing from the experience of being a survivor of rape.

“Eight years ago, during my junior year at the University of Nevada-Reno, I was raped in the parking garage only feet away from the campus police office.

As this stranger raped me while holding a pistol to my temple, I could see the police cruisers parked for the night, and I knew no one was coming to help me.”

Thankfully, the rapist was brought to justice, but not after he had raped two other women. Amanda Collins’ believes that if she had her weapon on her, she might have protected herself from rape as well as save two other women from the same fate. The reason why she was unarmed is because the state of Nevada does not allow permit holders to carry firearms on campus. Ergo, Amanda’s Concealed Carry Weapons (CCW) permit was rendered useless in this particular situation.

“As a law-abiding citizen, I left my firearm at home, which means that the law that is meant to ensure my safety only guaranteed the criminal an unmatched victim.

Had I been carrying my firearm, I would have been able to stop the attack. Not only that, but two other rapes would have been prevented and three young lives would have been saved, including my own.”

As of now, the argument on banning or allowing campus carry is an ongoing discussion. The New York Times did report that the legislation is in disarray pertaining to it. At the time of their article’s publication, ten states were reported to have bills in the works to remove or ease up on campus carry. Nine states allow campus carry with restrictions, while seventeen states outright ban it altogether. As for the rest of the states, individual schools decide on campus carry in which most of them ban it.

[Featured Image via Joe Readle/Getty, Post Image via Moms Demand Action Facebook Screen Capture]

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