A state senator, a young wife, a middle-aged office manager and a
grandmother set out on a mission this week.

They might have been strangers, but they found common ground in their
reasons for going.

It was a Wednesday night, and after about four hours of training, they
emerged with something else in common: the ability to carry a concealed
weapon. Locally, gun dealers and trainers report the number of women
buying guns is on the rise since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, with women
sometimes outnumbering men 6-to-1.

When “Annie Get Your Gun” burst onto Broadway in 1946, it brought to life
the Wild West story of a woman known for her sharpshooting ability. Irving
Berlin’s songs captured the quandary of women who, during World War II,
tried to hold on to femininity while taking on roles once reserved for men.

“A man’s love is mighty. He’ll even buy a nightie for a gal who he thinks is
fun. But they don’t buy pajamas for pistol-packin’ mamas,” the character
Annie Oakley sang in “You Can’t Get a Man With a Gun.”

Today, American women are more independent, but there possibly remains
a stigma associated with a woman carrying a pistol. But a lot has changed since
hijacked airliners crashed into the World Trade Center and Pentagon, and
society’s notion of protection might have crumbled along with the concrete and glass.

“When I was growing up, there was no question that the government could
protect you,” said Janey Baldwin, a 72- year-old Brooksville grandmother who
attended a concealed-weapons class in Port Richey. “Sept. 11 that all changed.
I feel now I need to be responsible for my own safety. I hope many women
will rethink how they view guns.”

It’s also time for the government to do some rethinking, said office manager
Donna Munsen, 45, of New Port Richey, who attended the class largely because
of the attack.

“For so many years, the government has been concentrating on its citizens being
criminals. It’s to the point that when you walk out your front door you’re worried about
breaking a law,” she said. “I mean, it wasn’t so long ago that the politicians were so
concerned with me driving my [sport utility vehicle] and talking on my cellphone.
Now I hope they will see that there are real criminals living amongst us that pose
a real danger.”

The terrorist attack also hit home for Laura Benz, 24, of New Port Richey, who
had been mulling over the idea of carrying a pistol before she watched the trade
center towers fall.

“That sealed the deal for me,” Benz said.

Some might question whether Benz and her husband, who are considering
starting a family, should have a gun in their home. Benz said the thought of a
child only reinforced her desire to learn the proper way to handle a gun.

“I want to be able to protect my child,” Benz said. “My husband also is going to
go through the [concealed-weapons] class. The class wasn’t just about learning to
fire a gun, it was a lot about safety and how to safely store a gun.”

Personal Safety Concerns

Senator An in-depth safety lesson wasn’t what Sen. Ginny Brown-Waite, R-Brooksville,
had anticipated when she signed up for the class. “I was impressed with the
thoroughness of all of the training,” said Brown-Waite, who has carried a .38 Colt in her
car for about nine years but never has fired it. She recently was tapped to lead the new state
committee on homeland safety.

The senator and two staff members, Judy Wells and Janice Laxton, decided to
attend the class because of personal safety concerns.

“I think in terms of day-to-day protection, the government does an excellent
job,” Brown-Waite said. “But I do think after Sept. 11 a lot of people rethought
their personal security.”

The majority of women attending instructor Bill Bunting’s concealed-weapons
class have been motivated by the attack, he said. This is the first time he has
seen so many women of all ages registering.

Attendance numbers at recent gun shows in Lakeland and St. Petersburg
might reflect an increase in interest among women. More than 1,200 women
between the ages of 24 and 35 were on hand at each show, officials said.

“I have received 18 telephone calls from women since the attack. That’s
compared to three calls I’ve gotten from men,” Bunting said. “I think Sept. 11
was a real wake-up call.”

Bunting conducts concealed-weapons classes upon request, and he biannually
joins Pasco-Pinellas Public Defender Bob Dillinger and Assistant Public Defender
Tom Hanlon in providing free awareness training to single parents and their
children in Pasco and Pinellas counties.

Most of the women who went to the training said they haven’t decided what
kind of gun they will buy. They are satisfied just knowing they have the ability
to fire a gun safely.