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BCIFV home > Letter to the Editor > May 22, 2002


For Immediate Release: May 22, 2002
Contact: Penny Bain, phone: 604-669-7055 or 1 877-755-7055 or
pbain@bcifv.org or www.bcifv.org

Letter to the Editor Re: "Guns in the Family" by Adel Weder, Saturday, May 11 2002.

As the BC Institute Against Family Violence addresses on a daily basis the destructive effects of firearms in the context of violence in intimate relationships, I must respond to Adele Weder's recent article in the Vancouver Sun, "Guns in the Family." The article seems tailored to the messages of the gun-lobby, painting a rosy picture of firearms as a wholesome family activity. Weder even goes so far as to use numbers supplied by the National Rifle Association (NRA) to illustrate how a 'rising number of women' are interested in learning how to pull a trigger.

The article, however, overlooks the very destructive effects of firearms on families, especially in the context of relationship violence. Guns are lethal weapons, not benign distractions, and they are often part of the cycle of intimidation that accompanies domestic abuse. The mere presence of a gun in an abusive household can lead to an escalation of violence that results in death. On average, 40% of women killed by their husbands are shot; most (80%) of them with legally owned rifles and shotguns.

The article seems intent on glamorising the notion of 'packing heat' and insinuates that guns are tool for empowering women. The evidence tells a different story. In the US where the marketing strategies of gun manufacturers involve targeting women specifically, rates of domestic violence are higher and overall 50% of women who are killed are shot. The parallels between the campaigns of gun manufacturers and the tobacco companies' ("you've come a long way, baby!") are undeniable and just as deadly. Therefore, I would ask the Vancouver Sun to think twice next time before publishing a story that is essentially an ad for firearm manufacturers and the gun lobby. The impact of firearms in our society, especially where women are concerned, is a serious issue with very real, often tragic, consequences.

Sincerely,
Penny Bain
Executive Director
BC Institute Against Family Violence

For more information, contact Penny Bain, Executive Director of the BC Institute Against Family Violence at 669-7055 or
1 877-755-7055, pbain@bcifv.org or www.bcifv.org.

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