We Women Need AR-15s for Self-Defense

The AR-15 semiautomatic rifle is getting vilified in the media, but two female essayists at the National Review explain why it's their weapon of choice for self-defense. Simply put, it's a great gun—light, easy to shoot, and accurate, write Celia Bigelow and Aubrey Blankenship. In this age of violence, especially against women, "pepper spray, mace, or five-round handheld pistols aren't going to cut it," they write. The AR-15 is easily the best option out there, and "we wouldn't want to be stuck at home without one."

Critics may hate high-capacity magazines, but the essayists think of them as "a life-saving insurance mechanism"—that is, when an intruder invades your home, you might not get a chance to reload. "As women, we should possess the right to best defend ourselves against (violence) whether with a handgun or our much preferred AR-15," they write. "So, Mr. President, use the First Amendment as much as you like to rail against our AR-15s, but hands off our Second Amendment right to use them." Read the full column here. (More guns stories.)