If you haven’t heard, a movement against our Second Amendment rights is taking shape right in front of our faces. I encourage all to get involved because it takes more than a few voices to be heard. I just returned from Washington DC where I had the opportunity to be the Louisiana Delegate for The DC Project. The DC Project is a non-partisan initiative that brings 50 women, one woman from each state, to Washington DC to meet legislators and reveal the faces and stories of Second Amendment supporters. Here are ten takeaways I learned from my time defending our 2A rights.
1. Elected officials are accessible.
If you are in their voting district, they will meet with you or send a staffer on their behalf. I had no idea how easy it would be to waltz into my Senator’s office in our nation’s capital and have a meeting (scheduled, of course).
2. I Had It Easy.
Louisiana is a very pro Second Amendment State (for the most part). Cassidy’s, Kennedy’s and Scalise’s offices were so welcoming and friendly. It is important to note that not every State is as Second Amendment friendly as Louisiana. I attended a heated meeting with one of our other delegates where things got intense. It lasted almost an hour where all other meetings lasted about 15 minutes. When our delegate explained that we were supporters of the Second Amendment, her representative laughed and said, “That sounds like something out of Blazing Saddles.” Yes, you read that right. A member of the United States House of Representatives said that by saying we are Second Amendment supporters it made us sound like we were straight out of a satirical Western comedy. This was his perception. But our girl handled it like a pro! I hope our diverse group and our presence helped change his perception a little. That's why we were there. This is why we continue to fight.
3. Diverse Group? Not a Problem.
Who knew that a random crew of ladies from different sides of our country, different cultures and different values could all come together and quickly become friends. We had one thing in common – our passion to protect our Second Amendment – and that’s all we needed. I love making new friends!
4. My family rocks.
Not only did my husband (aka Ryan Gresham) encourage me to do this, but he came with me for support and entertained our girls for two LONG days while I had meetings. The girls went along for the ride and stood out in the rain like champs during the rally! I loved having them there with me.
5. The secret service in front of the White House will not take a selfie with you.
Don’t bother asking them. But my new friend from Nebraska made my dreams come true and got a picture for me.
6. Nick Freitas Strengthens Our Voice for the Second Amendment.
Nick Freitas is a Republican member of the Virginia House of Delegates. You probably recognize him from his open and honest speeches that have been popping up on social media. You can view one here. We were very fortunate to have him come out and speak at our rally! He's the real deal.
7. Legislators Want to Listen
Almost every office we visited mentioned how the anti-gun groups inundate them with phone calls and meetings after a shooting tragedy. But they rarely here from 2A supporters. Let me repeat that. THEY RARELY HEAR FROM 2A SUPPORTERS. Our elected officials hear from people on the other side that just want “something” to be done. We, as 2A supporters, need to let them know that we don’t want “the something” to restrict our rights as law abiding citizens. Just by showing up and starting these relationships, we are really doing some good in a positive way.
8. Good Battle Buddies
Kim Condon, our group leader from Mississippi and self-proclaimed group grandma, is too much fun. She was helpful and calmed my nerves with her laid back and personable vibe. That Southern charm oozes out of her and that went a long way in the meetings. Good battle buddies come in handy when handling stressful situations like extending your comfort zone.
Sidebar: If you ever want to go to an awesome shooting facility and get firearms training, check out her place, Boondocks Firearms Training Academy.
9. Leading the Charge
Our leader, Dianna Muller, works hard to help protect our Second Amendment rights. I can’t imagine how time consuming it is to recruit and round up 50 women, answer all the questions, solve all the problems, schedule every detail, etc. On top of that, she had just returned from winning a silver medal at the International Practical Shooting Confederation Shotgun World Shoot III 2018 at Chateauroux, France! Dianna is real, smart, talented and an influential benchmark we should all strive to mimic. If you have any doubt as to how much fun this Oklahoman is, check out her shoes. That should tell you something.
10. Not a “let’s fight for a cause” type of person.
I see how society, the media and some elected officials paint an unfavorable picture of gun ownership and Second Amendment supporters. The perception that gun owners don’t care about the safety of our children or we don’t care about protecting our country from violence is wrong. However, they use that perceived notion against us to slowly chip away at our right to protect ourselves and those we love. That is why I agreed to join this group of women. Every girl in this group CARES ABOUT SAFETY! In fact, most of them have dedicated their lives to this cause. Most care so much that they spent their money and rearranged their lives to get to DC to speak to elected officials. The only way we are going to change the perception is to reveal the real faces and real stories of people who support our Second Amendment. I am honored to be a part of it.
I encourage everyone to get out there and be a voice for the Second Amendment. If not you, then who? ~ Lisa
Lisa Gresham
I am a marketing professional, homeschool mom, fitness instructor and wife. I am also the first responder for my children, a concealed carry holder and a Second Amendment supporter. I train primarily for self-defense, but also enjoy the quality time shooting with my husband, friends and family. I love encouraging other women to learn more about firearms, firearms safety, self-defense and showing them how much fun shooting can be! To follow Lisa visit HERE.
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