Some seniors securing guns and training for safety measures

June 21, 2004
Northwest Indiana Times

Granny get your gun

In the 52 years of business for Blythe Sport Shop, Les and Mike Blythe have watched their clientele grow and mature with age.

With store locations in Griffith, Valparaiso and Portage, Les, 48, and Mike, 45, educate customers of all ages about their merchandise and wares, include guns.

A new customer demographic even includes a growing number of senior citizens expressing an interest to purchase guns and firearms, as well as training, for personal safety and security.

"About 80 percent of the people we train in gun safety and who have just purchased a gun are senior citizens and females," Les said.

"It's a trend that's definitely out there, and the interest exists among an older age group who want to feel safer."

Les agreed news headlines and fears about today's society have helped bolster holster interest.

Last week, for example, an East Chicago man became the city's third homicide victim in six days when he was gunned down while riding his bicycle.

Click on the "Read More..." link below for more.

"Safety will always be both a community and countywide issue, and we want people to feel secure," said Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter, who has been a vocal force in efforts to control gun violence in the region.

"It's important to continue to remind and caution others about the impact guns have on a community and the responsibilities that come with owning a gun."

Last year, Carter sponsored a gun initiative turn-in program that allowed firearms to be exchanged for gift certificates.

During a public event in January 2003, Carter arranged for U.S. Steel Gary Works General Manager George Babcoke to accompany police and the press to a site at the mill where the discarded firearms were melted to be made into cans. The scene included the destruction of everything from bolt-action rifles to rusty revolvers and sawed-off shotguns, all of which became 2,900-degree molten iron.

Carter said he's not aware of statistics that show how many senior citizens have guns.

"It's natural that senior citizens might feel vulnerable and want to protect themselves," Carter said.

Blythe works with Carter and law enforcement agencies to encourage people of every age who express an interest in guns to train and prepare before making a purchase.

"We have a retired police officer who does much of our training with senior citizens," Les said.

"And before we ever sell any gun, we always discuss the details of what type of gun and training is most appropriate, based on each person's needs."

Les said most of the guns sold for protection range in price from $250 to $600. Because seniors might have trouble with the weight, power and size of certain guns, they also make suggestions to those investigating gun options.

Doug Waldron, 56, of Griffith, a long-time hunter, said he has felt safer and better equipped to protect his family since deciding to keep a gun in the house about 10 years ago. He has undergone three heart surgeries during that time.

"I think self-defense is important to anyone," Waldron said. "But when you are older, thoughts of feeling safe and protected become even more of a concern.''

According to studies published in the Jan. 6 edition of "The Christian Science Monitor," that came from data gathered by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago earlier this year, "personal gun ownership is now highest among the 65-plus age group."

The same report shares numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics that show 3.4 percent of Americans 65 or older were the victim of a violent crime in 2002, which is down from the 9.1 percent logged in 1973.

Porter County Sheriff's Department Chief Deputy David Lane, 50, who conducts safety training programs for senior, said he's found that even as statistics show declining numbers in violence against seniors, fears are on the increase.

"We're fortunate that in Porter County, we typically have very safe communities and neighborhoods that have remained unchanged," Lain said.

"But senior citizens remain a group that worries about being safe and feels society casts them in the role of victim. Actually, I think seniors are much safer because they do exercise such caution in their daily lives."

Lain said his law enforcement agency has found fewer seniors who want to acquire guns and more who want to get rid of them.

"We get quite a few widows who call and have a gun in the house because their late spouse had a gun, and they want to get rid of it," Lain said.

"We're also here to help in that capacity."

Ann Shore, 73, of Portage, director of Bonner Senior Center there, said she knows few seniors who have armed themselves.

"There's a lot of fear that also comes with having a gun around," said Shore, who has been with Bonner 23 years.

"Seniors here have created lots of ways to feel safer without involving a gun."

Shore said alarm systems, dogs and added security lights help the 200 members of Bonner feel safer in their homes.

Shore's favorite security measure is a daily "morning telephone calling chain" among friends helping older individuals feel safe and connected.

"With this system, it's not about using ammunition to feel safe, it's about using communication," Shore said.

Commentary:
This story is filled with plenty of anti-self-defense propaganda from elected officials and "community" activists who think feeling "connection" can make seniors safe.

But there is great news.

Despite all the stories (and there have been many) filled with this type of propaganda, more seniors are purchasing firearms, learning how to use them, and defending their lives with them.

The gun control agenda is failing, and we will all be the better - and safer - for it.

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