As a former New Yorker and current Massachusetts resident, I’ve always understood that our Second Amendment rights are in constant peril. Admittedly, however, I became complacent with the status quo. State governments have been chipping away at the rights of lawful gun owners little by little for years, and I failed to pay attention.
That all changed in June 2024 with the introduction of Massachusetts’ HD.4420, “An Act Modernizing Firearm Laws.” This proposed omnibus bill was a sweeping piece of legislation aimed at rewriting gun laws in the Commonwealth.
In an apparent knee-jerk reaction to the United States Supreme Court’s decision in NYSRPA v. Bruen, HD.4420 aimed to impose unprecedented gun control on lawful gun owners, while failing to address the state’s woeful lack of prosecution and penalties for violent criminals. I decided that I needed to get more involved in lobbying for gun rights and began calling my elected officials in the Massachusetts House and Senate.
Initially, my local representatives took my calls – these discussions fell on deaf ears. I knew that I had to become more involved with state and national gun rights organizations if I truly wanted to make a difference and preserve our rights.
Despite our efforts, on July 24, 2024, HD.4420 was signed into law by Governor Maura Healey as Chapter 135 of the Acts of 2024, forever changing the landscape of gun rights in the Commonwealth.
Massachusetts is a beautiful state, rich in history, culture, and community. But when it comes to protecting the rights of lawful gun owners, it is one of the most oppressive in the nation. The legislation coming out of Beacon Hill does little to deter crime and everything to burden people like me – law-abiding citizens.
I know the intent of these laws, or at least what they claim to be, but the reality is very different. The laws don’t disarm criminals. They disarm men. They disarm mothers, daughters, and women living in fear. These laws aren’t safety measures; they’re restraints placed upon the law-abiding citizens of the Commonwealth.
That’s why I’ve turned my pain into purpose through advocacy. I speak out against sweeping gun control legislation. I share my story again and again. Not because it’s easy, but because it’s necessary.
I’ve stood alongside Gun Owners of America as they lead the charge for no-compromise advocacy. I’ve fought with Second Amendment Foundation and the Civil Rights Coalition, groups that understand this isn’t just about guns – it’s about freedom. It’s about the ability to protect ourselves when no one else will.
I’ve watched friends and students discover their own power, only to be told by the state that their rights are conditional, subject to politics, perception, and paperwork. But we know better. We know that our right to defend ourselves is not something granted by the government. It is inherent, and it is non-negotiable.
People often ask me why I fight. I fight because I’ve seen what happens when women have no means of protection. And I’ve seen what happens when we do.
The road to liberation is paved with knowledge and the courage to say “No.” No, we will not be silent. No, we will not comply. No, we will not let another woman feel powerless again.
Massachusetts continues to push legislation that punishes lawful gun owners while ignoring the root of criminal activity. These laws do nothing to stop violence. They only create more victims by stripping us of our right to defend ourselves. I began speaking out and educating others about the dangers of these so-called solutions.
I often quote a dear friend and fellow civil rights activist who once said: “You cannot comply your way into freedom. There is no compliance into freedom. There’s only defiance into freedom… and freedom isn’t free.”
Those words resonate through everything I do because the truth is, compliance is what left me vulnerable. Defiance – rising, speaking, and teaching – saved me.
The greatest weapon I ever found was within myself.
