Article by Beth Walker
Role models: They are the ones who inspire us, ones who have faced the challenges in their life head on and attacked every single one. Nikki Goeser, a gun owner from Tennessee, embodies this. Her passion for the Second Amendment drives her success everyday and the sadness of her past has strengthened her message in a way most would not expect. In the modern world, women parade around demonizing our founding principles because they feel victimized. Goeser has taken a situation which, by current standards, could have landed her with the perfect victim story — and turned her life around. She is now a leader in Washington, D.C., fighting for our rights every single day. Here is her story.
We all have different views on firearms and their necessity for self-defense. Goeser says, “I’m a firm supporter of the right to keep and bear arms. I learned the hard way, the night my stalker gunned down my husband in front of me while I was forced to be disarmed by a state-imposed law which made us defenseless. I had to leave my permitted and legal firearm that I normally carried for self-defense locked in my vehicle, because the restaurant we were working in was a gun-free zone.” As with most instances, legislation does not change the heart of a criminal, and it cost Goeser the life of a loved one. I have heard her tell the story on two or three occasions and I will never forget her saying she will spend the rest of her life wondering if she could have prevented this terrible man from murdering her husband. She is a firsthand example of the strength such a terrible event can give a person to stand even more firmly for their beliefs.
Less than a year ago, she decided to take a step in a different direction. With no job and no solidified plans, Goeser moved to Washington, D.C. in hopes of taking the fight to a whole new level. During a job interview at the House of Representatives, she met Congressman Thomas Massie of the 4th Congressional District of Kentucky. Her story struck him and it was plain to see the knowledge and the passion Goeser has for the Second Amendment and our country. After learning more about her story and her book, “Denied a Chance: How Gun Control Helped a Stalker Murder my Husband,” Congressman Massie asked her to be the Executive Director of the Congressional Second Amendment Caucus. On his website Congressman Massie writes, “I will work vigorously to defend the rights of gun owners. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is not principally about hunting or recreation. In fact, the Second Amendment to our Constitution is our Founding Fathers’ restatement of our natural God-given right to defend life, liberty, and property.” This is a statement Goeser strongly agrees with and she has made it her mission to carry out the defense of the Second Amendment as a God-given essential liberty.
The question presented to me now is what can we learn from this? Numerous occasions have presented us with the fact legislation does not change the heart of evil men. Goeser’s stalker had more instruments of murder which were not firearms waiting in the vehicle as backup. My belief is when a man or woman chooses to commit murder, breaking another law of lesser consequence does not take away from their final goal. Murder is the most heinous of all crimes, yet domestic enemies of our nation seek to strip us of the right to defend ourselves. Goeser knows, so why have lawmakers in Washington still not learned? The answer seems complicated, but it is really simple. It is willful ignorance. Democratic lawmakers do not want to deal with the root of the problem: rotten hearts, broken families, and mental illnesses.
I was curious after talking with Goeser what her goal is going to be in the future. She simply answered, “I hope to continue to inspire others to protect themselves and their loved ones by using my own life experience to educate the public on the basic human right of self defense. Disarming law-abiding citizens only emboldens evil.” Now, I urge every one of you to take this statement, plant it deep in your heart, and fight for your rights every day. As a nation, Goeser has reminded us about the basic necessity of self-defense.
There are many different women who, like Goeser, have harrowing stories of tragedy and triumph which lit a fire in themselves to stand up for truth and justice. Their stories will be shared later. But for now, remember Goeser, learn from her story, and be a leader in your community.