By Annette D.

Yes, I’m a female and yes, I have a firearm… several in fact. Should I look or act a certain way because I own and shoot a firearm? No. Then why do people act the way they do when they find out?

I got a call yesterday from a businessman I work with on and off.  We’ve never met, I live in the Northeast, he lives out West.  We worked together for a few months and then he changed gears and didn’t need my services for the time being.  I’d get a call every few months to check in and keep in touch.  Life was good.

Yesterday’s call was apparently prompted by my Google+ profile picture.  It’s me firing at a target.  “Your Google profile picture, is that you?”

The picture in question..

Me: Umm, yes.  Him: With a gun?  You have a gun?  Me: I have several firearms.  Him: Why.  Me: Because I shoot?

I changed the subject back to business and a few minutes later he mentioned that he wondered if it were smart for me to use a picture “like that” on a public profile.  I was polite, as I was hoping to do more work for him in the future, but REALLY? Is it that bad? Am I missing something? I explained that my Google+ profile is used mainly to keep in touch with other firearms enthusiasts that I’ve met on various forums and I don’t use it to solicit business, not that I would be worried that my profile picture would hinder that.  My work speaks for itself. Then I get this…”Wow, between the gun picture and your Skype picture, you must be some kind of a control freak, no?” My Skype picture is me on my horse.

Is this the photo of a control freak?

At this point, I felt the need to be less polite than I had been during the conversation because I now no longer cared if I work for him again. My answer was simply, “I have a horse, and I have firearms, I do not see what one has to do with the other, nor do I see where you’re going with this, or how it would affect our working relationship. We have a business relationship, my personal life is none of your business, nor is your personal life any of mine.”

I’m a proud NRA member. I’m a proud American. Why are people so phobic of firearms and those of us who choose to own and enjoy them? You don’t want one? That’s your choice! I happen to enjoy mine, so leave me alone. He ended up asking me to look into something for him, but I’m not at all sure now I want to even deal with him again.

Is it because I’m a woman? Would a male associate of his even be questioned? Just the fact that he felt the need to bring it up (twice) upsets me… anybody ever have anything similar happen to them? How did you deal with it?

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