We reported yesterday on how women in Chicago—in response to the city’s out-of-control crime rate—are taking up arms and training to defend themselves and their families. Rhonda Ezell has taken it a step further.
Ezell is the founder of Chicago Guns Matter, and she objected to having to travel hours just to get firearm training, thanks to Chicago’s ban on gun ranges within city limits. As reported in the Chicago Sun-Times, Ezell teamed up with the Illinois State Rifle Association and became lead plaintiff in a lawsuit that successfully overturned the ban. But with restrictions on where those ranges can be located ruling out 98 percent of the city, Ezell’s fight goes on.
“Your ZIP code does not dictate what your rights should be,” said Richard Pearson of ISRA. “It takes brave people to do this, like Otis [McDonald] and Rhonda.”
For Ezell, now that she’s trained, she’s looking to pass that knowledge down and has a frequent companion at the gun range—her 6-year-old granddaughter. “I feel like I’ve taught her just about everything else, from cooking to writing to reading and things of that nature,” she said. “Why not take her to the gun range?”
