As a retired Tulsa police officer, Team Benelli Captain and winner of the 2015 NRA World Shooting Championship, Dianna Muller has a special appreciation for the Second Amendment. As a woman, she believes that having a firearm in her home gives her the edge over a possible attacker, no matter how big or strong he might be. And as a cop, she knows firsthand how long it takes citizens under assault to get help when the chips are down.
As a competitive 3-gun shooter, Muller sees yet another side of shooting—a side filled with gracious, friendly, law-abiding Americans celebrating their Second Amendment rights on the shooting range.
I have lived alone for most of my adult life. It may sound cliché, but I sleep at night with a peace that surpasses all understanding for two reasons—my God and my guns!
When I hear a thump in the night, my adrenaline dumps, but I don’t have a fear of not being able to protect myself. More than a few women in that same situation have found themselves in the worst possible scenario. The brutal assault in June 2013 of a New Jersey mother, which was captured on her nanny cam, is a good example of what can happen in the real world. Those who don’t have a firearm in their home find themselves at the mercy of whatever evil enters their lives. Since I’m not defenseless, however, I have a chance.
As a 20-plus-year law enforcement officer with a career spanning gangs, narcotics, street crimes and the field, I am a big advocate for personal responsibility and personal safety. I know exactly how long it takes for police to respond to an emergency. Law enforcement officers simply cannot be everywhere at once. So the odds are, if you find yourself toe-to-toe with a bad guy—in a situation where seconds feel like a lifetime—you are going to be on your own until help arrives. How are you going to protect yourself until I get there?
The answer can be found in my favorite quote. As George Washington once said, “A free people ought not only to be armed, but disciplined.” In that statement, Washington was advocating both personal responsibility and duty to country.
My passion for the Second Amendment, however, doesn’t stop at personal protection. As a professional 3-gun competitor, I feel like I get to play a fantastic, action-packed video game in real life, but with none of the violence. I consider myself lucky to be in the company of members of the shooting community, and in the company of NRA members.
After the tragedy at Newtown, Conn., I didn’t like it that gun owners and Second Amendment supporters were widely vilified by anti-gunners, the press and many politicians due to the acts of a deranged murderer. I’m very proud of my shooting family. We are good people. We are responsible people. I’ve found shooters to be gracious and generous. We are friendly, polite and good-hearted. We are law-abiding Americans, and proud of it! We are the good guys!
As an NRA Life member, I encourage everyone to investigate what the Second Amendment really means to them. It’s far more than just a phrase written on a piece of old paper.
My appreciation of both the NRA and the Second Amendment stems from the many different aspects of my life. As a woman, a career law enforcement officer, a hunter, a competitive shooter and a free citizen of the United States of America, I am proud of the NRA for always standing and fighting for my rights.
The National Rifle Association is not a faceless political machine as many people seem to believe. I—along with many others like me—am the face of the NRA.
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