On March 14th, Breitbart News reported on how Lisa Atkin pulled a handgun on a burglar in her home and pinned him down until police arrived 23 minutes later.
The burglar, Joseph Baker, broke through two doors to get inside Atkin’s Junction City, Oregon, home at approximately 9 a.m. on March 12th.
Breitbart News recently talked to Atkin about that morning, asking about her experience with firearms and how it came about that she was ready to defend her life and property when the burglar appeared.
Atkins told us she is originally from the UK, so she did not grow up around guns and was not even exposed to one for the first 37 years of her life. Then she moved to the United States in 2005 and realized a gun “is an inanimate object, relying on its operator as to whether it is put to good or bad use.”
Said Atkin, “My training originally consisted of my husband (who is a US citizen by birth) taking me out shooting, simply to allow me the experience. He has been shooting and hunting for over 40 years and has extensive personal experience.”
With her husband she shot and familiarized herself with a .30-06 rifle, .22 rifle, Ruger .357 revolver, Kahr PM40, and a .22 pistol. She then enrolled in Oregon Firearms Academy for range time and concealed carry courses.
Atkin said:
Women are often the target of violent crimes because they are generally more easy to overpower. So criminals have an advantage through pure strength or through the misuse of weapons. Firearms allow women to introduce an equalizer into the situation, [and carrying one] clearly shows that a woman refuses to be a victim, and will instead stand firm as a survivor.
She said her advice to women everywhere is, “We have our Constitution and Second Amendment rights for a reason… and every woman should care about exercising [her] Second Amendment rights.”
Atkin concluded by saying, “Be a survivor, not a victim.”
Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.
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