But her Tweet last week declaring avid gun owners who value the Second Amendment to be misogynist was truly over the top. During a Twitter “discussion” about Michigan protesters flooding the state capitol to protest Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s restrictive lockdown orders and directives, Watts Tweeted: “This is absolutely fueled by the fact that Gov. Whitmer is a woman. Not all misogynists are gun extremists, but all gun extremists are misogynists.”
Dianna Muller Takes On Shannon Watts
Dianna Muller is a former Tulsa police officer and competitive shooter. She’s also head of the DC Project—a women’s initiative that supports gun rights. We reached out to Muller about what Watts Tweeted and she had her own thoughts. As Muller pointed out, the definition of misogyny is, “A dislike of, contempt for, or ingrained prejudice against women.”
“First of all, there are many women protesters in the video,” Muller said. “I don’t know these women, but I think it is highly unlikely that they are all ‘women haters.’ Second, Gov. Ralph Northam from Virginia is a male and he has been met with the same ‘enthusiasm’ for freedom.”
Muller said when Watts makes claims like “all gun extremists are misogynists,” it appears that she isn’t paying any attention to what’s really occurring on the national scene right now.
“For those of us that are intellectually honest, Watts comes across in this post as disingenuous, at best, or just a liar,” she said. “Might I suggest that, perhaps, their displeasure has nothing to do with sex, and everything to do with the trampling of our freedoms? That is a common denominator in protests around the country.”
Muller said what was even more disturbing than the original thoughts by Watts were the subsequent comments by her followers.
“Many used words like ‘arrest,’ ‘stupid,’ ‘terrorists,’ ‘nuts,’” Muller said. “One hashtagged ‘#michiganterrorists’ in reference to the protesters. Another called for the National Guard to protect the politicians and end the Second Amendment!
“Other comments brought in race and said that if the Michigan protesters were black, they would have been shot. Portraying gun owners as ‘white supremacists’ is just another lie.”
Armed & Not-So Dangerous
Muller also found the commentary on the armed protestors interesting. Many commented how dangerous these protestors must be due to their firearms. Those complainers should have learned something from the situation.
“All of the naysayers were concerned about the ‘terrorists with guns at the capitol,’ but I would like to point out that no one got shot,” she said. “Tensions are high in situations like these, yet time and time again gun owners demonstrate that they aren’t ‘off the chain’ or ‘looking for someone to shoot,’ and that this isn’t the ‘Wild West.’”
Muller said that for her and others in the DC Project, it is maddening to see the misinformation and hate campaigns Shannon Watts and others promote against America’s law-abiding gun owners.
“Add in the ‘mainstream’ media squelching our community in advertisements, programming and social media, combined with them giving the antis a bullhorn and carte blanche to say anything they want regardless of truth, and it’s all a little disheartening,” she said. “They are deceiving and influencing so many people.”
Watts Disengages
Asked what she would say to Watts if she could speak to her directly, Muller said she had, indeed, met and spoke to the head Mom last year at a photo shoot for TIME magazine.
“I introduced myself to her and gave her my card at the TIME ‘Guns in America’ photo shoot,” she said. “She asked if I supported ‘universal background checks. When I said, ‘No,’ she disengaged. I made it clear that she could call me at any time.”
A few weeks ago in response to some crazy anti-gun statements by actress Alyssa Milano, Muller publicly invited Milano to go the range with her to learn more about guns and gun owners. She is now extending that offer to Watts. The same goes for anyone else willing to have an open mind and learn more about women, guns and freedom.
“Every year, the DC Project has extended invitations to legislators and their staff, as well as the media,” Muller said. “Several have taken us up on it, but there are so many more who need the opportunity to spend time with these ‘women gun nuts’ or ‘patriots,’ whichever way you choose to look at us. If anyone has questions about firearms safety or freedom, please reach out to us by visiting dcproject.info!”
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