By Okon Ekpenyong

A Columbus, Ohio resident and Ghanaian American Princess Kuevor, a gun owner, joined us in our interview with Kurtis Foster, owner of Foster Tactical Defense & Security. Princess Kuevor shares her story of advocating for the Second Amendment, myths about gun ownership, and advice to immigrants seeking to purchase a firearm lawfully.

Beginning

When I moved to Ohio from Ghana, I knew nothing about The Constitution, guns, or self-defense. I didn’t know anything about evil people versus good people. I saw my family as friendly people, and I assumed that everyone else was very similar. Those perceptions were broken repeatedly as I moved through the school years.

Kids were making fun of my accent or where I was from. I learned to be resilient and ignore bullies. In middle school, I got into my first fight because a girl thought I liked a guy she wanted. Once I was in high school, most of that was over. At 19, my first boyfriend took me to the gun range. I was nervous, but he had me shoot a .22 rifle. It has no recoil and barely makes any noise. We worked up to 7.62 by 39, known as AK 47 rounds. After my first shot, I was hooked! I wanted to know everything about guns, holsters, sights, triggers, etc.

Columbus

Growing up in Columbus, I never thought I needed any weapon because I considered myself a good person, and I never bothered people. That fantasy was shattered in January 2012. I was assaulted by a woman who felt entitled to throw her drink at my vehicle. One of my sisters was in the passenger seat and witnessed the incident. The police were called, and they did nothing.

They did not take photos of my injuries and refused to take a witness report from my sister because “she is related to me,” is what the CPD officer said. Those words will never leave my mind. From that day, my life was forever changed. My perception of Columbus being a safe place was utterly shattered. My confidence in the police and the “justice system” was destroyed.

Self Defense

My boyfriend at the time couldn’t do anything to help me with the process, and all he said was that I must be my own self-defense. On August 14th of that year, I turned 21, and I went straight to the sheriff’s office to fill out the application to get my concealed handgun license (CHL).

As a birthday present, he bought me my first pistol. It is a .40 caliber Smith and Wesson M+P. Since my 21st birthday, I have become a second amendment advocate. I realize that many people have that feeling of “safety” and that gun ownership is evil, but without guns, America wouldn’t be what it is.

I feel a duty to ensure that my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren will be able to enjoy the freedom that we currently have, and I think a lot of immigrants have the misconception that they can move here, live under the radar, and expect things to stay as good as it was when they moved here.

Civil Right

America will not remain America without you doing your part to support the Constitution and basic Civil Rights. That means getting involved in your child’s school board, city council, and other political positions. It is essential to understand what laws and regulations are being passed when you live here. It is your responsibility to ensure that America continues to be great.

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