Opinion By Doris Wise, Jews Can Shoot
As we age, we gain perspective, wisdom, and hard-earned experience. But we also lose some physical capabilities we once took for granted: strength, speed, balance, and stamina. These changes do not make us weak, but they do make us vulnerable in ways we were not before.
Unfortunately, criminals know this all too well.
Seniors are targeted because predators see us as easy prey. They assume we cannot fight back, that we will be slow to react, easily overpowered, or simply afraid. In many cases, they are right, because when it comes to brute force, a 70 or 80-year-old cannot outmatch a 20 or 30-year-old attacker. That is not defeatism. That is reality.
The question is not whether we should defend ourselves. The question is how we do it effectively. The answer? Situational awareness, a firearm, and ongoing training.
Situational Awareness: Your First Line of Defense
Too many people move through life oblivious to their surroundings: glued to their phones, lost in thought, or assuming danger is someone else’s problem. For seniors, that mindset is a luxury we cannot afford.
Situational awareness is the habit of staying alert. It is noticing the man loitering near your car, recognizing when someone follows you too closely through a store or parking lot, trusting your instincts when something feels wrong, and acting on that feeling before it is too late.
Criminals do not want a fight; they want an easy win. If you appear alert and prepared, you are far less likely to be targeted. However, awareness alone is not enough if an attacker decides to strike. That is where a firearm, and your ability to use it, become critical.
The Firearm: The Great Equalizer
A firearm is not a magic wand. It does not grant superpowers or solve every problem. But in a life-threatening situation, it levels the playing field.
You do not need to be strong. You do not need to run fast. You do not need to wrestle an attacker. You simply need to be trained, ready, and willing to defend yourself. A firearm is the only tool that gives a 78-year-old woman the power to stop a 28-year-old predator in his tracks.
This is not about fantasy or bravado; it is about real-world survival in a society where police often cannot arrive in time to stop violence, and criminals know it.
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Training Is Not Optional: It Is Lifesaving
Owning a gun is not enough. Confidence does not come from ownership; it comes from training. The good news? Training is widely available.
Seniors across the country are actively participating in firearms training, with over 17 million Americans aged 65 and older owning firearms, and at least 55 percent of those 55 and older with guns reporting attendance at safety training courses. Organizations like the National Rifle Association (NRA) and the United States Concealed Carry Association (USCCA) offer beginner-friendly classes, such as the NRA’s Home Firearm Safety and USCCA’s Concealed Carry and Home Defense Fundamentals, in states like Arizona, Texas, Rhode Island, and beyond. These courses, often tailored for older adults, accommodate physical limitations and focus on safe handling, defensive shooting, and legal responsibilities. Providers like Gunsite Academy in Arizona and The Preserve Academy in Rhode Island offer senior-accessible classes, with many ranges providing personalized instruction to build skills and confidence at a comfortable pace.
Ongoing training sharpens reflexes, builds muscle memory, and reduces fear. It transforms a firearm from a daunting object into a reliable tool. It also teaches legal responsibility, safe handling, and how to make sound decisions under stress.
Perhaps most importantly, training builds confidence: the kind that shows in your face and posture, which may deter an attacker before any confrontation begins.
Disarming Seniors Is a Death Sentence
We live in a time when some politicians and activists push to disarm law-abiding citizens, especially the elderly, under the guise of safety. They claim firearms are too dangerous, too complicated, or too risky for seniors. This is nonsense and deeply insulting.
Stripping seniors of the right to self-defense is tantamount to saying our lives are no longer worth protecting. It leaves us at the mercy of those who already view us as prey. It is the opposite of compassion.
As the daughter of Holocaust survivors, I do not say this lightly. History has shown, time and again, what happens when the vulnerable are disarmed. It never ends well.
We Must Be Our Own First Responders
Calling 911 is not a plan; it is a backup. In most emergencies, police arrive after the crime has occurred, after the door has been kicked in, after the attack has begun, after someone is injured or dead.
When seconds count, you are the first responder.
A firearm in trained, disciplined hands is not violence; it is the prevention of violence. It is a tool of peace, not chaos, and the last line of defense for those who cannot afford to wait for help.
Empowerment Is Not Just for the Young
Our right to life, liberty, and self-protection does not expire with age. It becomes even more crucial as we age. No senior should be made to feel helpless or disposable. No senior should be told to “just call for help” while being attacked. That is not a plan; it is a death wish.
Situational awareness, armed readiness, and regular training are not paranoia; they are common sense. They are how seniors reclaim control in a world that too often sees us as weak.
To my fellow seniors: You are not too old. You are not too late. Train. Prepare. Stay aware. And never surrender your right to defend your life.
Because your life still matters.
About Doris Wise
Doris Wise is the founder of Jews Can Shoot, an organization dedicated to educating and empowering law-abiding citizens, especially within the Jewish community, to understand the critical importance of armed self-defense in a world where history has too often repeated itself.
Now that’s my kind of Grandma!!!
To paraphrase a wise man on another forum, I’m 73 and I carry because I’m too young to die and too old to take a beating. Cocked & locked every day.
Don’t forget about the street gang targeting seniors for the ” punch out” ” knock out” game. They will wait outside a big box store or grocery store waiting for a senior citizen to walk out. They run up and punch the victim in the head. Apparently, it doesn’t matter to them if it’s a man or a woman. Had a friend tell me if they did that to their mom, they’d better hope the police find him before he did as he would end up going to jail Hell, just dump the body under some bridge or in a… Read more »
I’m 60. Fight me and find out. Let’s see how good you are youngun