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Cat and Whitney Potgeter provide a powerful representation of firearm skills being passed down from one generation to the next. The mother and daughter are both NRA-certified instructors and range officers who teach classes at Silver Bullet Firearms in Wyoming, Mich. They also run their own training business called Applied Firearms Defense Skills, with Whitney’s sister Abbey assisting as photographer.

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“The responsibility side of carrying–or any firearm use–is truly my mantra. I grow weary hearing so much talk solely about ‘my rights’. I want to chime in and ask ‘What about the responsibility assosciated with those rights?’ I’m all about the choice to carry and the liberation that comes from proper training and knowledge, but it’s all about balance: Rights with Responsibility.”

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WYOMING, Mich. (WZZM) – The face of gun ownership is changing and women are helping drive gun sales. Some self-defense
classes are being designed with women in mind and women are being faced with the question – in the heat of the moment,
could they shoot?

           Imagine the scenario – It’s 11:00pm on a Friday. You’ve just returned home and have barely made it up the stairs when an
           intruder breaks through your door. Your gun is tucked away in your purse…or you boots…or your backpack…or somewhere
           in your home.

This is the drill that women taking Cat Potgeter’s class are going through. She has taught nearly 700 women over the last
18 months.

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WYOMING, Mich. (WZZM) — Some call a firearm the great equalizer among men and women. Whether you agree or not, the number of West Michigan women picking up a gun has skyrocketed recently.

A mother-daughter team at the Silver Bullet is inspiring women to arm themselves. “In 2009 our home was robbed,” said Whitney. “It was a terrible feeling, a violation.”

Now Whitney and her mom Cat have made the Silver Bullet Training Center their second home. “I love it, because it’s my passion,” said Cat.

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11/21/2012 ARTICLE

Violence against women is on the rise and across West Michigan and gun range owners say the number of women applying for their Concealed Pistol Licenses or Concealed Carry Permit (CCW) is going up right along with it….Every 19 seconds a violent crime is committed against somebody in the United States and three out of four of those are against women, according to the FBI.

“It makes me sleep better at night, it really does, if I’m sleeping at home by myself I most definitely glad that it’s there, that if someone comes into my home , it’s not gonna be me it’s gonna be them.” Molly Kopen of Grand Rapids said while training for her CPL.

There are more than 348,000 active CPL licenses in Michigan, with more than 10,000 in Kent and 6,000 in Kalamazoo County.

“Several years ago we were actually robbed at our home and up until that point I felt like I was fairly naïve thinking that couldn’t happen in our very quaint Mayberry type neighborhood.” Cat Potgeter, now an NRA Certified Instructor said.

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