As the conversation about gun legislation has intensified nationwide, gun owners in the United States have started to look alike: stubborn, white, and often male. Too few of them have expressed support for stricter gun laws. But this stereotype does not represent all gun owners.

Angela Turner proves it. The 38-year-old mother is a proud gun owner and a fierce advocate for common-sense gun legislation. Determined to protect her children, Turner joined Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America in Texas in 2013. The organization rallies mothers to mobilize for better firearm regulation and legislation; Turner contributed by testifying at the Texas Capitol last year to oppose a bill that would have legalized the open carry of handguns throughout the state.

Here, she talks to Elle.com about gun culture, the importance of education, and why the NRA should be scared of "a bunch of really protective mommas."

I grew up in a hunting and fishing family, and I live in Texas. My dad was an NRA member. My brother still is a member of the NRA. Since I was a little girl, I've always been exposed to guns. In my family, we were raised to understand that guns are a really big responsibility, and you have to be safe about how you use them and store them. But I didn't really think too much about the national conversation until the Sandy Hook shooting.

After Sandy Hook, I just got really, really frustrated with Congress. It amazes me still that our representatives wouldn't pass a bill that would have put universal background checks in place, which I think are a really reasonable and small step to move toward a safer gun culture in this country. I was exasperated and looking around for some way to express that and somehow, probably through a friend, was exposed to Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America...

Courtesy Angela Turner

What really impressed me was that these women were willing to put themselves out there to advocate. It's not always the most popular move in Texas. We are really involved in our outdoor culture and our hunting culture. Texans take that really seriously. But the more you talk to people like my husband and me, the more you will find that a lot of people who own guns support universal background checks. They might not like to talk about it, but there are some NRA members who support universal background checks.

"The more you talk to people like my husband and me, the more you will find that a lot of people who own guns support universal background checks."

I have a two-year-old, a six-year-old, and an eight-year-old. We talk about guns a lot. My daughter likes to go around telling people, "Mommy works for the gun lobby!" I'm like, "No, no, no. It's the opposite!" The NRA began as an organization that represented the American gun owner, emphasizing safety and training. But its policies and rhetoric have changed, and it no longer represents gun owners like my husband and me…I'm a supporter of second-amendment rights, for sure. My husband buys one or two hunting rifles a year. He loves it. Actually, he just got back from a big hunting trip to Montana. But to have a hobby like that means you have to understand what your responsibilities are. Guns are not toys. Especially if you have children at home, you keep guns unloaded, secured, and under lock and key. You keep ammunition locked up and in a separate area. This is what you do to protect little kids and to keep unintentional shootings from happening. Otherwise, unintentional shootings happen. That's a fact. And it just blows my mind, because it can be prevented. We always tell our kids that if they see someone else touching a gun or handling a gun or they see a gun that's laying out at someone else's house, they can never ever touch that. They have to go tell a grownup. But more importantly, we ask parents if firearms are secured before our kids can visit.

We try to teach by showing. Both of my older kids have Red Ryder BB guns that we keep locked up. Sometimes when we go out to the country, my husband will let them use them to do target practice. But they're not allowed to have any access to a gun beyond that. My husband wants to have our oldest little boy come sit with him in the blind for a duck hunt when he turns nine. He wouldn't be allowed to shoot, of course, but it's an opportunity for them to be together and experience something together and to have my son learn from his dad. What I try to communicate to my kids is how guns fit into the moral framework of our family. We, for example, only shoot animals that we eat.

My husband and I like to go duck hunting together. You have to wake up really, really early in the morning, and it's so cold. But when you head out into nature, honestly, that alone is sort of a magical experience. The sun is rising and birds are flocking up over the water. It connects us to our food source in a pretty powerful way. It gives my family a sense of how we get the food that we eat. My kids know that food comes at a cost. They appreciate it and waste it less, because they get it. I love that.

"People ... have this perception now that if you want to advocate for gun safety and you want to advocate for responsible gun ownership that you're anti-gun. That is just not true."

And, you know, we tell them that it's good for Daddy to have to pass a background check to buy a new gun and that it's okay to have to wait for a gun. Because I inherited a shotgun, I've never had to go and purchase my own gun. I haven't needed to. But if I ever do want to buy a gun, I would hope that the person selling me that gun would look really hard at me and say, "Okay, does she have any criminal background? Does she have a history of mental illness?"...Those questions need to be asked, especially on the Internet.

I think somewhere along the way people got mixed up and have this perception now that if you want to advocate for gun safety and you want to advocate for responsible gun ownership that you're anti-gun. That is just not true.

Still, some people that I know have unfriended me on social media. Some people have confronted me—usually in a nice way or at least an interested way—about my position. Once you have the conversation and once you explain to them what you're advocating for, people generally realize that you're all on the same page. There is, I think, a fear—not just in Texas, but all over—that advocates for gun violence prevention are trying to take away your second-amendment rights. No one is trying to do that. We're just trying to create safer communities for our kids...

I always say it's not about taking away your guns or your rights. It's about the fact that there is a right way to do this—a way that doesn't endanger your children or your neighbors. The fact is if you don't take those steps, I'm just not going to let my kids go to your house. Not because you don't have a great kid, but I'm not going to put my children at risk for a playdate. When you walk moms through the steps and you explain the reasoning, it makes a lot of sense. I mean, if you're a mom, you know: Kids know where everything is. If you don't secure a gun, they will find it and they will mess around. I've found that most moms come around.

"Some of us understand that keeping our children safe is the priority. We have too much gun violence in this country to ignore it anymore."

Ultimately, the people that are advocating for looser gun laws or less restriction end up making responsible owners look like idiots. Personally, I don't want to be associated with them, and I don't want to be lumped together. Some of us understand that keeping our children safe is the priority. We have too much gun violence in this country to ignore it anymore. To me, it's such a black-and-white issue. Around the world, when countries put in place good and sensible gun laws, episodes of gun violence and suicide go down dramatically. It's just a fact that if we take these baby steps, we'll be a safer country. I wish my kids didn't have to grow up in a country where lock-down drills and fear of violence is the norm. It's completely unacceptable to me. I know it's a real fight. But it took Mothers Against Drunk Driving 20 years to get good laws on the books, and those laws have made a huge difference. We can do the same. I don't think the NRA is ready to battle a bunch of really protective mommas.

I think that what senators need to know is that it's a voting issue for me. Until Republican senators or representatives are willing to take a stand for common-sense gun laws, I can't vote for them, because it's that important of an issue for me. Even if I agreed with them on every single other issue, I can't vote for anyone who doesn't understand that background checks are good and important. That denial tells me that they aren't listening to their constituents and that they don't care about our children. They're beholden to a lobby over the people that live in this country. I find that infuriating. We have to band together to see change—all of us. Lawmakers should know: We are going to vote on this.

This interview has been lightly edited.

Mattie Kahn Mattie Kahn is a writer who lives in New York.

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