'View' guest co-host explains why she's a gun owner: 'I felt very empowered'

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In a discussion about the increase of Black women purchasing firearms in recent years, ABC's "The View," guest co-host Sherri Shepherd told the audience why she’s a proud gun owner.

"I bought a 9 MM gun," Shepherd announced to an amused audience. "I don’t know why you’re laughing."

"During the quarantine, I felt really helpless, Joy, and we’re talking about depression," Shepherd explained, before explaining her firearms have helped her protect her children. "I felt Jeffrey would look at me like he was so scared. I get these little alerts in my neighborhood app about a march in the neighborhood, and I thought how am I supposed to protect my son if something happens?" 

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Shepherd revealed that she and some of her actress friends drove to a Black-owned gun shop to properly purchase firearms for their protection. 

"I felt very empowered when I bought this gun. I took lessons. I took the test. I go to the range with my girlfriends like every other week, and it just makes me feel like at least if something happens, I can protect my child," she said.

Fellow co-host Sunny Hostin agreed that many of her Black friends have chosen to purchase firearms, but suggested their doing so was a way to combat White supremacy. But she ultimately disagreed with Shepherd’s view, believing "our readiness" to arm ourselves leads to more violence. 

"I still believe that in this country our readiness to sort of allow arms to be purchased at will and fired at will has led to violence and hatred becoming a really popular pastime," Hostin said.

"I hear what you’re saying, but I’m saying as a single woman, the helplessness I felt, and when I looked at my son, he looked at me like, ‘Mom, I’m scared.’ Physically, I’m not able to combat," Shepherd responded.

"The View" hosts have previously pushed anti-gun beliefs. In March, Hostin denounced assault rifle owners, stating, "You are not a patriot because you think you have the right to own these type of weapons."

In July, Hostin also suggested that the right to bear arms only emerged as a tool to protect slavery.  

The View screengrab (abc/The View screenshot)

"I'm reading an incredible book called 'The Second' by professor Carol Anderson, and she describes that … the right to bear arms was designed to protect slavery because our founding fathers, and others, wanted to be able to empower a local militia group to basically put down a slave revolt and protect plantation owners," Hostin said.

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As the segment ended, co-host Joy Behar joked that she would be too afraid of shooting herself to own a gun. 

Shepherd joked back, "Keep it in the place where I keep my gun, in the drawer next to my special toys. If you come in my house, you’re either going get a happy ending or an ending."