Richie Chapman of Bowie, Ariz., did not know that in exercising his right to protect his property, he was also aiding in bringing a murderer to justice. Chapman was working at a Bowie RV store when a man entered and demanded all the money in the cash register. The man then pulled out a gun, prompting Chapman to draw his own gun and fire, hitting the robber. "If he had gotten a shot off, I would have been dead," said Chapman. The robber fled and was later apprehended at a local hospital. The man turned out to be Johnny Lee Williams, who was being sought in the kidnapping and murder of an east Texas Wal-Mart employee, Megan Holden. After being treated at the hospital, Williams was turned over to the FBI. (Arizona Daily Star, Tucson, AZ, 01/22/05)

Gloria Turner remembers firing with one hand and dialing 911 with the other. Turner and her husband, Bobby Doster, had owned their grocery store for eight years and, although they were prepared for the worst, they did not expect it. But one evening, while the Turners were stocking their shelves, two teens walked in and demanded money. Turner recounts, "I was about to give it to them when the first guy said, 'You're not moving fast enough' and pulls out a gun." The robber aimed at Doster and fired, missing him. When their attackers' gun jammed, the couple had enough time to retreat behind the counter and grab their own guns. A gun battle erupted in the store. When it was over, both robbers were dead. Sheriff Mike Smith said that the store owners would not be charged, adding that, "People have a right to protect their lives and their property." (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Atlanta, GA, 01/26/05)

Crawfordsville, Ark., resident Clarence Cochran operated a small store out of his home that he called The Neighborhood Store. But one night the neighborhood erupted in gunfire when two men entered Cochran's store with the intent to rob it. One of the robbers shot at Cochran, hitting him in the stomach. Despite the wound, the 80-year-old Cochran was able to retrieve his pistol and fire at both men, killing one. The other robber, identified as Antonio Bass, fled but was apprehended at a nearby hospital. He was charged with aggravated robbery. Deputies on the scene said Cochran was alert and able to speak to them, although he was airlifted to the hospital as a precautionary measure. (Evening Times, West Memphis, AR, 12/27/04)

Dr. Wesley Parkhurst served nine months in Iraq, but it was only after returning home to Henryetta, Okla., that he found himself having to use deadly force. The physician stopped to help a woman who had been assaulted by her husband, Gary Wayne Britt. Though she asked to be driven to her mother's house, Parkhurst wisely drove to the police station after Britt twice rammed the doctor's car. Outside the police station Britt confronted Parkhurst and advanced on him, despite Parkhurst's loaded .45-cal. handgun. Parkhurst fired two shots, both of which struck Britt, who was listed in stable condition at an area hospital. Parkhurst was not charged. (Daily Oklahoman, Oklahoma City, OK, 01/12/05)

As Clyde Colley looked down at the gunshot wound in his leg and then up at his wife, he decided that if he did not do something, they would both die. Almost two hours earlier, two men had broken into their Sandlick. Va., home, shot Mr. Colley and ordered the elderly couple to get on the floor. As one of the intruders held the couple at gunpoint, the other ransacked the house. Finally, Colley said that he was not feeling well and needed to go to lie down. This excuse gave him enough time to get to his gun, which he fired twice, killing one intruder and sending the other fleeing into the night. As their phone lines had been cut, Mrs. Colley was forced to run down the driveway and flag down help. Police later apprehended the surviving intruder, Mazel Sexton, and charged him with numerous felony counts. Colley was not expected to be charged in the death of the intruder, who was identified as Hubert Howard, Jr. (The Dickenson Star, Clintwood. VA, 12/22/04)

A Hollis, N.H., man was awakened one night to the sounds of screaming in his back yard. The homeowner, Donald Narkis, grabbed his gun and headed downstairs when he heard glass breaking in the kitchen. Narkis fired in the direction of the intruder, who, undeterred, continued to advance as he screamed and smashed furniture. Together with his armed daughter, Narkis ordered the intruder onto the floor, but the man wouldn't stay down. Narkis fired again, but the shot hit next to the intruder's leg. When police arrived on the scene, the intruder, identified as Peter Camplin, complained, "that psycho tried to shoot me." Camplin, who had moved into the neighborhood only months previously, was found to have a significant amount of cocaine and alcohol in his system. (The Telegraph, Nashua, NH, 01/19/05)

Whether it's stopping the gun-ban crowd in its tracks, or pioneering the Right-To- Carry for peaceable Americans, or preserving places to shoot, or teaching millions of children about firearm safety, there is a word that doesn't exist in Marion Hammer's vocabulary-defeat.

Marion Hammer-who served with great distinction as the first woman president of the National Rifle Association-is a tireless advocate for the rights of firearms owners. In all the years I've known Marion, I've never heard her say that anything short of victory is acceptable, no matter the fight, no matter the odds.

Since the formation of Unified Sportsmen of Florida (USF) over 30 years ago, Marion personifies the ultimate grassroots organizer, trusting in the power of individual citizens banding together for the common cause of Freedom. Whether it's electoral politics or votes in the state legislature, Marion understands the art of persuasion and what it takes to move people to action.

In the early 1980s, Marion began her efforts to create a Right-To-Carry law in Florida, which would ultimately become the model for the rest of the nation. First, she organized Florida gun owners. Then she took her message to the public and energized average Florida citizens to support Right-To-Carry. All of this culminated in the passage of legislation by the House and Senate in 1986. But it was vetoed by then-governor Bob Graham. A veto override fell short by two votes.

The gun ban crowd called it a major defeat for USF and NRA. Marion called it a "learning experience"-not just for those good citizens who supported her efforts, but for the political power structure. As Marion puts it, "That November we elected ourselves a new pro-Second Amendment governor-Bob Martinez. We passed the bill again the next session and within five hours of passage it was signed into law."

National opponents of the very concept of concealed carry were hysterical, claiming that Florida would be "awash with blood" if ordinary citizens could lawfully go armed. It never happened. In fact, violent crime dropped dramatically, and it has stayed down. As for the behavior of citizens exercising right-to-carry, Marion says, "Since 1987, the State of Florida has issued close to one million licenses to carry for lawful self protection. Less than one-ten-thousandths of one percent have done anything wrong with a firearm that would require their license to be revoked. Yet that record of responsible firearms ownership is totally ignored by the national media."

As a result of the Florida experience, the fight to pass Right-To-Carry across the nation has been won in 38 states and is growing. It was the same with Marion's faith in the Eddie Eagle GunSafe program, which started small and has now reached tens of millions of children in every corner of the nation. The result-firearms accidents dropping to the lowest level since statistics have been gathered. Her success in protecting kids garnered her the National Safety Council's Outstanding Community Service Award.

For all of her work on behalf of Freedom over the years, Marion Hammer has been inducted into the Florida Women's Hall of Fame. It is a singular honor. For Marion and her grassroots army of voters, winning has never meant simply "not losing" or just "holding the line," it also means gaining new ground in redefining the rights of the individual.

This year, Marion has begun a new fight-one which will doubtless be carried to other states by other activists. She is pushing for legislation allowing armed citizens to be able to protect themselves without fear of prosecution or fear of lawsuits by criminals.

As Marion explains the legislation: "It allows the homeowner or the occupant of a home, dwelling, vehicle or place of business to presume that when someone breaks in- unlawfully attacks and forcibly intrudes-that they intend to harm you. You may use any manner of force to defend yourself, your family and others. And the bill removes the duty to retreat from anywhere that you have a right to be.

"The State of Florida issues licenses to law-abiding citizens to carry concealed firearms for lawful personal protection-self-defense. On the other hand, the courts have ruled and jury instructions say that if you're attacked, you can't use your gun to defend yourself-you ve got to turn around and run. Now, what kind of nonsense is that?" The USF-backed legislation not only bars prosecuting law-abiding citizens who defend themselves, but bans civil suits by criminals subject to lawful self-defense measures taken by law-abiding victims.

The legislation-introduced by State Senator Durell Peaden and Representative Dennis Baxley-has a solid majority of cosponsors in both houses of the Florida legislature and consistently sees 80-percent support in public polling because it's about common sense. And despite the predictable media outcry against this concept, the common man and woman understand it.

As the Florida Women's Hall of Fame award proves, Marion Hammer is mainstream America-on safety, on civil rights, and on protecting our unique individual liberty and freedoms.