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Politics

The Great Equalizer: Women and the Right to Bear Arms

Dec. 21, 2012 1:10pm

Eric Reuter is an honorably discharged veteran of the United State Marine Corps. His primary occupational specialty was communications, but he also served as […]

Eric Reuter is an honorably discharged veteran of the United State Marine Corps. His primary occupational specialty was communications, but he also served as a marksmanship coach and tactical vehicle driver. Mr. Reuter has also previously worked in the firearms industry. He is currently a private security contractor. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Florida Atlantic University.

[ x ]

ericjreuter@yahoo.com

The gun control debate has once again come to the forefront of domestic politics in the wake of the terrible tragedy which occurred in Newtown, Connecticut. People on both sides of the argument are spouting their usual litanies of talking points in anticipation of a renewed “assault weapons” ban which will likely be debated next month on Capitol Hill. President Obama has expressed support for the proposed bill and has also made public comments suggesting that he would like to see tighter restrictions on handguns as well. Mission creep has a way of working itself into even the modest limitations placed on personal freedom for the sake of “public safety.” This is something everyone should be anxious about, but in particular women should be especially concerned.

I work in the gun business. I have coached many women as they fired a gun for the first time in my store’s gun range. I have also sold a lot of them their first firearms. Their primary reason for deciding to purchase a gun is usually the same: they don’t want to be easy targets. It is sadly ironic that Nancy Lanza was killed by her own son with her own firearms, but it doesn’t change the fact that guns are used defensively millions of times a year according to a widely cited study conducted by Florida State University criminologist Gary Kleck. Nancy’s situation was anomalous.

I have become acquainted with many women who protected themselves and their households with a legally owned firearm. Just a couple of weeks ago a would-be home invader tried to break into the home of a young housewife I know. She yelled at the man and told him to go away, but he completely ignored her. His pants were around his ankles and her daughter was sleeping in the other room. Her husband was also asleep and did not hear her screaming. She fetched her nine millimeter handgun and pointed it at the perpetrator through a window. The man quickly fled and was later caught by the police. The moral of the story is that it is unwise to threaten a mother and her children when she is holding a Glock.

The Newtown massacre is a horrific and unusual counterexample of that situation. All of the victims were unarmed women and young children. This is the kind of situation that sickos like Adam Lanza usually look for. They want easy targets and high body counts. Texas Governor Rick Perry pointed this out when he suggested allowing teachers to carry concealed weapons. Perhaps this solution is too extreme for a majority of Americans, but I personally wouldn’t have a problem with it. It wouldn’t have helped Nancy very much, but it might have saved the lives of many of Adam’s other victims. At the very least I would argue that placing more armed security guards or police officers in schools across the country might be a step in the right direction.

Like most murderers, Adam Lanza was a man. In fact, most violent crimes are perpetrated by men. That means women involved in violent crimes are, of course, usually victims. Unfortunately, women are more often than not at a natural disadvantage in physical confrontations with men. Fair or not, it is the truth. Nevertheless, the playing field is quickly leveled when a woman pulls a concealed handgun out of her purse and points it at her would be attacker in self-defense. It is a very effective way to turn the tables, and it at least means an even fight if the attacker is also armed.

I am confident that almost everyone reading this knows at least one woman who has been the victim of a violent crime (i.e. assault, battery, rape, murder, etc.). Women who survive violent crimes are often left with heavily damaged psyches, and aggregately this undermines efforts to create any kind of social equality between the sexes. Guns empower women with the ability to defend themselves against violent attacks, which is why the right to bear arms is a critical women’s rights issue. Sadly, there are still too few American women out there who realize this. In many countries around the world women are brutalized and sometimes even murdered with near impunity on a daily basis. I wish every single one of those poor women could shoot their attackers dead, but they don’t have a “Second Amendment” which makes that possible.

If the headlines are any indication, single women are uniquely at risk of becoming targets for would be attackers. Their assailants often include jealous ex-boyfriends, creepy strangers in bars, stalking coworkers, and the like. A beautiful, intelligent single lady named Heather recently informed me that she decided to purchase a firearm from my store after her ex-boyfriend began stalking her, even after she’d applied for a restraining order. He followed her home one evening and accosted her as she was trying to enter her apartment. Heather barely managed to ward him off with a knife, get inside, lock the door and call the police. He was gone by the time they arrived. The news is chock-full of stories like this that didn’t end quite so fortunately. Personally, I am elated that Heather is now a gun owner.

Liberals deride conservatives for waging an imaginary “war on women” that is centered mostly around access to free birth control and abortion services. That is, to quote Vice President Biden, a bunch of “malarkey.” Conservative men do in fact care deeply about women, especially when it comes to their safety, and certainly believe they should be empowered. I know this is true every time I see a loving husband, boyfriend, father or brother bring his wife, girlfriend, daughter or sister to my gun store to obtain a concealed carry permit or buy a gun. I know this is true every time a female shooter smiles at me when, after heeding my patient tutelage, one of her bullets rips through the bullseye of a paper target for the first time. If you ask me, liberals seem to care more about evading the potential responsibilities of parenthood than empowering or protecting women.

Banning rifles with certain features, which is by itself a feckless endeavor, will likely be the first of many steps the left will attempt in order to gradually implement a de facto ban on firearms in the United States. Liberals make little effort to hide their intent to accomplish this. One need only look at gun laws in liberal bastions like Chicago or New York City, places which have no shortage of violent crimes involving guns despite comprehensive restrictions on gun ownership, to see what their ultimate goal is. In the end this leaves American women at the mercy of an overburdened criminal justice system instead of empowering them to defend themselves and their children with firearms that they are constitutionally entitled to own. Politicians in Washington have all the armed security they will ever need thanks to taxpayers. Most women in this country can’t afford such a luxury.

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Comments (55)

gunlovinsouthernchick
Posted on December 23, 2012 at 1:50am
i’m too young to purchase or carry a weapon now, but i fully intend to get one as soon as possible. as a woman, i know how important it is to be prepared for self-defense. if you notice, there is not much gun violence at shooting ranges, which is where the largest grouping of guns are found. obviously, that is because perps know they will not get far before someone puts a slug in them! a gun carrying society is a polite society.

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Guitar Master
Posted on December 23, 2012 at 1:34am
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
From THE REPORTER
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

The 2nd Amendment to the Constitution gives us the right to bear arms. Why, you might ask: for one reason only and that is to protect ourselves from a tyrannical government.

Keep in mind that the U.S. Military is armed with FULLY automatic weapons. The citizens version of the assault rifle is a single shot action. This means that every time you pull the trigger a bullet fires. In the military, if you hold your finger on the trigger the gun will KEEP firing automatically. If the government bans assault weapons how can the public defend itself against a government that uses full autos? We might as well be using single shot pistols. END OF STORY.

This whole deal is about one thing and one thing only: THE CONSOLIDATION OF POWER by the government.

PS. Has anyone given the following a thought? – - – How many first names of women are there in the English language. Probably tens of thousands. Now consider this: There was a hurricane in November, just prior to the election, named Sandy which helped Mr. Obama get elected. Now, there was a shooting at the “SANDY Hook” Grade School which, is more than just a coincidental way,

Is a demonic force sweeping our land?

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- bonesiii
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 2:12am
  I don’t think it was -only- to protect against tyranny; certainly the garden variety crook was on the Founders’ mind too. But anyways, just a nitpick. :)
  
  And yeah, I noticed the Sandy/Sandy Hook thing too. Weird…
  
  Report this comment
- Parallax3D
  Posted on January 8, 2013 at 12:11pm
  Fortunately, automatic weapons will be plentiful on the battlefield. All you have to do is take them from a jackbooted government thug.
  
  Report this comment
breiten
Posted on December 22, 2012 at 7:10pm
more women should have a easier time getting a gun since they are classified as a minority, so Affirmative Action can be used to your advantage. Different rules are used and applied for minorities, then for white males, so try it out. and we can see if the racist NAACP and ACLU will help you out. IF NOT, hmmmmm. looks like they are using you. YOU like being used?

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- RaydocX
  Posted on December 26, 2012 at 5:35pm
  minority status should have ZERO bearing on purchasing or carrying a weapon.
  Minority status should only come into play in situations where the minority characteristic in question can be proven to be a factor in keeping those of that characteristic from employment, or education, or from reaching a new status level that is open to others.
  Civil Rights in America has been so distorted that the original and valid purpose for it’s creation as a legal point threaten to become lost. in fact, seeing as a minority has now been elected President twice, a supportable argument could be made that there is no longer a ‘glass ceiling’ pertaining to minorities, beyond the limits they place upon themselves or those the government forces on them by lowering expectations.
  
  That said, women are on average smaller, weaker, and less prone to aggression than men. their having a working knowledge of firearms can only be a good thing, and it is astonishing that NOW and other ‘women centric’ groups have not been MUCH more vocal in championing women’s learning to shoot and carry…. astonishing to the point of rendering their other ‘pro-woman’ stances rather theatrical and hollow.
  
  Report this comment
bonesiii
Posted on December 22, 2012 at 1:06pm
It’s interesting to note that most of the liberals I’ve seen arguing against gun rights are men who also wish to have lax moral standards.

Something to think about…

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- XPat
  Posted on December 22, 2012 at 2:00pm
  Also men that wish they were women.
  
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katzkiner
Posted on December 22, 2012 at 11:06am
Women should read, “White Girl Bleed a Lot” and check out the author’s blog. It is genocide.

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Harry19
Posted on December 22, 2012 at 8:58am
I strongly agree on women with guns. A woman with a gun with a laser sight can hit anything a Navy Seal can.. Ladies arm yourself with a small manageable hand gun with a laser and learn what freedom is. Shoot anyone willing to harm you or your kids or friends. Go for a IT, Signed by real man. Ps ,My wife shoots .

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- Proverbs17-12NLT
  Posted on December 22, 2012 at 10:52am
  I took my wife to the range yesterday for the first time. She shot a 9mm and a 45mm, the men at the range were very supportive and encouraging of a female presence. She looked so hot shooting those guns that the bed got messed up when we got home. TMI I know.
  
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jst1425
Posted on December 22, 2012 at 7:11am
If your a liberal you need to read this story….

http://freedomoutpost.com/2012/07/mandated-gun-ownership-a-tale-of-two-cities/

If your NOT a liberal….you need to read this story….

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david3755
Posted on December 21, 2012 at 10:27pm
Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum: If you wish for peace, prepare for war.

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woodcellar
Posted on December 21, 2012 at 10:00pm
You can buy 500 round of 22s to plink with for less than it cost to go to a movie in NY. And recycle the brass If you like.

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MisterSarcastic
Posted on December 21, 2012 at 9:50pm
Definition of gun control
The notion that a woman, having been raped and strangled to death with her own pantyhose is some how morally superior to that same woman explaining to the police how her attacker got that fatal bullet wound.

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- Frederick_Douglass_Republican
  Posted on December 22, 2012 at 12:01pm
  Agreed
  
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- Old_Warrior
  Posted on December 22, 2012 at 6:17pm
  Such a true quote, I will be using this elsewhere! Thank you.
  
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Ferrelli
Posted on December 21, 2012 at 9:35pm
This the the worst comment I’ve seen in a long time. Women with guns make men hardened criminals? Is that because the men have to MAKE those women understand and obey? How about letting a man who breaks in have him have his way with you and no one would get hurt? Of course, the woman in question here doesn’t count, right? The rock you crawled out from under must be as big as Gibralter–it has to be to hide your big, stupid comments!

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- Ferrelli
  Posted on December 21, 2012 at 10:49pm
  These comments were made in response to Turkey13. Apparently it didn’t turn out that way when I posted them.
  
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NeoFan
Posted on December 21, 2012 at 9:08pm
Were are all the libs in this thread cheering for more dead women?

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- XPat
  Posted on December 22, 2012 at 2:03pm
  Too busy cheering for dead babies.
  
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MK2
Posted on December 21, 2012 at 8:32pm
Reading the story about the Marine they said that Mexico has one of the strictest gun laws.How is that working out for them.Look at all the mass killing they have down there.Our government is part to blame for that thanks to Holder and his thugs.look what we have to look foward to.

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- muffythetuffy
  Posted on December 21, 2012 at 8:54pm
  Women must never have the right to bear arms who wants them killing their rapists?
  
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turkey13
Posted on December 21, 2012 at 6:58pm
Where is the ACLU when you need them. These women need to have their guns taken away from them. With guns they make a lot of men become hardened criminals. Most of these women are asking to be raped with all the makeup and short dresses they wear. If a guy breaks in they should just let them have their way and then no one will be hurt. Most of them will put the kids in a closet while they rape you. After they get the money and their way they will just tell you not to call the cops.

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- DrFreedom
  Posted on December 22, 2012 at 4:38am
  WOW Your an idiot!!!!!
  
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- Le Sellers
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 10:02pm
  Obviously, you need to use the sarcasm flag: . It appears that at least two people didn’t read your message as you intended it.
  
  Now, assuming that I did read it right, I agree.
  
  Mr. O’bama, will there ever BE any Jobs?
  
  Report this comment
- Le Sellers
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 10:17pm
  Apparently the sarcasm flag doesn’t work in this forum. Try this one” [/sarcasm]
  
  Mr. O’bama, will there ever BE any Jobs?
  
  Report this comment
- DELTAJOHN
  Posted on December 26, 2012 at 2:18pm
  Sounds like you know how a sniveling bully of women behaves first hand, don’t make your way around my neck of the woods, women and men here n the rural South are ALL ARMED. funny thing, we don’t have any crime problems, and our Police protection is based 45 miles away!
  
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Schitzoid_Avenger
Posted on December 21, 2012 at 6:10pm
Gun Control
- The theory that a woman found dead in an ally, raped and strangled with her pantyhose, is somehow morally superior than a woman explaining to police how her attacker got that fatal bullet wound.

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- muffythetuffy
  Posted on December 21, 2012 at 8:50pm
  IF TEACHERS ARE ARMED AND DEPUTIZED LIKE AIRLINE PILOTS, DEMOCRATS LOOSE A SERIOUS CAMPAIGN ISSUE
  
  What good will their voter fraud do them if no one votes for them. Democrats will no longer be considered the protector or women but the burial party of dead women.
  
  Report this comment
- MisterSarcastic
  Posted on December 21, 2012 at 9:57pm
  Sorry, schitzoid…didn’t see your post.
  
  Report this comment
JTX
Posted on December 21, 2012 at 5:43pm
You can’t ban common arms. The Supreme court said so in DC v HELLER in 2008 !!

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- MK2
  Posted on December 21, 2012 at 9:54pm
  You define common arms a lot of AR15 out there that is good enough for me
  
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liltexasgal
Posted on December 21, 2012 at 5:06pm
I live on a farm in Texas. My closest neighbor is too far away to hear me scream. One day I was out in the front pasture and a pack of wild dogs came up my drive. Luckily I was able to get to the house before they had a chance to attack me. I don’t go out onto my land without a loaded gun now. I’m only 5’3 and 120 pounds so I really don’t stand a chance against an intruder, man or beast. I have a right to defend myself and my livestock.

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- docgmt
  Posted on December 22, 2012 at 7:35pm
  An AR15 is the perfect rifle for a woman on the farm. It can be made light enough to carry all day and with a rad dot sight you don’t have to be a Marine snipper to hit a pack of wild dogs. We use ours for foxes trying to get into the chicken coop had 6 of them this year
  
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Cavallo
Posted on December 21, 2012 at 4:54pm
They want women as victims. A raped woman is often a broken one. Easier to rule by The State and made fearful so they will obey The State. Victims and slaves make for easier subjects.

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- Git-R-Done
  Posted on December 24, 2012 at 10:54pm
  Amen to that. I’m a woman who supports the 2nd amendment.
  
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Tri-ox
Posted on December 21, 2012 at 4:27pm
obama and his liberals would like nothing more than to put MORE woman and children at risk of violent crime – they want to take away Americans’ ability to defend ourselves.

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- jst1425
  Posted on December 21, 2012 at 9:11pm
  Actually, what the left really wants to accomplish is just this…they so very badly want to make each and every one of us totally dependent on the government! (control)
  
  This would give them two rolls in everyone’s life.
  
  First it would have FABRICATED a situation in which the general public PERCEIVES that ONLY THE GOVERNMENT has the POWER to protect them. (they would reinforce the idea that we can not protect ourselves)
  
  Second, they would ACTUALLY GAIN the control / power over us to further impose their agenda at will..(with little or no resistance)
  
  Example;
  Obama stands in front of the American people with welled up eyes and speaks of the sad tragedy that occurred in Connecticut…then makes a promise to the American people…he said he will push with all the power his administration has to pass controls on guns and automatic weapons.
  This is an example of pure INTELLECTUAL DISHONESTY!
  
  Why…..because the state of Connecticut ALREADY HAS A BAN ON AUTOMATIC WEAPONS! This law did not stop this mentally and emotionally challenged 20 year old from getting gun to kill with!
  
  Further more folks…realize that the weapon WAS NOT AN AUTOMATIC WEAPON! It was a SEMI AUTOMATIC WEAPON…..AGAIN…intellectually DISHONEST! Most hand guns are Semi automatic weapons!
  
  One last point….keep in mind that the first phone call that someone made from the school was to the POLICE….why was this? Because they NEEDED A GOOD GUY WITH A GUN there to protect them!
  
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neoconpunk
Posted on December 21, 2012 at 4:25pm
I know 2 women that carried concealed. Both were out together one night, got assaulted, both drew, fired, both hit center mass. They never hesitated and weren’t even shaken up. Coolest thing I ever saw as an officer. 2 simultaneous shots, 1 kill, poor mugger never knew what hit him.

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- Bluebonnet
  Posted on December 21, 2012 at 4:35pm
  My idea of Gun Control is keeping BOTH hands on the gun to steady your aim, and stay calm.
  
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frust@ted
Posted on December 21, 2012 at 4:24pm
I liken Gun Bans to Socialism and most progressive ideas. They all sound great, but in reality they just don’t work. They ignore human nature which is why they usually need a big stick to enforce them, which coincidently, is why they want your guns.

being a progresive is easy, being an adult is not.

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- Fecal_Matters
  Posted on December 21, 2012 at 4:32pm
  Uhhh…that’s what the progressive’s want. Then they could say…Look we tried everything and it didn’t work, so we need to confiscate all the guns.
  
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frogg
Posted on December 21, 2012 at 4:09pm
I pray that all women understand that they are only as safe as they make themselves. Learn how to fire weapons and get a CWP. Remember it is a whole lot easier to explain to a cop why you shot the bad guy then it is for the cops to try to find out who your “next of kin” are!!!!!!!!!!!! Check out http://www.rescueourconstitution.com/

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SouthTexan
Posted on December 21, 2012 at 3:57pm
Eric expressed his positions, based upon real life experience, that reflects the realities that he encounters on a daily basis in the real world. We need more honest discussion, like this patriotic veteran exhibits. i appreciate your service to the Country and the common sense solutions espoused.

The left is incapable of having an intellectually honest debate about anything. Their arguments are based on false, contrived pretexts, void of facts that conflict with their “blame America first” agenda. The Rules for Radicals strategy, employed by the Fascist that have hijacked our Country is placing our 2nd amendment freedoms in the hands of, Crazy, “Uncle Joe” Biden. Does anyone expect an honest discussion from this idiot?,.

The race baiting, class warfare, wealth redistribution, rhetoric, is the lowest, most despicable form of propaganda.used by Marx, Lenin and Stalin and now Obama, referred to their loyal constituents as ‘useful idiots, which apparently, half of us are. We all know how things turned out for them.

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John.Galt
Posted on December 21, 2012 at 3:51pm
Had the principal been armed, and stopped this horrible tragedy, it would not have made the news….

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- Schitzoid_Avenger
  Posted on December 21, 2012 at 6:06pm
  Or the principle would be up on charges. The media always spins the story to help their narrative. “Guns are bad and anyone that has one is evil.”
  If progressives won’t trust people with their own food choices, they certainly can’t let people take responsibility for their own protection. Why bother when we have so many government agencies that can come clean up your corpse after the fact?
  
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- jst1425
  Posted on December 21, 2012 at 9:22pm
  No….sadly it most likely would have made the news…it would have gone something like this….
  
  School shooting! Armed school principal shoots and kills a mentally handicapped boy…more at eleven!
  
  Then the left wing gun control zombies would come out of the wood work with stronger demands…
  
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- iampraying4u
  Posted on December 22, 2012 at 9:56am
  So true
  
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THX-1138
Posted on December 21, 2012 at 3:02pm
God made Man. Sam Colt made them all Equal.

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