Holly Fisher, a mom of three from West Virginia, never thought she would be a gun owner. But when her husband joined the military in 2006, that all changed.

Now, almost 10 years later, Fisher calls herself an avid supporter of the Second Amendment.

She has attracted some fierce critics for posting photos of herself holding legal firearms, including a pink handgun. She is unapologetic.

“My husband fought for those rights,” she told The Daily Signal.

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This summer, after using Twitter to showcase her pro-life position and support for the Supreme Court’s June 30 Hobby Lobby decision, Fisher became notorious for her outspoken conservative views, garnering almost 50,000 followers and the nickname “Holly Hobby Lobby.”

A native of Charleston, W. Va., Holly grew up  attending the same church as her future husband, David Fisher, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan who served in the Army.

The couple got married in 2006, when David was in basic training. Later that year, he was deployed to Washington state. They packed up their lives to move across the country.

At first, Holly was “absolutely” against keeping a pistol in the house, she told The Daily Signal during an exclusive interview while in Washington, D.C., last week to speak at The Heritage Foundation.

“I thought we were going to accidentally shoot ourselves,” she said.

But after living on the West Coast with no family or friends, Holly agreed to go to the range with her husband. She was 22.

Holly recalled:

I hesitated for several minutes before pulling the trigger the first time, but after I did, I learned more and more, and started realizing guns aren’t scary.

What changed her mind, she said, was learning how to safely store and use a gun.

“Education is key,” David said. “A vehicle is a dangerous tool if you don’t know how to use it properly.”

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Today, Holly and David own firearms ranging from handguns to semi-automatic rifles.

“My favorites are the AR-15 and the .40-caliber handgun,” Holly said.

David bought the couple a safe that requires their thumbprints to open.

“That’s the only way you can get into our guns,” Holly said. “With our thumbprints.”

Although some of her online detractors tell Holly it’s irresponsible to own guns when the Fishers have small children, she said the firearms gave her the peace of mind and protection she needed while her husband was serving in Afghanistan.

Jenna (8/10/11), Norah (8/14/13), and Ruston (9/15/09)

The Fisher kids: Jenna (8/10/11), Norah (8/14/13), and Ruston (9/15/09)

“I think it’s irresponsible to not have guns in your house when you have kids because it is your job to protect your kids,” she said, adding:

I hope the need never arises for me to use my gun on an intruder or someone trying to harm my family, but I’m prepared, I’m ready and I know how to do it.

This story was updated to clarify David Fisher’s military service.

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