Dolly Parton’s decades-old tale of drawing a pistol from her purse to halt an aggressor in New York City is more than a colorful anecdote—it’s a living reminder that the right to keep and bear arms has always been the great equalizer for ordinary citizens, especially women traveling alone. In an era when “shall-issue” carry permits were still decades away and New York’s Sullivan Act already treated the Second Amendment like a revocable privilege, Parton’s quick decision to brandish rather than fire shows how the mere presence of a lawfully carried firearm can end a threat without a shot being fired. Her story also underscores a truth the gun-control lobby prefers to ignore: defensive gun uses vastly outnumber criminal ones, and they often look less like Hollywood shootouts and more like a five-foot-tall country singer staring down trouble with nothing but a purse gun and steely resolve.

What makes the clip resonate with today’s 2A community is how little has changed in the places that still treat self-defense as suspect. Even now, New York’s byzantine permitting rules and “may-issue” legacy make it nearly impossible for an out-of-state visitor—or even many residents—to carry the same tool Parton had at her disposal. Her lighthearted retelling on Conan’s couch cuts through the policy jargon: when seconds count, the only person legally allowed to protect you is you, and the safest place for a defensive firearm is within reach, not locked in a safe three states away. For millions of women who admire Parton’s music and her moxie, the lesson is simple—empowerment isn’t bestowed by city councils; it’s exercised every time a law-abiding citizen exercises her fundamental right to carry.