But, that said, the gun lobby wants women to buy their products and do so by portraying women as macho, big gun toting militants.

I know women who are taken in by this crap and see themselves as some kind of feminist warrior for freedom even while they would elect men (and even women) who would force them to surrender the freedom to control their own destiny.

I agree with what you're saying: we all need to trade superficial empowerment for liberation of a deeper sort, and to act based on that empowerment rather than in spite of it.