A fun day

Wow! Did I have fun today! I took an all day class on Defensive Pistol, learning to use a pistol in self defense. The morning part of the class was inside with classroom instruction. We learned what the legal justification is for deadly force in New York State. Then we practiced - indoors - with dummy bullets. This was to simulate a misfire (when a bullet does not fire) and what to do if you are threatened by an assailant and this happens to you.

THEN. . . in the bitter cold and snow. . . we went to the OUTDOOR range. I was ready to back out right then and there! The reason for making us shoot outdoors - for three hours, I might add - is to get you accustomed to firing your weapon in all kinds of conditions. Let's face it, you may not have a warm sunny day when you need to defend your life. I found I cannot adequately fire my pistol with even thin gloves on. My fingers were stinging from being cold! But you know what? If you can fire a gun and hit a target under those conditions, you can fire a gun the right way anytime!!!

We again practiced with a full magazine (that is what holds the bullets in a pistol and feeds the bullet into the chamber to fire) with one dummy bullet randomly placed inside the magazine. Okay, you are aiming at an assailant just yards from you and your gun does not fire. We learned what to do and how to engage the assailant while you are doing that! Yes, it was fun and the instructors added a lot of humor to the situation. But we all realized this was serious stuff and could save our life someday.

I am a strong supporter of the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, the right to own firearms. I also believe if you are going to carry a handgun for personal protection, you have an obligation to get all the training you can get. When you train and practice over and over in controlled environments, if the time ever comes for the real thing, you will do the right thng without even thinking about it.

To the horror of some of my liberal thinking friends, I love target shooting and I have a small collection of handguns. I have been shooting handguns since I was a small child. It has only been in the last few years that I seriously considered routinely carrying a concealed weapon, given the increase in crime and attacks against innocent people. It is a personal choice. It may not be right for everyone.