CCW...

Concealed Carry Weapons Class... It seems this is a controversial subject around the country these days. To me, hit just makes sense. I have wanted to take a CCW class for years, and one finally became available locally this past weekend. I signed up right away. I was a bit nervous, I had no idea what this class would entail, nor how hard it would be. Turns out, I had nothing to be nervous about. The class took place in Superior. It started at 9 a.m., and ended around 3:15 p.m. There were over 50 people in this class. There was a waiting list of over 15. We all piled into a room in the fire hall. The roster was passed around and double checked. There were guns set out all over the room on the tables in front of people. I have never felt safer. We got a nice handout and went over a slide show loaded with information, pretty much all of it common sense. However, as one instructor pointed out, there really isn't much common send left in people. There were two instructors, one a sheriff, the other a former soldier and now school superintendent. They took what could have been an incredibly long morning morning into a fun, time-flew-by kind of atmosphere. They had some great jokes to add in here and there, but were completely serious when they needed to be. After the informational portion, we took a written test. So easy, I scored 100 percent. We broke for lunch, then came the shooting range. This part I was nervous about! I have only really shot my gun, and not that often. It's a 380 handgun with a very short grip. It packs a punch and has quite the re-coil. The first time I shot, it bit me a few times on the knuckle of my thumb. I highly recommend starting out with a .22. They are quiet, have no re-coil, and are very easy to shoot. I did not use my gun for the shooting portion of the test... We all lines up shoulder to shoulder on the range. We had targets in front of us. You start out about 15 feet from your target. The instructor tells you what you will be doing. First, we had the run in the holster, when he said fire you draw your gun, shoot twice, and go to gun ready position. This is with your hands on the gun, finger off the trigger and the gun out in front of you, a tad pointed at he ground. It was a bit intimidating, as I had an instructor on one side of me, watching me shoot, and the person on the other side of me, had a gun that packed a good punch. His empty casings kept flying at me and hitting me. We repeated this process four times, each time moving up another three feet. We ended at a point blank position. Easy to shoot that close, however, I then had not only empty casings, but paper and snow also flying at me. I actually bobbed my head a few times to miss the debris. Somehow, I managed to score a 100 on the shooting test also. Boy, did it feel good. There is no better stress relief than to go out to a large dirt pile and shoot a gun. Not only that, but now I have at the ability to carry one with me. I can protect myself and my children, or a stranger, if need be. I need this comfort, living alone in the country with my children can but a bit scary at times. Walking through dark parking lots at night with my large camera bag on my back, and an expensive camera... makes me feel like a target at times. I know there are people out there that are terrified of being in a room full of people with guns. The fact is, for me, that's when I feel relaxed and safe. In order to get a concealed carry permit, you have to take a class. You have to know gun laws. You have to be able to act responsibly with a gun. The people that take the time, and spend the money it takes to carry a gun, are the safe ones.