Oh Shoot!
I learned how to shoot and clean a gun/shotgun, and load shells when I lived in RI. I shot targets, trap (my favorite) and skeet with 22 and 357 handguns, 210, 10 and 20 gauge shotguns, and even got my shoulder smacked by a 30-06 rifle. Only once for that last one. Never shot a real live thing, though. This is all to say I am not an anti any gun screaming liberal who has never touched one in my life. I just choose to not have one. I don’t hunt but am happy to cook up whatever y’all want to kill. I don’t get joy of any kind by hitting a bullseye over a man shaped target, even though sometimes it might make me feel good. And I’m not a fan of video games of any kind. Now that is out of the way, I need to tell you what yanked my chain yesterday.
We have a Facebook Group for Happenings in our little town in SW WA, a nice rural area population about 2500 including the general urban area. It’s a red county, as are all of them east of the Cascades. But our town is on the western edge, which I told you is somewhat purplish. Someone advertised a concealed weapons class. No big. They happen all the time and are usually good for multiple adjoining states (OR, WA, ID). They hold them at hotel meeting rooms and honestly, that doesn’t bother me a bit. Well, this guy wants to hold his class in the town park. You read it right, a concealed weapons class in the town park. I was disturbed by this but went about my day. Later, I revisited and found that people were wanting to sign up in droves. I commented that I felt the park was an inappropriate venue for such a class. Well, smack me silly, I stood alone. They were not amused when I suggested they ‘get a room’ or hold it at the gun club. I reached out to a longtime resident of a friendly political persuasion for support, and the response was, it’s just a class. This from a Berner, no less, with peace stickers all over their hybrid. I can’t help but think if this is going on in my little neck of the woods, what’s going on everywhere else? Reality check time, WMDBS customers, am I over-reacting?
IMHO, you haven’t overreacted.
1They’re making a statement.
SW WA is still fairly Idaho adjacent. Consider the crowd/audience. Or, the constant battering of threats/promises of acolytes of TFG may be unnerving enough to motivate your friends and neighbors to see this as a wise use of your local park. Take the class, figure out the student body for yourself.
2Yo. Fran.
3Y’all don’t live in or near Seattle so ease up on expectations. Our differences are raw. When Rs feel threatened they fall back on guns, God and grievance.
For me, it would depend on the teacher and the content. I teach live load rigging for circus. The first thing I do is show 4 videos of accident that were caused by bad rigging. I need to emphasize that if it’s done wrong, people die.
4Some people take the course and never rig, because they understand the consequences if they do it wrong.
If the course is “Hey, hiding your gun is cool!!”, then you’re not overreacting.
If the course follows a strict curriculum, created by qualified professionals with a strong commitment to safety, it could be a good thing.
If the teacher has a history of romanticizing concealed weapons, then fight that asshole as hard as you can.
Playing with guns and ammo in a public park!! MMMmmm? Well no problem, as no one there will point a gun and have it ‘accidentally’ go off killing a kid in the park. We know all gun owners are well trained and would never have that happen.
5As someone who does have a rifle, given that we get bear, mountain lion, and the potential for smaller critters with rabies around the house, I’m unclear what a concealed carry class would teach. Legal aspects and gun safety? Best done in a quiet conference room where everyone can hear and take notes. How to clean and shoot a pistol?….in a public park? Good Lord, what ARE they thinking? I’m just grateful that concealed AND open carry are illegal in town parks here.
6I think a lot of us have conflicted feelings. I hated it when we got an indoor gun range in Juneau and when my daughter decided she wanted to go hunting to provide meat for her family (didn’t say anything), am greatly and am anti gun. Yet I have a 38 special that I had for years on my sailboat while cruising in Mexico (guns illegal, by the way) as I was singlehanding and felt safer that way. Never needed it I’m happy to say. Right now the gun is in Juneau (storage) and the bullets haven’t made it up here from Washington yet. If the crazies take over our country, both items will be within easy reach here at home. Mostly I wish we never needed them.
7I really need to proofread these things before I hit send.
8Without knowing the actual curriculum, I can’t judge. Like what Opinionated Hussy said…if all they are covering is the rules, the process to get permit, and such…yes I think a classroom is better where more people will be able to hear clearly.
But if hardware is even present and handled as part of the class, I don’t think it is appropriate–and I think the parks commission may need to be involved to give permitting.
And I never sought out getting permitting for gatherings in Richland’s park when we were doing Medieval Dancing, but we weren’t using weapons, let alone range weapons. However, for our bigger events, we got permits to assemble and hold the event on city/state property.
9@Star, I let the mayor and a city councilor who is a friend. know. They will need a permit, so there’s that. It’s ‘just’ a class, I don’t believe weapons are involved. It’s all about how to get a permit for concealed carry, including I’m sure, how to justify that you actually NEED one. It’s kind of scary, though, all of a sudden there are a boatload of people who feel the need for a concealed weapon permit, in a time when the dog whistlers are calling for violence. And that right now they need to do it in a public park when during covid they didn’t care about holding it in a hotel meeting room. Maybe the marimba band should hold a practice in the gazebo during the scheduled time. I think I can get a permit for free music at the park. Maybe I’ll invite a drum circle for good measure.
10@FF #10
You Go Girl! I love the music idea.
I have taught in Richland, WA (where wind is a regular environmental challenge). Now maybe they will set up mic and speakers, but you cannot teach more than a handful or three of people in an outdoor arena without audio assist.
I agree that there are reasons for concern…I find myself feeling a lot of concern over 53% of Trump supporters believing “Civil War” will happen within 10 years.
The numbers interested in concealed carry strike me as directly as response to such forecasts of violence–either as “where do I sign up” or in fear of those jumping on violence bandwagon.
Wish I could join that drum circle .
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