Joined
·
289 Posts
Early Saturday morning in Dublin, I wore my GCO shirt to the class. At the door, I was given a warm welcome by Sgt Harrison who smiled and shook my hand. There were a handful of younger women in their twenties, but the majority were much older. There were several silver-headed ladies present. They emphasized safety first. We were given handouts which included a pamphlet titled GEORGIA GUN LAWS & YOU, and a letter from the Sheriff who could not attend.
To quote from the handout, Laurens County Sheriff's Department Personal Safety Class, which begins:
"Thank you for attending this life saving class. The ability of criminally minded persons to accomplish their work can be greatly diminished by your willingness to become more observant of threat indicators.
You are the first line of defense for you and your loved ones safety. As the saying goes, a good defense resides in a good offense. We will provide you with the tools you and your family can begin using today..."
Then ends:
"Do you have basic self defense training? Do you have a cell phone? Do you have a weapon and know how to use it?
Laurens County Sheriff's Department personnel are constantly patrolling looking for activity that presents a danger to you and your loved ones. However, YOU must also take responsibility for your wellbeing and safety. The life of a loved one may depend on your willingness to be proactive in keeping safe."
One of the speakers was the District Attorney. Right off the bat, he stated he was a strong proponent of the 2nd amendment, and a gun is no more inherently dangerous than an automobile, and a reckless driver can cause more damage. He suggested and encouraged everyone in class to apply for a GFL or a "toter's permit." He discussed and answered questions about the places where you can have your gun with and without a license, for example honkytonks, football games, church, federal buildings, the post office, and school zones. For self defense, he emphasized the use of deadly force must be REASONABLE (to be determined by a judge or jury) to prevent IMMINENT or IMMEDIATE death or great bodily injury to be justified. He discussed and answered questions about different scenarios. He encouraged those with more questions to call his office.
Sgt Harrison also addressed the class and much of what he said could summed up as: Be observant of your surroundings. Be alert and confident. Avoid "foolishness." Know your neighbors. We don't live in Mayberry. There are evil persons who will harm you.
He also described a study performed by psychology students who took pictures of ordinary people leaving a store and walking to their car. They showed the pictures to "career violent offenders" in state prison and asked them to pick out who they would victimize. According to the handout, the students found a 95% correlation. "They picked the same photos on one factor only; Body Language. Age, gender, and size were surprisingly not always the key. Folks that appeared to be confident, aware of their surroundings, heads up, and alert were thought to be too hard to target."
At the range, we were divided into four groups of ten to shoot. I was in the first group. Each lady was paired with a individual coach. Deputy "Shamy" escorted me to my truck to pick up my unloaded gun and ammo, and we returned to the 3 yard firing line. I was surprised to see a lot of wheelguns, J-frame snubbies. I saw only one semi-auto and it was at the far end, so I couldn't determine it's make or model. The deputies shot first so we could observe. They went over the basics: proper grip, trigger control, site alignment, Weaver and Isosceles stances. At the firing lining, we were given two commands, Low Ready (gun pointed down, finger off trigger) and Center Mass (raise gun, aim and fire). We fired two one-shot only, then one 2-shot, stop, reload, then two one-shot only, one 2-shots, then fire until empty. Deputy "Shamy" signed my target, then escorted me back to my truck to put away my gun, ammo and target. I joined the other ladies under the tent. Two deputies were giving a class on self defense techniques, and less-lethal alternatives such as the taser, pepper spray, and the baton. The deputies showed us their personal weapons: a Kimber 1911, a "baby" Glock forty, and a Keltec. Their duty weapons were Glocks in .45 caliber. All in all, it was enjoyable morning. Everyone involved was friendly, helpful and safety-conscious. There was a lot more information presented and I would recommend the class to any woman in the vicinity of Dublin.
To quote from the handout, Laurens County Sheriff's Department Personal Safety Class, which begins:
"Thank you for attending this life saving class. The ability of criminally minded persons to accomplish their work can be greatly diminished by your willingness to become more observant of threat indicators.
You are the first line of defense for you and your loved ones safety. As the saying goes, a good defense resides in a good offense. We will provide you with the tools you and your family can begin using today..."
Then ends:
"Do you have basic self defense training? Do you have a cell phone? Do you have a weapon and know how to use it?
Laurens County Sheriff's Department personnel are constantly patrolling looking for activity that presents a danger to you and your loved ones. However, YOU must also take responsibility for your wellbeing and safety. The life of a loved one may depend on your willingness to be proactive in keeping safe."
One of the speakers was the District Attorney. Right off the bat, he stated he was a strong proponent of the 2nd amendment, and a gun is no more inherently dangerous than an automobile, and a reckless driver can cause more damage. He suggested and encouraged everyone in class to apply for a GFL or a "toter's permit." He discussed and answered questions about the places where you can have your gun with and without a license, for example honkytonks, football games, church, federal buildings, the post office, and school zones. For self defense, he emphasized the use of deadly force must be REASONABLE (to be determined by a judge or jury) to prevent IMMINENT or IMMEDIATE death or great bodily injury to be justified. He discussed and answered questions about different scenarios. He encouraged those with more questions to call his office.
Sgt Harrison also addressed the class and much of what he said could summed up as: Be observant of your surroundings. Be alert and confident. Avoid "foolishness." Know your neighbors. We don't live in Mayberry. There are evil persons who will harm you.
He also described a study performed by psychology students who took pictures of ordinary people leaving a store and walking to their car. They showed the pictures to "career violent offenders" in state prison and asked them to pick out who they would victimize. According to the handout, the students found a 95% correlation. "They picked the same photos on one factor only; Body Language. Age, gender, and size were surprisingly not always the key. Folks that appeared to be confident, aware of their surroundings, heads up, and alert were thought to be too hard to target."
At the range, we were divided into four groups of ten to shoot. I was in the first group. Each lady was paired with a individual coach. Deputy "Shamy" escorted me to my truck to pick up my unloaded gun and ammo, and we returned to the 3 yard firing line. I was surprised to see a lot of wheelguns, J-frame snubbies. I saw only one semi-auto and it was at the far end, so I couldn't determine it's make or model. The deputies shot first so we could observe. They went over the basics: proper grip, trigger control, site alignment, Weaver and Isosceles stances. At the firing lining, we were given two commands, Low Ready (gun pointed down, finger off trigger) and Center Mass (raise gun, aim and fire). We fired two one-shot only, then one 2-shot, stop, reload, then two one-shot only, one 2-shots, then fire until empty. Deputy "Shamy" signed my target, then escorted me back to my truck to put away my gun, ammo and target. I joined the other ladies under the tent. Two deputies were giving a class on self defense techniques, and less-lethal alternatives such as the taser, pepper spray, and the baton. The deputies showed us their personal weapons: a Kimber 1911, a "baby" Glock forty, and a Keltec. Their duty weapons were Glocks in .45 caliber. All in all, it was enjoyable morning. Everyone involved was friendly, helpful and safety-conscious. There was a lot more information presented and I would recommend the class to any woman in the vicinity of Dublin.
