AP reporter takes Ohio-CHL class; not yet sure she'll carry
A story written by Associated Press writer Anita Chang has been published in news outlets across the country in the past few days.
The story, which has been republished in Ohio newspapers like the Cincinnati Enquirer, Columbus Dispatch, Coshocton Tribune, Middletown News Journal (and many others across the nation), tells of a woman who has personally experienced the need for self-protection, yet decides not to carry concealed after taking the class and receiving her Ohio CHL.
Leaving aside comments about the media's zeal for telling a story about someone who feels safer NOT carrying, this writer's [rather bad] experience shows that identifying beginners in CCW classes, ensuring they start with a low-caliber firearm (preferably a .22) and giving them focused, personal attention, is extremely important.
After reading the story, one OFCC-affiliated instructor expressed concerns about the gun Chang was given as a beginner, and about the possibility that she wasn't identified as a beginner and given the personal instruction she needed.
- Well, either the teacher was lousy and she was not ready for it, or she is writing to be overly descriptive.
My sister sounds like she could share clothes with this woman and she can shoot a .45 without it ending up over her head.
I would be interested to see this 9mm revolver. They do exist I am told but my guess is they are not cheap. Sounds like something out of the S&W Performance Center geared for the action shooting gamers...
It is important to keep in mind, especially with the broad audience that shows up for a class, that there are those who, like this woman, see shooting as being so complex. Many of us have done it so much and under so many different scenerios/positions/movements that we forget that, for the beginner, standing still and shooting takes EFFORT!
Another instructor followed through on these thoughts about how to train beginning shooters:
- We try to get [new shooters] to take a beginners class before the ccw class. We start out with .22, then move to 9mm, .38, .357, .40, .45.... By the end, I often have ladies shooting a .45....actually a lot of ladies like it more than anything else.
Last week a 60+ year old woman slipped through the cracks and ended up in the ccw class. The Police were doing scenarios in the next range. There was shooting and then blood curdling screams. The lady's face turned white. I went over and asked if she was ok. She exclaimed NO! I hate guns, I never shot a gun and don't want to touch one.
She asked why would anyone want to carry one. I asked if she wore her seat belt and she said yes I said "same with a gun...hope you never need it but its there if you do".
I coached her the next two days @ 45 minutes each. She qualified with a 2" S&W model 60 and a Ruger MKIII and scored better than her husband, both written and range.
I told her there was a big difference in her attitude from the first to the last day of class. I also told her of a couple I had a week before...he was robbed at knife point of $68 bucks...his girl friend didn't make the class (car wouldn't start"...at the end of class he got a phone call that his girl friend just got mugged, knocked down and kicked in the face and robbed of $6 bucks.
Instructors have told OFCC they are receiving an increased number of beginners in CHL classes over the past few months. It is incumbent upon instructors to take the time necessary to ensure their students are comfortable with their firearm. The goal is not just to pass students, but to give a person the tools they need to defend themselves.
In this case, that goal was not reached.
Anita Chang left her CHL class fearing her gun (because she had not mastered its operation), and convinced that having a piece of plastic in her pocket somehow makes her safer.
Most alarmingly, she has just announced to the world, complete with a photograph in the newspaper, that she is unarmed and defenseless.
UPDATE: A female student and member of the New Albany Shooting Range where Ms. Chang took her class has emailed an excellent commentary in defense of the range, and suggests the whole story may not have been told in the AP article:
- I needed to respond to the Anita Chang story. I was shocked when I read her article in the Columbus Dispatch yesterday. I actually thought to a certain degree, that it was a good article, (especially for women who may be on the fence about going thru the classes and what to expect) until I got to the very last sentence of it!! Then I was blown away! Here she's told the world that she is now a CCW license holder, and feels more secure, but is not carrying a gun. Well, I suppose that one could use their CCW license to scratch the face of the attacker, but really not a good use of one's license. She has announced to the world that she is very vulnable to all the rapist and bad guys out there. Wow, I can't believe her stupity in that. Must make her Dad back in Texas scared to death for her.
Anyhow...in defense of New Albany Shooting Range where she took her classes. I don't think that New Albany Shooting Range should be made to look like the bad guys here.
I took my classes there, and Terrie Bussey was one of my instructors. She did an absolutely awesome job. Very detail-oriented, and they all were very, very helpful to everyone in the class, irregardless of one's experience with guns. I think that everyone walked away with a comfort level of confidence in handling of their weapons.
They have 6 firing lanes on the pistol range (another 6 on the rifle range), 3 instructors in there at all times. One instructor per every 2 lanes. They stand right behind the shooter, and give corrections, suggestions, or what ever other help that person needs. They don't rush them through, and allow that person to take as much time as needed. We shoot multiple weapons in a variety of calibers. We started out shooting 9mm, 38 specials & .357s and then 45's. We also shoot in low-light, and no-light conditions using a tacticle light.
The classroom time was the same. They took the time to answer ALL questions, and were very intentive, and I really can't think of anything that I would have wanted them to do differently during my 12 hours there. If my experience at New Albany Shooting Range had been anything but exceptional, I certainly would not have become a member, and I would not have given my son and daughter-in-law CCW classes there, for Christmas
presents!
It's my theory that Anita never disclosed to the instructors her uncomfortableness with the weapons. They aren't psychic, and had they known, any employee at New Albany Shooting Range would have bent over backwards to have helped her. Maybe she was just looking for a story, and didn't get it! God knows...she just doesn't "get it"!!!!!
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