Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Certificatified!

That's my new word of the week. :)

I may have mentioned this in the past, but I don't particularly agree with the politics of the NRA. As much as they claim to be a non-partisan group, they are still heavily involved in politics. I do, however, admit that they are the strongest of the Second Amendment advocacy groups out there, though a couple chapters of the ACLU are actually starting to come around.

That being said, I also recognize that they're also the only organization out there that provides credentials that are widely recognized in terms of being able to teach... I love to teach. I've been doing it since my senior year in high school; I have this thing about sharing what I know with others. That's why when I offered to teach the students in the Criminal Justice program at Delaware Tech how to shoot, the first thing that was asked of me was, "Are you certified?"

I begrudgingly grumbled that, even though I was very active with IPSC and USPSA Competitive shooting, that I was not certified... the issue pretty much went away.

Fast forward a few months, and I actually have the opportunity to take classes to get my certification. So, as of last weekend, I successfully completed my class to become a certified Range Safety Officer and qualified as an Instructor. This weekend, I'll be taking my class for my focus discipline: pistols.

So, starting shortly, I'll be offering classes to the general public under my new company: Delaware Patriot.

Courses will be offered for the NRA developed F.I.R.S.T. Steps and Basic Pistol program.

Additionally, for those who take my NRA Basic Pistol course, they then qualify to take both the Delaware Carry Concealed Deadly Weapon License course and the Florida Carry Concealed Weapon License course.

I'm in the process for creating the website, however, its current incarnation can be found here. If anyone is interested in obtaining their license to conceal in Delaware or would just like to learn how to shoot a pistol, definitely drop me a line -- the rental of a pistol to use for the course is available.

I look forward to teaching and sharing my knowledge with others.

3 comments:

a most peculiar nature said...

Congratulations on your new venture ! After Labor Day my S.O. and I are going to try to get into some serious shooting. I will keep this in mind to look you up when I am ready !

Rob said...

Definitely do, Shirley!

Unknown said...

Hello. My name is Edgar and I'm an editor at OpposingViews.com, the debate website. Since we both cover gun issues, I thought I'd drop you a note. I would've e-mailed you but I couldn't find an address.
See, we're currently having a discussion about whether owning a gun makes you safer. You can see it here:
http://www.opposingviews.com/questions/does-owning-a-gun-make-you-safer
Although vetted experts are the ones doing the debating, anyone can contribute by choosing a side and posting comments about the experts' arguments.
Check it out and, if you have the time, send me your thoughts via e-mail at eacosta@opposingviews.com.
Thanks!