Youth group learns to shoot
<p>Co-owner of Black Dog Tactical, Michael Anne Ewing, demonstrates to the members of H.E.R.O how easily some bullets travel through the steel shell of a motor vehicle.</p>
ST. REGIS – August is Teach-A-Teen-To-Shoot month and one local youth group took the opportunity to participate in a program that compliments their own goal of instilling confidence, raising self-esteem and creating a sense of accomplishment.
The local chapter of the H.E.R.O. Club, an organization dedicated to providing opportunities and activities for area youth that discourage the use of alcohol and/or drugs, came to the shooting range at Black Dog Tactical on Saturday, Aug. 16 about 10 miles north of St. Regis to learn about firearm safety.
While only six members attended due to inclement weather, the ones who did attend the workshop were treated to lessons in self-defense, firearm safety and firearm use under controlled conditions. Mineral County H.E.R.O. Club founder Lenaya Simpson said the activity was an opportunity for kids to stay active and away from harmful behavior.
“This is a way to not be bored and keep kids off the streets,” Simpson said. “There’s not a lot to do around here so we wanted to have something for young people to take part in that doesn’t have to do with doing drugs or getting pregnant.”
Simpson and the other youths took part first in a safety briefing before being allowed to fire live rounds at a down-range target. The young people took turns firing shotguns, handguns and rifles including one that fired 50 caliber rounds.
Simpson said she and the other participants enjoyed the firearm activities at the shooting range especially the part that required them to move in a tactical fashion around a course, firing as they went.
“It was a lot of fun,” Simpson said. “We learned firearm safety and how to shoot. It was different than just going out and shooting with your dad or something.”
Another participant and member of H.E.R.O. said he enjoyed the experience because it reinforced many of the things the organization stands for including enjoying the outdoors and learning new skills. Matthew Buchanan said he hoped to send a message to other area youths who may be at risk of engaging in dangerous activities.
“I have friends that have been in trouble with drugs,” Buchanan said. “I joined this group to show people that you can have fun without that stuff. This was a lot of fun and a good experience. We learned a lot.”
Owners of Black Dog Tactical, Tom and Michael Anne Ewing, said educating young people about firearm usage and safety was about dispelling some of the myths about guns they say are prevalent in many parts of the country.
Tom said impressing upon young minds that firearms are only as dangerous as the people who use them illegally is one of their key messages. He said it’s when young people don’t know how to safely handle a firearm that problems can arise.
“Firearms are a tool,” Tom said. “We teach safety. We have to instill safety so they understand the proper way to handle these things. So many kids are injured because they find a weapon in the home that mom or dad has left out. If you treat a weapon safely, then it is safe. We teach young people to back off, don’t touch it and tell an adult.”
Michael Anne said the day’s activities also gets young people outside and being active instead of spending all their time playing on cell phones or video games. Ewing said some of the things they teach instruct young people how to defend themselves even without a firearm.
“We teach kids to be self-aware and how to defend themselves,” Michael Anne “We teach them to run or defend themselves with their bodies.”
Teach-a-teen-to-shoot events are sponsored by participating individual businesses and is not a nationally recognized program. Programs and classes are offered in ten states across the country.