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Mother's Day Florida IDPA Match Brings Diverse Shooters Together
William Lolli
Gun News Daily Contributing Editor
May 11, 2003
Mom lives in Florida. Mom has a concealed carry permit. Although I live in
California, I also have a concealed carry permit from the state of Florida.
So I always can feel sae when I go visit Mom, and this Mother's Day was no
exception. My brother has a CCW from the state of South Carolina, and he
came to Florida also for M's Day.
The day before Mother's Day 2003, I had an opportunity to attend an IDPA
shooting match at the Tamiami Trail outdoor range, hosted by the Tropical
Sport Shooting Association ****.
My brother and I registered for the match and were accepted graciously into
the group of more than 50 shooters.
It was a wonderful experience. It made me proud to be a free American. In
this diverse group of like-minded gun owners were people of all races,
creeds, and political affiliations. All sharing a mutual love of defensive
shooting.
We had a county judge, law enforcement officers, federal employees,
students, doctors, professional security personnel, women, Asians,
black-Americans, native Americans, Cuban Americans, Democrats, Republicans,
Libertarians, and Independents. If there was ever a "Big Tent" of diversity,
the 2nd Amendment were the foundation stakes that held this tent together.
There were the regular shooters, and the serious pros. But there were also
first-time shooters, holding a gun for the first time on a public range,
compassionately watched-over by the Safety Officers and encouraged by
participants and spectators as they were mentored through the 4 tactical
scenarios.
Shooter and security specialist Roger Perez, from a company called
International Professional Security***, was introducing attractive friend
Yenire Melchor of Dade County to the fun and challenge of IDPA shooting.
Ms Melchor was a first time shooter and thoroughly enjoyed alternating
between a Glock 19 and Sig 228, though she confessed she preferred the feel
of the Sig.
When asked, she expressed she had had some reservations about guns and
shooting, and was nervous when she arrived, as any person with little
firearms exposure would be when surrounded by an armed crowd. But the
out-going, friendly nature of the entire group, put her at ease.
The IDPA matched was sponsored by the Tropical Sport Shooting Association, a
very organized and energetic group, that is also politically active in the
preservation of 2nd Amendment liberties in the State of Florida.
I received the expected "ribbing" when it became known I was from
California. Of course, out came the Boxer and Feinstein jokes, how
California is leading the nation in tyranny, etc; but it was all in good
fun.
The match consisted of 4 scenarios that involved practical shooting skills,
which required successful negotiation of obstacles, use of cover and
concealment, practical engagement of hostile targets with reasonable
determination of stopping force, and the tactical reloading of your weapon.
All this while under the clock and under the watchful eyes of 3 safety
officers on the line.
Photos of the entire event can be downloaded from this website address:
http://www.gunnewsdaily.com/Lolli/tssa.zip
The file is a compressed zip file, so you will need WinZip or some other
package to de-compress. They are all high-resolution Jpeg files. It is not
recommended that you be on "dial-up" to download this file. If you are not
on DSL or a cable modem, it will be a long, slow download. The file size is
15meg so be prepared.
In a dark world of gun-hating fanatics, it was refreshing to see and be a
part of a small community of positive, happy, like-minded shooters that-I am
certain-- in their day-to-day lives, reflect a quality of character and
"light" that goes a long way in our struggle for freedom.
*** For more information about the Tropical Sport Shooting Association,
contact Debbie and Roger Zimmerman at:
Tropical Sport Shooting Association
PO Box 52-0153
Miami, FL 33152-0153
Hotline 305 460 3150
email shooterstv@a...
*** For more information about International Professional Security
International Professional Security
Roger Perez
8370 West Flager Street #140
Miami, FL 33144
305 485 3039
Home
http://www.gunnewsdaily.com/
William Lolli
Gun News Daily Contributing Editor
May 11, 2003
Mom lives in Florida. Mom has a concealed carry permit. Although I live in
California, I also have a concealed carry permit from the state of Florida.
So I always can feel sae when I go visit Mom, and this Mother's Day was no
exception. My brother has a CCW from the state of South Carolina, and he
came to Florida also for M's Day.
The day before Mother's Day 2003, I had an opportunity to attend an IDPA
shooting match at the Tamiami Trail outdoor range, hosted by the Tropical
Sport Shooting Association ****.
My brother and I registered for the match and were accepted graciously into
the group of more than 50 shooters.
It was a wonderful experience. It made me proud to be a free American. In
this diverse group of like-minded gun owners were people of all races,
creeds, and political affiliations. All sharing a mutual love of defensive
shooting.
We had a county judge, law enforcement officers, federal employees,
students, doctors, professional security personnel, women, Asians,
black-Americans, native Americans, Cuban Americans, Democrats, Republicans,
Libertarians, and Independents. If there was ever a "Big Tent" of diversity,
the 2nd Amendment were the foundation stakes that held this tent together.
There were the regular shooters, and the serious pros. But there were also
first-time shooters, holding a gun for the first time on a public range,
compassionately watched-over by the Safety Officers and encouraged by
participants and spectators as they were mentored through the 4 tactical
scenarios.
Shooter and security specialist Roger Perez, from a company called
International Professional Security***, was introducing attractive friend
Yenire Melchor of Dade County to the fun and challenge of IDPA shooting.
Ms Melchor was a first time shooter and thoroughly enjoyed alternating
between a Glock 19 and Sig 228, though she confessed she preferred the feel
of the Sig.
When asked, she expressed she had had some reservations about guns and
shooting, and was nervous when she arrived, as any person with little
firearms exposure would be when surrounded by an armed crowd. But the
out-going, friendly nature of the entire group, put her at ease.
The IDPA matched was sponsored by the Tropical Sport Shooting Association, a
very organized and energetic group, that is also politically active in the
preservation of 2nd Amendment liberties in the State of Florida.
I received the expected "ribbing" when it became known I was from
California. Of course, out came the Boxer and Feinstein jokes, how
California is leading the nation in tyranny, etc; but it was all in good
fun.
The match consisted of 4 scenarios that involved practical shooting skills,
which required successful negotiation of obstacles, use of cover and
concealment, practical engagement of hostile targets with reasonable
determination of stopping force, and the tactical reloading of your weapon.
All this while under the clock and under the watchful eyes of 3 safety
officers on the line.
Photos of the entire event can be downloaded from this website address:
http://www.gunnewsdaily.com/Lolli/tssa.zip
The file is a compressed zip file, so you will need WinZip or some other
package to de-compress. They are all high-resolution Jpeg files. It is not
recommended that you be on "dial-up" to download this file. If you are not
on DSL or a cable modem, it will be a long, slow download. The file size is
15meg so be prepared.
In a dark world of gun-hating fanatics, it was refreshing to see and be a
part of a small community of positive, happy, like-minded shooters that-I am
certain-- in their day-to-day lives, reflect a quality of character and
"light" that goes a long way in our struggle for freedom.
*** For more information about the Tropical Sport Shooting Association,
contact Debbie and Roger Zimmerman at:
Tropical Sport Shooting Association
PO Box 52-0153
Miami, FL 33152-0153
Hotline 305 460 3150
email shooterstv@a...
*** For more information about International Professional Security
International Professional Security
Roger Perez
8370 West Flager Street #140
Miami, FL 33144
305 485 3039
Home
http://www.gunnewsdaily.com/