Oafish, illiterate, gun-nut buffoons? Ummm. . . . No.

A friend of mine recently made a comment about the demographics of the people participating in our monthly Short Range matches. His comment prompted me to write this note concerning the career focus of our Short Range match participants.

1 Retired Army General Officer

1 Active duty Army Colonel

1 Active duty Marine Captain

1 Active duty Air Force 2nd Lieutenant

4 Retired Army Colonels

1 Retired Army Chief Warrant Officer

1 Retired Marine Master Gunnery Sergeant

1 Cardiologist/Heart Surgeon

1 Radiologist

1 Retired University Professor

1 Lawyer

3 Senior Business Executives

1 Freelance photographer

1 Pharmacist

1 Dentist

1 Geologist

2 Retired Commercial Pilots

1 Freelance writer

1 Police Officer

1 Nurse

2 Information Technology professionals

In addition, there were several adult children of the individuals listed above and several individuals whose career fields I have yet to learn. As you can see, San Antonio is a military city so it is not surprising to see a number of military and retired military participating in the shooting sports. However, when I actually began considering the professional demographics of our Short Range match I was struck by the contrast between reality and how the mainstream media often portrays people who enjoy the shooting sports. Are the individuals I have described above a bunch of illiterate, oafish, gun-nut buffoons? Ummm. . . . No. They are the people defending this country, creating jobs, providing medical care, educating our children, and generally being productive, professional citizens.

For more information go to: www.sensibleselfdefense.com

The Short Range Match is a monthly event at Cedar Ridge Range in San Antonio Texas. The short-range course of fire match follows IDPA-style safety principles and generally will have all targets at no more than 10 yards. Most stages are based upon real-life events that were recorded on video and adapted for a square range. Otherwise, it is a regular course of fire, with many stages requiring a reload. A short-range course of fire match makes carry-suitable handguns more competitive. Ideally, shooters will use a pistol they carry to shoot the match. All pistols may be loaded to capacity and the match may have reloads on the clock.