First of all, Bert, the grant would be coming from the NRA, not any governmental agency. They have more money to spare than the government.

Second, it will be located in Unit 16. Look on the map provided by the real estate brokers. Unit 16 isn’t on there. To see it on the map, you need to go to the conference room in the admin building. It is an undeveloped area well away from the rest of the homes.

Let me give you a context as to why I favor a shooting range. I had a dental practice for 28 years in Oakland, and lived there for much of that time. For the past 2 years we had an apartment in east Oakland, 2 blocks off the lake. That neighbor hood is home to 24 registered sex offenders, about average for Oakland. When I would arrive back from PML at night alone and make my way from my car to the apartment, usually a couple of blocks away, I would just have my husband or a friend on the phone so that someone would know if I met with foul play. A couple of times I waited in my car until a stranger would walk by and be a couple of blocks away before walking home.

I never had my home or car or office broken into or suffered any bodily harm. On occasion I would need to contact the police due to noisy neighbors or other nuisances. Twice I lost track of time and found myself working in my office with no one else around in the neighborhood. There was a homeless guy who would raid the dumpster at night, and if he were on his meds was harmless. There was just no way to know. I called OPD and they sent an officer by as a courtesy to walk me across the building parking lot to my car.

Oakland is a police state. Call OPD, and there is someone there in less than 5 minutes.

I never owned a gun, and never considered it.

Now we’re here. Call the sheriff? Wait a couple of days for a response. I consider myself to be on my own here. That’s ok, I just want to be prepared in light of the circumstances.

Of course, we began with an alarm system, and given that I was on the PML board at a very contentious time, and given previous instances of suspected retaliation against other home owners, we ordered a system with a surveillance camera. Not content for the sheriff to be able to track down a burglar afterward and at his leisure, my husband now owns a shot gun, and can use it well enough for all practical purposes. I intend to own something smaller and cuter, more appropriate to my size, and I intend to be extremely accurate. I could take self defense classes, but a gun seems a bit more effective.

We don’t own anything worth stealing, but burglars generally leave a mess. I am remodeling, including all new floors. I have no patience for anyone making a mess in my house or tracking in mud as it is, and I will have even less patience with such uninvited guests. I also must assume that the intent includes harm to me or my husband, which is the true reason for the guns.

At the last board meeting a homeowner came to report that someone had tried to break into his home, while he was there, putting him in a potential deadly force situation.

I would like a shooting range so that I can easily become proficient with our guns and practice often and conveniently.

I also intend to start a women’s gun club here. Some of us rely on our husbands to protect us. Some of us can be elderly and alone for many years if our husband’s pass on before us. Some of us would likely want to be able to defend ourselves if necessary.

How do you think the burglars would strategize if the knew that there were a couple hundred little old granny ladies here who were armed, accurate, and not afraid to defend themselves? Not knowing who might be behind that door or window, or what kind of fire power might be waiting, or just how mean and cranky that woman might be, do you think they might relocate?

See, a shooting range could be a crime deterrent, and might be of indirect benefit to you.

Rita Hart
Cranky old granny lady