27 Apr 04

More on the size issue from a colleague and trainer in OK:

"Today, a group of TSA Air Marshals came to our shop to shoot a basic shotgu n qualification drill. One of the group was a young lady of slight build. Immediately upon seeing her attempt to qualify with the issue shotgun, I spo tted a problem. She barely has the upper body strength to support the gun, so she was leaning way back in an effort to use her body to counterbalance the weig ht of the gun. Her left elbow was locked straight in a nigh vain attempt at reaching the forearm. I admired her resolve, but the mismatch was painfully obvious. She fired the course, taking a huge beating in the process, and ' qualified' with a minimal score. I called the head instructor over and told him that next time he had students her size I would gladly loan them our short-stock 12 or 20 gauge sh otguns, so that such students could shoot comfortably and successfully. He casually replied, 'they have to shoot what we issue them.' If the purpose of procuring and issuing only oversized equipment is to ensur e a workforce consisting of only oversized employees, the program is failing! Like shoes, guns come in different sizes for a good reason. The ubiquitous ' one-size-fits-all' mentality apparently doesn't apply to belts, shoes, or underwear, only guns!

In an emergency, I'm confident in my ability to shoot anything with a trigger. However, given the opportunity, I WILL HAVE EQUIPMENT THAT FITS! I'm worth it."

Comment: Amen!

/John