The gratitude I feel in our service to our students and community

We’ve been doing this officially for just a few years and I’ve been doing it unofficially for much longer, but I am grateful to each and every student that has come across my radar.

In the beginning, it was just family or friends that I might take to the range and show a few of the basics. Now as we grow our business, it is the larger group of some people we know and many that we don’t that have enriched our lives with their desire to learn.

In our area, which I imagine could be said for many areas, there are rumors of a person or two that is a CPL certificate mill. They charge a very low fee, may make you watch a few videos, or take you to a range to shoot a few shots, then they just give you your certificate and send you on your way. No real instruction or learning, just hurry up an get it done so they can get that money. Not only is it a felony that they are committing and a violation of the rules of the National or State organization that they represent, but it is a violation of the general moral practices in an endeavor such as firearms where the ultimate result could be the loss of a human life.

I don’t want to go on and on about them, whomever they are, and why they are doing what they do. I consider it abhorrant and I don’t desire to give them the time of day.

What this does make me appreciate are the people that do it the right way. Those folks that want to learn all they can so they can help make themselves more knowledgeable. We’ve had many of them cross the threshold of our doors at Brick Street Safety Academy. They honor us with their time and commitment. The least we can do is give them our all. To give them even more than they’ve expected. At times I’ve wondered if we have succeeded in that. Each and every student lets me know without the question being asked that we are.

They’ve told us of how they’ve changed their plans, adjusted their busy schedules and squeezed together the money to learn and enhance themselves. I appreciate their commitment and admire each and every one of them.

by: Jeffrey Washington-Lead Firearms Instructor BSSA