Orange County NC Website
39 <br /> unreasonable. The board needs to table this motion until further input is received from the <br /> public. <br /> Sincerely, <br /> Allison Herndon <br /> Dear Commissioners, <br /> My name is James Depew. I am a Concealed Carry Handgun instructor, NRA Pistol instructor, <br /> and NRA Range Safety Officer. My wife and I hold small classes and use family land in <br /> Orange County for target practice and instruction. Our class makeup is about 80% female <br /> (usually 4 to 5 students at a time, one of which on average is male) and many of our pupils are <br /> senior citizens. The fastest growing demographic for Concealed Carry Handgun permittees is <br /> women and our classes focus on empowerment nearly as much as on safety and <br /> marksmanship. We diligently work with our students one-on-one and focus extremely heavily <br /> on gun safety. No one is allowed to shoot on the property without myself and/or my wife (who <br /> is also a Concealed Carry Handgun instructor, NRA Pistol instructor, and NRA Range Safety <br /> Officer) present. <br /> I am extremely concerned that this legislation has made it to this point in the process with no <br /> open hearings and further, that the only input received from the public was from a single <br /> complainant. It is my belief that it would behoove the board to consult not only with a broader <br /> spectrum of constituents but with constituents who have some level of experience and <br /> expertise in these matters. <br /> This legislation as it is currently written will greatly impede the ability of instructors in Orange <br /> County to train students in the safe and responsible utilization of firearms. If safety concerns <br /> prompted this legislation, then I feel that this should be taken into account. Marksmanship and <br /> safety fundamentals must be learned, and the most effective way to become versed in these <br /> fundamentals is through practice - the hands-on practice that this legislation would make <br /> nearly impossible to administer. <br /> The burden placed upon our already taxed law enforcement officials seems untenable; this <br /> statute would be nearly impossible to enforce even with a much larger law enforcement <br /> presence. <br /> The signage portion alone is patently ridiculous in my opinion, and is not even the worst <br /> portion of the proposed legislation. A sign every 100 feet around the perimeter of the property? <br /> If we take a 5-acre square lot as an example (and lots are never square), the perimeter would <br /> be roughly 1,867 feet. That means posting 187 signs around the perimeter of the property. To <br /> say that this is unreasonable would be farcical at best. <br /> I ask that the Board not sign this legislation. It is not enforceable, it is intrusive, and it has been <br /> written without any input from constituents who are actually familiar with the subject matter <br /> involved. At the very least, please allow a public discourse on the subject so that more than <br /> one point of view can be expressed. <br /> Kind regards, <br /> James Depew <br /> Cedar Grove, NC <br />