Sipping
a cup of coffee Sunday morning while perusing your Nov.
8 edition, my wife held up the Community section and asked,
“Does anything seem wrong with this picture?” She was
indicating the photo of Carol Rue, with the caption: “NRA
‘Women on Target’ Instructor Carol Rue demonstrates proper
shooting hold at the Ben Avery Practical Pistol Range
in north Phoenix.”
I
laughed out loud. A proper shooting hold does not include
planting both thumbs against the pistol’s slide, which
Rue is clearly doing in the photo. Should she fire the
weapon, the slide would immediately tear up the pads of
her thumbs as it kicks back and the spent cartridge is
ejected.
In
addition, she is posing with one eye open rather than
two, which may make for leisurely shooting at the range,
but does not bode well for split‑second target acquisition
necessary for self‑defense.
Since
Rue is presented as an expert in the article, a certified
instructor who is responsible for instilling the basics
of pistol handling and safety procedures, this photo does
little to inspire any confidence in Rue, the classes,
or the NRA in general.
I
sincerely hope that this was a posed photo.
Erik
Schielke
North
Phoenix
Editor’s
note: Rue was posing for the photograph.
