December 2008 Archives
Extreme Target Shooting - A Day at a Sniper Range
As we drive out of Washington DC early one sunny September morning, endless green fields spotted with trees and farms begin to meet our eyes more and more as the city's buildings start to disappear. It is always an interesting feeling leaving the city; as if you're escaping some kind of entrapment and entering into a whole other world. We are so lucky to have such a beautiful, bright morning to start our day! Our Director, our Associate Producer and I are on our way to Louisa, VA to meet the rest of our crew to film and interview a former Vietnam sniper on his shooting range.
In the car, I can't help but think what this day is going to bring. This was my first shoot and my thoughts were scattered. I was trying to stay focused by asking questions, getting advice and a little background on the project and on our character, Vernon Harrison. I knew we'd be filming him shoot his rifle, however; I was not even nervous about that fact. My dad is a hunter and I grew up with guns and therefore know how to handle them and interact with them safely. What I did not know, was how a shoot would go with the crew. Ironically, I was more nervous about being as useful as possible without screwing up on the shoot rather than being nervous about a highly powerful rifle being shot at targets. I was familiar with guns, but not with cameras.
We reached Vern's house and were greeted by his wife, a couple of barking dogs and of course, his gun paraphernalia. After we introduced ourselves and were made comfortable in his cozy home, he showed us how he constructs his own bullets. His mild manner and soft voice, while he guided us though the precise bullet-making details, caused me to think of how he lived his life as a sniper in Vietnam. After experiencing this first go at filming him, you begin to understand how he has a sincere and compassionate appreciation for this machinery.
Suddenly There was a Pop, and a Slight Jerk of the Gun
To say that I was nervous as I placed the protective earmuffs over my head and adjusted the safety glasses on my nose would be an understatement. In truth, I was shaking like a leaf, and though I'm no expert, I'm pretty sure that that is not the best condition in which to fire a gun. I had fired a weapon once before, but despite the best intentions of my concerned husband, the experience was borderline traumatic for me. This was my second try at the shooting range, only this time with an entire camera crew (and eventually, all of America) as my audience. My hopes for this being a less traumatic experience were wavering.
I had come here as a result of an unsettling home break-in some months before, during which I realized how vulnerable I could be in a dangerous situation. There are few things more terrifying than thinking you could lose your life and be unable to protect either your children or yourself at the hands of a violent attacker. I had decided that it was time to stop being the victim, and to learn to protect myself with the best tool for the job, no matter how much I feared it: a gun. But my resolve didn't make the process any easier.
"There are few things more terrifying than thinking you could lose your life and be unable to protect either your children or yourself at the hands of a violent attacker."
As I stood in the narrow space of the stall with my patient instructor, Adam, a former bounty hunter, I'm sure that my expression behind the glasses must have given me away, because his verbal assurances were becoming more and more frequent. He went over the basics with me again while we waited for the go-ahead from the director. Finally, it was time.
Marijuana Cultivation On Public Lands
Ron Pugh Special Agent, US Forsest Service, California
I have been a special agent for the US Forest Service for nearly 30 years. I am about to finish my career by serving as the supervisor of law enforcement for the Forest Service in state of California. Throughout my career, I have pursued those who threaten our precious national forests through various criminal acts. These include timber thieves, serial arsonists, artifact looters, poachers, hazard waste dumpers, and more. I am very proud to know that I have arrested and convicted dozens of individuals in these activities.
What I have experienced in the past 10 years, however, is more alarming than any of these threats described above. Currently, we estimate there are at least 3,000 armed foreign nationals engaged in the commercial production of marijuana on national forest lands in California. I am not talking about a couple of hippies growing a little pot for their personal use and perhaps some of their friends. I am talking about widespread, commercial operations involving thousands of plants, on every national forest in California, and many others throughout the United States.
Almost all of these individuals are armed, and all of them are causing significant resource damage. They are armed to protect their crops, and they have demonstrated on many occasions they are willing to use those weapons against any threats to their investments that they perceive. The resource damage is rampant and when most "first timers" observe what occurs, they are outraged and disgusted. I am outraged and disgusted.
School of THC
Richard Lee President of Oaksterdam University
Oaksterdam is the district of Oakland, California where cannabis is available for purchase in a variety of smokeable and edible preparations. Modeled after Amsterdam's liberal adult marijuana laws, the streets of Oaksterdam are lined with cafes, boutique retail and patient dispensaries. Located between downtown and Lake Merritt, the area has seen a drop in crime, less empty storefronts, and has been revitalized by the budding cannabis district.
In the State of California, cannabis is legally available to patients with a doctor's recommendation. According to Proposition 215, a statewide voter initiative passed in 1996, marijuana used for medical purposes is legal to purchase and consume. Dispensaries require a doctor's note in order to obtain medical cannabis, which is legal under California Law but remains illegal under the federal Controlled Substances Act.
Oaksterdam University is the first standardized education system for the cannabis industry. OU teaches students how to grow, distribute and market cannabis. Students come from all over the world to learn about the Politics and History of cannabis, Cooking, and of course, Horticulture! Advanced classes prepare students to start a business of their own, like a dispensary or delivery service. But OU is not just about classes, it serves as an activism headquarters for the San Francisco Bay Area. Resources are available for patients, activists and others interested in reforming the current unjust laws. A bike rental and a pedicab (bike taxi) service were recently introduced to encourage tourism, which supports the local restaurants and mom & pop shops.
Tourists come from all over the world to visit this cannabis-friendly area. Neighborhoods that were once magnets for the homeless and violent criminals have seen a dramatic reduction in crime and violence. Oaksterdam has not only played a role in the revitalization of Oakland, it also proves that cannabis can be sold with numerous benefits to the community.
For more info see oaksterdamuniversity.com or oaksterdaminfo.com
Marijuana Nation premieres Tuesday December 2 at 10pm e/p on the National Geographic Channel
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