Posted on 01/16/2012 7:12:27 PM PST by James C. Bennett
WATCH: http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/indian-american-group-learns-shoot-after-string-vi/nGNG5/
ARTICLE
Asian-Indian community taking self-defense classes after home invasions
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/asian-indian-community-taking-self-defense-classes/nGMfw/
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A Fulton County grand jury has indicted seven Colombian nationals for a violent home invasion. Lawyers for the men appeared in court Friday morning to learn the suspects won't get bond.
Roswell police said the men robbed Raj Sharma and his family at gunpoint two weeks ago looking for gold. Police are looking into whether the men are tied to cases targeting Indian families in Alpharetta and Cobb County.
"As a community, we're completely ignorant about firearms," Sanjeev Navalkar said.
Navalkar works in insurance but the Alpharetta father told Channel 2's Mike Petchenik he couldn't ensure his family's safety after a series of home invasions targeting the Asian-Indian community.
"It just made everyone very jumpy," Navalkar said.
So Navalkar said he approached his friends and neighbors about taking self-defense classes. And it took some convincing to get them to pull the trigger.
"Guys, I'm not asking you to turn into Dirty Harry or Rambo, that's not what this is about," Navalkar said.
Navalkar said it is about peace of mind, even though police have arrested men they believe were behind the attacks.
"What if there's more? What if the person who's controlling this has other people as well?" Navalkar said.
Navalakar and his friends reached out to a gun range in Roswell to help them understand how to use firearms. The owner happens to be a reserve officer who responded to one of the home invasions.
"This is the first time we've had an organized group that have come to us looking for training," Tom Deets from Sharpshooter's USA said.
Deets said Navalkar and others will get that training this weekend.
"They'll learn the very basic elements of how firearms work," Deets said.
They will also learn about how to protect themselves in case something like this happens to them.
"I think it's great they're taking these steps to be safe and responsible and then decide whether they want to buy a gun," Deets said.
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Indian-American group learns to shoot after break-ins
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/indian-american-group-learns-shoot-after-string-vi/nGNG5/
ROSWELL, Ga. — After experiencing a rash of violent home invasions and robberies targeting their community, a group of Indian American men gathered Saturday at a North Fulton firing range to learn gun safety and for target practice.
The men said police can't always get there in time, and they want to be able to protect themselves.
Roswell police have charged seven Colombian nationals with one home invasion. They suspect they may be linked to several others.
The men gathering at the firing range Saturday said they fear there could be copycats out there.
"This is my first time," Ashish Dhume said as he looked over a target sheet with several hits in the middle of the outline. "Some of our friends actually got robbed. We don't want to be victimized when we are at home.”
The men spent a couple of hours learning gun safety and the basics of shooting, then moved onto the target range, firing live weapons.
"I just wanted to see what it feels like and learn some safety issues, more than anything else, just in case I get into a situation," Nivelle Bilimoria said.
The men believe the suspects were targeting the wealthier Indian American community, because many families keep gold items in their homes. Many in the community also are not used to owning guns.
"Indians seem to be adverse, probably culturally, but once you settle down in this country, you've got to adapt to the country," Dijjocam Raina said.
Raina said he hadn’t held a gun in 20 years, but now he plans on buying one and keeping it close for safety.
Ashish Dhume might buy one also. He felt better after just firing one for an hour or so on the range.
"I feel confident I can use the gun and protect myself," Dhume said.
A flamethrower might work well.
That would mess up your dry wall even worse than a 12 guage!
It’d be more like a continuous tracer so you wouldn’t need as much range time.
I don’t know, it looks like a loose cannon.
“Welcome to the party, pal...”
I haven’t clicked the link, but I’m immediately wondering : What’s an Indian American ?
Because American Indian is still a term, is it not ? Am I behind the times on this one too* ?
(*While working at Yale, I was written up for categorizing a student as “Oriental”)
It’s good to see a group of legal immigrants assimilating nicely into our society, by refusing to view themselselves as helpless victims for every thuggish criminal group that attempts to rob them.
It’s going to get even more complicated for the racist supporters of certain illegal aliens to justify their support of one particular group of “brown people” over another.
LOL.
By making this very public move towards home defense they are probably helping the Indian community as a whole, strike one demographic group off the “easy pickings” list.
LOL!
It depends on how you hyphenate it!
People get lazy about words and geography, but words and geography do matter.
Observe the America’s on a globe of the Earth.
North, Central and South.
Population: 9XX million
North America: 3XX million (Canada and USA); Central America and the Caribbean (incl. Mexico): 1XX million; South America: 3XX million.
Is Mexico part of North American? Only when it suits them....
With names like Ashish Dhume, Nivelle Bilimoria, and Dijjocam Raina, it is likely Americans with ancestors from India.
"Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the act depriving a whole nation of arms, as the blackest." - Mahatma Gandhi
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