I’ve been going to the Rod of Iron Freedom Festival at the Tommy Gun Warehouse in Greeley, PA, for about 5 years. While I was hanging out in the VIP room with a friend, Karise Crew came in and sat across the room. I invited her to join us. I’m glad I did. Karise and her husband, Jerel, are instructors in Philadelphia. They were speaking at the event, too. So after some talking with them, I thought it would be a great idea to have them in the stagecoach.
I have to start out by saying that I love seeing a husband and wife team working together! This was the first year they’d been to the Rod of Iron. They hoped to bring a whole group of people, but a few didn’t make it out due to the weather. I also love that they know some of the folks that I know, and both of our circles of friendship are growing.
Jerel has family from Georgia, and his father took him shooting as the youngest of five children. Karise used to hunt with her father, but her first purchase was with Jerel. He bought her a gun because she was robbed while only 10 feet from the police station. She got her permit before Jerel got his, and she started carrying immediately. On a trip to Mexico, Karise forgot that she had a gun in her purse. Of course, she was stopped at the airport by the TSA. Fortunately, some of the police were Jerel’s friends from his youth, and they were lenient on her.
This was the turning point for them. Someone saw her on the news and told her about the USCCA. They saw the passion of this man and wanted to learn as much as they could and pass that on to their friends and community. For Father’s Day, Karise got Jerel enrolled in an instructor program. At his instructor course was the man who told Karise about the USCCA. It’s truly a small world.
It’s always interesting to hear about the process to get permits around the country. I got my PA permit a couple of years ago, and it was easy. I went to the county sheriff’s office, paid the $20, and waited an hour. Jerel talked about some people waiting 6 months in Philly. A friend of theirs moved from Philly to the suburbs and applied for a license. The people were about the leave, and the woman at the office called them back and said their permits were ready right then.
Once That Gun Stuff started offering classes, there was a “mystery shopper” in the class. It was someone from the Philadelphia gun permitting unit who came in to see what they were doing. The great news is the officer came up and told him that he was doing an excellent job and to keep it going.
Jerel & Karise also run events for NAAGA, the National African American Gun Association. NAAGA promotes gun rights to African Americans. Currently, they have more than 75 chapters around the country. A big part of their clients are women, which is the largest growing demographic of gun owners. Karise said she had a 73-year-old woman whose daughter had been shot in the head twice and lived. This woman wants to get training and education so that this doesn’t happen to her and that she can pass this on to her family. That Gun Club was nominated for Gun Club of the Year at the NAAGA conference.
They’ve been knocking it out of the park with That Gun Talk. Both of them have worked in schools as a teacher and IT tech. Jerel said he’s about to do full-time as an instructor. They’re taking their passion for firearms and teaching and turning it into a successful business. That’s just great to hear from someone who started their business just a few years ago.
Favorite Quotes:
- Karise: “This is your American right. This is your 2A right. You have to exercise your right.”
- Jerel: “He said ‘I’m from the Philadelphia Police Department Gun Permitting Unit. I came here to see what you’re teaching.’ He shook my hand and said ‘you’re doing an excellent job’.”
- Jerel: “She refused to let that situation turn her away from guns.”
- Karise: “Women have been coming out in droves to get more educated.”
Links:
About Riding Shotgun With Charlie
Riding Shotgun With Charlie isn’t about firearms. It is about having an intimate conversation with 2 people talking. You’re the fly on the rearview mirror. Many of the passengers are involved in the firearm community.
This is a more intimate conversation than a phone, radio, or Skype interview. You get to see the passengers. And you’ll see where the road and the conversation take you!
www.ridingshotgunwithcharlie.com.
