I am one of the shooters at the 4-H trap shooting range across from McCurry Park. I would like to discuss [Brendan Wilson's letter to the editor, "Firing range too close to McCurry Park" (The Citizen, April 28)]. You wrote that you are troubled that one of my teammates or I will turn and fire upon you or your wife and kids. While there is no sign posted saying, "Do not shoot men, women or children," what prevents us from doing such a despicable act is our morals and principles.

We are not the mindless hoodlums that the media makes us out to be. It troubles me that people think this about us. Me personally, I am a honor student at Flat Rock Middle School and I have never in my schooling had any sort of disciplinary measure taken against me. My life is God-centered and I try to live as the Bible tells me.

Our 4-H program has very strict rules and regulations and we all have to take a hunter's safety course, which is mandatory to have before ever touching a firearm. Many of our team passed with 100s on their final exam. The 4-H instructors won't even let us handle a gun unless in a designated area. Our leaders, who also had to get a license from 4-H, carry our guns to the shooting box.

Another point you made was that the noise produced from shooting was displeasing and that we're a bad example to kids. When I played baseball, I witnessed some of the meanest treatment of kids by their parents and coaches because they had gotten out or missed catching a ball. The parents and coaches cursed and taunted their children if they didn't play like a super human. I cannot imagine how much that hurt those kids' self-esteem.

Our 4-H coaches are the most supportive people I have ever been associated with and I've never witnessed a negative outburst by a parent. I don't see how witnessing someone shooting trap hundreds of yards off would intimidate or be a bad example towards kids or anyone. And if you really did grow up around firearms, I think you would know it is extremely hard to get a shotgun cartridge to even go 100 yards.

When I am shooting in competition for a trophy, it is hard to concentrate with thousands of kids screaming and hollering in the background, so the argument can go either way in regard to the noise issue. We enjoy this sport and we can get a scholarship in shooting just as other kids can in softball or soccer. We have just as much right to be there as anyone else. I do not appreciate being looked upon at the same level at the Colorado shooters.

I would like to say that before ridiculing us about our firing range, why don't you investigate, come over and see for yourself that we are not "the crazy kids" with guns.

Your kids have more of a chance getting poisoned from the landfill under McCurry Park than getting shot by us. No one in the entire history of our shooting club has ever been injured in any way, much less an individual harmed from 100 yards away.

I think that you were very unfair to try and shoo us away because you have something against us. I think if you would come see for yourself you would see that we are genuinely nice people and you would feel better about us. We have worked very hard to keep this land which we have possessed for many years and to adhere to the strict guidelines set up for our safety and yours.

I understand your worries and wish I could say something to gain your trust. But try to believe me, when it comes to our 4-H shooting program, you have nothing to trouble yourself over in and around McCurry Park.