If you’ve been checking in on TTAG over the last few days, you know that I spent last weekend at the Bushnell Brawl. It was my first precision rifle match, and I had an absolute blast doing it, though I think the time and financial commitments to be successful will keep me from doing it seriously. My first exposure to the community at large was Thursday night at the shooter prep meeting. I stood in this huge barn surrounded by 119 white men, 1 African American guy, 1 guy who was a quasi Pacific Islander, and a sum total of 8 women, 3 competing and 5 there to support their partners. Looking around the room . . .
I leaned over to my buddy who’d convinced me to come, and said, “White men everywhere….”
We had ourselves a good giggle over the whole thing, but both of us knew that what we were seeing didn’t bode well for the future of guns, gun ownership, and gun rights. Opponents of the RKBA insist that we’re all a bunch of toothless, white, racist, hicks just itching to squeeze the trigger and put down some tangos. The truth couldn’t be further from that fecal fiction. You know that. I know that. But we’re trying to win hearts and mind here. And what I saw at the Bushnell Brawl didn’t leave me with the warm and fuzzies.
As I moved between stages of the competition, the whole situation just sat there nagging me in the back of my head. Why was this event showing such a stunning lack of diversity? Was it the money? The time? The drive? Why was I looking at a sea of older white faces? And then I started to listen to my fellow competitors. I sat there while one (a cop, FFS) joked about how I should beat my wife if I didn’t do well in the competition. I watched one get visibly uncomfortable when I mentioned my attempts at twerking. But the tastiest icing on the lack of diversity cake came at the wrap up on the last day.
During the awards ceremony, a fellow joked loudly that “You’re only gay if you’re the one on the receiving end” to much laughter and back slapping.
I left Kingsville frustrated with my community. We spend a lot of time, and burn a lot of electrons whining about getting new people into the shooting sports. But at one of the biggest matches that draws the best of the best, I had run into a half dozen examples of misogyny and hate without really having to perk my ears up too hard. I have a hard enough time getting people to overcome their phobia of guns without having to contend with stereotypes.
Let me just deviate for a second. Precision rifle is a premier shooting sport. The sheer volume of money necessary to even have competitive equipment is staggering. That doesn’t even take into account the amount of time and money necessary to practice enough to crack the top 50. This isn’t some slack-jawed, mouth breathing “gun” event. The guys (and three gals) there are all successful, educated people with the means to pull themselves out of the gutter. Not to lump people in buckets, but I’d expect some of the stuff I heard at a local gun show, but a PRS match?
Some of you read who have read to this point will do doubt be thinking, “Lighten up Francis.” Totally understandable. Maybe I’m a bit too sensitive. But maybe I’m right.
I don’t know what the solution to the problem is short of calling this stuff out when I see it and taking literally every woman, liberal, minority, and homosexual I can find to the range. The only other thing I can do is use this fantastic platform at TTAG to beg you to go be ambassadors for the sport.
When you’re at a range or a match, watch your mouth. Don’t say anything you wouldn’t say in front of your mother, children, wife, husband, etc. If you still feel the need to talk about wife beating, your abject hatred of gays, or why Obama is a fascist Kenyan, find some private range time, light off a couple rounds, and mutter it to yourself. Please.
Yep LIGHTEN UP. This OFWG never apologizes for his whiteness…but then I have a black wife and brown sons and do business with happy folk. And a lot of a##wipes don’t know that-they just ASSume. And I know lots of brown people who shoot…
Slightly off topic. I have seen you mention that you live in the great state of Illinois. I have also seen another of your posts mentioning Ottawa. Have you ever been to Buffalo Park Shooting Range? I am within 10mins of them. I go there whenever I have enough pocket change.
Sorry I live just south of Chicago-I’m from Kankakee. I know nothing of your gun range. The NRA outdoor range I shot at as a kid in Bonfield,Illinois. And my goal is to leave the “great” state of Illinois and move to Indiana…
Sure you wanna go to Indiana? Might think about Arizona. We enjoy “Constitutional Carry” and have world class shooting ranges available all over the state.
It has nothing to do with “apologizing for your whiteness.” It shouldn’t be that hard not to talk shit about people who aren’t just like you, maybe even be gracious and welcoming. Given your wife and kids, I would hazard a guess don’t have an issue with that, but it does run rampant in some circles.
If I’d been there for that spectacle, I’d be reluctant to return next year… Not the “overwhelming whiteness,” but the shitty comments.
In my vast experience the majority of racist comments come from black folks. I’ve been accused of “prejudice” because I told the truth about Barry Soetoro. I’ve found white boys whisper instead of shout. If some a##hole says something evil around me I just mentally write him(or her) Off. Lots of stupid people in the world and I’m too old to get exited…and my Chocolate Bunny(she’s worldclass) agrees with me most of the time. I accept the fact that OFWG support guns and gun rights more than any other group. But you don’t have to be FAT…
A lot of it depends on where you live.
If you’re in the South, there are gonna be more black shooters. Pacific Northwest, more asian shooters.
I can’t speak for competitive events but at normal ranges I haven’t noticed any glaring diversity issues.
I would agree to a point, mostly because of demographics, but urban vs rural also plays a huge difference. Having been to both city and rural ranges throughout most of GA I can say from firsthand experience that demographics change wildly if you go from middle of nowhere Ruralville to a larger city range.
Let’s inject some facts for perspective.
(1) According to Google about 78% of the United States population is white, 17% is Hispanic, and 13% is black.
(2) The median income for white households is $58,000, Hispanic households is $41,000, and black households is $35,000.
(3) There is a long and pervasive tradition of firearms ownership/enthusiasm in white families. There is an almost non-existent tradition of firearms ownership/enthusiasm in black families.
(4) Shooting sports cost a decent amount of money and participating in special events is downright expensive.
Based on population percentage alone, you would only expect to see one black person for every eight white people at a shooting event. Add in disparities in median household income, longstanding tradition, and the incredible expense of participating in a special event, and it doesn’t surprise me at all to see as little as one black person among 99 white people.
I don’t see any concerted effort from white firearms enthusiasts to discourage people of color from participating in firearms ownership and activities. What Mr. Kee is experiencing (crude comments/insults notwithstanding) is simple demographics, nothing more and nothing less.
Now that we got that out of the way, I encourage everyone to invite everyone — and that means everyone — to the right, responsibility, and downright fun of firearms ownership.
Politically incorrect talk makes me uncomfortable as well and I’m just an OFWG. One of the worst verbal offenders at our private shooting club is a walking conundrum as he will also point out that we have no members of color in the club. No written or unwritten rules for or against minorities, we just don’t have any. As to bring new folks young or old, black, brown or white into the shooting fraternity, have you tried to join a range or shooting club lately? Three year waiting list is the norm around here. I shot USPSA/IPSC pretty hard 20 years ago for 10 years. 40 contestants at a monthly club match was a pretty good turn out. Now those same matches draw 100 competitors. Shooting sports are more popular than ever. Ranges are opening up all around my area. More as a busines/money making opportunity than anything else.
Yes it takes money. To me it is similar to golf. I have never competed and have no plans either. You have to be fairly affluent to blow your $ on leisure activities. But that ain’t RACISM…
Let’s step up on the first to get to the second…. Oh wait.
I have an idea, if it makes you feel uncomfortable, why not step up to the plate and say so at the time? In order for evil to exist….
Yes, this, times 1,000,000. There really is no solution to bad manners other than a lot of sunlight.
The real problem is that they *would* say that stuff in front of their family, isn’t it?
Solid post. You aren’t too sensitive. Mocking those on the outside will not help to bring them in. My wife works with a lot of minorities. They all know they have a standing offer to come shooting at my expense any time, and a couple have taken me up on it.
One counterpoint to your experience: I went to my local range yesterday. It is located in a rural, middle class suburb of Columbus, Ohio. I would say about 40% of shooters were female, and 10-15% were people of color. Hopefully the inroads we have made with minorities who shoot casually or carry for personal defense will translate to competitive shooting over time.
I never understood the diversity for its own sake. There is no entrance exam no questioner to gain entrance to the gun community, so you can and will find all kinds. POTG are because they choose to be the same as the other. But it sounds like Austin is getting to you whats next guns are white privilege or shooting sports is hetero privilege??
Agreed. Reminds me of the world’s shortest book, “Negroes I’ve met while yachting”. More to the point, certain races/creeds/sexual orientations participate in certain recreational activities in certain geographic areas. Nobody’s specifically excluded from anything anywhere, it’s just a random numbers game. How many gay black surfers are there in Nebraska? Just sayin…
So, would this mean we shouldn’t threaten to kill Texas lawmakers? What about getting into shouting matches in the statehouse? Oh, one more, can we launch into profanity laced tirades with the cops and post the video to YouTube?
The only other thing I can do is use this fantastic platform at TTAG to beg you to go be ambassadors for the sport.
“Sport.” Different thing.
If a person wants to be gay – that’s not my business – has nothing to do with me – and does not infringe on my rights. Obama is a facist Kenyan, however that doesn’t make me racist. I would have loved to have Herman Cain over Obama and would have certainly preferred him over John McCain or Mitt Romney.
Regardless, my friends don’t hate gays, beat their wives, or are racist. If they were, I wouldn’t be at the range with them and we wouldn’t be friends.
Exactly, inferring that the belief that Obama is a fascist Kenyan is somehow the mark of a racist is/was a bad example. Pointing out the truth isn’t an act of racism. The reason I didn’t vote for him twice wasn’t because of his skin color, it was because of his choice of political persuasion….
Because fascist Kenyans are worse than fascist Germans? It is the seeming need to identify him as Kenyan that raises the suspicion of racism.
Is this the PotG version of white guilt? I can’t tell. But seriously, dude, sounds like run of the mill dark humor. Quit being a P.C. pansy and lighten up.
I agree, Tyler. Those who want to promote shooting and protect their rights need to be mindful of their words, as well as their actions… without falling into the PC trap, of course.
The diversity of any group of shooters will, however, depend a lot on location. Diversity is large in some places, and very low in others. I’ve helped put on several “Appleseed” shoots, and about half of those who come are women, but I don’t ever remember seeing anyone who was black. They just don’t live here much. And those few who do probably wouldn’t have the money.
Don’t know, really, what might be done to improve participation by non-whites, but I’m with you that we need to police ourselves so we don’t throw up unnecessary barriers either.
If you think that the Bushnell Brawl lacks diversity, go to a Pink Pistols meeting. Except for you and me, there won’t be a single straight person in sight. No people of color. Maybe one older person. Maybe one woman.
Or you can go to a meeting of the Huey P. Newton Gun Club. No whites, no gays, few women, nobody over the age of 40. If the JFPO has a meeting, you won’t find a lot of Protestant ministers breaking matzos with the Hebrews.
I could go on, but you get the point. People are entitled to huddle up with people that make them comfortable. Which isn’t racism, misogynism or any other -ism. It’s just human nature. And it doesn’t bother me one bit.
Bad manners, however, bothers me no end.
Good point, sir.
OTOH, I’ve been _trying_ to get Jews to the range in an attempt to have them be less anti-self defense without much success. I even tried holding a class at my synagogue. No one showed up.
So other than open invitations to the people around us, I’m not sure what else to do.
IMO, you’ve done all you can reasonably expect and are comfortable with doing. So just “keep on keeping on.” Your present actions may be planting seeds that will sprout years or decades in the future.
Jus Bill,
Thanks for the encouragement!
Why do Jews take leftist positions….
….because for a big majority of them Leftism is their actual religion versus Judiasm.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5IqH7oJ9h4
Thanks doesky, thats another keeper.
doesky2, very insightful and answers a question I have had for my adult life…why do Jews vote Democrat when it is clear that Democrats don’t back Israel? It’s because it doesn’t impact their bottom line and they just don’t care.
Great video.
@ Ralph “People are entitled to huddle up with people that make them comfortable. Which isn’t racism, misogynism or any other -ism. It’s just human nature.”
That statement is so true. One of my favorite sayings is “Those of a feather flock together.” which is a modern version of: “Byrdes of on kynde and color flok and flye allwayes together.” (1545, William Turner)
I am deaf and if given a choice, I prefer to hangout with other deaffies. (to hell with being PC)
Deaffies! I love it — but I hope that hearing-impaired people wouldn’t be offended by it. Maybe it would depend on the context.
In my hearing impaired circle, you are either HOH (hard of hearing/understand speech) or stone deaf (me, no understand speech) We make no bones about it and no one is offended.
Generally I agree, but this was called “Bushnell Brawl” not “OFWG Brawl.”
My sense is that the sponsors of the event don’t want to be associated with mysogeny and disparaging remarks towards other people. If you cultivate a frat boy atmosphere, that’s all that will ever show up. I would hope people can differentiate between behavior appropriate for a back yard BBQ and one for a sponsored or public event.
I’m not a fan of bad behavior, and disparagement of any group because of race, gender etc. is bad behavior as far as I’m concerned. Bushnell probably feels the same way. At least, I hope it does.
But from Bushnell’s point of view, this was a promotional event aimed at their target audience. That audience is overwhelmingly male and white, so this event was successful because that’s who Bushnell reached.
I’d like to see more black and gay people involved in the shooting sports and would welcome their participation. But it’s up to them to get involved since there’s nothing I can do about it. As far as potential insults are concerned, those kind of things (and worse) didn’t seem to stop black people from eating in Lester Maddox’s restaurant or at the Woolworth lunch counter or from integrating the University of Alabama. I’m guessing that a few yahoos won’t stop black people from target shooting if that’s what they want to do.
And, according to the Pink Pistols, “armed gays don’t get bashed.” So they should be tooling up, too.
“That audience is overwhelmingly male and white.”
I am pretty sure that their target audience is overwhelmingly green, as in those who spend money. I could be wrong.
except this is a major event at an industry show, not something at a local range or group meeting. That’s what makes it kind of concerning.
I mean yeah the private range I’m at is 90% white; but it was started by a white guy who knew mostly other white guys about 8 years ago. So it’s not shocking that it’s mostly white. Just like a range in south Houston might be more black and hispanic. That’s not a concern.
But industry wide shows being so predominantly mono-demographic is.
There are a lot of women, and minorities who are into shooting but not into competitive shooting. Our women’s shooting league holds a monthly new shooter seminar with range time afterwards. I try to make it to the gun range for practice. Last time there were 40 people from seminar who also showed up to shoot. A wide variety of young, mature women of various races,creeds and occupations. It’s rare that I don’t see other women at the gun ranges I frequent and not with a boyfriend or husband. Since we have a number of mom’s in our group I do not believe gun owners are a dying breed at all. At public ranges without a “girls only” section, nope guys still outnumber women. But keep in mind one of fastest growing demographics of gun owners are women
As one of those “white Hispanics”, I have to hate myself twice…
My white half hates my Hispanic half, as well as, my white half has white guilt, and hates itself for being white.
So, I can’t win for losing.
Go the range. You’ll feel better.
I have a range set up in the woods on the back of my property. I tried to take myself shooting the other day, but there were too many white people…
LMAO. Thanks! much needed laugh, since my local range will not reopen until late March, early April. (Illinois here)
Funny ROHC! You reminded me of a Star Trek episode called “Let That Be Your Last Battlefield.”
“I am black on the right side. Lokai is white on the right side. All of his people are white on the right side.” And the Enterprise crew all look at each other as if to say, “this half and half dood is nucking futs.”
Good episode.
Frank Gorshin, the Riddler
I’m more than happy to teach anyone who wants to shoot and is willing to let me help them. as an NRA instructor, I’ve done that for well over a decade. However, as an OWG (not really F yet) in his 60’s, I really don’t care to actively recruit anyone but potential shooters into the shooter sports. In other words, I don’t go out of my way to recruit from particular demographics. When I worked at a big software company, most of my students were young, overweight white or Asian guys – because that’s the people I got to know.
Where I live and work now, it’s more likely to be middle-aged ladies that would be my students. That’s great too.
But as many have said, I don’t feel any particular guilt because I happen to be who I am.
Your political correctness offends me and save your preaching for the pulpit.
Grow the F up already. Do you think for a second that this same thing doesn’t happen in any group that tends to skew heavily into one demographic cross section?
It does happen in those other groups, but they aren’t under the scrutiny that gun owners are. There is no such thing as “Everytown for Boat Safety.”
It’s unfortunate that we’re constantly under the eye of those that would take our liberties, but that’s the case. It’s wise not to fuel their fires by acting like a bunch of immature high school boys snapping towels and calling each other fags.
You have what, maybe a hundred million gun owners out there? Nobody’s piddly, personal PR campaign is going to reform the haters’ misguided mindset to great effect when the the abundance of pro-firearms freedom facts found in basic realitu failed to do so.
Likewise, any so-called fence sitters were destined to become antis anyway, as anyone still on the fence of such a paramount issue obviously cannot think for themselves. Such people will always end up falling for the lies of the conniving crowd, anyway.
Tyler Kee, you sound like every other Progressive, politically-correct, Hope & Change, entitled twenty-something who never deployed I’ve ever met. If you can’t stand the company of other shooters, then give it up and take up shopping or miniature golf. Every group has misfits and words alone should not bother a man. One of those crude “diversity-lacking” white guys just might save your life some day.
I think it’s over there somewhere….
I believe many of you are missing the point. The Antis wish to paint the POTG as white supremacists, racists, or bigots just itching to kill someone or something. There is no need for people to add fuel to the fire. Rest assured, if you give them ammunition for their argument, they WILL use it.
I refuse to live my life based on what the anti’s might take offense at. If they don’t like my racist/dark humor fuck em, I don’t care. They are worse than animals and their opinions are dogshit to me.
Don’t think anyone here is worried about offending the antis. Why throw up barriers to others who might join us and help us? Might they make a different decision if they encounter bigotry and ridicule?
No, Nick, I’m not missing any point. I have brought several people to their first shooting experience and spoken to others about the positives of firearms, ccw, and the 2nd Amendment. Patience, empathy, and an attitude of enjoyment, pride and patriotism are key. But make no mistake, we can persuade those with open minds and some curiosity, but we will never convert a fully brainwashed anti-gunner. They are entrenched in Marxist Progressive Socialism which requires full disarmament of citizens. No matter how much “diversity” and political-correctness we show them, we will be demonized according to the tactics of the founder of modern Progressivism, Saul Alinsky: ‘Pick the Target, Freeze It, Personalize It and Polarize It.’
Thanks Nick,
I don’t see how being an ambassador for gun ownership and sports would be so roundly rebuked. It is in the interest of your rights to do so. Mr. Kee’s public service announcement may not have been received well but it is needed. Strategies to advancing gun ownership and enjoyment and getting more people on your side are even more important than fighting efforts to limit them, in fact if they are done well enough they eliminate the need to fight those efforts.
And if we give them no ammunition for their argument, they’ll make it up. There is no upside to appeasement.
Tyler – Am pretty much in agreement for most of this post. Not because I’m especially troubled by the lack of dark skins among your fellow participants, but by the crude, ill-mannered language apparently much in evidence. Ralph hit the nail squarely by pointing out that folks do tend to group themselves when given the chance, and that’s okay. (His examples made me nod & grin…)
But suggesting I not publicly criticize our President? I believe withholding criticism of Mr. Obama to avoid offending someone else is a foolish application of political correctness – deserving no honor in the shooting community or any other. (I really think you were just reaching a bit in order to stress a point. Nonetheless, it made me stop in my tracks and decide to respond!)
I think there’s a difference between criticizing the president and calling him a “Kenyan”. The birther BS is just as bad as the truther BS
I agree, it is not accurate to call our Dear Leader a Kenyan. While he visited Africa and spent some of his childhood in Indonesia, he was born and raised primarily in Hawaii, by his maternal grandmother, Ann and grandfather, Stanley Dunham, a proud Communist sympathizer with an FBI file, who introduced young Barack to booze, marijuana and his friend and Communist Party organizer, anti-Christian poet, drug dealer, and complete pervert, Frank Marshall Davis, who became 0bama’s ‘mentor.’
No doubt about it — Obama was a “red diaper” baby. Still is.
It’s rather sickening that our first black president had to be an avowed socialist (or worse) and despises the country so much that he wants to “fundamentally change” it.
How do you think your spouse would respond to you saying ….
…”I love you but you need to be fundamentally changed.”
The idea is preposterous….you do not love what you want to fundamentally change.
Obama was touted originally as our first MIXED president.
How this became the first black president during the course of his first election is pure bait and switch.
Barry is African and American (even if Hawaii doesn’t act like it’s in the US) BUT he’s not really black. He doesn’t qualify as such since he didn’t have a black parents or even grow up ethnically African-American.
So as I understand it, we still haven’t had a black president but a mixed one, sure.
And I am a black guy and that’s how I feel about him.
To me, he’s just another communist, socialist, as statist, anti constitution politician. Who happens to have multiple ethnicities.
This isn’t fact based
Eh. CA gun ranges can be very diverse. There’s every race and creed. Just so I’m not an OFWG, I work out regularly and drink lo-carb alcohol like scotch. And light beer. And margaritas in moderation – with moderation in moderation, which is sometimes a lot of booze. Definitely no sweet wines like moscato or wine coolers. Maybe the ATF should just ban crappy wine instead of M855. Cook’s champagne, for example, is absolute garbage.
Back to the subject, diversity takes a far distant backseat to honor, integrity, courage, wisdom, etc.
Yep. My favorite range is a low-key kind of place, well run, well stocked, and located on the “other” side of town. On a given day you’ll see all kinds of folks there. Vatos w/ tats, women teaching their daughters, white guys . . . It’s diverse without trying. Because of demographics and culture there are few blacks but there’s no “mirco-aggression (SARC). When blacks show up they fit right in. Maybe it’s just me, but one thing I’ve never encountered there is the kind of scumbag, nudge-nudge, racism that Tyler talked about. I suspect that what he ran into is a speaking community where the participants know each other and that kind of talk has become normal. But, I really wouldn’t know. You couldn’t drag me to a shooting event like that with a big truck. I love guns and shooting but competitive shooting . . . ? Sorry I have more fun with cars and guitars.
I can understand where Tyler is coming from, I spent close to forty years of my life in Montana, former Marine and LEO and since I moved to East Texas ” AKA” the bible belt I’ve come to realize what a trash mouth I have and while I can honestly say that the Marines Issued the F word along with my rifle I’m the one who perfected it and I have slipped around some of the good old boys at the range and can see I made several of them uncomfortable so I’m trying to clean it up some, As for laughing at gay jokes or comments ” GUILTY” but I also laugh at inappropriate black/white/ Indian joke, And as for being a racist? I hold an almost hatred for Obama, not for his skin color but for what he is openly doing to my country, I hate the left leaning so called news media for their complicity in his destroying America and to prove I’m not a racist I don’t like Obama’s white half either.
A good friend of mine once said ” I’m an equal opportunity hater, I don’t like anybody regardless of race, color or creed ”
We will never be a pure as driven snow species , all Blacks will never like Whites or others of whatever color or race, Whites, ditto , and Gay’s will always be the butt of jokes and will be ridiculed, World two vets still refer to their former enemy’s as Krouts or Japs, or dinks, chinks, slants etc, It had always been, it is and it always be, kind words won’t change things.
Monkeys don’t live with tigers, in nature animals born white are usually killed very fast ( Polar bears aside) the whole world is filled with species/ race/ color fear, hatred and nothing will change it.
As for me, I am learning to clean up my trash mouth and I don’t make gay jokes around strangers ( among friends yea maybe) that’s my two bits worth and it’s worth what you paid to see it.
All in all, Tyler has a point.
“I’m not a racist, I hate everyone equally!”
Nah, he’s just an equal opportunity offender…
(like myself…)
🙂
Thank God for old white guys. Young ones too. We wouldn’t be having this discussion or even this site without them.
Same thing from the ACLU to the board of directors at your local muesium to your friggen library.
You appreciate philanthropy of any kind, thank an old white person.
Always.
I’ve learned that when you’re the only one around with the cool giggle toys, no one really cares any more about personal prejudices or whatnot. Ice breakers and instant friends.
Most important question of all. Did you beat (as in score better) the girls?
Hand-wringing, self-loathing, thought-policing, self conscious attempts to act leftist, err, respectable…these are all foolish things. Deconstructing your own tribe won’t make anyone else respect you or the 2nd Amendment. Leave the insecurity to the antis.
I agree that tact is important, but also people do have a societal obligation to not be so easily offended. Malice cannot be accidental, and if there is no malice the indignation is not righteous.
Nice post.
It is far better for the health of the gun culture, and therefore the short-term AND long-term prospects of the gun rights movement, if we are not tolerant of racism and other forms of prejudice.
There are persons who are strongly committed to civilian disarmament. As far as those folks go, we are unlikely to ever reach them in any meaningful way.
But there are plenty of folks who are not strongly committed either for or against the gun rights movement. Some of those, we’ll be able to bring to our side if we try – but those folks are also the ones we will drive to the other side if we appear to be a bunch of prejudiced jerks.
It is far less easy to demonize an opponent that has part of EVERY culture in it. The more women / gays / all-races / all-religions / all-ages / etc. are part of the gun culture, the stronger we are – because then if you attack us, you’re attacking everyone.
In short, it’s politically stupid to drive away potential allies. And it’s vital for the health of the gun culture – and our political fight – that we not do that.
Females, African American, one Asian and please don’t leave out that there were 14 hispanics, one of which works at the facility.
Please also keep in mind that there is a gentleman living in Florida that almost every LEO sniper sees as the go to resource for police sniping, he also happens to be black. Awesome guy!
I think that the precision rifle world is one of the most colorblind groups out there. I have shot all over the U.S. and believe me, all are represented. I think what you have done is looked at only one small part of a very large picture.
Precision rifle, carbine and handgun enthusiasts come in all colors, shapes and sizes. Additionally, not all of them attend matches. Many shoot for the fun of it and have no interest in competition of any kind.
Thanks for commenting Jacob. I had hoped you might weigh in.
Our local cult of Fudd has a reputation for being downright rude to new shooters. Any question is at best answered in a condascending manner, and usually not answered at all.
At least the group I’m in will answer questions and encourages them to be asked. We all have to learn at some point. To us the only dumb questions are the ones that haven’t been asked.
I believe the points and remedies are simple- Just apply the Golden Rule in your interactions. Yes different parts of the country allow for greater latitudes in interactions, but your bottom line will be determined by who you win over, the folks you pissed off will undermine that line as well.
Simply put, if you have a ‘Nuke the Whales’ bumper sticker, you cannot expect to park your car in San Francisco (or other areas) and return to it finding it intact.
Exactly this. Don’t be an a-hole. If you’d find it insulting to hear it said about you, then don’t say it about someone else. If you wouldn’t say it about your wife or sister, don’t say it about someone else. It’s just simple common courtesy.
That said, at Seattle area ranges, I’ve seen plenty of Asian people, because there are plenty of Asians with the cash to spend on guns. At the same time, first-person shooters are a good gateway into getting people interested in guns, and a lot of Asian people play those.
So, ‘Nuke the Gay Whales’ is out as well?
🙂
(I actually had a very enjoyable vacation in San Fran, it was the coldest I have ever been in second week of August in my life… And actually had a very civil gun control debate in a bar I popped into.)
” I hate rude behavior in a man. Won’t tolerate it.”
” I see it and taking literally every woman, liberal, minority, and homosexual I can find to the range.”
Check, Check, Check and check. As an NRA instructor in a deep blue state I have taken them all to a range. But that does not mean you can keep them going. Sometimes it is time, sometimes it is the expense or who knows. As someone stated above, many of the better shooting clubs have years long waiting list. At one particular club for sporting clays I was told it could be as long as 5 yrs. Many clubs make you pay for privilege of just being on the waiting list. Public ranges are packed. Indoor ranges are packed and expensive. Most of the larger private clubs have events that are both affordable and open to non-members. Nobody is stopping anyone from going. I often send email blasts to students who want to be on my email list, still does not mean they will go.
As per the potty mouth talk, it does not matter if it was my previous motorcycle club, auto-cross club, golf club or shooting clubs the composition of the group does not seem to matter, there is always some people with a mouth putting someone down. If you are part of a good club, usually there is someone saying the shut the fvk up!
I have zero “white guilt” Absolutely zero stops anyone from going except for the want. IMHO, the stupid behavior should have been reported to the sponsor of the event or you could of said something at that moment. That the sport is mostly OFWG is only because that is the crowd that mostly wants to go that event. At the local ranges, I see all kinds of people although there are always fewer Blacks and Women but seems to be plenty of Hispanics and Indian-Asians especially for clay sports. Where I see a larger number of women is Clay sports. IDPA seems a lot of Hispanics and I am sure YMMV depending on the state and area you are in. For example, if I go to one of the bigger urban indoor ranges on a Sunday morning, I am sometimes the only white guy until the afternoon.
Tyler, I know you mean well, but just framing the article the way you did confirms what lefty’s claim about gun-folk: bitter clingers, etc. Two generations lost to pc horse manure, at least for those brainwashed in fancy lecty colleges.
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/World/WOR-02-270215.html
Sounds to me like boys being boys ran smack into a squishy puddle of white guilt. You could just as easily identify any other common trait among those attendees, and just as erroneously conclude that their silliness and boorishness is dissuading minorities, women and homosexuals from engaging in that activity. And you’d be just as wrong. Really, I’m sure all of those same men drive cars, hold jobs and own homes. You’re telling me that their lame jokes will likewise put people off private transportation, gainful employment and home ownership? Please.
For all the hand wringing about OFWGs and firearms, there are plenty of gays, gals, and other fashionably non-OFWG groups who take their firearms freedoms seriously and who enjoy the shooting sports without inextricably linking the activity to specific participants. Women are the fastest growing group of new owners. The 50+ age group, regardless of race or gender, is the fastest growing grouos of concealed carry licensees. Gay gun groups are spreading nationwide.
Anyone with a worldview predicated on prejudiced notions of a stereotypical gunowner didn’t acquire it from actual experience with firearms. Neither will they relinquish it based on a passing encounter with a scrubbed up version of real people enjoying themselves. So there’s no need and no use in walking on eggshells as firearms owners, because we’re all individuals. You don’t represent me.
It’s time that people start thinking for themselves and connecting the dots linking firearms to freedom and to their future. Trying to out-guilt the liberals in the losing game of identity politics may possibly slow the pace of our surrender, but it’s not a winning strategy.
Well said Jonathon.
Is there no escape from the SJWs even here?
“When you’re at a range or a match, watch your mouth. Don’t say anything you wouldn’t say in front of your mother, children, wife, husband, etc.”
Isn’t this just good advice for being out in public, in general?
So many stupid people have cars and money, so they are found almost everywhere.
I wouldn’t start panicking about gun-diversity just yet. Being at a precision shooting competition is hardly a representative sample. In fact, its a tiny niche in an already small niche. Also, demographically speaking you will have larger concentrations of minority gun owners in and around large urban communities – precisely the places that don’t/can’t have such competitions (or even such weapons).
First, you went to one (1) precision shootout, and it was in Texas. Not what you could call a broad sampling of PRS / LDS match shootouts. Maybe it says more about Texas than it does about long distance shooters? Hmm? Second, this is definitely the rarefied air of extremely specialized shooting. Not everyone has a) the money, b) the time, and c) the patience and dedication to attempt the amount of practice this kind of precision shooting requires. Third, compared to all forms of shooting sports, you’re talking about what,…one tenth of one percent (0.01) or maybe even less than that, of people who do LDS? And it’s an even smaller percentage of that, that showed up for the Big Brawl.
I shoot with the Pink Pistols of Asheville, N.C. (I am a straight, old white guy, non-connected…which means I have no close LGBTQ friends or relatives.) I have never been more welcomed by any group. (Opposite end of spectrum is the all-white Greenville (SC) Gun Club.)
Shoot with a Pink Pistols chapter near you: This is a challenge of the security of your mandhood. Give them all hugs…and don’t say too much.
The stark realization of one’s own mortality is the key to converting hoplophobes.
Until they understand the parameters in the real world, they will continue to flounder around in the dark.
I would happily invite you to my monthly Burbank Social shoot. I have me some diversity. I am the minority, but I never feel like it as we share a love of firearms and quest to be better!
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