USA Shooting’s Responsibility In the Face of Scrutiny
To say the least, these are chal- lenging times in the shooting sports industry following the un- thinkable tragedies in Newtown, Conn., and in Aurora, Colo., late last year. These high-profi le and senseless killings have engulfed the nation in a gun debate unlike any we’ve ever seen before. The battle rages between
the politicians anxious to stamp their face on the debate and the gun-rights advocates fi ghting to protect the liberties ensured to us by the Constitution. Change, therefore, is likely inevitable as both sides clamor to proselytize their own convictions and agendas. By the very nature of who we
are and who we represent, USA Shooting is thrown into this de- bate. Asked recently if times are tough given the state of the industry, the easy answer would be yes. But upon deeper exami- nation, this heated debated can serve as tremendous opportu- nity. Certainly, we stand beside partners like the National Rifl e Association (NRA) and the Na- tional Shooting Sports Founda- tion (NSSF), in their efforts to ed- ucate and provide greater clarity with regard to gun rights in this country. Collectively, these orga- nizations spend millions of dollars on this effort and their ability and resolve to do so far outweighs USA Shooting’s capacity. What USA Shooting does
provide better than perhaps any other faction absorbed in this debate is the exemplary repre- sentation of the shooting sports. The debate of what good can come from teaching citizens,
8 “People never improve unless they
look to some standard or example higher and better than themselves.”
– Tyron Edwards, American Theologian
BY ROBERT MITCHELL CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
The representation of our
sport is vast; a melting pot of character, intrigue and convic- tion. You’ll fi nd all of that within the USA Shooting ranks as well. We have competitive shooters that hunt, others that don’t. We have strong military representa- tion as well as roots established by 4-H, Boy Scouts, the Scho- lastic Clay Target Program, Ameri- can Legion or family bonds. USA Shooting is youthful beginnings that transform to collegiate, inter- national and Olympic representa- tion all the while creating a life- long, tireless pursuit of perfection. The effort to get USA Shooting
particularly our youth, about re- sponsible gun ownership simply begins and ends with the class, distinction and principles USA Shooting athletes nationwide embody each and every day. Looking for the quintessential shooting sports enthusiast, look no farther than the 21 members of the 2012 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams that repre- sented the United States and our sport with pride and honor. Seventeenth century French
author Francois de la Rochefou- cauld wrote that “nothing is so infectious as example.” And thus USA Shooting’s importance in this debate is just that, to serve our industry as an example of the positive virtues of the gun culture.
USA Shooting News | Spring 2013 Who better to represent our
industry than fi ve-time Olym- pian Kim Rhode who grew up hunting and has gone where no U.S. Olympian before her has gone. She’s risen from teenage sensation in Atlanta to transcen- dent star with an appeal that stretches way beyond her sport. Two-time Olympic gold medalist Vincent Hancock is a devout family man with as strong a drive and determination as any athlete in any sport. Adversity has fol- lowed Matt Emmons throughout his career, and each time he’s gone on to shoot it down. You want a road map for overcoming challenge, heartache and hard- ship? All of us can learn some- thing from Matt’s approach and resolve.
to represent the face of our gun culture begins now as we work alongside our sponsors, conser- vation partners and members to ensure our presence is known. Look for our athletes to be engaged with youth through schools and other recreational ac- tivities and look for our proactive approach to education and understanding to help provide greater depth to this ongoing debate. When the lawmakers go
about trying to change the gun culture of this nation, or when the gun-rights advocates try and counter a growing opposition, it’s our hope that USA Shooting’s athletes, from the juniors aspir- ing greatness in shooting clubs across America, to the Olym- pians having already achieved our sport’s highest distinction, be called upon to represent the highest standard of gun enthu- siast available and enrich those we touch on both sides of the debate.