Null N. Void Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 I wrote this, and was going to shelve it because we seemed to be getting better. However, we seem to be off again so.... If You Shoot Cowboy, You're My Friend. Many of the golfers out there will recognize the title as a paraphrase of Harvey Penick's saying about golf. After looking at the wire and reading the Chronicle, I think we, as a society of shooters, need to take a breath and remember that all the people in all the categories that shoot the sport of Cowboy Action Shooting and help run it are our friends. The way I see our game is that it can be played anyway one wishes within the rules. One can be smoky, fast, slow, loud, not very loud, elegantly costumed, and not so elegantly costumed using a variety of firearms. Each chooses how to play the game whether it's once in a while or every weekend with daily practice. The rules are the rules. If you don't like them, use the process to get them changed, which means you have to get the majority of the shooters to agree with you. Those that don't agree with you are not enemies, they are friends who don't agree. Insulting the rules, or the people that try to clarify them, does not get the rule changed, nor does it make us look favorable to new shooters. I still see things on the wire that I find disturbing. Many times a new shooters asks a question that may have been asked many times before. They deserve a straight, competent answer without the snark. If they are trying to clean the lead out of the barrels of their gun, they do not need to be told that they should just shoot black powder and their problem will go away. Henry Big Boy questions should be treated straight up, with the facts, not past politics that are behind us. A question on calibers or loading should not ignite a “Big Bore” vs “Wimpy” debate. When someone has a question, and they deserve a straight answer. It's OK to state why you shoot what you do. Just do it without insulting someone else who does something different. Management is hard. Remember about walking a mile in their shoes and try to think of it from their side. Management also needs to think about what the members want, not what management wants, and particularly what appeals to new shooters. It may not match what has been done in the past. SMILE when you start writing on the wire or for the Chronicle. The person you're commenting to, or for, is a friend. We don't insult our friends. South Buffalo Slim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allie Mo, SASS No. 25217 Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyrel Cody Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Outstanding post! This ought to be pinned! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckaroo Bubba Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Very Good Post! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StirrupTrouble Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Excellent post, and something all of us (including me) need to remember Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nevada Skye, SASS #54791 Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Thank you!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Appalachian Alan Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 " If they are trying to clean the lead out of the barrels of their gun, they do not need to be told that they should just shoot black powder and their problem will go away" Hey, they asked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tombstone Tex Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Love what you are saying here. Especially as a new comer to SASS/CAS. I have to say though, every shooting discipline has the same arguments going on much of the time, opinions being treated as fact etc. Sometimes it definitely troubles me though when someone doesn't answer questions and advises someone to do something wholly different than what they are used to.The words in your post are excellent and I for one will certainly keep them in mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nacho Gringo Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 I appreciate this post as a newbie.....I try and search before I ask questions, but with 100k members I'm sure my question is a repeat to somebody. Thank you!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Widder, SASS #59054 Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 " If they are trying to clean the lead out of the barrels of their gun, they do not need to be told that they should just shoot black powder and their problem will go away" Hey, they asked. +1 Although I've never advised anyone to shoot that NASTY BP stuff, ( ) the advise to shoot it to help clean lead out of a barrel is actually pretty good advice. If you want to clean those black carbon areas off the face of your cylinder and barrel throat, BP is as good a method as any also. ..........Widder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harman Hammer, SASS #20214 Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 As someone on another tread said... Where's that darn LIKE button. Great OP? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abe E.S. Corpus SASS #87667 Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Well said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lone Dog, SASS #20401 Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 I insult my friends all the time. But then it IS in self defense and I have to work very hard to try to pull up even with the owlhoots... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Medicine Creek Johnny Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Great post MCJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madd Mike #8595 Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 well then Howdy friends! that has all---ways been the way I looked at CAS good post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chili Pepper Kid, SASS #60463 Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Yes!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrswanson1 Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 I figger anyone who picks up a firearm and is a friend to the 2nd Amendment is a friend of mine. Bonus points for folks who shoot cowboy guns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shorty Jack Hammer Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Couldn't agree more. The snarkiness, flaming, and outright rude comments are what have driven me from many other boards. I dont see it a whole lot here, just an occasional cringe, which is why I like this place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrswanson1 Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Couldn't agree more. The snarkiness, flaming, and outright rude comments are what have driven me from many other boards. I dont see it a whole lot here, just an occasional cringe, which is why I like this place. So you've been on Arfcom? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulldog Brown Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Very well stated, and very true. Thanks Bulldog Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cato Younger Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 From the perspective of a new shooter, I will say that there is a lot of the SASS wire that I just ignore. The negativity mostly. The reason for that is that I shot matches before I found this forum. Because of that I knew that the attitudes at matches are not necessarily reflected on the SASS wire. However, I can imagine that if I was a new shooter, who had never been to a match before, I might be offput by some of the stuff that goes on in here. On the other hand, the internet allows us all a level of anonymity. Just enough, it seems, to unfetter the shackles of good taste and unleash some unsavory sides to ourselves. It would be different if we each had to look the person we were disparaging in the eye while we did it. But that's just one of the dangers of the internet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Half-a-Hand Henri Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Yes!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watab kid Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 as a new person here not to SASS , been hitting the site a bit for the last six months or so since i lost my job , i have very few complaints about the posts here , i went thru the organization and development of a new club when i first started shooting SASS so i'm well aware of how intense some can get about things going a certain [their] way , but we muddled thru it , i'm also very much in agreement with the original post and its heartfelt intent , i joined to have fun with friends , iv'e made a lot of new ones shooting SASS over the years , i'm looking forward to introducing both my grandsons to the sport and the great folks old and young who shoot it , i understand the comments about it being that way in other shooting sports as well , i shoot trap , sporting clays and three gun , when those get out of line i change shooting venues , i don't have time for folks that cannot be tolerant of their fellow shooters , i don't mind opinionated but i cannot abide those that will not accept differing views , the past nine months were a bit tight , the new job should help smooth things out this year , but it made me aware of how a new shooter might feel if the costs of participation prevented them living up to some perceived expectations of those who have the financial means to live the dream - one should be cognizant of the fact some cannot afford the fancy , some are already laying out all of their disposable income to join us at a monthly shoot , im also looking forward to being able to shoot the monthly match without the worry of overextending the really tight budget , Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harvey Mushman Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 Well done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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