Gamerancher & BluEsky let the games begin! You see, I had a blog post saved up just for this, in my drafts, but I just couldn’t bring myself to posting it – for better or worse or something. But, I know what I am dealing with, you guys, you seem oblivious or just broken over time.
And you make that statement with absolute authority on the matter do you?
Yes, I make this statement with absolute authority. And here’s why…
First, BluEsky said something about list of accomplishments… I would say, like for like, my list of accomplishments in my related field of work, with far less support and budget, far exceeds those of SSAA. But I suspect that this is not what you meant, so remember, I am a paying customer SSAA customer. Until it expires, then, I am done. For the time being however, write it off to optimism, but never the less I am paying customer. It means that I am the hand that feeds and they are the ones doing the biting. We need to be very clear on this. Alright? SSAA is not entitled to anything and I am not going to be doing their job for them. I will advocate for all shooting disciplines, even the ones I don’t like, but this is not my job – I pay SSAA to do this. Is it clear? Fee for service, right? So, saying, well, what have you done? I supported SSAA – that’s what I’ve done, what have they done?
I am not looking at local branches, a lot of those people are fantastic. Strong, lovely, passionate people, I like people like that. But, I am talking about the organisation, the entity. And as an organisation that should be lobbying for its members - it is talentless, cowardly, disorganised and out of touch. It lacks strategy and direction.
Let’s come back to this quote though:
And you make that statement with absolute authority on the matter do you?
Yes, I make this statement with absolute authority. And here’s why…First I’d like you to take a look the Board. Literlaly, take a look:
Notice something? The demographic is completely wrong. They are well past their use by date. Out of touch due to lack of influence form younger shooters that they keep out. Out of touch because they don’t understand technology. Out of touch because they still live in 1996.
First, understanding the demographic. There are two types of shooters: (a) the born into it, like I am sure most of you are. Passed on from parents to you; and (b) the likes of me, who just love shooting. I went out, I bought a rifle and I started shooting, much later than most of you I would guess. And here’s the kicker, the likes of me, who just like shooting will have the cash and the time to do it. These is the type of people SSAA should be actively attracting. Farmers and bushies if you will, they will come regardless, but to really drive change they need people from big cities to advocate the sport. They need people with money to not only advocate the sport, but to invest into it. They need people with strong interpersonal, communication and technology skills not only to advocate, but to scale their voice broadly across communities that are not in the bush, that are in populated centres, that are driving the public sentiment.
SSAA does nothing to attract people like that. In fact, they actively drive them away.
Example, take a look at these two videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82x8pJ73mpMhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEa6f8QOSPU&t=270sI am sorry, I am going to sound really cruel here, but honestly, I don’t give a flying f*** about some random ugly awkward family; and some porn-star moustache farmer talking about cows. Seriously guys, this is not what going to get you out there – most people don’t care about cows. Even the fact I am talking about a retarded family and a cow should tell you that the videos failed miserably, but they are too blind to see, so they release another one. Which by the way is just a different cut of the first one. Well, I kind of do care about cows, but I really don’t because to me guns are fun, they are toys – they are not tools and I can’t relate, because I don’t leave that lifestyle. And guess what? There are more people like me than them, so why not target it to the broader audience? Lack of foresight and strategy. Making videos like that only tells young people who want to pick the sport and who can afford to do so, that it’s not for them, it’s for rural people with cows. And old hairy men.
This is the out of touch situation I am talking about. Since I started shooting, two of my friends followed. Third one is on the way and the 4th needs a little more nurturing… Not to mention one person who doubled his fun collection after seeing mine… People from cities and large populated centres; people who can afford to go into the shop and buy a few rifles at a time; people who will go back to the office with a huge smile on their face telling everyone how much fun it is at the range and encouraging more people in to it.
This is out of touch I am talking about. Those videos do more harm than good. They are not a farming party, which those videos are biased to by the way, they must go beyond preaching to the converted (which those videos are obviously designed to do), they must recruit new people… They don’t.
Alright, I think I did the out of touch enough. With pictures and examples, mind you. I am still waiting on what SSAA did for me though? Anyone? Hello?
Shall we move on? I think we should…
Incompetence. As someone who knows a little bit about all things online, you’d think that the last player to the market would take all the good things from all current players and merge them into one awesome thing, right? I would, but I am smart like that.
I give you the
https://ssaagunsales.com disaster. I love buying guns. I love guns. I love shooting guns, I love rubbing my guns with oil after I shoot them. I like old guns and unique guns and I am like a f****ng blood hound when I am after something. And with all this in mind, I struggle to navigate that piece of digital crap. Not enough? Farmer Assist website – 5 jobs across the entire country, as of 30 March 2017. This is where the incompetence really shines. Not only they try to charm the farmers and by doing so alienate all the new comers that actually matters, the farmers want nothing to do with them, I bet most of them don’t even know what SSAA is – maybe something to do with syphilis support assistance? They backed the wrong horse, which also demonstrates lack of strategy and planning.
So here we are, incompetence.
Of course, I could go on, I could say that since 1996 it has gotten harder and harder to get into the sports. It has… Nobody can debate that. Anyway, SSAA sole purpose is to drive the agenda and better the rights of the shooters, have they done anything? No. But I think this bit has been covered to death anyway.
Let’s take stock, we have an association that should advocate for all shooters. This is done by numbers, more shooters – more votes – more rights. One shooter has an ear of at least 4 or 5 people. See where I am going with this? It’s almost exponential if done right. But we are not getting more shooters from the right demographic, because we have a bunch of old fellas who are so out of touch that they create their own generation gap. Not to mention complete lack of understanding of technologically, something that the antis have mastered! Our PR machine is broken. It’s unheard of that in this day and age, with all news distribution channels and social media, rather than saying how awesome we are – the entire Board lubricates each other and then bends over and presents itself at first sign of trouble.
Pathetic.
All aboard the train, choo, choo – next stop, the Talentless Coward town.
Why did I say talentless and cowardly? I think I am going to spend the most time on this one.
I keep hearing the common mantra - we are working behind the scenes.
That’s a lie. Cowards lie. A**eholes lie. Cowardly a**holes lie to people that support them. Enter the SSAA!
If anyone wants to prove me wrong, I approach this with an open mind and I am willing to listen. I am opened to be convinced. Please, provide three major achievements of SSAA that they have done ‘behind the scenes’ to better shooters' rights. And since I am a paying customer, I think I am entitled to know.
This absolute lack of transparency is what makes SSAA that much worse. Secrecy and for what? What does that achieved? Because I can name at least ten things of what was lost.
Or is it that they simply don’t care for their members (you know, biting the hand that feeds them), because most renew in auto-pilot mode? Or because they know that they are irrelevant in a greate scheme of things, but everyone is just too blind to see?
With that in mind, I would like to discuss the absolute disgrace and humiliation that was the SSAA response to AMA anti-gun agenda some time ago. I can dissect a lot of things, but I picked this one because it’s the most recent and fresh.
Why wasn’t the AMA statement taken apart and fully discredited? Considering that the publication is factually incorrect and blatantly cherry picks data to make the case, I could do it in minutes, why couldn’t the president of SSAA!
PRESIDENT.
Why were the LDP the first to respond to AMA fallacies, when it should be the ‘firearms experts’ and the defacto face of Australian shooters - SSAA?
You digging me now, Gamerancher & BluEsky? Do you really understand what’s happening here?
Incompetence, lack of policies, lack of direction and strategy, failure to react and manage an incident. For an organisation with their budget, this should have been a canned response from a PR expert in less than two hours! They were, from memory, at least a week late! Nothing on YouTube, Facebook, blog, Twitter. You know who else responded? Everyone. Seriously, everyone, but not the SSAA, because they are cowards and incompetent and a complete disgrace to their members.
Don’t worry, talent or the lack of is coming next…
Enter Geoff Jones, National President of Incompetence & Associates.
And here lies the major issue, organisations (any, NFP, for profit, clubs, really, any) are run top down, culture is disseminated top down. Processes, policies, strategy (if they had one); all of these are fed from the top to the bottom.
So, here’s Geoff Jones, the president, a person who should be the face and the leader of the organisation, the defacto face of Australian shooters – on national television – s**ting the bed! This is what we in professional services and consulting call it, when the new guy s*its himself in front of a client.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-04/r ... ma/8160588 Geoff Jones, the SSAA's national president, said while he was not actively lobbying against a national register, he thought the current state-based system was working.
"I'm at something of a bit of a loss to understand why this sudden call is out there," he said.
"Maybe there's a total lack of understanding of the situation."
Mr Jones said they did not necessarily believe a registration of firearms would have any significant beneficial effect on public safety or community benefit.
"We're not necessarily vehemently against it, but we think that any funds put towards this could be far better directed towards illegal firearms and illegal firearms use in Australia," he said.
I thought to myself - Geoff, you should have kept your mouth shut, you uninformed hack. As I read it, my eye twitched. If he is the best we have to provide a rebuttal, well, we can kiss our toys goodbye.
Let me translate his statement, the way most people in my demographic (we’ve covered demographics above) understand it.
“The Sporting Shooters' Association of Australia (SSAA) said the AMA's proposal was unnecessary.”
Rather than providing an opaque non-descriptive statement, perhaps articulate your thoughts, you goofy retard, explain why it’s not necessary. Where is the freaking explanation? You know why, I know why, majority of non-shooting public doesn’t and guess who the audience are? Yep - the emotional public. Complete lack of talent or just plain old media training or balls to speak well and convincingly off the cuff. Or all of the above? I suspect – all.
“Geoff Jones, the SSAA's national president, said while he was not actively lobbying against a national register, he thought the current state-based system was working.”
This is beginning to sound like an amateur hour at some gender studies class. “He thought that state-based system was working”? He must be special kind of stupid, ye? It hasn’t worked in any country around the world! It’s been abolished in Canada! In the age of Internet and huge data breaches, wake up, Geoff! Here, now, he has a platform to say this, to turn the conversation from emotional negative – to – emotional positive, even inspiring. And what does he do? He sh*ts himself and asks for a f*cking nappy change (by saying that he thinks the system is working). Storing shooters personal details, guns they have and addresses centrally on government systems, maintained by departments with no funding is ‘working’? No Geoff, it’s not working and it’s a huge safety risk to the public. That’s what should have been said!
“I’m at something of a bit of a loss to understand why this sudden call is out there," he said.
So there he is, Geoff, standing there, giving a public statement to national media telling them that he is confused? Ye mate, you certainly are. As kids would say these days – FMD and GTFO!
Why is this guy not fired yet! Someone, for the love of god, please! He needs a special school bus, not a camera. Nobody cares why AMA went there? Seriously. This again presented a fantastic opportunity to flip the argument around, to discredit the article and AMA! You are the president Geoff - play the game! Perhaps mention that you think this was called out because Australian doctors have slammed AMA about their recent views on voluntary euthanasia and AMA is deflecting. Or fake doctors or malpractice or… A million things if he read the bloody news and stayed in touch. They are moving attention away from it to our favourite scapegoats - Australian law abiding licenced shooters (who pass the same character tests as law enforcement). Say that you are basing your opinion on the fact that the article seems rushed, factually incorrect and cherry picks data to artificially make the case. Say, how can AMA be taken seriously when their own members are at odds with them and their dated views? But you would have to be prepared… Something SSAA is not known for (we covered this too, disorganised).
”Maybe there's a total lack of understanding of the situation."
Ya think?! Again, “maybe”! Maybe tells people around Australia, as they read your delusional drool that you don’t understand the issue, not them, you! It is your job to articulate ideas and drive public opinion! Saying “maybe” is like saying, I just shat the bed, could someone please come and change me, I am cold and confused.
Mr Jones said they did not necessarily believe a registration of firearms would have any significant beneficial effect on public safety or community benefit.
Again, golden opportunity to flip it on its head and actually explain to the public why it’s a horrible idea. Not licensing, not background and character checks - but actual registration. Explain the difference and explain why. Educate! Explain how much money is wasted on a registry and explain that they have never prevented or solved a crime (and there’s data to prove that – or the lack of data rather). Explain that these millions of dollars are wasted and could be going to our infrastructure, hospitals, think of the kids Geoff!
”We're not necessarily vehemently against it, but we think that any funds put towards this could be far better directed towards illegal firearms and illegal firearms use in Australia," he said.
Alright, he’s definitely retarded. I am convinced now. “We're not necessarily vehemently against” - yes mate, we are! Again, what a pile of garbage! Who is he representing? How about actually coming prepared and armed with facts. How about responding with real data. Perhaps saying exactly how many people died from gun suicides (less than a handful)? How about saying that millions spent on registry annually (provide a number!) should be invested into police force to fight gun crime. How about comparing gun suicides to prescription medicine that AMA advocates, just for s**ts and giggles? How about suggesting that we should ban motor vehicles or high bridges or alcohol? Put things into perspective, but instead his babble sounded hollow, completely unprepared, uninformed and as if it caught Geoff by surprise!
So you, Gamerancher & BluEsky…
And you make that statement with absolute authority on the matter do you?
…I do say this with absolute authority.