Mea Culpa
by Marty Hayes, J.D.
I start out this month’s column with a mea culpa of sorts. In last month’s journal I discussed a political issue regarding President Trump and the need to keep him around to appoint conservative Supreme Court justices. And while I still believe in what I wrote, a member took umbrage with what I said, and he was right. Our member explained that I should not be using my position to forward my political views, and I must agree with him. I have endeavored to keep the eJournal non-political, but I guess I slipped up. I will try to do better in the future.
Have you donated to a good cause lately?
A few months ago, I was asked to speak on a Polite Society Podcast, along with guest Shelley Hill. Shelley runs her own self-defense school, The Complete Combatant, and is also strongly involved in a non-profit organization called Racheal’s Rest. Racheal’s Rest hosts retreats for women and children that have been involved in domestic violence incidents along with other assistance to help them recover. The podcast I took part in is very compelling and can be heard here.
Shelley is hosting a get together for women in Alpharetta, Georgia in May, called “The Mingle.” I mention this because the local ladies from the Network might like to attend, but the bigger goal for The Mingle is the fundraiser for Racheal’s Rest. This fund raiser is a raffle for training courses from many of the top instructors in the country, where purchasing a $25 ticket designated for a particular trainer/course might just allow you to attend that several hundred dollar course for the $25 ticket price. The Network was also asked to donate three memberships, so your $25 ticket could also go towards receiving another year of membership in the Network for $25. You need to purchase a separate ticket for each different training course or Network membership for which you want to be considered, one ticket doesn’t cover all of them. Complete information can be seen at this web link.
This is a worthwhile event, and if you are like me and like to occasionally do things for other people that makes you feel good, then this here is one of those things. Maybe if enough current Network members will make the $25.00 donation to buy a ticket for the Network, we can take home the top raffle ticket seller trophy! (Check out the above link to see what I mean.)
News about RangeMaster’s Tactical Conference
I use the time I spend at the yearly RangeMaster Tactical Conference to recharge my batteries, and it does it very well. I am grateful for the many, many Network members who came up to me and said hi, along with other complimentary words. It is so gratifying to have been the one who thought up the concept of the Network, and see how it is helping so many people sleep a little better at night.
I have an announcement, especially for our west coast members. My teaching business, The Firearms Academy of Seattle is hosting a regional Tactical Conference in July. It will include a taste of the training offered by Caleb Causey of Lone Star Medics, shown to the right, as well as a number of other instructors as listed along with other program details at this link: https://firearmsacademy.com/actvities/nw-tactical-conference. While smaller in size, the type of training offered at the NW Regional Tactical Conference will be the same high quality as if you attended back in Arkansas. Our northwest event is closing in on being full (it is two-thirds full now, so if you have an interest, please consider enrolling right away while there is still room for you). If you wait till the last minute, you might just miss the event.
Come visit us at the fair!
Well, not exactly the fair, but instead, please do make plans to come visit the Network at the NRA Annual Meeting, in Dallas, TX. Elsewhere in this edition of the eJournal you will find Vincent’s invitation with all the great details, but I just wanted to personally also extend the invitation. Look for our dark blue booth backdrop, as shown below from last year’s meeting, when we enjoyed having Massad Ayoob as a guest in our booth.
This year’s NRA annual meeting should be very interesting, especially after all the hullabaloo over NRA CarryGuard. As an update for members who have been following my concerns about the direction the NRA has taken with this, I still have not received any official response from NRA after my two letters, one to Wayne LaPierre, and the other to the Board of Directors of the NRA.
With the current issues facing us regarding school shootings and the attacks on the NRA, I suspect they have their hands full. I plan to attend the NRA Annual Board Meeting the day after the annual meeting, as I did last year, and will report back to you afterwards.
Now having said all that, if you are not a member of the NRA, you should be, and this would be a great time to sign up. You can go to their website and join the NRA, by following this link.
To read more of this month's journal, please click here.