Bill Wilson and IDPA Management

[George326]

Dear Mr. Wilson:

As you know Mr. (name withheld) and I have been denied an opportunity to participate in the 2000 Florida

State IDPA Match being held in Orlando.  Our crime was putting a circle and line through the Smith &

Wesson logo at the top of the Central Florida Rifle and Pistol Club application.  Our expressions of

disapproval for S&W’s actions were exactly that, just an expression.  We did not insinuate or express in

any way a desire to cause trouble or an unsafe condition at the match.  In fact the Smith & Wesson

advertisement at the top of the application did not indicate that they were sponsors of the match.  Our

applications and match fees were returned with a rambling letter from president and match director of the

Central Florida Rifle and Pistol Club, Buck Stout.  He indicated that we would not be permitted to take part

in the match because he did not understand why we would want to participate in a match sponsored by

a company we did not like and he wanted to keep anti-gun propaganda [sic] out of the match.  (No, I don’t

understand the last part of this quote either)  He also gave us a lesson on why we need buy American.

The point that evaded Mr. Stout was that we really didn’t care who sponsored the match, our only objective

was to shoot the match, have fun and be with friends.

I contacted IDPA headquarters only to find that our applications were refused with the direct authorization

of Tom King of the IDPA.  The reason given for refusing our applications was because Buck Stout

considered us troublemakers.  Apparently, all that is required to be considered a troublemaker in the IDPA

is to express thoughts that are contrary to the company line.  If we were warned in advance that any

expression of dislike for Smith & Wesson would lead to expulsion from the match, perhaps things would

have turned out differently.

Mr. Wilson, we have tried to contact you by phone and with numerous letters in an effort to enlist your help

in correcting this disgraceful decision made by IDPA staff and Buck Stout.  Unfortunately all of our requests

to contact you have been met with silence, a shameful silence.  In my last phone conversation with Tom

King I pointed out that his and Mr. Stouts decision to ban us from participating was clearly against IDPA’s

own rules.  The rules for IDPA club affiliation are very clear:

“To qualify as a Defensive Pistol Club, the following criteria must be met”

1 - Club matches and facilities must be open to all IDPA members.

2 - Clubs must follow IDPA rules and principles.  (See rule one)

Obviously the IDPA and the Central Florida Rifle and Pistol Club are in direct violation of IDPA rules. I

brought this to the attention Mr. King and also gave him one last opportunity to correct this deplorable

situation, unfortunately he refused to have anything further to do with this matter and passed it on to

someone else for a decision.  I have waited four months for that decision, I feel I have been more than

patient.

This dispute was never about protesting Smith & Wesson, it is about being banned from an IDPA match

in violation of your own IDPA rules because we privately expressed an opinion.  It is about Smith &

Wesson style political correctness effortlessly circumventing IDPA rules.  It is about the heavy-handed

tactics used by the IDPA and CFRPC (both of whom receive S&W money) against IDPA members.  If we

had been contacted and simply asked for an assurance, even in writing, that we had no intent to disrupt

or cause an unsafe condition at the match we would have gladly given it.  But that did not happen.  Why?

To be sure this is an IDPA Management “Failure To Do The Right Thing,” for its own Members!  Sadly, it

appears that the First Amendment does not apply to IDPA members.

It is with great regret that I am enclosing my unused IDPA membership for a refund.  I cannot, with good

conscience be a member of a club whose members are prejudged and punished because of their beliefs,

not even because of their actions, but just because of their beliefs.  Furthermore, I am canceling my order

for the KZ45 which I placed with your company more than a year and a half ago.  At onetime I would have

been proud to own a Wilson pistol, but not today.

Respectfully

George Tice #A03463

[38supPat]

A year and a half!!!! I would have cancelled long before now!

[BrianH]

Pat yourself on the back, George.....(for me)

[Chriss Grube]

Is IDPA headquarters in Cuba? Come join USPSA we'll let anyone come play. We even let Pat in, eh?

[Steve Anderson]

I guess you can quit practicing those ridiculous reloads...

SA

[EricW]

...just don't dis' USPSA's management, or we will make Jihaad upon you.

[BigDave]

kudo's George.  Bring your hi-caps and lets have some fun!

[George326]

Thanks for the kind words guys.  I have purchased my first race gun and will be joining the USPSA soon.  To hell with the Fascists at the IDPA!

George

[BSeevers]

Have fun, shoot well and prosper

[Bigbadaboom]

 What the f***? OVER. Do they believe, as the left does, that the only ammendments to the Constitution that should count are the ones that they agree with? Let's give the gun grabbers some more ammo against us. Let's show them that we believe that our Constitution is negotiable and that some of it can be dissputed because some people doen't agree with it. It's  First Ammendment rights that these shooters were refused entry into the match over just as much as it's Second Ammendment rights that most of us fight to keep. I will investigate this matter and as soon as I've confirmed it (Not that I doen't believe you I just like to get all sides) I will boycott Bill Wilson Products, Cetral Florida Rifle and pistol (Were I shoot an IPSC match every 4th saturday of every month) and anyone else that I find has been involved in keeping shooters from participating in a match because they doen't agree with their freedom of expression just as I have boycotted Smith&Wesson and Ruger because of their pandering to the Socialist gun grabbers in our government and I believe that under their current ownership "THEY SUCK". I will contact everyone in charge of IDPA and  C.F.R.&P. and express my feelings about this matter and incourage them to change their way of thinking and I hope that most if not all other members of this forum will do the same. WE have the power to change it but it will only happen if we act. We are loseing more of our rights every day. We sure as hell doen't need to be giveing them away.

[George326]

Mr. BigBad, It did happen as I have described.  The parts I left out were the threats from some of the staff at the Central Florida rifle and pistol club, threats of violence and law suites for slander.  We were sent a letter telling us we would be arrested if we set foot on their property!  No BS, that’s the way it happened, all OKed buy Tom King of the IDPA, while Bill Wilson was ignoring all our calls and letters.  I was a little reluctant to bring this up again, as it is now in the past and over, but we were stepped on for no damn good reason and I will not forget it! That my friends, is what I hate.

George

[bonedaddy]

BRSA.......no........IBRSA......no........BRIC........no......        

 Pity,  I can't seem to work "Banana Republic" into a catchy acronym for a new shooting organization I was planning to start.

     Oh well,  I've  heard that "benevolent dictatorships" are pure hell to maintain anyway.....

(Edited by bonedaddy at 7:01 am on June 15, 2002)

[John Thompson]

It all boils down to one thing:

The IDPAs "BENEVOLANT DICTATORSHIP" dosen't want you to do to the same to them that they did, and still do, to the USPSA and it's members.