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« on: November 01, 2013, 10:30:37 PM »
Vera
I feel in need to respond to you. You most likely stated what others were thinking. I read your reply to to my post yesterday and was shocked. I wanted to post a reply yesterday but thought it would be best to be more careful in my choice of words and wording. I feel I have been misunderstood. I in no way meant any disrespect to shooters who have represented Canada in the past or present.
“the ability to put forward our best and most competitive teams not just the members that can afford it”. This quote was not directed to anyone but in fact the feeling I had while competing in a prior WBC, not performing as well as I thought I should and thinking that I was there because I had put forward the money and that there were probably better representatives for the country.
Everyone who has shot the WBC has sacrificed time, family and finances to represent our country, and I appreciate that. I am proud of the accomplishments that all of you, my team members have achieved whether it be personal bests, group records, Agg wins, or two gun placements. Hell I scan the NBRSA magazine every month looking first for Canadian shooters. I'm sure we all do. Whether WBC, US matches big or small or Canadian shoots we are all happy to see our collective successes.
All of this being said. I stand by what I meant if not what I said or how it can across. I do apologize for what came out. In an idealistic world BR teams would have full funding to represent their countries and the only determining factor for team selection would be performance. You may or may not agree with this. We know this will never happen. Finance as well as time commitment will always be issues in this sport.
I don't want anyone to feel like a BR hypocrite because they have not represented the country at prior WBCs. I didn't like the idea that prior attendance at WBC was a determining factor in future selection but I understood the prior commitment needed to be recognized. As I have said I hoped that there was a system of selection that all could see as fair.
I read and reread the above quote and I think I see where i went wrong in the statement. " the ability to put forward our best and most competitive teams " is maybe where it should have ended. Maybe it shouldn't have been started in the first place. I see where the rest of it comes across as dismissive to the commitments that all have made whether financial or otherwise. This was not the intent.
In our country there may be an East West political rift. In BR in my mind anyway there is not. I look forward to shooting with and against everyone out East. We don't get to do it near enough in this country. I wish it were possible to have a range in this country that was convenient for all. Again will never happen and we will be dependent on US shoots to catch up and compete with each other. My competitive nature has gotten me into trouble before and at least Calvin doesn't have to feel like the only A Hole. We are well represented out West.
Again to anyone whom I have slighted I do apologize.
Robert Seemann