I feel compelled to share the following post, it is from a Canadian friend of mine who went to the States for an Archery tournament. It is very disturbing, & does not make me want to set foot on American soil any time soon! :
It is hard to imagine that I’m writing this post but I feel compelled to let my friends know what they can expect if they travel to the US.
Kaity and I were in Chicago to compete in a World Cup event last Friday, followed by the NFAA US Nationals over the weekend. These tournaments draw competitors from around the world.
While competing on Saturday, several competitors around me were hostile and bullying. The reason? I’m Canadian - and easily identified by a Canadian flag on my sleeve and a registration tag that said Canada on my target butt. Their ringleader was James Gagnon from New York state and he was shooting on the target butt beside me. I’ve never met this person before, yet he felt it was appropriate to call me a liar, a thief, refer to Canada a $hit hole, and so many other derogatory terms that were meant only to harass and belittle another competitor from a different country.
I endured 4 hours of incessant verbal assaults intended to make me feel uncomfortable, even afraid. Unrelenting comments such as: Canada needs to be the 51st state - give up now so we don’t need to invade you. Your health care sucks - it’s terrible - US has the best. Canada caused the US inflation. Canada will fail when we stop subsidizing your industries - then we’ll take you over. All littered with profanities. Whether I was at full draw on the shooting line, or waiting to collect my arrows, walking to the target butt or trying to score my arrows - the insults were non-stop. The ridicule didn’t let up. He was joined by several others who added their own learned opinions or snickered at my discomfort. I told them, I was just here to shoot and I was glad to be back shooting at the tournament. I didn’t engage them…. but nothing stopped them. They purposefully and doggedly pursued their torment.
And don’t even begin to blame the victim. I checked with the tournament’s Director of Shooting - there is no enforceable rule in the NFAA book about sportsmanlike behaviour. When you are in a hostile environment being bullied and fearful of your safety, are you going to complain? No. You are going to shut up and try to get through the attacks and shoot your game. When your attacker says, “I wish I had my gun with me”, you are for sure going to shut up.
My tormentor and I were in the men’s 60+ category and we’ve both lived long enough to remember when Canada stood with the US after 9/11, how we’ve sent hydro crews and firefighters whenever needed. James and others - when did you learn to hate your long time friends? We are the best neighbours a country could hope to have. We are like the golden retrievers of neighbours and you are taking a sledgehammer to the relationship - for no good reason. This was a sporting event where sportsmanship is expected.
Just to be clear, this wasn’t “locker room talk” or “boys being boys”. This was evil and malice personified and a person filled with hate, choosing to attack an innocent person because of their nationality.
I will not return to compete in the US. I won’t spend a red cent on travel, accommodation or registration fees - in an average year, I figure that’s over $10,000. Gone from the US economy. Congrats James - I hope you and your sycophants are proud of what you accomplished through your deplorable behaviour.
To my friends: do not underestimate the degree to which you are hated by some Americans. Not all, but many and unfortunately, they are the loudest and most vulgar, emboldened by their current government’s insipid lies. Proceed with great caution if you elect to travel in the US.
#nfaausa #nationalfieldarcheryassociation
It is hard to imagine that I’m writing this post but I feel compelled to let my friends know what they can expect if they travel to the US.
Kaity and I were in Chicago to compete in a World Cup event last Friday, followed by the NFAA US Nationals over the weekend. These tournaments draw competitors from around the world.
While competing on Saturday, several competitors around me were hostile and bullying. The reason? I’m Canadian - and easily identified by a Canadian flag on my sleeve and a registration tag that said Canada on my target butt. Their ringleader was James Gagnon from New York state and he was shooting on the target butt beside me. I’ve never met this person before, yet he felt it was appropriate to call me a liar, a thief, refer to Canada a $hit hole, and so many other derogatory terms that were meant only to harass and belittle another competitor from a different country.
I endured 4 hours of incessant verbal assaults intended to make me feel uncomfortable, even afraid. Unrelenting comments such as: Canada needs to be the 51st state - give up now so we don’t need to invade you. Your health care sucks - it’s terrible - US has the best. Canada caused the US inflation. Canada will fail when we stop subsidizing your industries - then we’ll take you over. All littered with profanities. Whether I was at full draw on the shooting line, or waiting to collect my arrows, walking to the target butt or trying to score my arrows - the insults were non-stop. The ridicule didn’t let up. He was joined by several others who added their own learned opinions or snickered at my discomfort. I told them, I was just here to shoot and I was glad to be back shooting at the tournament. I didn’t engage them…. but nothing stopped them. They purposefully and doggedly pursued their torment.
And don’t even begin to blame the victim. I checked with the tournament’s Director of Shooting - there is no enforceable rule in the NFAA book about sportsmanlike behaviour. When you are in a hostile environment being bullied and fearful of your safety, are you going to complain? No. You are going to shut up and try to get through the attacks and shoot your game. When your attacker says, “I wish I had my gun with me”, you are for sure going to shut up.
My tormentor and I were in the men’s 60+ category and we’ve both lived long enough to remember when Canada stood with the US after 9/11, how we’ve sent hydro crews and firefighters whenever needed. James and others - when did you learn to hate your long time friends? We are the best neighbours a country could hope to have. We are like the golden retrievers of neighbours and you are taking a sledgehammer to the relationship - for no good reason. This was a sporting event where sportsmanship is expected.
Just to be clear, this wasn’t “locker room talk” or “boys being boys”. This was evil and malice personified and a person filled with hate, choosing to attack an innocent person because of their nationality.
I will not return to compete in the US. I won’t spend a red cent on travel, accommodation or registration fees - in an average year, I figure that’s over $10,000. Gone from the US economy. Congrats James - I hope you and your sycophants are proud of what you accomplished through your deplorable behaviour.
To my friends: do not underestimate the degree to which you are hated by some Americans. Not all, but many and unfortunately, they are the loudest and most vulgar, emboldened by their current government’s insipid lies. Proceed with great caution if you elect to travel in the US.
#nfaausa #nationalfieldarcheryassociation
