Quandary

America is in a crisis. We simply don't have enough good shooters to compete in the next Olympic Summer Games! At least, not in the Men's shooting events. American women are doing just fine. Even the Swiss, who have one of the highest rates of gun ownership in the world, find themselves woefully out-gunned by countries that have no history of shooting rattlesnakes off their front porches. Not that the Swiss have Rattlesnakes, but they do require everyone who ever served in the military to keep their weapon at home.

We're being out-gunned by the Chinese, the Russians, the British, the Germans, and even the French! Perhaps we just don't get enough target practice anymore. Of the current nine men's Olympic shooting events, the US men have won only two gold medals in recent years. We haven't won in pistol since 1952, and rapid fire pistol since 1960. We are the current Gold Medalists in Skeet, but not in Trap, where we haven't pulled it off, so to speak, in almost 40 years.

Maybe the US needs to petition the International Olympic Committee to add events, you know, like recently added ski half-pipe, golf, or kitesurfing. We could add, Massacre, Children Under the age of Twelve, one of the American shooting events no other country has yet surpassed, or how about Surprise Assault, Shopping Mall, one of our consistently popular events.

We could add Theater Shooting, One Reload Per Gun, we're pretty good at that, too. Then there's always our latest mastery, Church, Other Race, During Prayer. Let's face it, if the Olympic Committee would change the shooting event rules, the US would be in a league of its own as neither ISIS nor Boko Haram have IOC recognition, at least, not yet, and neither Somalia or any other undisciplined nation in Africa have the money to send any of its militia to Rio for the 2016 games.

The Taliban would probably dominate Team Shooting, all categories, but the U.S. should be able to sweep the singles events as only Norway has recently scored near our level with, Assault, Picnic, Outdoors, All Ages. Team Cartel Mexico may give the Taliban a run for its money, however, for Slaughter, Indiscriminate, All Categories.

Think of it! All the uncertified and unlicensed US gun owners could have a shoot-off to see who gets to represent the US while the rest of the world watches in awe. I've often said Civil War reenactors, or any war reenactors for that matter, should use live ammunition. That would establish the best shots in the US quickly and without bothersome protests. If the NRA gets on board, we could have qualifications this year in preparation for next years Olympics!

Forward this to your NRA representative in care of your Congressman [they're in the same office] and get the ball rolling. Let's restore America's image in the eyes of the world! Hurry up before the Swiss take advantage of all the trained, disciplined shooters at their disposal.

George Mindling