"Impossible Shots" safety issue

[texcaliber]

I have a huge problem and do not seem to be getting anywhere with Jim Scoutten so...... here is the back story.


George Sutton has a huge safety issue that was brought to my attention by my 7yr old daughter. While watching your show she looked at me and then just before she talked looked back a the TV. Relieved that I could continue to watch the show she then while not taking her eyes off the screen says,"Daddy must be nice to be a Pro.......". So as any good father would promote shooting sports I said all Pros. have to work hard and anyone can do it with hard work  and good ethics has a chance. Feeling great about my advice my 7yr. old hit me with a whopper. "So when I become a Pro. I do not need to wear safety gear and can do unsafe things with a gun???". HOLY CRAP NO! was my reaction but my response was a simple "no".  So to make the long story short she told me that the "old guy pro doesn't have to wear safety gear when he shoots and that guy tried blowing up his own face." She stated this with zero emotion and my jaw was so unhinged you could fit your fist in. The only thing I could do was question ........"what ?!?" So as calm as Eastwood she looked away form the TV and said "that old guy never wears ear or eye protection ever and last time we watched him shoot  his gun upside down." Now I was sure she was wrong but after a long and drawn out search sure enough my little girl was right, George Sutton shoots sans eye protection even when lighting blackpowder off in front of his eyes in the upside down shot. I WAS FLOORED!
Now that you brought this upon me why don't you give me some advice to preach to my little one.
Thank you,

Their response: I am forwarding this on to the producers responsible, but may I suggest that Mr. Sutton shoots in the style of the old time frontiersmen and they did not use ear or eye protection.  Certainly not the way I would shoot but this is his choice.  -John


John Scoutten
Series Producer
Shooting USA
Sighting In with Shooting USA
John@tier1-media.com
615-771-1060 ext. 231
www.ShootingUSA.com

To wit i said:
NO offense but may I suggest that "Evil Roy" along with every SASS member uses Ear and Eye protection unlike the "old time" westerners/persons of the era! EVEN BOB MUNDON!

which i got a mobile email:
From: john@tier1-media.com
To: XXXXXX
Sent: Thursday, October 22, 2009 12:25 PM
Subject: Re: safety issue


If you intend no offense, why are you yelling?
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Which i finally sent:
Subject: Re: safety issue


Poor manners. My apologies. I was insulted with the defense of lack of safety.
----- Original Message -----

The END!

So what do you all think I should do? How or what do I say because Scoutten and his crew were nothing but abbrasive. My 7 yr. old is the main concerien in my opinion. I do not give a hoot if some guy in pretend land blinds himself..........or worse. As a matter of fact other strangers can have at it also, but eventually the whole Carma coming full circle is bugging me and i have to get this figured out.
Thank you very much in advance. I just hope none have taken offense. If you have PM me and I can either apologize or offend ya in person. 

[Pathfinder]

My $.02 -

Use this to remind your daughter that:
1. Some people are stupid
b. Some people with guns are stupid; and
iii. Not every expert is one.

A great learning moment, good on her!!!! And yet another opportunity to say - do as I say and do, not what the so-called experts say.

I would also get back to Jim Scouten and let him know that what people do privately is one thing, putting on a public show requires some measure of consistency of message. Safety is safety - Period! You may also want to remind him that his son is a twit!!!!   

Or not, your call.         

[tt11758]

My $.02 -

Use this to remind your daughter that:
1. Some people are stupid
b. Some people with guns are stupid; and
iii. Not every expert is one.

A great learning moment, good on her!!!! And yet another opportunity to say - do as I say and do, not what the so-called experts say.

I would also get back to Jim Scouten and let him know that what people do privately is one thing, putting on a public show requires some measure of consistency of message. Safety is safety - Period! You may also want to remind him that his son is a twit!!!!   

Or not, your call.         

That fact should be fairly obvious to anybody who watches the show.  And to be honest, unless Jim is equally twitish, he is already painfully aware.  Probably why the boy has the job he has, cuz dad knows he wouldn't be able to earn a living on his own.

[tombogan03884]

 Congratulate your daughter for being aware of PROPER safety procedures, and point out that most self proclaimed "experts" are idiots. If she wants examples the Govt should supply enough to make your point.
Meanwhile the rest of us should dump on them as well.

I just sent the following to the shows producer and to the series producer.
The fact that I had to make it up should not detract from the value of the point being illustrated   

I would like to thank you for undermining my safety instructions to my son and spoiling what should have been an enjoyable bonding experience for us.
Last Sunday we took my T/C Hawken to the range so my son could learn to shoot Black powder, that fell apart when he refused to where his eye and ear protection because, as he said," the guy on TV (George Sutton ) never wears that junk, and he's an expert."
Needless to say we did not shoot.
As an affiliate of the NRA you have a responsibility to your audience and the gun community in general to provide a GOOD example. You are failing miserably.

[MikeBjerum]

Use it as a teaching tool.  Use all shooting shows as teaching tools.  Many shooters do almost everything correct, but how often do you see any shooter on TV check a gun to see if it is loaded outside of the cowboy shooters with their rifles and shotguns being kept open.  We have a couple out of DownRange that are horrible about sweeping themselves and at least one with worse muzzle control than an epileptic  ... no offense to epileptics.

I see more safety errors on these shows than I see correct.  Even American Rifleman with their constant "remote camera" notices have their share of ooooops.

Swallow hard, send notes to the producers, and make it a game with your daughter to find the errors and explain the correct way.

[Sponsor]

[tombogan03884]

 Received a reply :

Thomas:

 

I imagine as a viewer, you’re aware of our safety practices in the Shooting USA hour block.  We always wear safety “eyes and ears” in our demonstrations of guns and ammunition. That’s to set a good example when we’re inviting people to join in the shooting sports, or consider a new product that’s caught our interest.

 

But we don’t (and can’t) extend that example into certain shooting competitions and demonstrations.  Example: NRA / CMP service rifle competition does not require eye protection and the top Army team shoots without eye protection, more like combat conditions.  It’s their choice and we don’t try to effect a change in their practices.

 

In the case of the Impossible Shots series, that begins with a strong warning to not attempt to duplicate the events portrayed in the series, we let the pro shooters be who they prefer to be.  George Sutton dresses to portray a French/Canadian Trapper from the period of the late 1700s.  He’s consistent in that portrayal by not wearing protective glasses.  As you will remember, there were no shooting glasses in that time, with the exception of tiny corrective lenses like those Ben Franklin wore.  So we let George be George, with the warning to not try this at home.

 

Jim

 

[Hazcat]

Pure BS.  They PAY George for his segment.  They can (and should) demand proper safety.

[tombogan03884]

 My Rebuttal :

By that reasoning you would allow a child molester to rape children on your show in the name of "Allowing him to be himself.
The Fudd like attitude that ignores safety is more harm than help to the Gun rights movement. If you do not insist on responsible behavior by your representatives then you are as much a part of the problem as those 2 boys at Columbine .
It may surprise you to know that at least as far back as the turn of the century (1900) KNOWLEDGEABLE shooters were making their own ear plugs. The Marine Corps mandated  hearing protection at least as far back as my enlistment in the 70's and Furthermore during my time running range details in the National Guard in the early 90's any one who showed up with out eyes and earsdid not shoot.

[Harmony Hermit]

So now we will probably get a disclaimer pop up such as the ones that say "Remote Camera".

Might be a good lesson for your Daughter that some folks are just plain stubborn and will not look out for themselves.

People still smoke, fail to wear seat belts, or helmets on bikes, or do any number of things that could hurt themselves even though safety practices are common knowledge.

Can't save everyone, and some folks were meant to be an example for the rest of us.

[tombogan03884]

So now we will probably get a disclaimer pop up such as the ones that say "Remote Camera".

Might be a good lesson for your Daughter that some folks are just plain stubborn and will not look out for themselves.

People still smoke, fail to wear seat belts, or helmets on bikes, or do any number of things that could hurt themselves even though safety practices are common knowledge.

Can't save everyone, and some folks were meant to be an example for the rest of us.

Maybe so but they aren't doing it on shows that promote those activities as fun and safe for the Family.
No one cares what he does on his own time, but for the few minutes he is on screen he is representing the entire shooting community and has a duty to conduct himself in a responsible manner or be Zumbo'd.

PS I got an answer to my rebuttal ;

That’s a first, Tom.  Nobody has ever called me a Fudd in 16 years of Gun TV, nor equated our work to Columbine.
Can’t say it’s been a pleasure chatting with you.

Time to send a e mail to their sponsors.