assateague wrote:Here's how it started. As I said, I did my homework beforehand. I redacted any personal info/addresses, just because.
My original:
I just wanted to take a moment to say that I am very, very disappointed that you guys will be attending the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show. I do understand that, particularly in this economy, sacrificing money is difficult. But there should be higher principles which matter, and I for one just don't see it in your decision to attend. I have three of your calls, and consider them to be the best I've ran, but I just can't buy any more going forward. At least one of your competitors has sacrificed their deposit and opportunity at the show, and I will be thanking them for their principles by purchasing from them.
Again, although I understand, I am disappointed that you will be supporting an organization that cherishes political correctness over rights and treating someone as a responsible adult. Perhaps when they decide to ban something which is closer to home, maybe camo shotguns, because they are deemed 'scary' like a black gun, you will be willing to make a stand.
Thanks for your time,
Jim
His reply (which set me off):
You have your facts wrong!
I am not attending and I don't care for your threats.
I am losing thousands by not attending. Not just a deposit.
But I am not attending so buy whatever you want, but don't you dare threaten me.
Go to
http://www.mynortheastoutdoors.com and read the list.
I guarantee you wouldn't say any of that to my face.
And, my response to that, where I may have escalated a bit. But I was pissed. Rereading it now, apparently I was more pissed than I remembered.
My apologies. As of the list which was published in the Lancaster paper this morning, you were not one of the vendors boycotting the show. I couldn't believe it, so went to the ESOS home page, and searched the exhibitors, and saw that you were listed in booth 4332. The others who were on the updated list I had seen were not on the ESOS page. Now you tell me- what would you think? Matter of fact, as of 1:30am, as I'm looking at it and typing this after work, you all or still listed as attending. As I said, I apologize for the misinformation, but hardly consider it jumping to a conclusion.
As for the rest, you may go piss up a rope. Nowhere did I threaten you, I simply told you what I was doing. It appears I was incorrect, even though I did check and double check the rosters. But yet you chose to get your ass on your shoulders when a simple professional response would have done just fine. And you should be more careful of what you guarantee, because I assure you that you're wrong. Next time you come through Willards on your way to the shore, let me know, and I'll be more than happy to meet you up on Route 50 and say everything exactly as I just did very much to your face, plus a little bit extra for good measure. I find it funny that you choose to threaten me by telling me not to threaten you.
Now, as I said, go find a rope. And piss up it.
Jim
And his response back to me this morning:
Jim
The ESOS won't remove my name from the list.
You are right, I might have been more professional. Fact is, I usually am.
However, I read the statement you made to me as a threat against me, my business and my family. An assault.
Considering I kissed over $50,000.00 goodbye, I haven't been in the best frame of mind regarding this issue.
I stood with the NRA. They asked me to wait until they had exhausted every avenue to change Reeds policy before cancelling, and I did.
When I was notified by my friends at the NRA that they were out, I cancelled as well.
Reed won't take my name off their list and the newspapers are a day behind for sure.
It is clear that you didn't check the boycott website, or my 2 Facebook pages, where I made my statement or my website, where the show and my seminars were removed.
Read your email again, I read it 20 times before I responded to you and got more angry every time. I am not stupid, though sometimes I act it. "
But you should have checked your facts before entering my personal space.
Wouldn't you have expected that from a professional?
"Which is closer to home" is the excerpt that finally set me off.
My father was a Marine Corps officer. I grew up in his gun store. I feed my family through my hunting and call making businesses. What is closer to home than this issue?
But you don't know that, because you really don't know me, my family, or how much we fight to maintain integrity in all of our business practices, even though many of our competitors don't.
You send me an email a full day after I am out of the show, insinuating that I am even remotely ok with the show and its policy, and I am supposed to be calm and professional?
Remaining calm and professional was when I waited, against my better judgment, as I was asked, by the greatest defender of the 2nd Amendment, the NRA, biting my tongue the whole time, until their efforts were exhausted.
Your email was a personal insult to me, my family and everything I stand for, at a really bad time in our family and businesses' existences.
But you don't know that, because you don't know me.
Do you make a habit of insulting people you don't know personally?
Do you proof read your emails to check for possible interpretations, or consider that the person on the other end doesn't know you at all?
If you are the professional that you expect me to be, I would allow that maybe you didn't this time.
Yes, I took it Damned personally,.
You didn't check the facts, You made assumptions and then you dropped that grenade in my mailbox..
And it blew up.
If we were face to face, it would never have gotten this far.. You would have asked, "are you still doing the show" and I would have said "No".
But you didn't ask me that, you made assumptions and said you would no longer buy from me, and you would buy my competitors products to spite me.
You called me unethical without any real attempt to check the facts.
How professional is that?
Ass on shoulders?
Absolutely!
Turn this whole thing around, and yours would be too.
So I have said my peace.
Peace be with you!
Sean
And my last attempt:
As I said, I apologize for you being out of the show, but certainly not for me not knowing. You make the assumption that I was the one assuming, when you apparently didn't even bother to read what I said. I told you that not only had I checked the local paper's updated list of those boycotting, but also the show site and your site as well. Additionally, the home pages of at least 14 other former exhibitors had stated that they were, in fact, pulling out of the show. Yours said (and says) nothing about it. So to think that I assumed anything is just silly.
Nor did I invade your space. If an email expressing my concern about something I feel is very important sent to a corporate email is an "assault" against your family, or an "invasion of your personal space", then I suppose you should grow some thicker skin. I repeatedly said that I understood any decision, as i repeatedly said that I had made a mistake. But my email was hardly a "grenade" that exploded. I understand you're on edge, but I damn sure didn't assume anything, nor do I wait for some other organization to tell me what I should do.
All that being said, I would be just as mad as you are if they wouldn't remove my name from their list, as things like this are bound to happen. I've apologized twice already, and I'll not do it again. I would certainly appreciate it if you would stop thinking that I assumed anything and jumped to an unfounded conclusion. "But you don't know that, because you don't know me". See- I can say that just as easily.
Have a good day,
Jim
Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2013 7:32 am
