I was asked to email my Area Director to register my opinion for or against the upcoming motion to remove Mike Foley as President of USPSA under Bylaw 7.7. I don’t think there’s much doubt where I stand on this issue, but here is my response:

Bruce,

I stand by everything I wrote in this letter in 2018. Mike Foley showed then that he was willing to use his power as President to suspend me and threaten me with a lifetime ban over a joke on Instagram.

That same lack of respect for members has, from the rumors going around, resulted in another incident where a competitor and dedicated member of the sport was disrespected and insulted for no reason. Among equals, the rumored exchange certainly would be in poor taste, if not outright unsportsmanlike conduct. But as the leader of the organization, you don’t just speak for yourself. We entrust him to speak for and represent all of us.

I assume the Board of Directors has been privy to the outcome of the investigation launched into this incident, but without having seen those facts, I can’t tell you what should be done in response to that specific incident. All that I can say is that his conduct in 2018 is already grounds in my opinion for being relieved of office. If the investigation did indeed find that the rumors circulating are mostly true, then they further reinforce that position.

From what I have seen, Mike Foley most certainly does not represent me, or share any of the values that I find important for the health of the sport. Assuming the evidence shows that he has continued his pattern of pointlessly combative disrespect for the members, I think it is clear that he needs to go. His name, inside the sport and in the larger gun community has become associated with petty, childish insults and irresponsible behavior unbecoming of an elected leader. The longer he remains the President of USPSA, the more damage is done to our sport.

Ben Berry
A79397