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Top Shot Season 4 Q&A at Google

8/28/2014

Here's a little #TBT action. Back when Top Shot was airing on TV, I held weekly Q&A sessions at Google where Googlers got to ask me whatever they wanted about that week's episode. It was a really fun time, and if you're interested in going behind the scenes of a TV show and what it was like for me to win Top Shot Season 4, check out the vids here on my YouTube Channel:

- Also, I will be going back to campus on Monday, October 6th for an @Authors Talk to promote my new book "Shoot to WIN." The talk is for Google employees only, but the talk will be recorded and put up on Google's @Authors YouTube Channel.

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CBS This Morning: More women take up sports shooting as hobby

8/28/2014

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Here is a fantastic national news segment on how women are taking the shooting sports by force. I have enjoyed traveling the country seeing people of all backgrounds, genders, races, and such participate in the shooting sports.

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Hate Email: Deconstructed

8/26/2014

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99.9% of the email I receive is either regular business email, newsletters, and other typical email, but on occasion an entertaining one comes through. In this blog post, I deconstruct what's going through my mind as I read through this gem of an email.

First, here's the email in its entirety:

From : Roland Dann <rolling4jesus@***.com>
Date: August 26th, 2014
Subject: (no subject)

Chris, It is quite an accomplishment to become NRA Top Shot! However, Nobody really cares that you have chosen to have perverted sexual relations with another man! Some day maybe you will realize that man was made for woman and that is why our anatomy is different!!! Come out of the cloeset and be a real man!!

And now the play-by-play:

rolling4jesus@***.com

- Stoned Jesus, is that you?

(no subject)

- I would expect Stoned Jesus to forget.

Chris, It is quite an accomplishment to become NRA Top Shot!

- Aw gee, thanks! Also, if you put a line break after "Chris," then "It" is appropriately capitalized. Otherwise, I might suggest a dash (Chris - It ...) or simply use "it."

However, Nobody really cares that you have chosen to have perverted sexual relations with another man!

- Actually, that's simply false on two points. 1) It's not a choice. 2) There are millions of gay people and straight allies who think that the freedom to love who you want is a human right. Also, unnecessary capitalization of "nobody."

Some day maybe you will realize that man was made for woman and that is why our anatomy is different!!!

- Thanks for the free anatomy lesson. The three exclamation points will really help me remember your point. Seeing as your other sentences have fewer exclamation points, I assume this is your main point.

Come out of the cloeset and be a real man!!

- So if I understand you correctly, being a "real man" is predicated on having sex with women. This is caveman logic to me. "ME HAVE SEX WITH WOMEN. ME REAL MAN!" Also, spellcheck.

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Gun Violence, A People Problem

8/25/2014

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tl;dr - Violence is a people problem. Not a gun problem, a knife problem, a car problem, etc.

Many months back I was invited to speak at a weekend symposium called Highground Hackers, an initiative backed by famed Silicon Valley entrepreneur Ron Conway and supported by San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee. It is a group created in the wake of the Sandy Hook shootings in an effort to find technology solutions to gun violence and its causes. Programmers and educators attended this event to learn more about gun violence and what we can do to help.

Out of the 20 speakers, I was the only person representing gun owners. The title of my talk was called "Gun Violence: A People Problem" where I presented hard data and evidence that debunks the "more guns, more crime" claim. I also discussed gun culture, and not only why gun owners are so passionate about the Second Amendment, but also how there is a valid reason for civilians to own an AR-15.

Without further ado, here's my 30 minute talk, and accompanying presentation:

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NRA News: The Second Amendment is for Everyone

8/10/2014

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Here's video of my NRA News interview from Thursday, August 7th. We chatted about the recent Atlantic/National Journal article on my pro-gay, pro-gun advocacy.

The National Journal has published an article entitled, “Gay and Proud: Challenging Stereotypes About the NRA.” It profiles “Top Shot” champion Chris Cheng, now an NRA News commentator. Cheng discusses the article, membership in the National Rifle Association, his support for the Second Amendment, and his experiences as a gay man in the shooting sports world. He stresses that the Second Amendment is for everyone, an individual right that everyone has for self-defense. Originally aired on NRA News Cam & Co 8/07/14.

Always great chatting with the NRA News guys.

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The Atlantic- Straight Shooters: Meet the Gay Gun-Rights Activists

8/10/2014

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"I think that this is an opportunity for the NRA and our community to accurately portray the diversity that already exists in the community," Cheng told me, of his new gig. "We've allowed some prevailing stereotypes to take hold, and we're not challenging them."

This statement I provided applies to not only the gun community, but the gay community, and other community groups at large.

Every group has to fight negative stereotypes assigned to it.

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/08/straight-shooters-meet-the-gay-gun-rights-activists/375572/

MSN News also covered the story, which originated with the National Journal.

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Chris Cheng Profile in NRA America's 1st Freedom magazine

8/5/2014

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The NRA did a profile on me and the piece is a good one. Here's some select quotes:

“I realized how welcoming the shooting community is,” Cheng said. “As a minority, I had experienced this to some extent already, but it was surprising how supportive everyone was.”

“I want diversity to be a primary component of my contribution to the shooting community and the NRA,” Cheng explained. “There are millions of normal, hardworking American gun owners of all stripes. You're always going to have people who disagree with you, and that’s fine. But gun owners should not be ashamed of owning a gun or supporting the NRA.”

Full article at http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/31385023#/31385023/104.

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Top Shot Season 4 Q&A at Google

CBS This Morning: More women take up sports shooting as hobby

Hate Email: Deconstructed

Gun Violence, A People Problem

NRA News: The Second Amendment is for Everyone

The Atlantic- Straight Shooters: Meet the Gay Gun-Rights Activists

Chris Cheng Profile in NRA America's 1st Freedom magazine

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