Thanks for the topic and comments. Until now I thought all my comments were with other members. As for my opinion: this post will be my last. Unsubscribed.
Hey All… I’m not a huge fan of forums as it is, but after reading everything here, I just felt compelled to post. I’m a huge fan of the USCCA. I’m not currently a member. I was a member for years until they were forced out of Washington state; so now, WA residents can’t have a membership. Still, I’ve always felt like part of the USCCA family. I agree with the analogies of asking a question that you want other gun owners to answer… however, regardless of where you ask that question, whether it be in a member’s only forum, a grocery store, a gun store, your local range or your living room, you’re subject to the opinions of both experience gun owners and noobs. Your question may be specific and you really only want it to be answered by other gun owners, but a member’s only area is still very likely to have brand new gun owners in it… or worse, experience gun owners that “think” they know. Much like asking a question at a gun store and the next customer in line answers your question… you never know the background or experience of the people in any forum, gun store, range, or grocery store. At the end of the day… open pubic forum or member’s only, you’re still gong to have some very knowledgeable and experienced gun owners and some very inexperienced gun owners, and those dreaded “think” they’re experienced and knowledgeable. Frankly, I don’t take advice from the guy at the gun counter, or the next shooter at the range, or almost anyone on any forum. Any information posted should be researched further and cross-checked with other people that you know and trust… training centers, military or LEO training, etc. Take it for what it’s worth and carry on.
Some discussions have no resolutions. However if you’re not learning anything you’re not paying attention. Some good some not so good but always learn something from this…
Just my thoughts…
It would be a more pleasant experience if there WAS member-only forum. If someone wants to troll the community they will have to pay for the privilege! There will always be individuals that have differing opinions and even heated (within reason) debates. There’s a line that we should never cross such as profanity and name-calling. Trolls have no place here! This should be for the USCCA FAMILY ONLY!!!
Dawn, given the feedback here–why don’t you put out a survey to the members asking if they would like a members only forum?
I would think the USCCA would use the members only forum as a selling feature for membership.
You can’t have a living room feeling with trolls. Do you let trolls in your house? I don’t.
At this point, a members-only forum is not in the immediate future.
We welcome new people into the Community all of the time. We’re here to help everyone learn how to best protect themselves. There are many new friends who want to learn - and they are always welcome. There are some new people who may misstep in a comment out of lack of knowledge or their comment being too vague (text is harder to interpret what someone means if you don’t know the person and their body language isn’t available to help interpret). And we want to help them learn as well.
And there are some who come in who may want to stir up trouble, but that’s where we as responsible armed Americans should be taking the high road and address those people with the respect we would address others with. If there is an issue, please use the flag system so that the moderators can address the situation as needed.
Our instructors throughout the country open their classrooms to people of all backgrounds and beliefs, whether they’re a USCCA member or not.
USCCA Members are as diverse as the participants in this Community. A members-only area will not change the diversity of opinions.
Your passionate requests haven’t fallen on deaf ears. We have had multiple conversations about a Members-only area and will continue to have conversations about a Members-only area and if it would benefit the Community at large and if it is feasible with the current platform.
Please help us continue to welcome new people to the Community with positive interactions so that we can all enjoy a positive learning environment.
Yes, we do, with a distinct difference–people pay to be there.
How about a title that shows up ‘non member’ or ‘member’?
A BIG problem I’m seeing on this site is that a lot of the trolls and are USCCA members. So a separate community would do no good.
Really… somebody flagged this comment
No choice as they’re family. Lol
I haven’t locked you out- Morty Katz
Let’s just keep things on topic and take the high road.
Nuff said.
I know what you mean there , brother! Have a great day! 
Welcome to the family @Daniel179 and you are blessed to be here.
This is an old thread that I felt would show that there have been issues here for years. Shortly after this thread (which came after @Dawn left, I left the community for a year + break. A favorite Bible verse explaines my thoughts on this forum. I bring this up as I have slowly started disengaging again. Who knows it may stick again.
Ecclesiastes Chapter 1 vs 9: What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
It’s hard to believe sometimes that it’s not Working as intended vis a vis moderation as bad behaviour by certain sides of a disagreement never seem to be moderated, while the opposing pov is moderated, even so strangely as to moderate first time users.
Again the inconsistency of moderation springs to my mind. Personally, tired of seeing one side act like, a bad meme comes to my mind:
Don’t argue with an idiot, he will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.
Anywho my 2¢ worth.
If I’m not mistaken, there are a few long time USCCA members who have dropped their membership partly or in whole because of this board, and how it’s been run. If USCCA is running this forum the way they are as a means to be open to, and attract new members, it may be having the opposite effect. Costing members their good will is a terrible waste, and something USCCA should address here, openly, and with member input.
And this my good friends is why a “Show me your new guns” post is about as stupid as you can get.
I too thought my posts were among members only. And this will be my last post.
the moderation here is often terrible IMHO… the flagging thing should be reexamined on who is doing it
as well as how often and who they are flagging…
I’ve seen post that got suddenly moderated way after it was posted…
also seen post that I posted moderated but someone else put same post up and NOTHING happened???
moderation failure???
There hasn’t been true moderation since Dawn.
They must have let some folks go so they could keep pumping out worthless YouTube videos