IF we do not get an acceptable number of paid registrations by midnight Sunday, February 22, the Association will cancel the conference until the 29th Annual Texas Handgun Association Training Conference May 20/21-23, 2027.

Register at https://texashandgunassociation.org/2026conference

Take a couple minutes and read Robert Dittman's article:

Are You Coming — Or Are You Waiting to Be Invited?

In 2021, my wife and I were living in an apartment when a Facebook Marketplace transaction turned into a shooting in the parking lot directly outside our home.

Gunfire. Sirens. Chaos.

I was about to leave for 30 days to attend The Seeing Eye and receive my guide dog.

Before I left, I wanted one thing to be certain: that my wife could confidently and competently protect herself.

So, we pursued our Licenses to Carry.

I am blind.

That tends to be complicated.

Finding someone willing to take me seriously as a shooter was not easy. I eventually developed a training curriculum that allowed blind shooters to train safely using sighted range partners. Thinking the largest firearms organization in the country would be excited about expanding access, I approached the NRA.

The response? If I were not using their exact program, my program would be wrong.

I left feeling minimized, dismissed, and frankly unwelcome.

Then something different happened.

At the NRA Annual Meeting in Houston, I met former Texas Handgun Association President Bobby Clakley. He introduced me to Ken Lewis, our current Association President. Ken did not ask whether a blind person should shoot.

He asked, “How do you shoot?”

That question changed everything.

Texas Handgun Association did not dismiss the idea. They reviewed my course. They evaluated it. They blindfolded sighted shooters and ran it exactly as I would instruct blind students.

These were not novices. They were law enforcement, military, private security, instructors — people with resumes longer than most LinkedIn profiles.

And they listened.

They learned.

They understood.

My wife and I were invited to present at the conference that year. We spoke. We connected. We found something rare: a place that valued contribution over optics.

That mattered.

And it changed more than just my shooting.

Long before joining THA, I was already a licensed attorney practicing criminal defense and family law. Firearms issues came up regularly — in custody disputes, criminal charges, and use-of-force questions. After becoming active in THA, I suddenly had access to a pool of subject matter experts. When a firearms-related case landed on my desk, I had people I could call. If I did not know the answer, I knew someone who did.

That professional confidence was real.

And it did not stop there.

After becoming involved with THA, my wife and I both became commissioned private security officers.

We never planned that.

She is a civil engineer. I am a lawyer.

Neither of us imagined serving in armed private security roles.

But we did.

And we served confidently.

The education, repetition, discipline, and humility gained through Texas Handgun Association — through conferences, relationships, and range time — gave us more than the ability to shoot. It gave us competence under qualification standards. It gave us confidence under stress.

There is a difference between “poking holes in paper” and being able to access, grip, draw, present, and discharge responsibly under pressure.

We qualified.

We served.

We eventually stepped away from private security, but we remain volunteer firefighters and EMS providers. The calm, discipline, and safety mindset carry over into everything we do.

The conference environment reinforced that.

We shot dueling trees with revolvers.

We have trained in scenario-based exercises.

We have competed playfully — husband versus wife — on electronic targets in the evenings. (Spoiler: she outshot me. Apparently “eyesight” helps.)

We have attended the Adaptive Defensive Shooting Summit and pushed limits most people assume blind shooters cannot cross.

I purchased a MantisX training system at conference that allowed safe dry-fire work at home. I discovered tools and techniques I did not know existed.

And here is the truth:

Shooting blind is fun.

When my wife jumps up and down and squeals “Bull’s-eye!” that is not about disability. That is about skill and joy.

But none of it matters without safety.

On the set of the film Rust in 2021, actor Alec Baldwin discharged a firearm during rehearsal, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Regardless of legal outcomes, the core issue remains the same: firearms were handled without sufficient verification and discipline can lead to tragedy.

Hollywood fantasy does not replace real-world responsibility.

Education does.

That is what conference provides.

Now let me ask you something.

We have over 4,500 on the mailing list and 1500 members on the roles.

Last year, barely over 100 showed up at the conference.

This year, we have alarmingly sparse numbers so far registered.

Why?

There are only three reasons something does not get done: ability, clarity, or willingness.

Ability — Is cost an issue? Travel? Family logistics? Families are welcome. My daughter attended as a newborn and was embraced. If children come, activities can be built around them. Most of us are parents and grandparents.

Clarity — Do you think you are not needed and others will go so you do not have to? That is not accurate. Your experience matters. Whether you are a seasoned competitor or a first-year member, you bring training, background, perspective, and questions that shape the organization.

If you are choosing not to come, tell us why. Not to argue. To improve. This is your Association.

The Conference Committee invites you to join and stand with open hands and listening ears.

Maybe you want to learn about hunting.

Maybe you want to learn about muzzleloading.

Maybe you want to learn about reloading ammunition.

Maybe you want to learn about legal use of force.

Maybe you want to learn about tactical movements.

Maybe you want to learn about Basic gun ownership.

Perhaps you just want to develop solid marksmanship.

Whatever it is, someone there knows something you do not and you know something they do not.

And that exchange is how organizations stay alive.

Here is something else I believe. [Thank you for reading. Hang in there.]

We have two extremes in society right now: those terrified of firearms and those immersed in them. Part of that divide exists because we removed education from the equation. When children are taught early what firearms are and what they are not mystery disappears. Respect replaces fear.

As a father, I intend to instruct my daughter about firearms responsibly from an early age.

Not theatrics. Not fantasy. Safety, discipline, and reality.

Our conference is part of that educational ecosystem.

You do not have to be an enthusiast to attend.

You do not even have to agree with everything.

You must sign up, pay up, and show up.

Tell us what you want to see.

But do not disengage silently.

You are better than that.

Your Texas Handgun Association needs you.

Come.

Register at https://texashandgunassociation.org/2026conference