Gene Autry’s Cowboy Code

The Cowboy Action Shooting forums, matches, and the official website itself cites “The Spirit of the Game” as behavior guidelines within the sport. In short, it’s “Play by the rules, we’re all here to have fun.”

Fair enough.

But the forums and matches also cite “The Cowboy Way” as some sort of overarching moral code, not only guiding behavior during matches but ethical guidance for life. In actuality, such a code never existed historically, and if you search for the specifics of that code you are likely to find James Owens “Cowboy Ethics” or “Cowboy Values” or his website promoting him as a motivational speaker with an itemized list of “The Cowboy Way” that is actually quite short on ethical guidance and more on “how to get ahead in business while appearing folksy by having a cowboy painting on your wall.” (link)

It is kind of disappointing that the people of Cowboy Action Shooting have fallen for this modern day businessman who has merely put a cowboy hat on his hedge fund experience when there is an actual cowboy out there who genuinely tried to live by a cowboy code.

Well, at least Gene Autry worked on an actual ranch growing up. More cowboy than Wall Street Jim.

On top of a music and film career with hundreds of songs and scores of movies, Gene Autry produced and stared in a weekly CBS radio program called “Gene Autry's Melody Ranch.” With so many young fans attempting to emulate his ethos, Autry formalized his “Cowboy Code” and went so far as to demand a version of this code be used in the production of any of his films. His persona or character in any film was to follow and promote this code.

1. The Cowboy must never shoot first, hit a smaller man, or take unfair advantage.
2. He must never go back on his word, or a trust confided in him.
3. He must always tell the truth.
4. He must be gentle with children, the elderly, and animals.
5. He must not advocate or possess racially or religiously intolerant ideas.
6. He must help people in distress.
7. He must be a good worker.
8. He must keep himself clean in thought, speech, action, and personal habits.
9. He must respect women, parents, and his nation's laws.
10. The Cowboy is a patriot.

It is somewhat telling to me in the modern context that the “The Cowboy Way” promulgated by business influencer James Owens, the code of conduct that contains very little to do with ethical conduct, is the one most often cited by Cowboy Action Shooting practitioners. Here is an actual (of sorts) cowboy, from a much beloved time in cowboy cinematic history, presenting an actual ethical code of conduct that is tolerant and diverse, and yet the modern cowboy instead chooses . . . the business model.

Given the choice, I’m going with the Singing Cowboy.