Couple comments.
First off, it absolutely is a huge can of worms, it is divisive, and it is contentious.
There is nobody that is going to look me in the eye, that shoots a modern compound and take the high ground that their method is primitive, and what the intent of archery is, and the guy shooting a crossbow is any different.
Right now in Wyoming its perfectly legal to have a draw-lock on a compound, which would make the difference between a crossbow and a modern compound be, one is held vertically, one horizontally...only difference.
There was a time to get in front of archery technology, this is going to be a very tough time to do it. Crossbows have been legal here for a long time.
I just wonder how the guys that successfully pushed for archery seasons in the 50's and 60's felt as they had their vision of what archery should be was stripped from them? They hunted with recurves, longbows, and self bows...they have a legitimate reason to complain. They were pushed to the dirt as compounds became the new norm. Then it was releases, cams, carbon arrows, drop away rests, over-draws, stabilizers, fast flight strings...and on and on and on.
The people promoting the advancements in compounds didn't give a chit about what they did to the pioneers of the sport as their technology advanced unhindered....and still don't.
The advances weren't to make people more effective up to 30 yards, it was done to make people effective at 40-50-60-70+ yards. Hit google for "100 yard archery kills"....pages and pages of it.
That's where archery is at, that's the new normal...its blown so far past the original intent of the sport, its hardly recognizable.
All that leads to...I just don't see how I can hold my Mathews in one hand, point at a guy with a crossbow with the other, and claim I have the moral or ethical high ground. That my weapon is "primitive" and his isn't.
I cant do that...and I don't see how anyone can.
I think the best thing to do is leave it alone...and I wont be touching this issue with a 10 foot pole.