'Terrorist' Remark Puts Outdoorsman's Career in Jeopardy

[forestal]

Wow, not much tolerance for diversity of opinion in the gun owners circles.
It's this sort of zealotry that only hurts the NRA and gun owners.


Poor Zumbo..

<img src="http://dalematthews.net/db4/00368/dalematthews.net/_uimages/ZumboBear.jpg"\>

[size=+2]'Terrorist' Remark Puts Outdoorsman's Career in Jeopardy[/size]
Zumbo's Criticism of Hunters Who Use Assault Rifles Brings Unforgiving Response From U.S. Gun Culture
[size=-1]By Blaine Harden
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, February 24, 2007; A03
[/size]

SEATTLE -- Modern hunters rarely become more famous than Jim Zumbo. A mustachioed, barrel-chested outdoors entrepreneur who lives in a log cabin near Yellowstone National Park, he has spent much of his life writing for prominent outdoors magazines, delivering lectures across the country and starring in cable TV shows about big-game hunting in the West.

Zumbo's fame, however, has turned to black-bordered infamy within America's gun culture -- and his multimedia success has come undone. It all happened in the past week, after he publicly criticized the use of military-style assault rifles by hunters, especially those gunning for prairie dogs.

"Excuse me, maybe I'm a traditionalist, but I see no place for these weapons among our hunting fraternity," Zumbo wrote in his blog on the Outdoor Life Web site. The Feb. 16 posting has since been taken down. "As hunters, we don't need to be lumped into the group of people who terrorize the world with them. . . . I'll go so far as to call them 'terrorist' rifles."

The reaction -- from tens of thousands of owners of assault rifles across the country, from media and manufacturers rooted in the gun business, and from the National Rifle Association -- has been swift, severe and unforgiving. Despite a profuse public apology and a vow to go hunting soon with an assault weapon, Zumbo's career appears to be over.​

 

[vraiblonde]

Wow, not much tolerance for diversity of opinion in the gun owners circles.
It's this sort of zealotry that only hurts the NRA and gun owners.

Zealotry hurts *anyone*, not just gun owners. It creates intolerance and draws a battle line between factions that they must defend to the death and not give a single inch.

Most of our social and political woes could be overcome if it weren't for the zealots.

On one side, you have pro-gun zealots who do not want one single law or restriction hampering their right to own a nuclear weapon, if they so choose. They aren't willing to compromise because they think one slight concession is a show of weakness, which will embolden their enemy to push the envelope and gain even *more* laws and restrictions.

On the other side, you have the anti-gun zealots, who want ALL guns banned completely and totally, with no exceptions for anyone at all. They don't even want cops to have guns. They won't compromise, either, for the exact same reasons above.

This is why we need strong leadership in our government - men and women who aren't zealots themselves and can craft legislation that is fair to all. Unfortunately, we don't elect these men and women - we either elect zealots who have the biggest following, or they get sucked in by the zealots for the votes they need to stay in office.

 

[PsyOps]

This is why we need strong leadership in our government - men and women who aren't zealots themselves and can craft legislation that is fair to all. Unfortunately, we don't elect these men and women - we either elect zealots who have the biggest following, or they get sucked in by the zealots for the votes they need to stay in office.

I dont' think our founders intended for any legislation to be crafted to control the ownership of guns. Just like the founders never intended for any legislation to be crafted that would create a State religion or forbidding a person's free practice of their religion. They did intend for legislation to be drafted to hold strict accountability to those that break the law when using a weapon. That's where the flaw is, not in gun ownership.

 

[AK-74me]

I was in on the orginal blog to make comments the night it happened. I was like the 20th person to comment by morning when I woke up there were apprx. 1500 comments 99% showing displeasure with Zumbo, and rightfully so, as it was being used on the brady blog within hours. Now if gun owners would get the same kind of fire lit under there a$$ when it comes to opposing gun control legislation.

here is a link to the orginal thread from AR15.com that got the ball rolling on settting Zumbo straight.

http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=548211

ETA- Also for as a big of hunter Zumbo is I find it almost immposible that he didn't realize how popular the AR-15 is not only with "gun nuts" but with varmint hunters.

 

[hvp05]

Wow, not much tolerance for diversity of opinion in the gun owners circles.
It's this sort of zealotry that only hurts the NRA and gun owners.

You see this as an issue of a lack of tolerance when the NRA is acting according to beliefs it has always held.

As the Post says:

The NRA on Thursday pointed to the collapse of Zumbo's career as an example of what can happen to anyone, including a "fellow gun owner," who challenges the right of Americans to own or hunt with assault-style firearms.

They do not believe anyone, individual or government, should encroach upon their right to own a weapon. One of the community's best allies expressed a dissenting opinion and they lashed him for it.

I did laugh at this bit of irony (from Zumbo's post):

As I write this, I'm hunting coyotes in southeastern Wyoming with Eddie Stevenson, PR Manager for Remington Arms...

Zumbo should have run his thoughts past this guy before posting. Zumbo probably would have waited and rewritten it.


By the way, forestal, let me ask: How tolerant would you be if one of your friends agreed with Bush? (Could be about anything, not necessarily Iraq.)

 

[AK-74me]

Another quote I found funny from that Post article was the one where they say "the majority of assualt weapon owners don't have much money" from my experience most of the people that own these guns are pretty well established and aren't just blowing $1200 + that they don't really have on a gun.

Just another case of someone making a statement based on no facts or research.

 

[PsyOps]

By the way, forestal, let me ask: How tolerant would you be if one of your friends agreed with Bush? (Could be about anything, not necessarily Iraq.)

You know as well as I do that liberals don't have to have tolerance. They have it by virtual of being a liberal and don't have to actually practice it. Remember Hillary blowing a fuse when Geffen made his comments about her and Bill? Tolerance for free speech only has to be exercise when they are throwing the dirt.

 

[AK-74me]

Standby for that Washington Post blog to get "blown up" by us "gun nuts"

 

[hvp05]

That Washington Post... "blown up"

TERRORIST!!

 

[AK-74me]

TERRORIST!!

"Bomb ba bomb ba bomb bomb bomb" -Gaylord Focker

 

[Dutch6]

FIREARMS REFRESHER COURSE

1. An armed man is a citizen. An unarmed man is a subject.

2. A gun in the hand is better than a cop on the phone.

3 Colt: The original point and click interface.

4. Gun control is not about guns; it's about control.

5. If guns are outlawed, can we use swords?

6. If guns cause crime, then pencils cause misspelled words.

7. "Free" men do not ask permission to bear arms.

8. If you don't know your rights you don't have any.

9. Those who trade liberty for security have neither.

10. The <?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = NS0 /><NS0:COUNTRY-REGION w:insAuthor="Unknown" w:insDate="2007-02-22T16:02:00Z" w:endInsAuthor="Unknown" w:endInsDate="2007-02-22T16:02:00Z"><NS0LACE w:insAuthor="Unknown" w:insDate="2007-02-22T16:02:00Z" w:endInsAuthor="Unknown" w:endInsDate="2007-02-22T16:02:00Z">United States</NS0LACE></NS0:COUNTRY-REGION> Constitution (c) 1791. All Rights reserved.

11. What part of "shall not be infringed" do you not understand?

12. The Second Amendment is in place in case the politicians ignore the others.

13. 64,999,987 firearms owners killed no one yesterday.

14. Guns only have two enemies: rust and politicians.

15. Know guns, know peace, know safety. No guns, no peace, no safety.

16. You don't shoot to kill; you shoot to stay alive.

17 911 - government sponsored Dial-a-Prayer.

18. Assault is a behavior, not a device.

19. Criminals love gun control -- it makes their jobs safer.

20. If guns cause crime, then matches cause arson.

21. Only a government that is afraid of its citizens tries to control them.

22. You only have the rights you are willing to fight for.

23. Enforce the "gun control laws" we ALREADY have, don't make more.

24. When you remove the people's right to bear arms, you create slaves.

25. The American Revolution would never have happened with gun control.

26. "A government of the people, by the people, for the people..."

IF YOU AGREE: PLEASE PASS THIS 'REFRESHER' ON TO 10 FREE CITIZENS

Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do
not."

Thomas Jefferson <?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = O /><O></O>