Why we can NEVER forgive Jim Zumbo

[SPOCAHP ANAR]

After following this over the past week I have come to some conclusions. I need to first clarify what I mean by forgiven. I am a firm believer if someone wrongs me and repents that he should be forgiven. However this is not what I am talking about.

I think that Mr. Zumbo should take up any genuine offers to educate himself in the use of tactical rifles. I would also welcome him if he chose to join me on a shoot, however I would have nothing to teach him on these AR types of rifles, as I do not own one.

With that out of the way, we can now get to the heart of what I am writing; Zumbo's unforgiveness. You see; I am a 2nd Amendment Supporter first, a collector of Curio and Relics and other military style firearms second, a shooter third and a hunter (if thats what you call occasionally freezing your butt off in the woods) last. One thing is that no matter how we place our priorities we all should have the same number one priority: the 2nd Amendment, without it the others matter not.

The article posted by Mr Zumbo was not: 1) a precision comparison of bolt action to AR type rifles, 2) a ballistics comparrison of various ammo capabilities 3) a dependability comparison based on functionality and number of moving parts. It was in its truest form GUN SNOBBERY and a complete lack of respect for someone else's 2nd amendment rights.

I would never, no matter how much I dislike a gun, no matter how much I dislike a certain genre that uses a certain gun, NEVER tell someone that their gun choice does not belong, has no place, and should be banned. If I were to do this then my choice of gun has no relevance and would be undeserving of ownership as I would have condemned another's choice. And I certainly would never describe a gun with the term "Terrorist". Someone who has been in the NRA for 40 years and as well respected hunter should have known this! For this Jim Zumbo should NEVER be forgiven.

Jim Zumbo should never make another dime off his name. He should never write, or publish for that matter, any opinions on firearms or firearms skills. He should never endorse, or be endorsed, by any name or label no matter how big or small. He should never recieve another free promotional item to be tried out or tested. He should just simply fade away only to be rolled out as an example of what true 2nd amendment support is all about.

[knightRider]

i agree

[Mooseman684]

Very well written and an accurate reflection of my feelings as well....Send a copy to the NRA "Letters to the Editor"....
Rich

[bigandrich44]

I agree strongly. He just screwed himself in the behind if you know what I mean.

[Rave]

Backstabbin'crawfishin' crybabay for sure! Hope the take back man pays him more than a few visits!

[troy2000]

As Zumbo himself has pointed out, he's 67 years old. Might be time to retire and learn how to fish (not that I think he's exactly been working his fingers to the bone to begin with...).

[troylaplante]

WP: Gun remark kills outdoorsman's career - washingtonpost.com Highlights - MSNBC.com has a mainstream media article on Zumbo.

[troy2000]

I've pointed that one out in another thread. Did you notice Pat Wray blaming everything on the NRA training us all to be attack dogs, and whining about how gun owners have "turned" on Zumbo?

I'd say it's the other way around: Zumbo turned on gun owners...

[troylaplante]

I loved this part:

Originally Posted by the article

The reaction -- from tens of thousands of owners of assault rifles across the country

The same ignorance that brought us the AWB.

Originally Posted by the article

Wray said that what happened to Zumbo is a case study in how the NRA has trained members to attack their perceived enemies without mercy.

I have not been trained by the NRA, nor did I have to wait for their orders to comment on Zumbo's blog.

Originally Posted by the article

They do not want American gun owners to make a distinction between assault weapons and traditional hunting guns such as shotguns and rifles.

Last I looked, the 2nd Amendment made no mention of hunting.

Originally Posted by the article

"Jim is a good guy, and I feel bad about this unfortunate situation," Smith said. "We are living in very delicate times. For someone to call these firearms 'terrorist' rifles, that is a flash-point word. You are painting a bunch of enthusiasts with the word. They don't like being called terrorists."

Ain't that the truth? He did indeed paint us as such, and no, I don't like being called one. I just bought an M1 carbine, which is being included in the "assault weapons ban" that has been proposed. I guess that makes me even more of a "terrorist" now...along with all WWII vets who carried them.

The article also says that Zumbo resigned. According to his own "apology", he was fired. If he did resign, I am sure it was under duress. None the less, he is gone. He "opened mouth, inserted foot, and chewed vigorously", so to speak, only on the net.

[Midas]

I agree with you, SA

[SPOCAHP ANAR]

[QUOTE=troylaplante;290479The article also says that Zumbo resigned. According to his own "apology", he was fired. If he did resign, I am sure it was under duress.[/QUOTE]

Zumbo on the Nugent site explains this discrepancy as "I resigned in lite of recent events as I feared it would come to being let go."

As I recall reading somewhere in the text of the bill when it is listing the features to be included as being an assault weapon it has some language being "as so defined by the attorney general".

So it looks like the ones who play nice with the government get to stay in business.

[NRAJOE]

My email to Pat Wray...

You're not much better than Zumbo talking trash about the NRA...Zumbo is a $5,000 rifle toting elitist such as yourself.
Want to lose your career also?, Then go ahead and shoot your uninformed mouth off like he did...a real gunowner would never badmouth the NRA like you did.
Obviously all his sponsors felt the same.
May all your high dollars guns turn to rust.

Joe Hall Jr
(NRAJOE)

Write him also:
Pat Wray / Outdoor Insights - Welcome

Originally Posted by NRAJOE

My email to Pat Wray...
You're not much better than Zumbo talking trash about the NRA...Zumbo is a $5,000 rifle toting elitist such as yourself.
Want to lose your career also?, Then go ahead and shoot your uninformed mouth off like he did...a real gunowner would never badmouth the NRA like you did.
Obviously all his sponsors felt the same.
May all your high dollars guns turn to rust.
Joe Hall Jr
(NRAJOE)
Write him also:
Pat Wray / Outdoor Insights - Welcome

His reply:

Thanks for taking the time to write. You were one of many gun owners to write to me regarding my recent statements in the Washington Post. I understand your concern. I was not complimentary about the actions of people involved in the Internet destruction of Jim Zumbo’s career.



My feelings about those actions will not change. Those of you who took part in the assault on Zumbo lost an opportunity to turn him around, to educate him and to change him into an outstanding spokesman for your beliefs. He offered, in his initial apology, to do exactly that. Instead, you went for the jugular and completed his fall. Your action was fast, furious and, like so many other internet-based actions, without the benefit of deliberation or serious discussion. It was, very simply, a high tech lynching conducted by an enraged mob. If being described as part of a lynch mob bothers you, perhaps you should consider the description next time you are tempted to go on the attack.



Speaking of attack, a number of you told me in no uncertain terms to expect treatment ‘like Zumbo got.’ My response is this; I’m going to do what I think is right. You should do the same. Let the chips fall where they may.



If we’re going to have a serious disagreement, you should know who I am. I have been a member of the NRA for nearly 25 years, and believe strongly in their 2nd Amendment mission. I need them to help me protect the semi-automatic firearms in my safe. Several of them are ‘assault rifles’ beginning with my 1873 Springfield .45-70 and going forward to World War II weapons. I also own several other semi-automatic firearms and will fight any attempt to outlaw them. I don’t own an AR 15, not because I don’t believe in our right to own them, but because I’m not impressed with the caliber. I use a .22-250 for varmints.



I spent 20 years in the United States Marine Corps and doubt that any one of you is more dedicated to our country or the Constitution than I am. I oppose gun registration because I don’t want the government to be able to take my firearms. I recognize the need for an armed citizenry and intend to be a part of it.



In short, I don’t have a problem with your firearms or your right to own them. I own them myself. I will not be a part of a divide-and-conquer strategy aimed at gun owners. I do have a major problem with the mob psychology some of you exhibited over the past week. It was despicable. Period.



If you want a more complete view of my feelings on the Zumbo situation I invite you to visit the following website. Corvallis Gazette Times - Sports Top Story Article



It is a column that came out today in the Corvallis Gazette-Times.



Sincerely,



Pat Wray

[troy2000]

Mr. Wray,

I don't belong to the NRA, and never have.

The NRA has never "trained" me.

Whatever war you and the NRA have going with one another, please leave me out of it.

That said, I was one of the thousands who emailed Jim Zumbo and his sponsors. Not because of the NRA, and not because I own any "assault rifles."

I acted because I was appalled that a man who makes his living shooting guns and writing gun articles would call for a ban on other people's guns, based on ignorance and gun snobbery.

A semi-automatic AR-15 shoots one round each time you pull the trigger, just like any other semi-automatic rifle ever built. It's similarity to the fully-automatic/burst-fire M16 our troops carry in the field no more makes it a terrorist weapon than a Remington 870 is a terrorist weapon because our local police carry a tactical version of it.

Don't get me wrong; I like wood and tung oil, machined steel and bluing. But I'm not arrogant enough to believe my personal tastes in guns are the way God meant it to be. And there's no excuse for Zumbo calling for a ban of a rifle based almost purely on its looks.

No, I won't forgive Jim Zumbo. And please lay off the nonsense about how we gun owners "turned on him;" the reality is that he turned on us. He's given the anti-gun crowd quotes that I'm sure we'll be seeing for years.

[frozentorso]

Word.

[Mooseman684]

Here is the NRA Response....
NRA Publications Suspends Ties to Jim Zumbo


Thursday, February 22, 2007


(FAIRFAX, VA) – The following statement was issued by the National Rifle Association of America.

Comments expressed by outdoor writer Jim Zumbo reflect neither the opinions of the National Rifle Association and America’s gun owners, nor are they an accurate portrayal of facts in regard to semi-automatic firearms lawfully owned by millions of citizens. Therefore, NRA Publications has suspended its professional ties with Mr. Zumbo.

The ensuing wave of grassroots response in support of the Second Amendment is a clear indication that America’s gun owners will act swiftly and decisively to counter falsehoods or misrepresentations perpetuated by any member of the media – whether it is one of the major networks or a fellow gun owner.

That depth of feeling and the unanimity of the response from the nation’s firearms owners sends a message to the new Congress. It says that millions of people understand the issue of semi-autos and will resist with an immense singular political will any attempts to create a new ban on semi-automatic firearms.

At the root of this grassroots response is the basic truth that ‘gun control merely makes the innocent pay the price for the guilty’ and our folks fully understand that their rights are at stake. It says that for the enemies of the Second Amendment there is no chance that the kind of divide and conquer propaganda strategy which preceded the 1994 ban on semi-auto firearms will ever succeed again.

It is our hope that Mr. Zumbo will use his energy and talent to help preserve our Second Amendment, America’s First Freedom, by ensuring that no one else falls prey to the tragic demonization of gun owners.

[tbonecpk]

I firmly agree. and honestly if I had the money I would sign up for a life membership in the NRA. I WILL NOT give up my rifle no questions asked. That rifle brought a soldier home from WWII now its my turn 65 years later to maintain it and now protect it. It is a piece of our history and no way will I let it be takin from me.

[Rave]

"Turn him around,educate him,BS! Sounds like a crock of cop out,liberal poppycock to me!

[Rufus Rhastus J]

Yeah, what Rave said! "Turn him around" and