Zumbo

I just spent an evening describing the reasons why I have No Confidence in the efficacy of the National Rifle Association in representing your RKBA rights.

You may not agree with me, and that's okay.

But this was curiously timed to coincide with a new Kerfluffle unintentially ( I suspect ) initiated by Jim Zumbo.

Zumbo, it appears, is a professional writer and has contributed articles to both Outdoor Life and Reminton, Inc.

Word is, he mentioned in a sparse pair of sentences (actually, 3 sentences) that he sees no use for semi-automatic rifles in hunting. No, that's a little too faint. What he actually said (in regards to " AR and AK rifles" was:

I call them "assault" rifles, which may upset some people. Excuse me, maybe I'm a traditionalist, but I see no place for these weapons among our hunting fraternity. I'll go so far as to call them "terrorist" rifles.

I have never read Zumbo before ... he appeals to a different readership ... so I yield to Michael Bane's article on the subject. The link quotes Zumbo's entire article.

Here is a man (Zumbo) who has spent years speaking to the American Sportsman. Shooters of all ilk and discipline. He writes 38 little words, and suddenly he is Anethema.

His blog is gone. His relationship with Remington is gone. His friends call for an immediate retraction, and even though he instantly apologizes for, and explains his statement ... it isn't enough.

His friends are gone.

There are those among the Shooting Community who actually believe that the 2nd Amendment applies to ALL firarms, no matter how ugly or how apparently inappropriate to the use to which they are putl

(And no matter how awkward the sentence construction of those who would write about it!)

Also, there are those among the Shooting Community who actually 'get it'. Those who believe that there is a "legitimate role" for even ugly semi-automatic rifles -- even as hunting tools, go figure!

The 2nd amendment is my primary concern in all of my writings. But perhaps it's timely to mention the 1st Amendment:

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Do you see it?

"Congress" made no law "abridging the freedom of speech"; yet, popular acclaim applied its own right to disparage an unpopoular statement. (In truth, I rather suspect that "Congress" would embace Zumbo's statement, if only to put one more brick in the wall betwen Private Citizens and the 2nd Amendment.)

Zumbo has lost his means of livelihood, his Iron rice bowl, yet it is not a result of governmental action. Instead, it is the result of popular opinion.

Or, if you prefer, it is the result of 2nd Amendment Activism.

Perhaps the NRA will pay attention, and discontinue their tendency to defend the 2nd Amendment (weakly!) in terms of hunting, and even more ephemeral concepts.

Perhaps they will defend the 2nd amendment in terms applicable to the original intent of the Constitutional Authors.

It's an Individual Right, and the looks of the Firearm in question are not a significant factor.