Beware AHSA! Bloomberg is Touting Them as "Allies"

[Connecticut Yankee]

This is EXACTLY the danger of the American Hunters and Shooters Association (see my post http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=149568&highlight=beware+ahsa for the details). See what Bloomberg says below from Newsweek:


The question is, can't we protect the rights of law-abiding gun owners while also doing more to keep guns out of the hands of criminals? Of course. It's not an either-or; a middle ground exists. One of our allies is the American Hunters and Shooters Association. They understand that our goals and their goals are compatible—and that we can work together. We need more of that in Washington.

The response to our group astonished us. In 12 months, more than 200 mayors have signed on—and we're still growing. This groundswell is not partisan or regional. We have Republicans, Democrats, independents, big cities and small towns—north, south, east, west. Our message is resonating because this isn't about ideology or the Second Amendment. It's about law enforcement. It's about getting data on guns used in crimes, one of the top tools our police have for cracking down on illegal weapons.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18248547/site/newsweek/

 

[Standing Wolf]

Somebody really ought to let that Bloomberg individual know the more times you tell the same old moronic lie, the greater the public fool you make of yourself.

His national political ambitions are worth half as much as yesterday's chewing gum.

 

[Run&Shoot]

The American Rifleman had an article about how many of the "member" mayors thought they were signing up to fight against illegal guns and criminals. Once they started realizing it was about further criminalizing guns and gun owners many of the mayors are now withdrawing their membership. The coalition of the duped is falling apart.

 

[Connecticut Yankee]

More Details from NSSF on AHSA

http://www.nssf.org/share/pdf/AHSA_Fact_Sheet.pdf

-snip-

Services
General Operations
Reported in an article by Bill Schneideri that the operating budget for AHSA is $500,000. Where did this money come from? With only a handful of members (paying $25 dues) – who is bankrolling their operation?

Safety and Education
AHSA certainly talks a lot about safety and education on their website, but what programs have they proposed? Who specifically in law enforcement are they working with? Also, what problems are there with NSSF programs that need to be addressed in order to “restore” pride in our community?

Hunting and Conservation
AHSA talks a great game about the importance of hunting and conservation; but what are they doing? From reviewing their website, not one program is mentioned. While the AHSA site does have some links to state hunting websites, it seems to be a watered-down version of the NSSF www.huntandshoot.org portal that provides access to helpful hunting and shooting resources, and links to searchable state-by-state databases.

-snip-

Robert Ricker (Executive Director, AHSA)
• Paid witness against the firearms industry for cases where plaintiffs attempted to hold gun manufacturers liable for the criminal misuse of their products by third parties.
• Monthly salary of $3000; AHSA claims no more than 150 members who pay $25 dues. The rest of the money comes from “individual contributions” with the largest contributors on the AHSA board of directors.iv
• Paid an hourly fee of $225 to $250 dollars for testimony, depositions, and meetings with the Brady Campaign.v
• Consults for the Educational Fund to End Handgun Violence (the “educational” arm of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence).vi (http://www.csgv.org/)
• Consults with Virginians for Public Safety (http://www.vapublicsafety.com/) (lobbying for additional restrictions on law abiding gun owners).vii
Ray Schoenke (President, AHSA)
• Mr. Schoenke, his wife, his daughter and son have been generous donors of anti-gun candidates including: Al Gore, Barbara Boxer, Bill Clinton, Dianne Feinstein, Ted Kennedy, Carolyn McCarthy and John Kerry.viii
• Mr. Schoenke and his wife donated $10,000 to Handgun Control, Inc. (HCI) in 2000.ix
• Mr. Schoenke’s daughter and son each contributed $5000 to HCI in 2000.x
John Rosenthal (President, AHSA Foundation)
• Rosenthal is the leader of Stop Handgun Violence, the principal anti-gun group in the state of Massachusetts (credited with being the “political force behind the strict gun control laws of Massachusetts”xi)
• Rosenthal is a former member of the HCI board of directors, now known as the Brady Campaign.
• Rosenthal has most recently focused his energy on voicing opposition to firearms’ advertisements during sporting events < http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=154057 >