Harry Tuttle
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Story originally printed in the Holmen Courier or online at
http://www.holmencourier.com/articles/2004/07/09/news/05visit.txt
Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry speaks with the press at Gunslick Trap Club in Holmen during his campaign stop Saturday.
Lee Newspapers photo by Peter Thomson
Some gun rights advocates steaming about visit
By RANDY ERICKSON/Editor
Gun rights advocates from all over the country are up in arms over what they consider a betrayal of their cause by the Gunslick Trap Club.
In the wake of Saturday's visit by Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, letters from as far as Michigan, Missouri and Wyoming were submitted to this newspaper criticizing the club.
The writers maintain the Gunslick Trap Club was duped into helping Kerry project a pro-gun image, even though he has a history of supporting what they consider infringements on gun rights.
"John Kerry is an extremist anti-gun advocate who, given the chance, would outlaw the civilian ownership of all guns, including even toy plastic 'cowboy type' guns. This is his history," a writer from Missouri writes. "Furthermore, he is an anti-hunting extremist and supports the goals of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals)."
Ken Bethke, a club board member and former president, said he had not heard any feedback as of early this week, either from club members or from other gun rights advocates.
"I'm certainly not going to be surprised if I hear something," he said. "There's going to be some people who think we shouldn't have" allowed the Kerry event on club grounds.
After being asked to host the Kerry campaign event by U.S. Rep. Ron Kind's brother, club member Jack Schultz sought Bethke's blessing. Bethke said he figured the event would be good publicity for the club and for the sport of trap shooting in general, and so and gave the event a thumbs-up.
"I'm not even a Kerry supporter. That had no bearing on my thoughts," Bethke said. "If it had been Bush, I would have said the same thing. It's a public club. We don't have a sign at the entrance that says 'No Democrats allowed.' "
Schultz, who is a Democrat and a member of the National Rifle Association, said the writers are misrepresenting Kerry.
"I don't think he's anti-gun by any means," Schultz said, noting that Kerry enjoys hunting.
Kerry told the press at the trap club Saturday he has no plans to propose new gun control measures, although better enforcement of existing laws is needed.
Schultz said he shares Kerry's view that it is not an undue restriction of rights to keep people from owning assault rifles.
"You don't need a machine gun or a bazooka in your house," Schultz said.
Club member Terry Herbst, who let Kerry use his shotgun during Saturday's event and sold the Massachusetts senator a club membership, said he thought it was absurd to characterize Kerry as anti-gun.
"If he would have been anti-gun, why would he be out picking up a gun and shooting," he said.
All stories copyright 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 Holmen Courier and other attributed sources.
http://www.holmencourier.com/articles/2004/07/09/news/05visit.txt
Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry speaks with the press at Gunslick Trap Club in Holmen during his campaign stop Saturday.
Lee Newspapers photo by Peter Thomson
Some gun rights advocates steaming about visit
By RANDY ERICKSON/Editor
Gun rights advocates from all over the country are up in arms over what they consider a betrayal of their cause by the Gunslick Trap Club.
In the wake of Saturday's visit by Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, letters from as far as Michigan, Missouri and Wyoming were submitted to this newspaper criticizing the club.
The writers maintain the Gunslick Trap Club was duped into helping Kerry project a pro-gun image, even though he has a history of supporting what they consider infringements on gun rights.
"John Kerry is an extremist anti-gun advocate who, given the chance, would outlaw the civilian ownership of all guns, including even toy plastic 'cowboy type' guns. This is his history," a writer from Missouri writes. "Furthermore, he is an anti-hunting extremist and supports the goals of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals)."
Ken Bethke, a club board member and former president, said he had not heard any feedback as of early this week, either from club members or from other gun rights advocates.
"I'm certainly not going to be surprised if I hear something," he said. "There's going to be some people who think we shouldn't have" allowed the Kerry event on club grounds.
After being asked to host the Kerry campaign event by U.S. Rep. Ron Kind's brother, club member Jack Schultz sought Bethke's blessing. Bethke said he figured the event would be good publicity for the club and for the sport of trap shooting in general, and so and gave the event a thumbs-up.
"I'm not even a Kerry supporter. That had no bearing on my thoughts," Bethke said. "If it had been Bush, I would have said the same thing. It's a public club. We don't have a sign at the entrance that says 'No Democrats allowed.' "
Schultz, who is a Democrat and a member of the National Rifle Association, said the writers are misrepresenting Kerry.
"I don't think he's anti-gun by any means," Schultz said, noting that Kerry enjoys hunting.
Kerry told the press at the trap club Saturday he has no plans to propose new gun control measures, although better enforcement of existing laws is needed.
Schultz said he shares Kerry's view that it is not an undue restriction of rights to keep people from owning assault rifles.
"You don't need a machine gun or a bazooka in your house," Schultz said.
Club member Terry Herbst, who let Kerry use his shotgun during Saturday's event and sold the Massachusetts senator a club membership, said he thought it was absurd to characterize Kerry as anti-gun.
"If he would have been anti-gun, why would he be out picking up a gun and shooting," he said.
All stories copyright 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 Holmen Courier and other attributed sources.
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