Zumbo.. Friend or Foe?

Suits me.

I'd rather have him making noises about supporting gun rights than still cursing and swearing and clicking his teeth at us.

 

No one has heard anything from Zumbo. Since his third apology and promise to be a nightmare to antis, he has gone dark. I suppose that since he no longer has sponsors to try and keep onboard, he no longer has reason to speak on the issue.

Maybe we can start up a campaign to motivate Zumbo. Whenever an anti uses his blog against us, we can forward it to Zumbo with the message: "Where is Zumbo? The world wonders."

 

If I had to guess, Mr. Zumbo's access to the print media has been severly restricted relative to what he is used to. I highly doubt he would ever post in a forum such as this one where almost anything goes. You would hear the same things over and over again. He is licking his wounds, wondering how he misjudged his readers (most of which do not participate in this forum), misjudged his sponsers, why he ever said the things he did, because I think he DOES believe that current semi-automatic military styled rifles are inappropriate for most forms of hunting. There is no doubt in my mind that he believes this as it is the traditionalist view of hunting and he is in his 60's and likely very old school.

 

Zumbo's access is limited and he won't post here? Well, Zumbo has been on Nugent's show, posts on Nugent's forum, retains his own website (which many monitor to see if he's doing anything to help us), and will be published in SWAT in the near future. He also sent one letter to the editor (his third apology) to his hometown newspaper which was widely circulated. If he were to post or send anything (such as a letter, unless the USPS is in cahoots with the NRA on this one) anywhere (say to the Maryland legislature for inclusion in the record of the AWB hearings or to Levin's office), it would be circulated equally as widely. He doesn't have to post here to be the nightmare to the antis he's promised to be. All he has to do is the same thing any other citizen would do: write a letter.

But, I believe you stated it correctly: his blog contained his true beliefs that such weapons are inappropriate for hunting and hunting is the principal purpose of the 2nd Amendment. He has preached to the choir about his conversion and will work to get his sponsorship, while letting the fire he started continue burning away the "deadwood" cluttering his version of the 2nd Amendment.

 

Buzz, I don't think he believes that. You will have to convince me on this point. I won't bother going into the privilege vs right thing. I support the right. It seems the more you talk about it, the more careful you become on phrasing and so forth. I know about the SWAT magazine thing. We will see what comes of it. I doubt SWAT will publish a pure hunting article, but it would not bother me. It will probably have to be within their theme. Rich and Denny are big hunters, Rich L certainly. I only wish I had the resources to participate in the kinds of hunts that Rich does.

 

The SWAT article will be published as part of a mission to reeducate Zumbo, which will include his attending a Pat Rogers' carbine course. Denny Hensen offered the article and the course (with Pat's agreement) to Zumbo shortly after this all started. The article will not discuss hunting, but will discuss Zumbo's attendence at the class. I know you said you understood the SWAT deal, but others might not have been aware of the arrangement and the steps some have taken to rehabilitate Zumbo. Would that he would be worthy of those efforts.

Zumbo claimed he wrote the initial blog when he was tired from a hunt and he didn't mean it the way it came out. This contradicted by 1) the statement by Remington's CEO that Zumbo wrote this after being counseled not to do so and 2) he specifically stated that what he wrote was his opinion. He believed these are "terrorist" rifles and hunters should distance themselves from them in order to preserve "sporting" arms. He later described himself as effectively having an epiphany about the 2nd Amendment and it's purpose. Since the initial blog came when he was not under economic duress and his apologies came after he was under economic duress, it's reasonable to rely upon the initial blog as being the more truthful statement. His silence on the issue once his last sponsors left him also serves to disprove his promise to be a 2nd Amendment absolutist.

 

Zumbo Out Swinging

Buzz Knox wrote:

Well, I did an exclusive interview in GUN WEEK with Zumbo, that can be found on the Buckeye Firearms Assn.' website (http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/article3626.html) and KeepAndBearArms.com today.

And Zumbo has sent an open letter to the United States Senate, responding to Carl Levin's remarks of the other day. He faxed over a copy to me. I will post it here shortly.

 

A lot of hunters aren't gun nuts. They may have a rifle and a shotgun, but it's the hunt that they enjoy. I think Zumbo fell into this category. I think he believed what he said. Then when he realized the hornet's nest he'd stirred up, he was forced to reappraise his beliefs.

Whether he's sincere in his apologies I can't know. But he seems ready to speak out on behalf of both shooters and hunters and that's a good thing. I say forgive - don't forget, but forgive.

 

Mr. Workman, that is great news. This is a situation I am thoroughly delighted to be proven wrong about.

 

How is this subject not old yet?

I do not like nor do I dislike Zumbo, he's a forgotten memory.

 

Wow. Looks like he has made a turn around. I can't wait to see that letter.

 

Zumbo's letter

Zumbo faxed this to me a while ago.

------------------------


JIM ZUMBO

March 28, 2007


An Open Letter to the
United States Senate



Dear Honorable Ladies and Gentlemen:

It recently came to my attention that one of your colleagues, Michigan Sen. Carl Levin, has chosen to attack firearms owners using remarks I wrote in mid-February as his launch pad. As you probably know, Sen. Levin has been making anti-gun speeches every week for the past eight years because of a promise he made to the Economic Club of Detroit in May 1999.

Mr. Levin has an agenda, and he should have spoken to me before using my name in one of his speeches, especially since his remarks were entered into the Congressional Record. I would like my remarks here entered into the Congressional Record as well.

Sen. Levin is only one of 16 members of the Senate to vote against the Vitter Amendment to the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act. This amendment prohibits the confiscation of a privately-owned firearm during an emergency or major disaster when possession of that gun is not prohibited under state or federal law.

Eighty-four senators voted for that amendment, inspired by the egregious confiscation of firearms from the citizens of New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina in the summer of 2005. Those seizures, you will recall, led the Second Amendment Foundation and National Rifle Association to join in a landmark civil rights lawsuit in federal court that brought the confiscations to an abrupt end.

The taking of private property without warrant or probable cause – even firearms – was considered an outrage by millions of American citizens, and yet Sen. Levin joined 15 of his colleagues in voting against this measure. It is no small wonder that Sen. Levin gets an “F” rating from gun rights organizations. He would have American citizens disarmed and left defenseless at a time when they need their firearms the most, when social order collapses into anarchy and protecting one’s self and one’s family is not simply a right and responsibility, it becomes a necessity.

That in mind, Sen. Levin must know that almost immediately after I wrote those remarks, I recanted and apologized to the millions of Americans who lawfully and responsibly own, compete with and hunt with semi-automatic rifles. I took a “crash course” on these firearms and visited with my good friend Ted Nugent on his ranch in Texas, where I personally shot an AR-15 and educated myself with these firearms.

Some of us learn from our mistakes, others keep making them. Legislation to which Sen. Levin alluded, HR 1022, would renew the ban on so-called “assault weapons,” and dangerously expand it to encompass far more perfectly legal firearms. For the Congress of the United States to even consider such legislation is an affront to every law-abiding firearms owner in this country.

This legislation that Sen. Levin appears to endorse is written so broadly as outlaw not only firearms, but accessories, including a folding stock for a Ruger rifle. As I understand the language of this bill, it could ultimately take away my timeworn and cherished hunting rifles and shotguns – firearms I hope to one day pass on to my grandchildren – as well as millions of identical and similar firearms owned by other American citizens.

It is clear to me that the supporters of this legislation don’t want to stop criminals. They want to invent new ones out of people like me, and many of you, and your constituents, friends, neighbors and members of your families. They will do anything they can, go to any extremes they believe necessary, to make it impossible for more and more American citizens to legally own any firearm.

In his final paragraph, Senator Levin misrepresents what I said. I never spoke in favor of a general assault weapons ban. Again, I immediately apologized for my blog statement that was exclusively directed toward hunting and not gun ownership.

I will not allow my name to be associated with this kind of attack on the Second Amendment rights of my fellow citizens.

A few weeks ago, in a letter to Alan Gottlieb, chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, I promised to educate my fellow hunters about this insidious legislation “even if I have to visit every hunting camp and climb into every duck blind and deer stand in this country to get it done.”

I will amend that to add that I will bring my effort to Capitol Hill if necessary, even if I have to knock on every door and camp in every office of the United States Senate. In promoting this ban, the Hon. Carl Levin does not speak for me, or anybody I know.


Sincerely,

James Zumbo
Cody, Wyoming

 

Bravo !

 

Dave, thank you for the link and the text of the letter Mr. Zumbo directed to the US Senate.

 

Well said. He can't un-ring the bell, but what his letter is a step towards redeeming himself.

 

As I have said on another thread, JZ's reply to the use of his words by the antis in power would be his true test of understanding the 2ndA.

His reply tp the use of his initial words is certainly the right answer to the test. IMO, for me, he has brought himself back to the level he had fallen from with this reply. Can he keep it up and climb higher?

This event has had a positive side. It has flushed out some gun owners who are really antis.

 

Looks like a small error here but hopefully he will not have to correct himself. I believe that if this is entered into the congressional record and hopefully someone at DC will read it, that we might be able to reduce or possibly reverse some of the harm done by his original comments. However we must not forget nor let him forget his prior transgressions.

 

I do not consider him an enemy. Nor am I going to hold a grudge.

That is a great letter he wrote. Props to him for that.

 

Molon Labe

I'm Glad Mr. Zumbo came to his senses, investigated the matter, and refuted that scurilous attempt to mis-use his name for political purposes. I thank him for setting the record straight. I think there are two Greek words we need to teach our Elected representitives. Lionides, in the third century B.C., when asked to surrender his arms at the battle of thermoplye put it susinctly, "Come Take." Molon Labe. I think they have lost sight of the fact that they still would have it to do. I wonder if it will be as easy in America as in Great Britian, Austrailia, or 1939 Germany? Something to think about.

 

Is that what that means? I've never heard that used here before

Welcome to THR, but you've chosen the wrong audience for the history lesson.

Most of us have that tattooed or branded somewhere near or on our person at all times.

In fact, you should order a hat......

http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=264539&highlight=molon+labe+hat

 

Outdoor Writer Bill McRae's CORRECT contact info is:

[email protected]
40 Sherman Lane
P.O. Box 160
Choteau, MT 59422-0160
(406) 466-5596

 

Looks like somebody's earned his badge in Internet Forum Necromancy...