In Search of Redemption

Now that it seems as though Zumbo-rama is nearing its end, I think I can finally put my thoughs on the matter onto the ether.

Jim Zumbo said something that would be underclassified as “Very Stupid”. He has paid the price for offending a large segment of the “Gun Culture”. Field and Stream’s David E. Petzal could learn a thing or two from it (if you haven’t read his take on getting Zumboed, you should. You should then write to him about why he also doesn’t “get it”).

Has this kerfuffle done damage to the “gun culture”? Yes, a little. We seem to have opened up the closet door and shown our lack of unity as to what the Second Amendment is about. (Hint for Zumbo: You don’t need a firearm to hunt. It just makes it easier.)

Will the anti-gunners use this to their advantage? They’d be idiots if they didn’t at least try.

Why did I lay back in the cut and watch this without saying anything or writing like a madman to those involved? Because I have written about this before and was told that the squabbling was sad and needed to stop.

So anyway, moving on.

As I wrote about in the above linked post, nearly everytime I went to my local range, I had to deal with “Hunters” and “Sportsmen” who don’t care for the “Black Rifles” (and “Sniper Rifles”). It isn’t quite as annoying as the “evangelical .40 folks” I wrote about earlier this week, but it grates enough that I won’t buy a membership at a range where the “Sportsman” attitude is overwhelming.

Even before this discussion began, I had come to the conclusion that since bigots come in all shapes, sizes and prejudices, it stood to reason that Gun Bigots would as well.

I can choose where I want to join and I simply refuse to join on with clubs that don’t care for what I like to shoot. If enough of the “Gun Culture” who were offended by Zumbo’s remarks would do the same, maybe it would speed up the process of getting this brand of Gun Bigot to either see the light or send them out to pasture.

But they won’t. They’ll just keep putting up with it, paying their yearly dues to be looked down upon, to their detriment. The guy 1000 miles away is an asshole, but the range master/manager who treats them like shit when they bring their AR to the range “isn’t such a douche”. Yeah, whatever.

So anyway, moving on.

As Ben the Reasonable Nut said, I’d can’t remember hearing of the name “Jim Zumbo” before this (likewise, I had never heard of Petzal before today either). I am not a “Hunter”. I haven’t been a “Hunter” for over a decade now and because of my fellow Washington citizens, most of whom I wouldn’t want handling an unloaded gun a store, let alone a loaded one in the woods. Add to that that I’m sure that someone will be offended by my use of The Hun Bastard to hunt with, and I just stay out of the woods when season is open.

Stepping up to the plate to act the mediator is our good man, Ted Nugent. From what I can glean, The Nuge is going to take Zumbo hunting with some AR variants. This is a “Good Thing”.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the point that we want to get across to ‘ol Jim.

Hopefully, while Uncle Ted is giving Jim the “you CAN use these for hunting” speech, he will slide the “Government is Not Your Friend” speech into the mix, for that is the one Zumbo needs to hear, listen to and learn from. Ted’s email addy is right here for you to make requests.

I guess we’ll see, won’t we.

As for Zumbo’s “apologies”, I care about as much about what he says now as I did then. He didn’t insult me by saying that I own “terrorist rifles” any more than he does by his lack of knowledge about the Second Amendment even after the Thousand Pound Shithammer dropped on him.

He was a Gun Bigot who worked inside the firearms industry. He is now a Gun Bigot thinking about retirement because of his bigotry. Live by the sword, die by the sword, so to speak.

Not that I’m looking for him to impress me or ask for redemption from me, but if Jim Zumbo, who still has large amounts respect in the “Hunter” and “Sportsman” community, takes his show back out on the road and adds in what he learned about “Black Rifles” and their owners and “The Why” behind the Second Amendment into the mix, I think that then I will care about what he has to say.

I’ve seen hundreds of hours of words spent in the gunny-sphere and multiple BBS’s about this non-subject. It is time to move on to more important matters folks.

So, when was the last time you were actually at the range?

Also, have you written/called you elected representatives about HR-1022 and HR-297 yet?