How Did Dick Cheney Break the No.1 Rule of Hunting?

Time Magazine ^ | 02/13/2006 | Timothy Burger

[silverleaf]

We need a picture of that Monty Python scene of the peasants being shot as skeet!

[SerpentDove]

>> I would have expected better from an experience hunter like Cheney.<<

I would have expected better driving from Dale Earnhart.

But what are ya gonna do? Accidents happen.

[shield]

Harry Whittington made the mistake. Not Cheney....

[ArmyTeach]

Quite right. That about sums it up, doesn't it.

[SirLinksalot]

Harry Whittington made the mistake. Not Cheney....

Could you kindly enlighten everyone as to why you believe this to be so by EXPLAINING ? Thanks.

[ncphinsfan]

If President Bush (God forbid) ever hits someone with a golf ball while playing golf (like President Ford used to do regularly) I hope he remembers to immediatly call Terry Moran and David Gregory and admit to the attack. Get it off his chest. Come clean. If he doesn't we now know there will be hell to pay.
Better yet, Vice President Chaney should invite those two to go quail hunting with him. Two birds, one stone sort of deal.

[Mad Dawgg]

"Notice no clip in the rifle. Which is a good thing because that pose is a good way to lose your head."

Uh Huh, And is the chamber empty?

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

Goodness. The guy is not hurt very badly, thank the Good Lord. He was shot at 90 feet by bird shot, likely #8. I've been shot 3 times by #4, hunting ducks. When I was in 5th grade I was shot, on purpose, by a kid with a BB gun near where Frostwood Elementary SBISD, is on Gessner and Memorial, in Houston and that hurt far more.

When hunting quail and dove, you walk them up and accidents happen. There are thousands of these type accidents every year and no law has been broken. If the press was doing it's job they would have known a day earlier. If they weren't a bunch of non-hunting pansies, they would understand what happened.

[LOC1]

There seem to be a large number of either non-hunters or inexperienced hunters on here.

Accidents do happen, but the only way hunting accidents can be avoided is for the hunter to take active personal responsibility for his actions. That means a responsible hunter does not climb into or out of a deer stand with a loaded gun. It also, and most importantly, means a responsible hunter knows what he is shooting at, and he is certain that it is safe to shoot in that direction.

The man who was shot was approaching from behind the Vice President. There was no way the Vice President could have known whether or not someone was approaching from his blind side. Therefore, as a responsible hunter, the Vice President should not have fired when the bird flew into an area that he did not know for certain was clear. In other words, he should not have been shooting behind himself, without having checked that field of fire first.

I would bet the Vice President would agree with that analysis, and I would bet he feels pretty dumb for shooting in a direction he did not know was clear.

Yes, I have been dusted with bird shot. And yes, regrettably, I have also dusted another hunter with bird shot. I know the rationalizations, and have used them myself.

This is not about legal liability, we can leave that to the lawyers who are left to sort that out. This is about not shooting in a direction that you don't know, for an absolute fact, is safe.

[Rightwing Conspiratr1]

They are both old farts with guns. Accidents happen. Just like driving, hunting accidents are higher at both ends of the age spectrum, the inexperienced and old farts.

[dirtboy]

Excellent analysis. I think we are better off calling this for what it is - a stupid act by the entire hunting party.

Even a lot of otherwise over-the-top libs on MSM boards I frequent don't see the hunting accident as a big deal. If anything, it should make people a bit more aware of not getting too excited while hunting and taking one's time, even if the second covey can scurry away before everyone is safely back in line.

[JillValentine]

After reading some of the comments on this thread, I thought for a moment that I had accidentally logged on to Democratic Underground. People are attacking Cheney and making excuses for Gore.

I'm not going to make excuses for Cheney. He was careless and there was an accident because of it. That does not make him an evil person. I'm sure that he realizes his mistake and will be more careful in the future.

As for Gore, he was careless too, and people are making excuses for him. "Oh, it probably wasn't loaded, blah blah blah." One of the basic rules of gun safety is to always treat every firearm as if it were loaded. The Gore love-fest is uncalled for.

To all those who made sensible comments on these issues, thank you. Your words are very much needed around some of those other comments.

[sageb1]

"How Did Dick Cheney Break the No.1 Rule of Hunting?"

He forgot to yell, "FORE!"

(Oh wait, when you're hunting, that's the other guy's responsibility).

[G.Mason]

"... Get a single shot 12 gage with bird shot and go hunting then we'll talk more. I'll even get Grandpa to give you lessons."

A noble, but complete waste of your time.

Those minds are already made up.

[Joan Kerrey]

Another attempt to silence administration critics. It's a well known fact that 35 years ago there was a disagreement between the two hunters. This "accident" is very suspicious and screams out for appointment of a special prosecution.

Look deeper and I'm sure you'll find Haliburton involvement as well.

[dirtboy]

A noble, but complete waste of your time. Those minds are already made up.

Yeah, right. I was dove hunting with a shotgun when I was ten years old and I knew to be sure that no one or no building was downrange from where I was shooting.

Try again.

[JillValentine]

Probably Karl Rove and the Freemasons are involved as well.

;-)

[Kimmers]

sick, but really funny....LOL

[EQAndyBuzz]

Didn't Kerry shoot himself in Vietnam? Did he win a Purple heart for it?

[TheCrusader]

"Therefore, as a responsible hunter, the Vice President should not have fired when the bird flew into an area that he did not know for certain was clear. In other words, he should not have been shooting behind himself, without having checked that field of fire first."

For all we know he did check it first, and saw nothing but the quail. So what would that mean? He needs a new optical prescription, his view was obstructed by a gnat in his eye, he sneezed from the ragweed and pulled the trigger, or he's a careless old goat? Or any one of a thousand other possibilities?

Maybe the old guy Wittington was standing right beside Cheney and suddenly decided to tiptoe off and take a leak, thinking he was in the men's room at the Ritz Carlton. Or maybe he wanted to commit suicide? Who knows? Sometimes there is no 'blame'. But I think Cheney is an honorable, truthful man. If he was negligent he'll admit it and give a public apology to Wittington and the country. Until then, though, I'm assuming there were some mitigating circumstances involved. Let's wait and see.