Gun Remark Kills Outdoorsman's Career (WP)

The Washington Post ^ | 24 FEB 07 | Blaine Harden

[xsrdx]

SEATTLE - Modern hunters rarely become more famous than Jim Zumbo. A mustachioed, barrel-chested outdoors entrepreneur who lives in a log cabin near Yellowstone National Park, he has spent much of his life writing for prominent outdoors magazines, delivering lectures across the country and starring in cable TV shows about big-game hunting in the West.

Zumbo's fame, however, has turned to black-bordered infamy within America's gun culture -- and his multimedia success has come undone. It all happened in the past week, after he publicly criticized the use of military-style assault rifles by hunters, especially those gunning for prairie dogs.

[xsrdx]

Looks like "exit stage left" for JZ, sponsors can't cut him loose fast enough.

Always think before you blog...

[U S Army EOD]

I think the use of nukes would be more appropriate.

[sit-rep]

And this is Ted Nugent's post to the people coming down on Zumbo at Nugents Blog...

...if you don't accept his apology, get the hell away from my campfire..."

A sad day it is...

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Quick, where's the Clinton crocodile tear video clip?

[digger48]

They do not want American gun owners to make a distinction between assault weapons and traditional hunting guns such as shotguns and rifles. If they did, a rift could emerge between hunters, who tend to have the most money for political contributions to gun rights causes, and assault-weapon owners, who tend to have lots of passion but less cash.

Huh?????

[martin_fierro]

Zumbo said some inane stuff and rightfully paid a price.

Al Franken's signature is on the papers by which AirAmerica ripped off a childrens' charity -- and now he's running for public office.

[Terriergal]

The reaction -- from tens of thousands of owners of assault rifles across the country, from media and manufacturers rooted in the gun business, and from the National Rifle Association -- has been swift, severe and unforgiving. Despite a profuse public apology and a vow to go hunting soon with an assault weapon, Zumbo's career appears to be over.

Have you EVER read a more slanted summary of the whole incident?

His apology was halfhearted AT BEST. Frankly, I do cringe when I think of the reaction, the idea that his whole career is over. But... I think the guy was WAYYYY out of line and part of the rules of doing stupid things and being wrong is you don't get to control the consequences.

[WorkingClassFilth]

Good.

Zumbo deserved all he received.

We now face that worst onslaught in the history of civilization against the rights of freemen to bear arms and the final bulwark against tyrants.

We are alone.

We will make, or break, history.

Like denizens of the Titanic, Zumbo is a fool that lived in his gilded cage and thought it to be the world.

[AnAmericanMother]

A very slanted article, that misses the whole reason for the anger against Zumbo.

Like a lot of hunters, he thinks the Second Amendment is about hunting. It's not.

Even in his "apology", he demonstrated that he still doesn't understand that basic fact.

Plus, there is no viable or reasonable distinction between so-called "assault weapons" (which aren't assault weapons at all - an assault weapon is a small-caliber, select fire lightweight rifle for use by paratroopers/special forces) and "ordinary" rifles. The distinctions as drawn in the law are cosmetic only.

So the real problem is that this man, despite his long career on the hunting side, has demonstrated that he still doesn't get it.

[Poser]

Typical lefty article.

Sorry Zumbo. Have a good retirement.

The second amendment has nothing to do with hunting.

[Terriergal]

That's too bad. I've always enjoyed Nugent. But ya know, maybe he'll be able to teach Zumbo a thing or two in the meantime, and maybe Zumbo will eventually figure out what he really did.

[Eagles6]

Mr. Zumbo and msnbc seem to be under the delusion, as many of the unwashed masses are, that the 2nd Amendment is about hunting.

[Terriergal]

They do not want American gun owners to make a distinction between assault weapons and traditional hunting guns such as shotguns and rifles. If they did, a rift could emerge between hunters, who tend to have the most money for political contributions to gun rights causes, and assault-weapon owners, who tend to have lots of passion but less cash.

Huh?????

I guess they think there's a big enough crowd of blueblood Republicrat hunters and only a few 'assault weapons' owners (e.g. semiautomatic owners) and ne'er the two shall meet and overlap.

[Anti-Bubba182]

It was very slanted but it was the WP.

Zumbo forgot who supported him and how it is all connected together in trying to protect gun rights. His log cabin near Yellowstone and long tenure with the Outdoorsman trade amount to an Ivory tower. He was lucky but forgot who he owed his loyalty to and had paid the price.

[headstamp]

"They do not want American gun owners to make a distinction between assault weapons and traditional hunting guns such as shotguns and rifles. If they did, a rift could emerge between hunters, who tend to have the most money for political contributions to gun rights causes, and assault-weapon owners, who tend to have lots of passion but less cash."

What a pant load. Ever see what the typical collector/enthusiast lays out in a year on his hobby? Thought not.

[sit-rep]

Maybe...

[Terriergal]

I think the use of nukes would be more appropriate.

Yeah but it kinda spoils the meat.

[marron]

"He apologized all over himself, and it didn't do any good."

I think it was the word "terrorist". I don't think a prairie dog distinguishes between a .223 fired from an AR or from something Zumbo approves of.

As others have noted, the 2nd Ammendment isn't about hunting. You'd think a guy who spent his life writing about firearms would know that.

He's got the same problem that some well known entertainers are discovering. You have the right to insult me. You don't have the right to insult me with no consequences. There are actors whose movies I no longer watch, singers whose records I no longer buy, and writers I don't read. Its not a boycott, I just don't like them enough to spend my money on their products any more.

[driftdiver]

Which one am I since I own both?

[Terriergal]

That last line is a pretty good summary, and even poetic. :-)