That would be like hating Charlie McCarthy instead of Edgar Bergan.
Posted on 03/05/2007 9:08:35 AM PST by girlangler
On Saturday, the editorial page of the New York Times announced its having taken note of what is now being called "the Zumbo event." The editorial writer wasted little time in establishing that Mr. Zumbo had only written about the unacceptability of using assault rifles to kill prairie dogs.
Prairie dogs, "everyone knows" are "chubby North American rodents that live in a communal burrow and grows to be about a foot long." From that Bambi-esque description of the prairie dog, the editorial quickly establishes the identity of the Wicked Witch in this firearms fairy tale: the assault rifle. After all, it "is generally understood to be the kind of gun that soldiers use in wars and terrorists use on the evening news."
"The gun lobby" it continued, "hates the term 'assault rifle,' considering it a false, scary label tacked onto perfectly legitimate weapons used by people who want to take away others' rights."
That description caused what the Times describes as a "huge eruption on gun blogs" that turned Zumbo into the "second-most-hated-man, after the gun-control advocate James Brady."
From there, you can probably predict the outcome of the story: "irrational" and "paranoid" gun owners set out to destroy Mr. Zumbo, accomplishing their goal in short-order, then "gloating " about their evil deed.
As evidence of all three descriptors (irrational, paranoid and gloating) for gun owners, the times says "postings on gun discussion boards like ar15.com and freerepublic.com speak for themselves."
Theirr inevitable conclusion: despite the limited efforts of a few gun owners, there was no effort to see what Mr. Zumbo was talking about and no healthy debate. Instead, the editorial intones "they shot first."
This isn't the first mainstream reporting of the Jim Zumbo debacle.
It's not even the first to question the unforgiving tactics employed by enraged (the Times prefers the term "paranoid") gun owners ("zealots") to whom "'ban' is the mother of all fighting words." We have begun to see that question asked around the shooting community, although it's a bit early to expect any sort of forgive and forget attitudes from aggrieved firearms owners.
It is, however, the first editorial of many others to come. In each, proponents of gun control (I prefer the term "public disarmament") will notice what happened to Jim Zumbo and call firearms owners - all firearms owners - into question.
When that happens, we can expect several other things to happen in rapid succession:
- all firearms owners will be labeled as intolerant, ranting paranoids - not just the many writers of web postings that were ranting. (Note: my speech can be "colorful" - like a drill instructor - but it is not always necessary to use obscenity, vulgarity and personal attacks to make a point).
- The Zumbo Affair will become yet an often cited episode used to illustrate the "evil power and absolute sway the National Rifle Association holds over the many of mindless gun owners held under their unshakable sway". (Note: this is an example of literary hyperbole, I am not calling the NRA evil or all gun owners mindless - I am a gun owner.)
Everyone's personal feelings aside, we have not yet begun to feel the full impact of that 250-word blog. Some of you believe this whole sad episode has been blown completely out of proportion. Others feel it should have been handled privately, almost as a "family matter." I believe there was no other way to deal with this matter, although I agree the personal attacks were decidedly not our finest hour as hunters, shooters or outdoors enthusiasts.
But there is no room for compromise with those whose ideologies are diametrically opposed to gun ownership. Their goal is simple: public disarmament, ala the European countries they so admire for their "progressiveness" on such issues. Those same countries where shotgun owners send plaintiff requests for examples of pump shotguns being used in competitions because their "authorities" are questioning the "need" for pump shotguns. Semiautomatics in any configuration, gauge or color, are already against the rules, along with handguns and most forms of rifles.
For those of you who feel I'm exaggerating, I invite you to put this little bit of writing away for, say, six months. Then read it again.
Good for you, Comadre (and your husband also ;>)!!!
In his apology, he stated that he wasn't aware people use "black" guns to hunt. Once he could tie "black" guns to hunting, they were OK.
Last year's prairie dog fishing tournament was held in October and was followed by a prairie dog chili cook-off.
Zumbo deserved WORSE than he got - who is he to call his law-abiding neighbors "terrorists?"
When those squirrels , big greys, start climbing on the bird feeder, I have a 9 mil pistol I can't shoot well.I need range time , but here in Vermont , my property can be my range.
After watching 15 grey squirrels raid the feeders and keep all avians away, I got out the nine mil and took 5 of them in 20 minutes, expending too much ammo ( 15 rounds at 30 yards) . Now the greys feed only on the ground.
Range time, ya can't beat it.
Heh heh. Fortunately, we don't have too many squirrels here on the other side of the Connecticut River, just a whole lot of chipmunks, which the bobcat and fisher cat population seems to keep in check.
Being able to see is right up there with range time. In my younger days I could hit a three inch circle at fifty feet, each time every time, shooting offhand, using a .22 revolver. No training or range time, just one of those fortunate people born with hand-eye coordination that permitted me to look and shoot, hitting whatever I was looking at, without sighting.
Then my eyes changed. Today I couldn't hit a target that small with a shotgun, and wouldn't give odds for a hand grenade.
Oddly enough, that talent never translated into long guns. The only way I've ever been able to hit something with a rifle was to sneak up on it and beat it to death with the butt.
Give Jim Zumbo's columns to Jim Shepherd
That would be like hating Charlie McCarthy instead of Edgar Bergan.
Zumbo did vastly more damage to the gun rights movement than any comments or angry calls by gun owners.
To have not spoken out against Zumbo would have supported his arguments.
You can read more of Jim Shepherd's material at www.theoutdoorwire.com, and www.theshootingwire.com.
And don't forget it. We are the NRA and we will decide election '08.
Boy, did she have some big guns! 8-)
Maybe the RUDIBOTS should pay attention and try to understand why Zumbo Incidents happen.
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