As I have pointed out previously, the very fact that the freedom-haters must continually stoop to such lies and deception is standalone proof that their intentions are ungood.
Posted on 06/18/2007 9:32:23 AM PDT by kiriath_jearim
Last year at the annual conference of the Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA), I caused a little ripple in the Force when I reported on a news event sponsored by the American Hunters & Shooters Association (AHSA), a new group that bills itself as an alternative gun-rights organization with “a real agenda to preserve our Second Amendment.” By ‘alternative,” the group means--and are not shy about saying it--they plan to compete head-on with the four-million-member National Rifle Association (NRA).
You can review the articles, here and here, but in brief, the NRA does not welcome the competition, and some snipers sent in some pointy comments following the articles.
Well, it’s June again, and I’m back at OWAA, in Roanoke, Virginia, and on the second hectic day of the conference, I ran into the AHSA gang again and asked them how the battle was going.
“When we went to OWAA last year,” AHSA executive director Bob Ricker answered, “we had several articles come out, yours being the first, including one in New Republic.”
After that, things started to happen for the new group, Ricker said. At that point, they had basically no members; now, they have “more than 5,000.” And they might have made the difference in changing the color of the U.S. Senate.
He explained that his group became “very involved” in the Senate race where Democratic challenger Claire McCaskill barely defeated long-time Republican and NRA stalwart Jim Talent. That race, along with Jon Tester’s squeaker over Conrad Burns in Montana and George Allen’s surprise loss to James Webb in Virginia, tipped the Senate over to the Democrats and changed a lot of things in this country.
“The NRA was pissed,” Ricker said, “and they said we made the difference in Missouri.”
In the race, McCaskill opposed a Bush Administration plan to sell off parts of the Mark Twain National Forest, and Talent supported it. The AHHA opposed the public land sales and supported McCaskill’s position and appealed to hunters and gun owners to elect her to keep the Bush administration and the NRA from disposing of public lands valuable to hunting and other outdoor activities. The voters agreed, it seems, and the NRA ended up with another black eye.
Later, in January, AHSA supported the effort led by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg called Mayors Against Illegal Guns, which was intended to keep illegal firearms away from criminals. The two groups faced off again on this issue, with the AHSA supporting the mayors and the NRA claiming it was “gun control.”
The mayors are still working on the issue, but Ricker told me. “This was not gun control. It was intended to stop criminals, and it had nothing to do with the Second Amendment.”
The NRA, though, strongly disagrees, and has heavily criticized Bloomberg, a republican, for the effort.
Not intimated by the Gun Giant, AHSA leaders took its message to St. Louis in April, and it was no accident that they set up their news conference in the hotel across the street from where the NRA was holding it’s annual convention.
“The night before our news conference, Wayne LaPierre himself (NRA executive director) called our hotel manager and tried to get us thrown out, but he wouldn’t do it.”
Then, the next day the NRA showed up with a film crew at the AHSA press event, and the ASHA made the same mistake and tried to throw out the NRA.
No blows were landed, though.
Not yet.
Stay tuned for more progress reports. And keep in mind that America has about 80 million gun owners, but only 4 million belong to the NRA, so it will be interesting to see if AHSA can actually develop itself as a true national alternative to the NRA--and provide the other 76 million gun owners a place to go.
AHSA website: src=http://www.huntersandshooters.com/index.php
Isn’t this the anti-gun group masquerading as a pro-gun group?
AHSA is allied with the Dems and the gun grabbers. Typical liberal tactic. Deception and confusion.
Yes
If they're supporting Bloomberg's anti-gun mayors group, it's not a very good masquerade.
NRA lost me when they backed Ron Paul’s dem opponent.
Any group that supports Michael Bloomberg is not a pro-second amendment group.
Yes, these are the sheep in wolf’s clothing. Bleeting Bloomies.
Anyone who says that Bloomie’s group isn’t anti gun, is dumber than a rock and twice as stupid.
Its all hype right now, check back in a year when more find out how anti gun these creeps are.
AHSA is funded by the brady bunch. Its just a gun grabber group.
More than 5,000 members I bet too.
NRA or GOA both work for me.
Yes.
E.G. They support "common sense" gun-control, such as a ban on semi-automatic "assault weapons".
IIRC Many of their officials contribute to the Brady Campaign, etc.
As I have pointed out previously, the very fact that the freedom-haters must continually stoop to such lies and deception is standalone proof that their intentions are ungood.
How many guns do you own, KJ?
The AHSA is nothing more than liberal gun grabbers in Buckskin clothing trying to look like they actually care about second amendment rights. The only thing they care about is taking your second amendment rights away from you.
JEWS FOR THE PRESERVATION OF FIREARMS OWNERSHIP
For instance, this campaign:
This is correct. They are a bunch of cammo jockey libs that really want every single arm we have.
Where’s that skeleton with a rifle when I need it and how do I post it?
If he knows.....
He doesn't have enough.
I'm really tired of this oxy-moron.
Don't know.
Will this one do?
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