Decline in Hunters Changing National Gun Debate (BARF ALERT)

JoinTogether.org (a bunch of statists) ^ | 1/3/2003 | Dick Dahl

[Sparta]

ping

[Hugin]

While hunters do remain a core constituency of the NRA, the movement toward a broader membership of right-wing ideologues who may have no interest in hunting whatsoever has been constant for at least 15 years. In embarking on that course, the NRA lost many of its more politically moderate hunter members who considered advocacy of assault-weapon ownership a step too far.

They conveniently ignore he fact that following an initial decline in membership the NRA has grown in the last eight years from about 2.5 million members, to over 4 million. They also divide gunowners into either hunters, the politically conservative, "hard right wing--the ones who own guns because they think they somehow protect them from a tyrannical government." While that of course is the original purpose of the Second Ammendment, they completely ignore the number one reason why most gunowners own guns today--for personal defense against criminals. Nor are these reasons exclusive. Most hunters I know also own guns for self-defense, and view gun ownership as a fundamental freedom. Nor does Septermber 11th mean they are more ready to give up their guns. On the contrary, gun sales were boosted in the aftermath.

[rellimpank]

--unfortunately, I don't see anything here but statements of sad facts--as we continue to cover the country with asphalt and concrete and suburbanize everywhere, due to overpopulation, this is what's happening--

[E. Pluribus Unum]

The Second Amendment ain't about duck hunting.

[dagnabbit]

Third world immigration-driven overpopulation.

[greydog]

This is a diversion tactic. The word "hunting" appears nowhere in the 2nd amendment

[PatrioticAmerican]

"due to overpopulation,"

What are you, a liberal?

"overpopulation" is an extremely liberal concept not based in reality. If you think there are too many people, go kill yourself and reduce that number by one.

[SJackson]

Hunting, of course, has nothing at all to do with the gun debate, the second amendment has nothing to do with hunting. It’s a link the antis would love to make, but it’s bogus, they’re trying to change the debate.

My understanding is that the number of hunters has been relatively stable (declining relative to population growth), but it’s not worth the time to verify the numbers.

To the extent that there’s a decline, I’d say the primary reason in the short term has been the shrinking supply of land to hunt on, both public and private, especially in the Midwest and east. I think shooting sports in general suffer from a lack of facilities.

That said, it’s important to introduce youngsters to shooting, if nothing else to teach gun safety (why isn’t that in ALL schools).

I find the disinterest among many hunters and fishermen (not the ones posting here) in gun rights to be a far more serious problem. Many don’t see the connection between gun control and their sport.

[rellimpank]

--everywhere that I have lived in this country in the last forty years was a place where you could hunt, fish, shoot at "informal" targets ("plinking", it used to be called) and carry whatever gun you pleased--

Literally all of these places in Wisconsin, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and South Dakota are now covered with housing tracts and full of the people described above who consider deer to be Bambi and the sight of a firearm to be reason to call the sheriff.

No, I'm not a liberal , but you are an ignoramus--probably of the variety that agrees with Limbaugh that "95% of the world is wilderness"--

I agree 100% that the right to bear arms has nothing to do with hunting but the urbanization of this country is tragic--

[rellimpank]

--all of the "somebodies" who figured that out ought to have to live in that world--

[elbucko]

I don't see anything here but statements of sad facts--

I don't either. Unfortunately hunting is increasingly perceived as "anti-social behavior". That is until my anti-gun neighbor has a "Coon" in his garbage and yells over the fence at me to get my gun. (I ignore him. I won't shoot a raccoon for a Volvo driver.)

[elbucko]

I think shooting sports in general suffer from a lack of facilities.

That's an apt understatement. Shooting Ranges should be on the "Endangered Species List".

[Leisler]

"I agree 100% that the right to bear arms has nothing to do with hunting but the urbanization of this country is tragic--

It isn't tragic. It was planed. Over a hundred years ago, the municipal movement along with high land taxes and the rise of the Progressive movement decided to take the private land owner and tax him out of his land. The land would, and has, become a tool of various crackpot land use fads. All supported by government and leftist. What you see today is the results and failures, sucha as they are.

[uncbuck]

"The other leg of support for gun rights is the politically conservative, hard right wing--the ones who own guns because they think they somehow protect them from a tyrannical government."

I got to this point and read enough.

The word 'somehow'. Somehow..., somehow..., this guys lucky us hard right wingers have our guns, or he wouldn't be enjoying his hard-right-wing right to freedom of speech.

What a jacka$$

[Liberal Classic]

It is not from hordes of deer that the security of a free state needs defending.

[Gritty]

HEADLINE: Decline in Hunters Changing National Gun Debate

This makes about as much sense as an article headlined...

HEADLINE: Decline in Editorial Writers Changing National Free Speech Debate

The 2nd Amendment is about as much about hunters as the 1st Amendment is about fools like this writing editorials!