A Nurse with a Gun

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

My Last Zumbo Article

February 28, 2007


Mr. Alan Gottlieb, Chairman
Citizens Committee for the
Right to Keep and Bear Arms
12500 N.E. Tenth Place
Bellevue, WA 98005



Dear Alan:

They say that hindsight is always 20-20. In my case, hindsight has been a hard teacher, like the father teaching the son a lesson about life in the wood shed.

I was wrong when I recently suggested that wildlife agencies should ban semiautomatic firearms I erroneously called “assault rifles” for hunting. I insulted legions of my fellow gun owners in the process by calling them “terrorist rifles.” I can never apologize enough for having worn blinders when I should have been wearing bifocals.

But unlike those who would destroy the Second Amendment right to own a firearm – any firearm – I have learned from my embarrassing mistake. My error should not be used, as it has been in recent days by our common enemies, in an effort to dangerously erode our right to keep and bear arms.

I would hope instead to use this spotlight to address my hunting fraternity, many of whom shared my erroneous position. I am a hunter and like many others I had the wrong picture in mind. I associated these firearms with military action, and saw not hunting as I have known it, not the killing of a varmint, but the elimination of the entire colony. Nothing could be further from the truth, but I know from whence it comes. This ridiculous image, formed in the blink of an eye, exerts an unconscious effect on all decisions that follow. In seeking to protect our hunting rights by guarding how we are seen in the public eye, I lost sight of the larger picture; missed the forest for the trees.

My own lack of experience was no excuse for ignoring the fact that millions of Americans – people who would share a campfire or the shelter of their tent, and who have hurt nobody – own, hunt with and competitively shoot or collect the kinds of firearms I so easily dismissed.

I recently took a “crash course” on these firearms with Ted Nugent, to learn more about them and to educate myself. In the process, I learned about the very real threat that faces all American gun owners.

I’ve studied up on legislation now in Congress that would renew and dangerously expand a ban on many types of firearms. The bill, HR 1022 sponsored by New York Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, is written so broadly that it would outlaw numerous firearms and accessories, including a folding stock for a Ruger rifle. I understand that some of the language could ultimately take away my timeworn and cherished hunting rifles and shotguns as well as those of all American hunters.

The extremist supporters of HR 1022 don’t want to stop criminals. They want to invent new ones out of people like you and me with the simple stroke of a pen. They will do anything they can to make it impossible for more and more American citizens to legally own any firearm.

Realizing that what I wrote catered to this insidious attack on fellow gun owners has, one might say, “awakened a sleeping giant within me, and filled him with a terrible resolve.”

I made a mistake. But those who would use my remarks to further their despicable political agenda have made a bigger one. I hope to become their worst nightmare. I admit I was wrong. They insist they are right.

Enclosed, you will find a check that is intended to be used to fight and defeat HR 1022. I also hope it inspires other gun owners to “do as I do, not as I say.”

I’m putting my money where my mouth should have been, and where my heart and soul have always been. I know the Second Amendment isn’t about hunting and never has been. My blunder was in thinking that by working to protect precious hunting rights I was doing enough. I promise it will never happen again.

I don’t know what lies over the horizon for me. I am not ready for the rocking chair.

I’m going to devote every ounce of my energy to this battle. I will remind my fellow hunters that we are first, gun owners. Whether we like it or not, our former apathy and prejudices may place that which we love, hunting, in jeopardy. I will educate fellow outdoorsmen who mistakenly think like I talked, even if I have to visit every hunting camp and climb into every duck blind and deer stand in this country to get it done. I was wrong, and I’m going to make it right.


Sincerely,
Jim Zumbo


Jim Zumbo has earned my respect.

Labels: ,

21 Comments:

Blogger Paul said...

Same here.

7:19 PM  
Blogger Zombie Hime said...

Wow. Welcome back, Mr. Zumbo.

7:35 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wow is right. I'll tell ya with no uncertainty that his articles hurt me as a gun owner pretty badly..but that's one hell of a letter.

It's hard..I live in Maryland, and his article has already been used by anti's here in support of a statewide AWB. It's hard to forgive him because I've already seen how much damage those words are doing. We'll see though.

9:15 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have books by him and read many articles, his rant about "assault rifles" probably reflected his personalty and life and way of hunting. It was poorly conceived and thought out before he wrote it and he has paid dearly for it. He never lost my respect, I just felt sorry for him. Shore woke a lot of people up I think, maybe that is the greatest good he has done.

9:47 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Agreed, I think he might be a very valuable ally from here on out. We NEED all the ones we can get.

9:54 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I wish he would have just gone and cleaned a rifle that night instead of firing up his word processor. I don't like being called a terrorist. Zumbo did us a lot of damage. I may forgive him someday, but I'm not ready to yet. I feel sorry for him, but I'm still furious with what he did.

11:08 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

OK, Jimbo. That's a turning point and putting your money where you mouth is.

Now maybe you can dream up a TV show where the hosts cover 3-gun competitions then go hunting on public lands.

dw

11:14 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am not sure I forgive him. I am still not so sure how sincere he is. How much was his check. Only time will tell his sincerity.

He received a lot of pressure. Any man would buckle under that.

7:58 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am not sure I forgive him. I am still not so sure how sincere he is. How much was his check. Only time will tell his sincerity.

He received a lot of pressure. Any man would buckle under that.

7:59 AM  
Blogger Porta's Cat said...

I told you so.....

Even in my subtle gloating, I hope he does honor his commitment with fervor and intelligence. He can be a great advocate to his audience as he suggests.

8:21 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think he does get it. He references hunting because he is well known in those circles, and he states that he is going back to those circles to educate them in the same thing he has finally learned.

*IF* he has really learned the lesson, and he follows through on his word to teach this to all gun owners, then *maybe* what he has done will, in the end, do more good than the harm it has done currently.

8:51 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think he gets it and I think he will be a valuable asset. We need all the help we can get.

9:43 AM  
Blogger Joker23 said...

"The extremist supporters of HR 1022 don’t want to stop criminals. They want to invent new ones..."

One of the best descriptions I've read of what these asinine "assault weapons" laws really are.

10:25 AM  
Blogger The Conservative UAW Guy said...

A damn fine start.

10:37 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

He's going the right way. Some of the British Toffy nosed bastards that called themselves shooters f***ed the rest of us over out of spite.

Time and actions will tell if he's living up to his word
Keith

10:50 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I don't want to keep beating up on the guy, but Yankee Tech makes a good point. Zumbo's apologizing like crazy because, among other things, he's trying to salvage his career, but he still doesn't seem to get it.

Look at what he says about HR 1022: "The bill, HR 1022 sponsored by New York Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, is written so broadly that it would outlaw numerous firearms and accessories, including a folding stock for a Ruger rifle."

Oh, horrors! Not a Ruger?!? But Rugers are so pretty with those wooden stocks and non-protruding magazines! Hunters use them!

That HR 1022 is written broadly is certainly a problem, but it's not the main problem with the bill, which is that, once again, it's a senseless gun ban based on functional as well as cosmetic features. Forget about Rugers, let's just talk about why none of these gun bans make any sense. Shout it from the rooftops, because your beloved President sure as hell won't.

Zumbo's trying to get there, but he still strikes me as someone trying to rectify the terrible mistake of opening his mouth, rather than truly understanding why he got into so much trouble when he did.

I wish him well.

12:42 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wow, those are good words!

This guy should get a column in a magazine, or a blog on the internet or a TV show and spread the word.

Oh wait,..... nevermind!

4:21 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

YOU CAN’T UN-RING A BELL!!

Dear Jim DUMBo has the resonating sound of his poorly thought out words in that article cut and pasted into numerous Gun-Grabber data-banks that it will be dragged out and used for a decade to come for their benefit.

I too don’t like to see someone continually pounced on for wrong doing but I think the least he could do to gain his “respect back” is to not just say what he’s going to do but to document it to the multitude that he’s so carelessly hurt.

In some public arena he could put pen to paper and document just what he has accomplished to earn “respect” back. Saying he gave a check (no word of the expenditure) and that he’s going to do this or he’s going to do that doesn’t hack it in my humble opinion.

“ I’m going to devote every ounce of my energy to this battle. I will remind my fellow hunters that we are first, gun owners. Whether we like it or not, our former apathy and prejudices may place that which we love, hunting, in jeopardy. I will educate fellow outdoorsmen who mistakenly think like I talked, even if I have to visit every hunting camp and climb into every duck blind and deer stand in this country to get it done. I was wrong, and I’m going to make it right.”

Prove it Jim, actions speak louder than words! Put up or shut up! Your words have gotten some peoples respect now prove it with continuous documented ACTION!

Thank you X, for the opportunity to air my thoughts.

Ronaldo

7:15 PM  
Blogger Rorschach said...

Like many of you, I'm hearing him mouth the right words (mostly, there is still the hunting vs 2nd amendment thing that rings a little hollow still) and donate money to a worthy cause, but I'm reserving judgment on whether he has really learned the correct lesson here. Time may tell.

4:45 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Now THAT was an apology. Welcome back to the real world. I just hope your future actions reflect the intentions reflected in this letter. Good luck.

9:01 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Unfortunately, as we all knew, Zumbo gave the banners another arrow in their quiver. See, e.g. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kd-friedman/let-them-shoot-guns_b_43482.html
That column irked me on so many levels -- I mean, the ban was working SO well at keeping your crime rates down, wasn't it?

12:54 PM  

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