New WarOnGuns Poll: Zumbo and Petzal

See the left margin for the new poll. How do you want to see the current firestorm resolved?

Results of last week's poll:

I, Terrorist

WarOnGuns is the bottom left "terrorist" link. Others include The Washington Post (go figure that one!), Outdoor Life, NRA-ILA, Remington, A Keyboard and a .45, Nuge Board, Blog O'Stuff, Guns and Game forums, Gun Law News, and The Firing Line (active links are on my blogroll).

I didn't link to this total loon because she's obviously screaming for attention, so why give her what she wants? Still, I'm not so far removed from enjoying boyhood cruelty that I can't have fun pointing and laughing, particularly when there's a good chance it'll be noticed and give Li'l Missy here a hissy fit.

And Now on to the Important News

I thought now might not be a bad time to examine someone who has called for the government to impose more disarmament edicts on you and me. This is from "A Judgment Call," my March 2005 "Rights Watch" column in GUNS Magazine:

Gun control advocate Britney Spears annulled her quickie Vegas marriage within hours on the grounds that she "lacked understanding of her actions to the extent that she was incapable of agreeing to marriage." Nine months later her understanding had evidently ripened, because, oops, she did it again, marrying a backup dancer who had fathered a two-year-old and a newborn with another woman.

Based on her support of an "Open Letter to the NRA," it is Britney's opinion that a host of additional gun restrictions should be enacted. After all, you may not have the mature judgment to safely possess guns.

On Forgiving Jim Zumbo

Surely we can do better than 17 signatures to date. [More]

That was tongue-in-cheek in case you're wondering. These are touchy times, and the issue is radioactive. Still, I never got into this game because I thought I'd end up popular.

Actually, I really don't mean to pile on and I'm staring to incline towards taking the foot off his throat--at least mine. First, Claire wrote a piece that I agreed with.

I feel sorry for the guy. That doesn't mean anything I say or do will change things, but like I said in two separate comments at Say Uncle's:

Me, I don’t forgive unless forgiveness is sincerely asked for, backed up by a profound apology and concrete actions to undo the damage and make restitution. On this score, I’m much more likely to welcome Mr. Zumbo back into the fold. I haven’t seen anything from Petzal except his acting as a rallying point for the Fuddites who are now getting national media attention.

and

I’m much more able to forgive poor dumb Zumbo–I’m honestly starting to think the guy was more ignorant than arrogant, he appears thoroughly chastised, and he’s begging for a chance to redeem himself. I’m not that heartless that I can turn from that without a degree of sympathy.

Until I see similar contrition and atonement from Petzal, I see no reason to consider him anything but a cornered collaborator using bluff bravado and revisionist deception (which Unix-Jedi has brilliantly exposed) to save his skin.

Zumbo is toast. I see no point in continuing to beat his hanging corpse like a piñata. If he does want another chance and people give it to him, I won't rail against them or him--unless he proves himself undeserving.

Petzal is another matter. He was an enabler of tyranny in our hour of need. His response has been one of arrogance and equivocation, daring the hounds that have him at bay to charge in, and that's probably due in no small part to knowing what the pack will do to him if he shows weakness.

You're right, Mr. Petzal--some of us do have long memories. Some of us were fighting this with all resources at hand when you abused your privileged forum and did your utmost to convince your sporter audience that we were disposable--while the federal ban was being debated in the media, and just short months before its passage.

How could partisans not have long memories when it comes to collaborators?

This Day in History: February 25

On this day in 1779, Fort Sackville is surrendered, marking the beginning of the end of British domination in America’s western frontier.

Revenge of the Fuddites

Some outdoors writers drew a different lesson from Zumbo's horrible week.

"This shows the zealousness of gun owners to the point of actual foolishness," said Pat Wray, a freelance outdoors writer in Corvallis, Ore., and author of "A Chukar Hunter's Companion."

Wray said that what happened to Zumbo is a case study in how the NRA has trained members to attack their perceived enemies without mercy.

Right. Anyone following this knows NRA was days in responding, and it was the grassroots that led all the way. But I guess the "authorized journalists" at WaPo need to believe they're in a crusade against a monolith, as the alternative, that the yeomanry are capable of mustering themselves to the green across the land when there's a threat, is too terrifying a prospect to consider--and certainly not an idea they want to implant in the minds of their readers.

So they trot out an apologist for AHSA and present him as the voice of responsible sportsmen. You'd better believe this is an attempt to divide and draw battle lines, and we owe it to ourselves to know who's on our side and who is a fifth columnist working to serve us up.

A fellow blogger who I have a great deal of respect for thinks we need to stand down. I disagree. This fight is just starting to get interesting, and it's time to find out who making money off the gun community understands and supports what it's all about--and pressure sponsors to withdraw all aid and comfort to the enemy.

And remember, the Trolley Square shooter used an unplugged chukar gun.

[Via 45superman]

We're the Only Ones at "A Place for Friends" Enough

Police officers were told to log off the popular Web site MySpace.com when they’re on duty.

Officials blocked access to the Web site on the department’s internal computer network because officers were spending too much time visiting the popular social networking site during work hours.

So their management views them as kids with no self control? They can't be told not to do something, they actually need to have access blocked? Because if its not they'll sneak and continue to steal from the taxpayers when they're being paid to work?

Yet they're "The Only Ones" trustworthy, responsible, mature and trained enough to publicly bear arms?

Good grief.

[Via joefm]

We're the Only Ones Incompetent Enough

Jay. Mac sums this one up better than I could in his email notifying me of this story:

This one is hard to stomach- a cop got a top priority call to respond to a 5 year old child being abused. Instead of going over straight away he fingerprinted a driver with expired tags, wrote him out with a ticket and then went. He “believed” that priority call was just routine. It took him 24 minutes to respond even though he was only 3 miles away.

An IA investigation found him incompetent. Not the first time either- he failed to respond to calls before, and seems to be obsessed with traffic stops.

Needless to say, he hasn't been fired- just reprimanded and suspended.

I actually fault the cowardly neighbors as much, if not more, than the derelict "Only One." I could not be a witness to child abuse and neglect to intervene. But of course, the laws where I live would make things problematic should I decide an escalation of force threat was necessary to stop violence...

This is what happens when individuals abdicate personal responsibility and control over their lives to the collective. Sheep bleating for a keeper who comes in his own sweet time.

How did that rhyme go?

Knife Rights News Slice Vol.1 Number 2

It is the one month anniversary of the launch of Knife Rights and it seems like a good time to update you on progress to date.

Doug Ritter brings us up to date on this new organization, including:

• The SHOT Show launch
• Where are the caps and membership cards?
• Will you be at the NRA Annual Meeting in St. Louis?
• What Knife and Gun Shows will you be attending?
• Are you going to fight to eliminate anti-switchblade laws?
• Time is running out to join Knife Rights and win a custom knife

Follow the title link for this and lots more information.

This Day in History: February 24

On this day in 1803, the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice John Marshall, decides the landmark case of William Marbury versus James Madison, Secretary of State of the United States and confirms the legal principle of judicial review--the ability of the Supreme Court to limit Congressional power by declaring legislation unconstitutional--in the new nation...

In writing the decision, John Marshall argued that acts of Congress in conflict with the Constitution are not law and therefore are non-binding to the courts, and that the judiciary’s first responsibility is always to uphold the Constitution.

This Can't be True...

In Philadelphia last year, 2,004 people got shot, up 31 percent over 2001, according to an article in the Inquirer that attributed the figures to the Police Department.No, no, no.

I keep telling you people, this isn't supposed to be happening!

TSA's Job is Security, Not Customer Service

Hahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!

Good one, Clark Compton!

For the Children

Children as young as eight are carrying guns in London to help older gang members escape the law, a leading member of the Metropolitan Police Authority has warned.

Ah, the unintended consequences of "gun control"...

What did the morons think was gonna happen under prohibition?

I'm Saving My Sympathy

This comment was posted at the title link:

Anonymous said...

[We all?] agree with the outrage over Zumbo's comments and believe the response of his sponsors is appropriate. However, I think we should take Jim at his word, that he spoke out of ignorance and will do his best to make up for it.

The results of this event include some ammunition for the Brady Bunch, but it also includes a gifted writer who has finally seen the light. Jim can be a valid champion for 2nd amendment moving forward. He understands the blind spot many hunters have and could be very effective in preaching to that particular section of the choir.

We need to congratulate the industries that responded to our outrage, but we then need to move on. Jim Zumbo, if he really understands, could be a tremendous help in educating the "sporting purposes" crowd.

You make some points I can empathize with, Anon, but saying "I'm sorry" is not the same thing as saying "Forgive me." I've not heard that from JZ, who spoke as much from arrogance as he did from ignorance. I also have not seen any kind of plan from him on what exactly he intends to do to repair the damage--hunting with the Nuge doesn't cut it. In fact, the Fudd Gun Syndicate is circling the wagons as their own past sins are coming to light--and their response of last resort is to compare the justifiably furious to mental cases, which kind of adds fuel to the "terrorist" crack, wouldn't you agree?

It would be a storybook ending if the ultimate outcome could be as you suggest, but many of us are sick and damned tired of the AHSA/Hunters for Kerry types, who need to be exposed and shunned by the pro-gun community for the quislings that they are.

I can sympathize on a human level with a man losing as much as Zumbo has over this. But we are in nothing less than a fight for our lives and freedom, and punishment for dereliction of duty in the field is harsh by necessity. If the people who Jim Zumbo and David E. Petzal endorsed giving the power to ban militia-suitable rifles get their way, we'll all stand to lose a hell of a lot more than writing gigs and sponsorships.

Just ask Wayne Fincher. If we're going to feel bad for someone, I'd say he deserves a hell of a lot more consideration.

Time to Rein in the BATFE?

Actually, I'd say it's past time to boot them.

Unless someone can tell me what a "reined in" BATFU would be legitimately (Constitutionally) authorized to do...

We're the Only Ones Scandalous Enough

[D]etective...Maria Biagini, 37, fell in love with a federal prisoner who was being interviewed by Brooklyn prosecutors as a possible witness..."The suggestions that were made about helping him get his sperm out of the institution - that's the subject of a federal investigation...

Hynes has already fired assistant district attorney suspected of supplying the criminal histories of witnesses to her defense attorney fiancé...

The third incident involved a detective who was docked a day's pay for exchanging unauthorized correspondence with a witness.

It would have been nice had these three LEOs of Love been around for our little Carnal Copper Carnival earlier this month, but they were obviously preoccupied making love, sweet love, as only "The Only Ones" can.

[Via Declan]

This Day in History: February 23

Friedrich Wilhelm Rudolf Gerhard August, Freiherr von Steuben, a Prussian military officer, arrives at General George Washington’s encampment at Valley Forge on this day in 1778 and commences training soldiers in close-order drill, instilling new confidence and discipline in the demoralized Continental Army.

A Writer of His Stature

What Jim said was ill-considered. He’s entitled to his beliefs, but when a writer of his stature comes out against black guns, it sure as hell does not help our cause. [More]

Kind of like what you did back in 1994, Mr. Petzal, just a few months before the federal semiauto ban was passed and signed into law?

"Gun owners -- all gun owners -- pay a heavy price for having to defend the availability of these weapons," writes Petzal. "The American public -- and the gun-owning public; especially the gun-owning public -- would be better off without the hardcore military arms, which puts the average sportsman in a real dilemma" Petzal concludes by advocating compromise, something that Knox and other members of his regime say they will never accept.

Here's something else I don't get, Mr. Petzal, when you go on to say:

If Sarah Brady is smart—and she is very smart—she will comb through the same blogs and chatrooms I’ve been reading, excerpt some of the most vicious and foul-mouthed entries, print them up, and distribute them to Congress.

So you think it will hurt us worse than your anti-gun advocacy, or this bit of information publicized by your magazine and used by the gun grabbers to justify the '94 ban?

In 2003, Field & Stream magazine conducted a survey of its readers and found that 67% do not consider assault weapons to be legitimate hunting guns.

I wasn't ready to post this yet, because I sent away for the copy of F&S where you wrote your screed against "hard core military arms," Mr. Petzal, and wanted to post the actual page. But I see others on your blog are calling you on it and I don't want to be late to the party, especially when I've been holding off for several days now.

Back when you penned your column, I actually organized a boycott against your magazine at one of our NRA Members Council meetings (I was an officer with the club) and got probably a dozen others to send in protest letters to the magazine. Of course, that was back in the days before we were on the internet, so the rest of the world never got the message. But when this whole Zumbo fiasco broke out, I remembered that effort and dug through my files. I found the "talking points" sheet I put together to give suggestions to members on how to write their own letters to both NRA and F&S. Here it is:


I think you, sir, have some explaining to do.

NRA Publications Suspends Ties to Jim Zumbo

Comments expressed by outdoor writer Jim Zumbo reflect neither the opinions of the National Rifle Association and America’s gun owners, nor are they an accurate portrayal of facts in regard to semi-automatic firearms lawfully owned by millions of citizens. Therefore, NRA Publications has suspended its professional ties with Mr. Zumbo.

[Via 45superman]

Zumbo on Nugent Forum

Yuri Orlov notified me of this in a comment in an earlier post. I'd have put this up sooner, but I just got in from work.