Gun Writer Jim Zumbo Blasts Second Amendment

[VENISONEATR]

Here is the article...

Assault Rifles For Hunters?

As I write this, I'm hunting coyotes in southeastern Wyoming with Eddie Stevenson, PR Manager for Remington Arms, Greg Dennison, who is senior research engineer for Remington, and several writers. We're testing Remington's brand new .17 cal Spitfire bullet on coyotes.

I must be living in a vacuum. The guides on our hunt tell me that the use of AR and AK rifles have a rapidly growing following among hunters, especially prairie dog hunters. I had no clue. Only once in my life have I ever seen anyone using one of these firearms.

I call them "assault" rifles, which may upset some people. Excuse me, maybe I'm a traditionalist, but I see no place for these weapons among our hunting fraternity. I'll go so far as to call them "terrorist" rifles. They tell me that some companies are producing assault rifles that are "tackdrivers."

Sorry, folks, in my humble opinion, these things have no place in hunting. We don't need to be lumped into the group of people who terrorize the world with them, which is an obvious concern. I've always been comfortable with the statement that hunters don't use assault rifles. We've always been proud of our "sporting firearms."

This really has me concerned. As hunters, we don't need the image of walking around the woods carrying one of these weapons. To most of the public, an assault rifle is a terrifying thing. Let's divorce ourselves from them. I say game departments should ban them from the praries and woods.

He apparently wrote this on his Outdoor Life blog.

Here is a link to the now defunct blog http://outdoorlife.blogs.com/zumbo/2007/02/index.html
Remington pulled their ad on the blog and so did High Mountain Jerky and Seasoning.
I hope Outdoor Life fires his ass!!!

 

[Grouse]

He has a right to an opinion just like me. I never liked him to begin with.

 

[nugbuk]

Statement from Outdoor Life:
Due to the controversy surrounding Jim Zumbo?s recent postings, Outdoor Life has decided to discontinue the ?Hunting With Zumbo? blog for the time being. Outdoor Life has always been, and will always be, a steadfast supporter of our Second Amendment rights, which do not make distinctions based on the looks of the firearms we choose to own, shoot and take hunting. Please direct any comments you have to [email protected].

 

[Ridgeviewer]

I have been reading Jim Zumbo and enjoying much of what he has written for years. I can now say I have read Jim Zumbo, (and any magazine who will publish him in the future) for the last time.
When a man has made a career of wealth, largely due to the Second Amendment rights we enjoy in the United States, has the nerve to take his "Parting Shot" and imply Law abiding American's are terrorist. It's time we as American gun owner's, divorce Jim Zumbo for the pompous, self righteous, idiot he has proven himself to be.


Goodbye Jim Zumbo!
I'd have to guess your gonna need some new hunting buddies. I hear John Kerry is looking for one....

 

[Ridgeviewer]

Statement from Outdoor Life:
Due to the controversy surrounding Jim Zumbo?s recent postings, Outdoor Life has decided to discontinue the ?Hunting With Zumbo? blog for the time being. Outdoor Life has always been, and will always be, a steadfast supporter of our Second Amendment rights, which do not make distinctions based on the looks of the firearms we choose to own, shoot and take hunting. Please direct any comments you have to [email protected].

Thanks NugBuk, That link worked perfectly!!
Message delivered!

 

[VENISONEATR]

He should be tarred and feathered. I agree he has a right to an opinion but to bite the hand that feeds him is unforgiveable. The damage he has done has set gun owners back tremendously. Interesting to note Gerber knives is the only company that did not sever ties with him. I will NEVER buy a Gerber knife!!! :evil:

 

[VENISONEATR]

http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_102081.asp


READ THE LAST PARAGRAPH!!!!

 

[big6x6]

National Shooting Sports Foundation president Doug Painter. "No one should divide firearms into good-gun, bad-gun categories."

How true is THAT! If we were talking about PEOPLE, this would be characterized as RACISM!

It is SO obvious that Zumbo(Dumbo?) meant everything he originally wrote and that every last word came from the heart. His apology WAS pathetic and was obviously NOT heartfelt. Yes, I agree he IS entitled to his opinion, but his opinion is MUCH better served by the far left, the Clintons, Boxers, Kerrys, Gores, and Obamas of the world. Obviously he certainly THINKS as they do.

Obviously Remington Arms Co is VERY serious about Zumbos comments and Second Amendment rights. Remington execs obviously moved quickly REGARDLESS of contractual concerns severing "all sponsorship ties with Mr. Zumbo, effective immediately." That is THE way to do it.

It is almost impossible for me to believe that as long as he has been shooting/hunting(PLENTY of gun writers lie about THIS although! :lol: ) that he hasn't shot a good AR-style flat-top. There aren't many .223 varmint rifles that are any BETTER!

A comment such as "I've never had any use for AR/AK styled rifles" or "those rifles just don't suit my hunting/shooting needs" WOULD have been fine. But to make the comment that they are "TERRORIST" rifles? I don't know what rock Zumbo has been living under but where I come from those rifles aren't the rifles of "terror" those are the rifles of FREEDOM!

 

[clint]

i have not ever had a AR/AK BUT I WANT ONE NOW!!!!!!! and mr.zumbo can go fly a kite clint

 

[Ridgeviewer]

Big6 you make a very good point...

Remington execs obviously moved quickly REGARDLESS of contractual concerns

As a "Valued Customer" (so they tell me... :lol: ) of Cabelas. I intend to tell them to take me off their Christmas Card List if they put Jim Zumbo's face on my television again.
Cabelas financial loss buying out Zumbo's contract will be a fraction of the loss they will suffer from loyal customer's leaving over this.
Ridge

 

[bsn]

Just to make thing more interesting the Dems are getting ready to introduce a new Assault Weapans ban. This one is far broader than the last one and very restrictive cover more type of guns.. When the last Assault Weapans ban expired there were predictions that gun crime with "assault" weapans would skyrocket, it never happened but they feel the need for the ban anyways.

 

[Ridgeviewer]

Hats off to Cabelas! I sent Cabelas the email I mentioned, and within 2 minutes I received the following...

Dear Larry,

On Monday, February 19, Cabela's suspended sponsorship of the Jim Zumbo Outdoors television show until Cabela's Legal Department could review contractual obligations and commitments relating to our business relationship. As of Tuesday, February 20, Cabela's has ceased our business relationship with Mr. Zumbo.

Cabela's strongly disagrees with Mr. Zumbo's February 16 posting on his Hunting with Jim Zumbo blog on Outdoor Life's Web site. His opinions on this matter run counter to the beliefs shared by Cabela's more than 12,000 employees, many of whom are hunters, recreational shooters and firearm enthusiasts.

Sincerely,

Sara

 

[Anonymous]

Mossy Oak strongly advocates the Second Amendment of the Bill of Rights, which guarantees us the right to keep and bear arms regardless of type. The Second Amendment is vital to the outdoors lifestyle we all appreciate and enjoy here at Mossy Oak and across the entire outdoor industry.

?It is unfortunate that a long-time hunter and outdoor writer took a personal position that was unsupportive of the Second Amendment which does not differentiate between firearm types.? said Butch English, Executive VP of Sales and Marketing for Mossy Oak. ?As a result of comments made by Mr. Jim Zumbo in recent postings on his blog site, Haas Outdoors, Inc. the home of Mossy Oak Brand Camo has ended all sponsorship ties with Mr. Zumbo effective immediately. While we strongly disagree with Mr. Zumbo?s opinion, we respect his constitutional, guaranteed right to speak freely.?

As shooters and hunters, we should all help educate and promote responsible firearm information and safety. It is important for the outdoor industry to focus our attention to educate those opposed to any type of anti-hunting or anti-Second Amendment movement.


-Mossy Oak


Looks like he's "toast".

 

[CORVAIR]

Chuck wrote:

I don't know what rock Zumbo has been living under but where I come from those rifles aren't the rifles of "terror" those are the rifles of FREEDOM!

Amen Chuck, well said!!
Owning any type of firearm whether AR, SKS, AK, 50 Cal Barrett or whatever is guaranteed by the blood of our fore-fathers and as written on documents this United States is governed by should never be "short-changed" by anyone.

Shame on you Jim Zumbo. :cry:

 

[IndianaHunter]

No room for this man and his opinion in my life what so ever!

No room in my safe for any product that endorses him as well!!!

Swarovski
Henry Rifles
Gerber knives
Stoney Point Products

Looks like I'm going to have a fire sale on E-bay soon.....

 

[IndianaHunter]

Check this out!
http://nugeboard.tednugent.com/ubb/Foru ... 86904.html

 

[VENISONEATR]

Email received back from Outdoor Life:


Thank you for you for contacting Outdoor Life with your comments. For our official response on this matter, please visit

http://www.outdoorlife.com/outdoor/

I think they call it occupational suicide! artyman:

 

[Ridgeviewer]

After reading the apology on Nugent's site. I'll hope that Jim Zumbo will lead a personal crusade to repair the damage he has done.
I hope to read a New Jim Zumbo, (very soon I hope) totally focused on protecting our Second Amendment Rights, and Defending ALL of America's Legal Gun Owners.
He could certainly start with a rebuttal of Sarah Brady's most recent rant.

 

[1BigPowderKeg]

WOW! On the eve before I go for coyote's with my accurized AR15. He's feeling the heat for his comments, as I'm sure the leftist sponsoring any bill will see the response and will feel the heat from such an event, preemptively.

I might just have to build another AR15 in protest.

PowderKeg

 

[big6x6]

Here's Zumbos second apology:

JimZumbo
Junior Member posted 02-22-2007 11:49 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The last few days have been an educational experience, to say the least. My ill-conceived inflammatory blog, as all of you now know, set off a firestorm that, I?m told, has never before been equaled. I?m not proud of that.
Let me say this at the outset. My words here are from the heart, and all mine. No one can censor me, and I answer to no one but myself. And I have no one to blame but myself. Outdoor Life, a magazine that I worked for full-time as Hunting Editor for almost 30 years, fired me yesterday. My TV show was cancelled yesterday. Many of my sponsors have issued statements on their website to sever all relationships. This may cause many of you to do backflips and dance in the streets, but, of course, I?m not laughing, nor am I looking for sympathy. I don?t want a pity party.

They say hindsight is golden. Looking back, I can?t believe I said the words ?ban? and ?terrorist? in the context that I did. I don?t know what I was thinking when I wrote that. I can explain this as sheer ignorance and an irresponsible use of words. What I?ve learned over the last few days has enlightened and amazed me. As a guy who hunts 200 days a year, does seminars on hunting, wrote for six hunting magazines, had a hunting TV show, and wrote 20 books on hunting, how could I have been so ignorant and out of touch with reality in the world of hunting and shooting?

But I was. I really can?t explain it, maybe because I just summarily dismissed the firearms in question in my mind when I saw them in magazines and catalogs. I saw one ?black? firearm in a hunting camp in all my 50 years of hunting, and I shot one last year off a boat when fishing in Alaska. To tell the truth, it was fun and I enjoyed it immensely, but I never considered one for use in hunting. I have to tell you that I have had a revelation. I?m learning that many of my pals own AR-15?s and similar firearms and indeed use them for hunting. I was totally unaware that they were being used for legitimate hunting purposes. That is the absolute truth.

My biggest regret is not the financial impact of all this. I?m almost 67 and retirement is an option. The dreadful impact here is that I inadvertently struck a spear into the hearts of the people I love most?America?s gun owners. And, even though this huge cadre of dedicated people have succeeded in stripping me of my career, I hold no grudges. I will continue to stand as firm on pro hunting as I?ve ever done. But what?s different now is that I?ll do all I can to educate others who are, or were, as ignorant as I was about ?black? rifles and the controversy that surrounds them. My promise to you is that I?ll learn all I can about these firearms, and by the time this week is out, I?ll order one. The NUGE has invited me to hunt with him using AR-15?s, and I?m eager to go, and learn. I?ll do all I can to spread the word.

I understand that many of you will not accept this apology, believing that the damage has been done and there?s no way to repair it. You have that right. But let me say this. I mentioned this above, and I?ll repeat it. I?m willing to seize this opportunity to educate hunters and shooters who shared my ignorance. If you?re willing to allow me to do that, we can indeed, in my mind, form a stronger bond within our ranks. Maybe in a roundabout way we can bring something good out of this.

Jim Zumbo





I have to admit that this apology DOES in fact seem to come from a person that IS sincere and FROM the heart. However, when it takes TWO times to get it right(this is Zumbos SECOND apology!) things really don't ring true. And I have to say it but it WASN'T until issues of finance AND personal pride started creeping into the picture that Jim had a second gut check. I bet Jim is at least in pretty good financial shape but to have your sponsors, magazine, TV show, and no telling what else jerked out from under you WOULD cause one to take a second look. It is a SHAME he didn't have this revelation during his first apology, if he would have I'm betting things wouldn't have been nearly as bad for him.