Who Is Jim Zumbo?
We’ve all seen the shows where they go out on the street and show the “average” person a photo of someone famous and ask who is it? Most can’t identify Newt or Rummy if their life depended on. For some reason I believe that a couple of weeks ago if you stood inside a hunting show and asked folks who Jim Zumbo was that most couldn’t tell you a thing about him. One, or more accurately two blog posts and he is practically a household name as well as the most hated man in the outdoor industry.
What Mr. Zumbo posted certainly is not a position I would take nor care to have to defend. I believe we should vigorously defend our rights but what I’ve witnessed the last few days appears to be more of a lynching then a defending. If you believe that Mr. Zumbo is not a supporter of the second amendment one would need to question the leadership of these organizations as well as companies that have supported, hired, and associated with him over his long career. How come they didn’t know he opposed the Second Amendment?
I honestly believe the man misspoke like he said. What has happened since then is a firestorm among us gun owners and outdoor types. We made sure this man’s professional life was destroyed so he can no longer spew his anti second amendment rhetoric.
Seemed like just about everywhere gun owners gathered they were being urged to boycott his sponsors and to write in and email their displeasure for what this man said. We never gave his sponsors opportunity to wade through the issue and figure out what should be done. Over a couple of ill thought out posts we throw out all the good that Jim Zumbo has done over the years to better and improve the shooting sports.
But the Antis will use his words against us is the cry. They probably would have with limited success because most people would have no idea who Jim Zumbo is. There would of also been opportunity for a discussion around the whole topic because I’m certain that many hunters may have questions about why someone may choose to hunt with an assault rifle.
What we feared most we have now guaranteed will take place because we have educated not only those within our ranks to jump on the kick Zumbo while he is down bandwagon but also a lot more people now know about Zumbo. Unfortunately the only thing they know about him is that he is the Gun Writer that spoke out against people hunting with assault rifles.
A couple of blog posts this weekend by a man that should have known better certainly has hurt but the thousand upon thousands of emails and net posts highlighting his blunder for all the world to see will be even more costly on our second amendment rights.
His timing was remarkably bad. With the gun grabbers currently in power in Congress and the AWB rearing its ugly head, it just wasn’t a good time for an outdoor writer to add fuel to the wedge the antis try to drive between AW owners and hunters.
I think the discussion has been useful because almost every post I’ve seen on the subject talks about how the difference between a “hunting” rifle and an “assault weapon” is purely cosmetic.
To say that this is a 2nd Amendment issue is a bit beside the point. I don’t recall the 2A mentioning hunting.
People have had their careers ruined for doing much less stupid things. His “apology” was along the lines of “sorry I stirred up so much trouble.”
A better entry would have been “Sorry, I posted this blog entry from my Blackberry next to a campfire, dead drunk. I had no idea what I was saying — the sarcasm didn’t come out as I intended.”
Comment by Sauceman — February 21, 2007 @ 1:21 pm
[...] I said in an earlier post what does this say about these companies and sponsors that have far more access to these celebrities to let someone with views that are so far off the [...]
Pingback by Moose Droppings » Waiting for the Other Shoe to Fall — February 21, 2007 @ 11:07 pm
Jim Zumbo has made an error. Jim Zumbo has apologized. I for one accept the apology and say as Jesus said; “Go and sin no more.”
I will not forsake Mr. Zumbo, nor any of his sponsors. Consider all the fine and great things which Mr. Zumbo and his sponsors and publishers have brought to the hunting fraternity (and quickly becoming a sorority, also.) I will still read his articles, wherever published and purchase his books.
Again, from the Good Book, “He that is without sin, let him first cast a stone…” I cannot cast a stone. Can you?
Let us show the world hunters are an understanding lot and have forgiveness in our hearts.
Jim, I hope this email reaches you. I also hope someday to sample your cooking. I use your recipes frequently. Good Luck and God Bless.
Smith W. Dewlen, Jr.
Saint Louis MO 63114
Life Member: National Rifle Association, Gun Owners of America, Safari Club International and the Central Missouri Chapter and Gateway Chapter of SCI, NAHC, Missouri Sport Shooting Association, Second Amendment Coalition of Missouri.
Member Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.
Missouri Hunter Education Instructor.
Comment by Smith W. Dewlen, Jr. — February 22, 2007 @ 7:05 pm
A man who has promoted, educated, and defended hunting for as long as he has doesn’t deserve to have his career obliterated in a weekend. He posted something stupid, reconsidered and apologized. This whole situation is ludicrous.
Comment by Desert Rat — February 23, 2007 @ 10:23 pm
“the thousand upon thousands of emails and net posts highlighting his blunder for all the world to see will be even more costly on our second amendment rights.”
That’s so very true. Had everyone shrugged, muttered, “I wonder WTF got in to him?” and gone about their business it would have been a nonevent. Now it looks like a self-replicating catastrophe.
Comment by BirdAdvocate — February 24, 2007 @ 3:31 am
” We made sure this man’s professional life was destroyed so he can no longer spew his anti second amendment rhetoric.”
No; Mr. Zumbo did this to himself.
“But the Antis will use his words against us is the cry. They probably would have with limited success because most people would have no idea who Jim Zumbo is.”
Again Wrong; by Sunday Mr. Zumbo’s words had already appeared on the Brady Site and on a Brady Blog.
I don’t own an AR rifle, and it certainly wouldn’t be my first choice to hunt with. However, Mr. Zumbo went beyond his professional opinon of whether he thought these weapons were suitable for hunting . He went on further to classify the users of these weapons of choice in an unsightly manner by associating them with terrorists. He then said they had no place in the hunting arena and should be banned.
His apology was a joke and an ill attempt to rectify his obvious error which someone had pointed out to him. You can rest assure that Jim Zumbo meant what he said in that first blog post.
Comment by Spocahp anar — February 24, 2007 @ 12:23 pm
Jim Zumbo made a monumental mistake and fairly received just what he had coming to him. NRA, GOA, Remington Arms, Cabelas, and all the other pro-RKBA organizations were very wise to “call him” on these outrageous and unfair remarks about AR-style firearms and their owners.
Comment by Eric — February 25, 2007 @ 1:38 am
[...] as the net was getting heated up about his famed post. I had two additional posts on this topic Who is Jim Zumbo? and Waiting for the Other Shoe To Fall where I question the motives of some of those involved. I [...]
Pingback by Moose Droppings » Jim Zumbo Returns — July 4, 2007 @ 8:46 am