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.

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.

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.

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.”