Outdoor Life's Jim Zumbo comes out of the closet

[HankB]

He has the right to his opinion.

That's right, First Amendment and all. There's no danger that he'll be hauled off in chains and jailed for what he wrote, so his rights are intact.

But you know something? We are perfectly free to cancel subscriptions to Outdoor Life, stop buying Remington products* or those of any other manufacturer Zumbo is associated with, and otherwise express our displeasure via non-violent means. You see, the REST of us have rights, too, and the First Amendment doesn't guarantee anyone an audience or a forum.




* - but since Remington promptly did the right thing, I'm more inclined to buy something of theirs now than I was before this brouhaha. Kudos to Remington for doing the right thing - I may just pick up a box of .45 Golden Sabers on the way home.

[cosine]

If they don't have statements from gun-writers to use, won't they make up some other crud?  And don't they have enough support from "credible" people who fear EBRs? 

I think it's an issue of legitimization. If the anti's make up inaccurate or biased statements, it is easy to show that they did so and thus (hopefully) discredit them. If such statements come from a fellow gun owner, (not even necessarily an advocate of the RKBA, just a "hunter" gun owner), the anti's can always point back and say, "See, it came from them first! Here it is, directly from gun owners themselves!" Thus a certain aura of legitimization and credibility is lent to the anti's position.

[Perd Hapley]

I know cosine, but still...

We'll see, I guess.

[The Rabbi]

It's too late. He was a "professional" who opened his big fat mouth, and now the Brady Foundation is running with it. The damage is done. If anything could get the AWB II out of committee, this could. This was the writing equivalent of a negligent discharge that's seriously wounded a bystander. There's a price to pay for doing that, no excuses.

And his "apology" wasn't. It was "ohhh, I'm patriotic because I fly the flag..." HE DID NOT APOLOGIZE FOR CALLING ME A TERRORIST.

Bullsh*t. He can rot in hell.

Q: Has anyone outside the hunting world ever heard of Jim Zumbo?
A:No.
Q: What kind of authority does he have in the larger world?
A: None.

So why does anyone think his stupid comments will propel another AWB?  Yeah, Brady et al picked up on it but so what?
The incident is over.  He's paid the price for thoughtlessness.  Time to move on.

[Harold Tuttle]

One of the blackrifle battles we have fought in Maryland
is to prove to the legislature that ARs & AKs are legitimate for hunting.

Now I know that the 2nd amendment is about non feathered turkey hunting
but,

The thesis of the Anti's rants have been there is no Sporting purpose for Black Rifles

As a gun industry spokesperson, Zumbo just legitimized the Brady's case.

[Cosmoline]

(sigh)  So you desire the nomenclature "assault weapon?"  Do you want to talk about bayonet mounts?

Irrelevant.

Point remains the same.

NO!  Not irrelevant.  "Assault weapon" is not the "desired nomenclature" of anyone here!  It's a political definition foisted on us by the AWB.  Prior to that bill the term had no meaning.  The "Assault Weapon" is simply a semiautomatic firearm that looks scary to the weak minded.  And your point is nonsense.  These "assault weapons"--semiautomatic firearms that look scary--are, in point of FACT, not used by terrorists or military forces.  

[wmenorr67]

Rabbi, no one said that his comments would propel another AWB but they do give them a little more ammo to work with.

[The Rabbi]

Rabbi, no one said that his comments would propel another AWB but they do give them a little more ammo to work with.

You can always find something to bolster your cause.  But calling for his head on a plate is counterproductive imo.

[Perd Hapley]

Rabbi, no one said that his comments would propel another AWB but they do give them a little more ammo to work with.

You can always find something to bolster your cause.  But calling for his head on a plate is counterproductive imo.

No.  He needs to know that he ticked off half his readership. 

[The Rabbi]

Rabbi, no one said that his comments would propel another AWB but they do give them a little more ammo to work with.

You can always find something to bolster your cause.  But calling for his head on a plate is counterproductive imo.

No.  He needs to know that he ticked off half his readership. 

I strongly suspect he knows that by now.

[Brad Johnson]

FYI - the link at the beginning of this thread goes nowhere now.  Don't know if the site was overloaded or they pulled the page entirely.

Plus, the thread on this over at THR is about to top 500 replies.   

Brad

[Perd Hapley]

Calling for his head on a plate is counterproductive imo.

No.  He needs to know that he ticked off half his readership. 

I strongly suspect he knows that by now.

Yes, because we called for his head on a platter. 

[wmenorr67]

Brad, OL pulled his entire blog due to the controversy surrounding the blog.  I posted OL post about it on page 3 of this thread.

[Manedwolf]

If Remington broke off all sponsorship, that means the TV show on Outdoor Channel is gone, too, since it was "Remington Presents Jim Zumbo".

Maybe they can instead put on a special hosted by someone else, featuring people hunting with ARs, AKs and SKS's.

[charby]

If Remington broke off all sponsorship, that means the TV show on Outdoor Channel is gone, too, since it was "Remington Presents Jim Zumbo".

Maybe they can instead put on a special hosted by someone else, featuring people hunting with ARs, AKs and SKS's.

I'd host a show called budget hunters. Guys that hunt local game with military surplus or firearms bought at big box stores.

[Ron]

I would say it is safe to say his career is over. He is radioactive.

The piling on is in poor form and taste.

He has already paid the price for his words. The Remington sponsorship alone  was enough. I find the bloodlust distasteful, it plays into the negative stereotypes about gun owners and the right in general.

If he wants to work at redeeming himself with the whole shooting world then I say give the man a chance.

He was an elitist who got knocked down a couple pegs, good. Maybe he can be used as a bridge between us and them to strengthen our cause.

Destroying the man for spite might feel good but does us no service but a disservice.

[Manedwolf]

I'd like to see a target match show of milsurp vs. custom $$$$ job.

Rem 700's, etc...vs AKs, AK sporters like Saigas, AR's, M-14's and FALS.

The final rounds would be a K-31 against a custom-tuned $2000 sort. 200, 300 yards or more, first scope, then IRON SIGHTS. 

Also, perhaps an "EXTREME ENDURANCE DEERHUNTING" sort of show...take all the guns out in the most horrible conditions in the field, hiking, falling in the mud, etc...and see which still shoot. Bet you the AK variants will.

As for Dumbo:

He has already paid the price for his words. The Remington sponsorship alone  was enough. I find the bloodlust distasteful, it plays into the negative stereotypes about gun owners and the right in general.

I found the bloodlust of his wanton not-for-food killing of coyotes and other predators like jaguars distateful, but respected his right to hunt. He didn't respect my right to have an AK. So hell yes, there's serious schadenfreude going on.

[Antibubba]

Pulling a Zumbo

Yes, the piling on is distasteful.  But it is necessary.  As Ron said, the man is radioactive.  His career as a hunting and gun rag writer is over.  But can anyone think of another incident, another reaction this immediate and strong?  I can't.  Maybe I'm overanalyzing it, but maybe, just maybe, we're seeing the wall of separation between "gunnies" and hunters melting.  Wingshooters, trap and skeeters, muzzleloaders, and sportsmen, are starting to wake up to the idea that it isn't about "assault weapons" and EBRs, but every single firearm in private hands.  We are all threatened.

And if the O/U crowd still looks down at us?  Fine--but I'll bet they'll bite their tongues, lest they "Pull a Zumbo".  Because if we do not hang together, we shall surely hang separately--but the Zumbo will hang first--we will see to it.

[HankB]

If he wants to work at redeeming himself with the whole shooting world then I say give the man a chance.

The only way he will be able to do that is to become an ardent supporter of EBRs and other politically-correct firearms, in much the same way that some former Democrats (such as Ronald Reagan) abandoned their original party and became a force within the GOP.

Can he, will he, make the effort? We'll see, but as you said, he's going to have to work at redeeming himself, and undoing the damage that he did. The "Oops, I got caught with my hand in the cookie jar" apology on his blog just doesn't make the cut . . . makes one wonder about his sincerity.