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25,277 Posts
Yeah, those "apologies" sure did a lot of good with the anti-gunners, huh?<br>
<br>
[Congressional Record: March 20, 2007 (Senate)]<br>
[Page S3347-S3348]<br>
<br>
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]<br>
[DOCID:cr20mr07-117]<br>
<br>
ASSAULT WEAPONS<br>
<br>
Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, the National Rifle Association leadership<br>
has stated repeatedly that a ban on assault weapons is ineffective and<br>
unnecessary. They assert that guns labeled as assault weapons are<br>
rarely used in violent crimes and that most people use them for<br>
hunting. However, despite these repeated assertions, the list of<br>
<br>
[[Page S3348]]<br>
<br>
people speaking out against assault weapons continues to grow.<br>
Jim Zumbo, an outdoors entrepreneur who lives in a log cabin near<br>
Yellowstone National Park, has spent much of his life writing for<br>
prominent outdoor magazines, delivering lectures across the country and<br>
who starred in a highly rated TV show about big-game hunting. Jim has<br>
been an NRA member for 40 years, and, according to his Web site, has<br>
appeared with NRA officials in 70 cities across the country. This<br>
relationship changed drastically when Jim expressed his commonsense <br>
opinion on assault weapons.<br>
<br>
Last month, after learning that some hunters were using assault<br>
weapons to hunt prairie dogs, Jim expressed his thoughts in his<br>
personal blog on the Outdoor Life magazine website. He wrote:<br>
<br>
Maybe I'm a traditionalist, but I see no place for these<br>
weapons among our hunting fraternity. I'll go so far as to<br>
call them ``terrorist rifles.''<br>
<br>
He continued by stating that in his:<br>
<br>
. . . humble opinion, these things have no place in<br>
hunting. We don't need to be lumped into the group of people<br>
who terrorize the world with them, which is an obvious<br>
concern. I've always been comfortable with the statement that<br>
hunters don't use assault rifles. We've always been proud of<br>
our ``sporting firearms.''<br>
<br>
The reaction from NRA officials was swift and callous. They<br>
immediately severed all ties with Mr. Zumbo. His TV program on the<br>
Outdoor Channel was canceled, and his longtime career with Outdoor Life<br>
magazine ended. In addition, many of his corporate ties to the biggest<br>
names in gun making, such as Remington Arms Co., were terminated.<br>
Jim Zumbo has worked for years to improve the image of outdoorsmen.<br>
As he put it:<br>
<br>
As hunters, we don't need the image of walking around the<br>
woods carrying one of these weapons. To most of the public,<br>
an assault rifle is a terrifying thing. Let's divorce<br>
ourselves from them. I say game departments should ban them<br>
from the prairies and woods.<br>
<br>
We all owe Jim Zumbo a debt of gratitude for his forthrightness, his<br>
honesty and his courage. We must put the safety of our communities<br>
first by taking up and passing sensible gun legislation that includes<br>
renewing the assault weapons ban.<br>
<br>
<br>
[Congressional Record: March 20, 2007 (Senate)]<br>
[Page S3347-S3348]<br>
<br>
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]<br>
[DOCID:cr20mr07-117]<br>
<br>
ASSAULT WEAPONS<br>
<br>
Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, the National Rifle Association leadership<br>
has stated repeatedly that a ban on assault weapons is ineffective and<br>
unnecessary. They assert that guns labeled as assault weapons are<br>
rarely used in violent crimes and that most people use them for<br>
hunting. However, despite these repeated assertions, the list of<br>
<br>
[[Page S3348]]<br>
<br>
people speaking out against assault weapons continues to grow.<br>
Jim Zumbo, an outdoors entrepreneur who lives in a log cabin near<br>
Yellowstone National Park, has spent much of his life writing for<br>
prominent outdoor magazines, delivering lectures across the country and<br>
who starred in a highly rated TV show about big-game hunting. Jim has<br>
been an NRA member for 40 years, and, according to his Web site, has<br>
appeared with NRA officials in 70 cities across the country. This<br>
relationship changed drastically when Jim expressed his commonsense <br>
opinion on assault weapons.<br>
<br>
Last month, after learning that some hunters were using assault<br>
weapons to hunt prairie dogs, Jim expressed his thoughts in his<br>
personal blog on the Outdoor Life magazine website. He wrote:<br>
<br>
Maybe I'm a traditionalist, but I see no place for these<br>
weapons among our hunting fraternity. I'll go so far as to<br>
call them ``terrorist rifles.''<br>
<br>
He continued by stating that in his:<br>
<br>
. . . humble opinion, these things have no place in<br>
hunting. We don't need to be lumped into the group of people<br>
who terrorize the world with them, which is an obvious<br>
concern. I've always been comfortable with the statement that<br>
hunters don't use assault rifles. We've always been proud of<br>
our ``sporting firearms.''<br>
<br>
The reaction from NRA officials was swift and callous. They<br>
immediately severed all ties with Mr. Zumbo. His TV program on the<br>
Outdoor Channel was canceled, and his longtime career with Outdoor Life<br>
magazine ended. In addition, many of his corporate ties to the biggest<br>
names in gun making, such as Remington Arms Co., were terminated.<br>
Jim Zumbo has worked for years to improve the image of outdoorsmen.<br>
As he put it:<br>
<br>
As hunters, we don't need the image of walking around the<br>
woods carrying one of these weapons. To most of the public,<br>
an assault rifle is a terrifying thing. Let's divorce<br>
ourselves from them. I say game departments should ban them<br>
from the prairies and woods.<br>
<br>
We all owe Jim Zumbo a debt of gratitude for his forthrightness, his<br>
honesty and his courage. We must put the safety of our communities<br>
first by taking up and passing sensible gun legislation that includes<br>
renewing the assault weapons ban.<br>
<br>