EBR enthusiasts and elitist 'pat hunters in designer hunting clothes who only hunt 'pats on Saturday with a 28 gauge being compared to Jews and Nazi's sitting down and having coffee. Now that is an offensive characterization. Now I realize the above comment was not explicitly defined that way, but that is the characterization
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grampster,
I fail to see why my comment was an offensive characterization. I used an example of opposing groups. I could have as easily said Palestinians and Jews, or Al-Qada and the Southern Baptist Conference, or ... you get the picture.
Was it offensive that I mentioned Jews? Or was it that I mentioned Nazis? Or was it that I mentioned both in the same sentence? I'm not Jewish, and I'm also not an advocate of National Socialism. Nor do I apply a value to either party in this example.
Franky, I don't disagree that we need to unite as a group. However, I WILL NOT DO SO AT THE EXPENSE OF APPEASEMENT. To extend my WWII theme, look where a policy of appeasement got Western Europe circa 1939.
Any shots across the bow came OVER OUR BOW. We were minding our own business when Zumbo had a mental hickup and wrote what he did. Petzal, like ALL Journalists, DESPISES the fact that a fellow journalist was held accountable for what he wrote. I've known too many journalists in my life, and they all share the elitist attitude that somehow they are above scrutiny for their opinions.
Sorry, I don't give free passes for journalistic license.
For the record, I AM A HUNTER, and have been since I was 7 years old. I am ALSO a "black rifle" enthusiast. I don't particulary care for non-hunting gunowners who condemn hunters, either.
The answer is NOT just saying "can't we all get along?" If you want us to come together as a united community, the anti-EBR hunters MUST be addressed. Likewise, anti-hunting gunowners MUST be addressed. Brow-beating and guilt-tripping either hunters or non-hunting gunowners is not productive, not educating, and not even ethically valid. It IS, however, putting a band-aid on a severed artery.
I will not be brow-beat or guilt-tripped for upholding my beliefs. I will not accept being passively demure for the sake of peace. I hold myself to principles-- and I expect the same of others. Disagreements can be dealt with in a public exchange, but not when one side is told NOT to express thier position.
For the record again, I accepted Zumbo's recant and subsequent actions. I trully belief he gets it and I am more than willing to welcome him back. Petzal hasn't earned that.
Len S,
I understand what you are saying. I've lived in several states over the last decade or so in following my career. I know attitudes vary GREATLY across the US. As I qualifed my statement:
While I may very well live in some mythical utopia, practically everyone around me hunts.
The more I read here and in the news, the more I realize that I DO live in that mythical utopia of Pro-Second Amendment Land.
John