A Cautionary Tale
Yes, it's a cautionary tale. Another blogger hits the dust. No, I don't mean that poor young guy in Egypt sentenced to four years in prison for criticizing the state and Hosni Mubarek. That is, after all, a repressive society, one that doesn't extend rights and freedoms to its citizens and there are certain risks to bringing attention to one's political discontent in dictatorships.No, this is different. Sure, it's still a tale of blogging, whereby a blogger brought attention to his views much beyond his expectations. He was being honest, and in a sense courageous too. It was his ethical outrage that did him in. He knew of what he spoke, after all. This is a man, an outdoors entrepreneur extraordinaire who had the respect and the keen listening ear of a whole lot of people.
He starred in cable television shows about big-game hunting in the western U.S., he had a top-rated weekly television program on the Outdoor Channel. And he had a lifelong career with Outdoor Life magazine. He had corporate ties to the biggest names in gunmaking, including Remington Arms Co. He was often a highly respected spokesperson for the National Rifle Association.
Aye, and there's the rub. Remington has cut off all ties with Jim Zumbo now, he's on his own. Members of the National Rifle Association of which he has been a member for 40 years are out for blood. He transgressed. In a moment of personal ire he wrote that which he did. Frustration and anger over peoples' idiocies and stupidities sometimes has that effect on people.
And, it would seem, he is a reasonably intelligent man. How else could he possibly have constructed such an illuminated career for himself, so carefully and lovingly over the course of his lifetime with his passion for the out of doors? Gone, all gone. All come crashing down in the virtual blink of an eyebrow. That's all it takes, after all, for someone to access a popular blog like his on the Outdoor Life website.
Imagine the incredulous gun worshippers reading a snippet like this: "Excuse me, maybe I'm a traditionalist, but I see no place for these weapons among our hunting fraternity" Mr. Zumbo wrote indignantly. "I'll go further," he continued "and call them 'terrorist' rifles."
No kidding, he wrote that. He so very publicly criticized the use of military-style assault rifles by hunters. Aiming in particular at all those brave, manly hunters with prairie dogs in their sights.
Crow anyone? It's entirely possible they also shot at crows with these assault weapons. Now it's Mr. Zumbo eating crow. Humble pie. Apologizing mightily, abnegating himself completely. "I was tired and exhausted", he wrote, "and I should have gone to bed early."
But he didn't. He wrote what he honestly felt. Atta boy.
Now, NRA members in their thousands are calling the wrath of God down on this man's head. His television program is no more, his career with Outdoor Life magazine has evaporated, his corporate ties with Remington Arms - terminated. No big surprise; the NRA pointed to his unfortunate career collapse as an example to anyone who might wish to challenge the right of Americans to own assault-type firearms.
The NRA even has the incredible audacity to address Congress directly by warning them, "Our folks fully understand tha their rights are at stake", letting it be known that the 'grassroots' passion that responded to and ruined Mr. Zumbo's life's work is a good indication that millions of people would "resist with an immense singular political will any attempts to create a new ban on semi-automatic firearms."
Because of his business alliance with Remington, NRA members began a boycott of that country's estimable wares. And the panicked company put out their chief executive front and centre to issue a personal appeal against such a boycott: "Rest assured that Remington not only does not support Mr. Zumbo's view, we totally disagree." Yes indeed.
Why, said Remington's CEO, "I proudly own ARs and support everyone's right to do so!"
Labels: Political Realities
posted by Pieface @ Sunday, February 25, 2007
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