We pretty much all agree that he posted foolish and irresponsible comments. Most of us agree there should be some kind of consequences for throwing us EBR's under the bus. Since most of those decisions are already being made and are substantially out of our hands, I thought it might be interesting to see what each of us thinks Zumbo should do now.
What advice would you give Zumbo if you could? (And hopefully have him listen. ).
Should he write a more substantial apology or just try to let things blow over? If he truly figured out the underlying RKBA issue and started talking about it like he was knowledgeable instead of a hunter trying to use unfamiliar buzz words and phrases, would it make a difference for you?
Should he do more than allow Nugent to give him some kind of makeover called being upgraded and a bloodbrother? Should he come out and address other gun writers who are defending him and attacking people who are mad at Zumbo? Does Zumbo have any additional responsibilities if he's truly a gun community's representative?
What do you guys think? I think Zumbo should do more and not let Nugent be his spokesman but I'll wait to give my full opinion and give somebody else their turn at posting some comments. And Buster, you can argue this one all you want but don't hijack my thread. No crocodile feeding tales. [8D]
__________________
Jesus Christ--The reason for the season!
If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you can read this in English, thank a veteran.
If you're certain you know everything, there's little opportunity to learn anything.
I think the pro-gun fanatics now realize they threw one of their own to the lions - the damage done to pro-gun is serious, in ways not yet visible IMO.
What can Zumbo do ? If it were me in Zumbo's shoes ........ I'd probably live my life out and be thankful I had all that I had. My pro-gun and pro-hunting brothers didn't have my back when I needed them though I had theirs many times. Accept that Jim, you can't ever trust that they'll not toss you to the wolves again. In fact, NO ONE can trust pro-gun or pro-hunting again, they've made their stance pretty clear that in no circumstance will you be allowed to make a mistake - they'll NEVER back you, EVER.
So that would essentially be take his ball and go home?? I was thinking about what should Zumbo do if he wants to make amends with the people who are still insulted, rescusitate his career and regain his honor (throwing your EBR buddies under the bus isn't honorable). He could do what you propose but I don't think it would resolve anything and i doubt Zumbo really wants to stay at home and sulk. So for everybody else, what should Zumbo do?
__________________
Jesus Christ--The reason for the season!
If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you can read this in English, thank a veteran.
If you're certain you know everything, there's little opportunity to learn anything.
I think the pro-gun fanatics now realize they threw one of their own to the lions - the damage done to pro-gun is serious, in ways not yet visible IMO.
Lets see, first you don't speak for gun looneys like myself, and you admit that. But now you foresee damage, even though damage foreseen by pro-gun people from his comments are unsubstatiated and silly?
Cal, honestly, I think he needed to write better. Produce a little better quality shows. Field and Stream and outdoor life are pretty watered down mags anyway. So no place for him to fall back on.If he had a niche to fill, like Jim Shokley, or John Barsness, or Brian Pearce, he could have recovered just with time and some good articles. Even nuge could fall back on some faithful fanbase.But the difference is they actually contribute. Zumbo never did. He fed off the public and got like a fat hog off of us. And he will continue living high on the hog with the feedings he got off us.
I guess if I were Jim Zumbo, I'd pick up the ball myself and not depend on Ted Nugent to do it all.
It looks like he's unemployed now and should have some extra time so why not register on boards like this and come on with something like, "Hi guys, I'm Jim Zumbo and I'm ready to answer your questions and try to make it up to you." That might go quite a ways to rehabilitate his reputation as a gun guy.
On the other hand, we might be grateful to Jim Zumbo for shining some light on a problem that afflicts us from the inside. JIm Zumbo is not alone in the feelings he expressed. We have some misguided souls on this very site who are in complete agreement with the sentiments he originally expressed. You can also read the same kind of opinions in the Letters section of Field & Stream.
So, all in all, Zumbo has done us a favor if he has made us aware that it is in our own mutual best interest to join together and stay together.
We can talk about "assault weapons" but these people do not want to ban just assault weapons. They want to ban ALL guns. And while they're at it, aren't bows kinda dangerous too and they cause horrible pain to all those poor animals. Don't they?
Monetarily, I'm sure Zumbo could simply retire and live a very comfortable life. I'm also sure his pride won't let him do that; I know mine wouldn't. Who wants to end their career in disgrace?
But he is 67 years old. Does he have the energy that it would take to get back to where he was? It takes a lot of luck to achieve the lofty position in the industry that Zumbo had, but it also takes a lot of hard work. My feeling is that he will never be the hunting mogul that he was, and there will always be some who despise him regardless of what he tries to do to right his wrong. But I can see him regaining some respect, writing some columns, making some TV appearances and so on.
As for what it will take him to do that? I think he just needs to continue doing what he's doing: Showing that he's sincere about learning about these weapons and even promoting them. That's all you can do; some will accept it and some won't. Eventually, he'll start to win back some respect. It won't happen overnight. He's going to need the help of some of his friends in the industry to get the word out. Nugent is a good start, but he may have to rely on others as well since Nugent is seen as sort of a fringe lunatic by so many.
I think bigcountry has some good points as well. Zumbo was very successful, but he never really achieved the icon status of folks like Shockley. For everyone who liked Zumbo, there was someone who didn't like him, and a lot of people didn't even know who he was until his slip-up; Put more simply, I guess, he never really endeared himself to hunters and shooters. With his fall, there wasn't really a void left. There are plenty of others that can and will step up and fill the shoes he left, whereas if someone like a Jim Shockley or even one of these young whippersnappers like a Michael Waddell had fallen from the good graces of hunters and shooters, there would have been a more noticeable void and plenty of people anxiously awaiting their comeback. How many are anxiously awaiting the comeback of Zumbo? Not so many, I'd wager.
I think he's paid for his sin. If he can stage a late-career comeback now, good for him.
__________________
We must be the change we wish to see in the world -- Ghandi
http://www.rightminded.net
Calhunter - you assume there is something Zumbo can do ? He's been ostercized by his gun adn hunting community, you think after being abandoned by them he'd WANT to come back ?
Lets assume he does break his 67 year old back and do everything he can to restore himself. Assume he does ........ the very first time he makes any error at all, and I mean just a little teeny weeny one, the gun and hunting communtity will rip his career down again.
But hell hath no fury like an assault rifle owner scorned, and they weren't finished zumboing Zumbo yet. The NRA jumped into the ring like an outlaw tag-team wrestler. It suspended all ties with Zumbo and alerted its minions in Congress to pay close attention to Zumbo's fate.
A threatened boycott of Remington Arms, a longtime Zumbo sponsor, produced an instant divorce. Zumbo apologized profusely and promised to go hunting immediately with an assault rifle, but nothing short of his professional ruin would appease the incensed gun owners. It looks as if they have succeeded.
The losers lost more than the winners won in this ugly episode. Print and broadcast outlets that should have stood behind Zumbo based on clear First Amendment principles allowed themselves to be brow-beaten by a Second Amendment lynch mob. So much for protecting the Constitution.
Yeah, if I was Zumbo, I'd be more than happy to live out the rest of my days on my mountain estate, hunting with my buddies from work, having many Blue Moons with a wedge of Orange, leaving the gun nuts to drown in their own self-loathing, and squeal with joy as they scramble to do damage control.
I'd be content to go down in history as the guy who "went down" for something that he believed in, even though he didn't "go down" at all - simply forced into a slightly early retirement to his vast mountain estate. **gasp**
Truth is, Zumbo realizes that the ball's in his court now, and he knows that in the court of public opinion, he looks like the innocent victim of manic paranoia among the NRA faithful. If I was him, I'd remain deafeningly silent from here on out, sporting a smile a mile-wide.
What Does Zumbo Need To Do?
).
