GRA: OUTDOORS and FREE by Bob Harris

BOB HARRIS
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Outdoors and Free
Volume 2, Issue 3

Hunting and Fishing Bill of Rights and Responsibilities?
By BOB HARRIS
Outdoors and Free
Friday, November 23, 2007

There is no doubt that the presidential election coming up in 2008 will be the most critical in our history for sportsmen/women and all law-abiding firearms owners If the wrong candidate gets elected as president, our Second Amendment rights could very well vanish. It will be extremely important to know where candidates stand concerning our rights to own and use firearms. We need to be sure and vote when the time comes. I recently received the following news release from the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA). The news release was dated November 16, 2007.

"In an attempt to camouflage and deflect criticism from his anti-gun, anti-sportsmen record, former U.S. Senator and current Democrat presidential hopeful, John Edwards (D-NC), last month proposed a ‘Hunting and Fishing Bill of Rights and Responsibilities‘."

"Edwards was recently interviewed by Field & Stream magazine regarding his proposal, provoking heated debate about the former Senator’s true record on issues of concern to gun owners and sportsmen/women. In responding to the statements Edwards made in the interview, NRA-ILA Executive Director, Chris Cox, sent the following letter to the editor of Field & Stream to set the record straight:"

"We all know that during political campaigns, candidates try to present the public with only those images they want them to see. It is up to the voters to figure out who the candidates really are. This is particularly true in presidential politics, making it even more important to look beyond the spin and find the truth."

"In a recent story released by Field & Stream, Presidential candidate John Edwards posed as a supporter of gun owners and hunters. This is a complete political fabrication. The readers of Field & Stream deserve to know the truth about John Edwards."

"Even a brief look at Edwards’ voting record from his single term in the U.S. Senate shows that he is no friend of gun owners or sportsmen. Edwards voted to regulate gun shows out of existence and to renew Bill Clinton’s sweeping gun ban, that the National Academy of Sciences reported did nothing to curb crime. Edwards opposed the ‘Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act’ that protects America’s firearms industry from reckless lawsuits designed to bankrupt them. Edwards apparently believes that gun makers, which hunters depend on for their firearms, should be at the mercy of anti-gun mayors like Michael Bloomberg, who want to use the courts to make guns unavailable to the average American."

"Edwards, of course, ran on the ticket with John Kerry at a time when Kerry had sponsored legislatioin that would have banned common semi-automatic hunting shotguns, like the Remington 1100, browning Auto-5 and Benelli SBE. His running mate told America’s hunters that they could not be trusted with these ‘assault weapons‘."

"When voted on the Senate floor in 2000 to commend the ‘Million Mom March’ gun-ban crowed for its anti-freedom efforts, was he commending them for their loud calls for gun registration and gun owner licensing? Was he applauding their agenda of gun bans, long waiting periods and gun purchase limits?"

"Hunters know that for our hunting heritage to survive, the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms must be protected from politicians like John Edwards. Wearing a camo jacket for one weekend during an election year does not make John Edwards a sportsman. Voting for anti-gun legislation time after time does make John Edwards an enemy of gun ownership."

"John Edwards knows that educated and motivated firearms owners and hunters defeated the Kerry/Edwards ticket in 2004. Now he wants to hide is true record to avoid that fate in 2008. He can try to hide behind campaign promises and well-worded spin, but we will not forget his real record. It is time for politicians like John Edwards to finally learn that they will be measured by their actions and not their words."

Bob Harris can be reached via e-mail at: outwriter2@aol.com

Past Columns >>>

2007
> Bob Harris 11-16-07: Blood Finder of New Hampshire Is A Great Help To Hunters
> Bob Harris 11-09-07: Hunters Can Help the N.H. Food Bank to Feed the Hungry
> Bob Harris 11-02-07: 2007 New Hampshire Moose Hunt Big Success
> Bob Harris 10-26-07: New Hampshire Archery Deer Kill, to Date, Is The Highest In 9 Years
> Bob Harris 10-19-07: Non-Hunters Can Enjoy the Woodlands During Hunting Season, Too
> Bob Harris 10-12-07: Fall turkey shotgun season is here
> Bob Harris 10-05-07: Trouble at Glen Lake
> Bob Harris 09-28-07: Are You Ready for Pheasant Season?
> Bob Harris 09-21-07: A Dangerous Assault On Our Second Amendment Rights
> Bob Harris 09-14-07: Cyanobacteria - No Luck O’ the Irish here
> Bob Harris 09-07-07: Upland Bird Hunting and The Dogs Used To Roust Them
> Bob Harris 08-31-07: Largemouth Bass virus found in Lake Winnipesaukee
> Bob Harris 08-24-07: Farewell To Fish and Game Executive Director Lee Perry
> Bob Harris 08-17-07: Time to sign up for a Hunter Education course
> Bob Harris 08-10-07: Another invasive algae threatens New Hampshire waters
> Bob Harris 08-03-07: Crappie fishing in New Hampshire
> Bob Harris 07-27-07: Lake Winnisquam to get public boat access site
> Bob Harris 07-20-07: Hearing set for proposed 2008 Freshwater Fishing rules
> Bob Harris 07-13-07: Good fishing luck only comes to those who believe
> Bob Harris 07-06-07: Hunters have a chance to take an additional antlerless deer in WMU "M"
> Bob Harris 06-29-07: Courtesy is a MUST at the boat launch
> Bob Harris 06-22-07: What’s happening in New Jersey could happen in New Hampshire
> Bob Harris 06-15-07: Check Your Watercraft Thoroughly Before Launching
> Bob Harris 06-08-07: The HSUS Isn’t What You Think It Is
> Bob Harris 06-01-07: River bass are powerful
> Bob Harris 05-25-07: A website for outdoors women
> Bob Harris 05-18-07: Vicious attack by a butterfly
> Bob Harris 05-11-07: The Mini-Tandem Streamer
> Bob Harris 05-04-07: Tandem Streamers - The Size Counts
> Bob Harris 04-27-07: Come Have Fun at N. H. Fish and Game’s All-Fish Exposition
> Bob Harris 04-20-07: Trout ponds open April 28th
> Bob Harris 04-13-07: Come and enjoy "Discover Wild New Hampshire Day"
> Bob Harris 04-06-07: It's time to enjoy landlocked salmon fishing
> Bob Harris 03-30-07: New Hampshire Fish and Game Executive Director Will Be Missed
> Bob Harris 03-23-07: Turkey hunting seminar April 14th
> Bob Harris 03-16-07: The most sweeping gun ban ever introduced in Congress
> Bob Harris 03-09-07: A backdoor assault on our right-to-carry in New Hampshire
> Bob Harris 03-02-07: A call to action on Fish & Game funding
> Bob Harris 02-23-07: Come Enjoy the 5th Annual Fly-Fish New Hampshire Show
> Bob Harris 02-16-07: Snowshoe Hare Hunting Workshop Offered by N.N Fish and Game Department
> Bob Harris 02-09-07: Need to ride snowmobiles responsibly and safely
> Bob Harris 02-02-07: The joys of wildlife watching and photography
> Bob Harris 01-26-07: Many New Hampshire waters are open for fishing year-round
> Bob Harris 01-19-07: Tell Governor John Lynch you care about Fish and Game funding
> Bob Harris 01-12-07: Come and Enjoy the 31st Toyota Eastern Fishing & Outdoor Exposition
> Bob Harris 01-05-07: Fox television joins movement to ban trapping

2006
> Bob Harris 12-29-06: A successful year for deer hunters
> Bob Harris 12-22-06: Marine fisheries law enforcement activities increased in 2006
> Bob Harris 12-15-06: December - a beautiful time for pheasant hunting
> Bob Harris 12-08-06: The ice will be coming. Be ready, be safe.
> Bob Harris 12-01-06: Let's all help support the NH Fish & Game department
> Bob Harris 11-24-06: The bear facts
> Bob Harris 11-17-06: Become a volunteer ice fishing instructor
> Bob Harris 11-10-06: Take a kid hunting this fall

> About Bob Harris