Cowboy Blob's Saloon and Shootin Gallery

I'm not a real Cowboy, but I play one in the movies.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Don't Be a Martyr, Jimbo

Jim Zumbo,

In comments to your "apology" (in the now-defunct blog), I wrote that I forgive you for your slurs, because that was the Christian thing to do, but I'd never trust you again. It's been pointed out that Catholics aren't "Christians," so allow me to re-posture my forgiving in a paradigm more in line with the faith to which I marginally belong.

Catholics perform something called the Act of Contrition (believe me, your apology didn't sound very contrite) whereby, after they confess their sins, they do penance (usually a series a prayers) asking for forgiveness. I won't pretend to speak for the thousands of other defenders of American freedoms who were so upset by your words, but allow me to suggest a penance that might return you to their good graces.

1. Keep blogging, even if you have to start at the bottom. Blogger/Blogspot is free! Good writers will get readers; sponsors may follow. I know a few thousand guys and girls who'll be reading you just to keep a wary eye on you, so you might start under a pseudonym at first.

2. Return to humble beginnings afield. Hunt on public lands on your own dime, preferably with working-class companions, and a WalMart-grade firearm. If you don't have any working class friends, make some. Try a small Rod & Gun Club with more Ford and Chevy pickups in the parking lot than Range Rovers and high-end SUVs. This should aerate the "vacuum" you've been living in.

3. Check out some High-Power Rifle and 3-Gun Matches; participate in a few. You'll meet some good people and see some good guns, even black plastic ones. Not a terrorist in the bunch, I'll bet.

4. Take a tour of Gunsite or any of the other fine training schools that offer a battle rifle course. You'll get an good eyeful of AR/AK-format rifles and hundreds of decent, law-abiding Americans drilling with them for duty or fun.

5. Strive to heal the rift between "Fuddite" elitist hunters and those who use firearms for defense and sports other than hunting.

6. Blog 1 through 5. Rinse, Lather, Repeat.

7. If any of the previous forms are beneath you, please fade to obscurity and enjoy the life left to you. We'd rather have you back in the fold. I wish you a long life, either way.

Don't:
1. Become a Lord HawHaw or Tokyo Rose for the Brady Campaign.
2. Despair.

For any of you offended by the imagery of my graphic, it already had the Barrett .50 in it, so it wasn't particularly holy to begin with. As to my allegory...I'm saying my Hail Marys already.

10 Comments:

  • At 9:43 AM, Blogger Kevin said…

    EXCELLENT post.

     
  • At 10:14 AM, Blogger John R said…

    Agreed, that was good advice.

     
  • At 10:59 AM, Blogger Porta's Cat said…

    my thoughts, exactly.

     
  • At 11:42 AM, Blogger Paul said…

    Shouldn't it be Lather, Rinse, Repeat?

    Excellent post, but I have the feeling he's not going to try to break back into the community that he probably feels lost him his career.

     
  • At 11:58 AM, Blogger The Conservative UAW Guy said…

    Good advice, Cowboy.
    You are more forgiving than I, but I'm working on it...

     
  • At 1:13 PM, Blogger NotClauswitz said…

    Penance is good but the High and Mighty usually just go into rehab for a ritual cleansing - hope it works out for him somehow, maybe he'll meet Brittany.

     
  • At 3:36 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Of course, for heinous & public sins, nothing beats ashes & sack-cloth after Confession.

    Good writing!

     
  • At 5:04 PM, Blogger Xavier said…

    Excellent post C'boy!

     
  • At 6:32 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Well, sound judgement.

    Cleaning every m-16 rifle for the Wyoming National Guard would be good penance. Then GOD will surely bless him and us shooters will also! All is not lost for Zumbo.

     
  • At 5:53 PM, Blogger 2ndWatcher said…

    I feel that if the man is sincere, than apology accepted.


    We have all done stupid things in the past and learned from our mistakes.


    I'll wager he will double check anything he posts prior to hitting the “Send” button.


    If Dianne Feinstein, Charles Schumer and Ted Kennedy were to dress is ashes and sackcloth and publicly beg for forgiveness over their transgressions against the 2nd Amendment on the steps of the Capitol, perhaps I would be inclined to offer my hand in friendship and let bygones be bygones.


    Or perhaps not, some past actions are unforgivable!

     

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