Jim Zumbo appologized

[Saggin]

Tuesday night I was watching Ted Nugents show on the outdoor channel and he was showing one of his favorite weapons a Zebra stripped AR and was showing how accurate it was and telling everyone about the rifle. Well I didn't notice that the show had ended and Jim Zumbo's show had started. He was at Ted's place in Texas shooting a pink zebra stripped AR. After that he went on to apologize for some things he had said about AR type rifles and he also went someplace and took a class on the proper use of them and then said that he was ignorant and that the people that want to take one type of gun want to take all of them. I am not sure how sincere he was about this but he sure did sound like a man that had been taken behind the barn and taught a lesson.

Yesterday Jim Zumbo posted a second apology on Ted Nugent's Internet Forum. It reads as follows:

The last few days have been an educational experience, to say the least. My ill-conceived inflammatory blog, as all of you now know, set off a firestorm that, I’m told, has never before been equaled. I’m not proud of that.

Let me say this at the outset. My words here are from the heart, and all mine. No one can censor me, and I answer to no one but myself. And I have no one to blame but myself. Outdoor Life, a magazine that I worked for full-time as Hunting Editor for almost 30 years, fired me yesterday. My TV show was cancelled yesterday. Many of my sponsors have issued statements on their website to sever all relationships. This may cause many of you to do backflips and dance in the streets, but, of course, I’m not laughing, nor am I looking for sympathy. I don’t want a pity party.

They say hindsight is golden. Looking back, I can’t believe I said the words “ban” and “terrorist” in the context that I did. I don’t know what I was thinking when I wrote that. I can explain this as sheer ignorance and an irresponsible use of words. What I’ve learned over the last few days has enlightened and amazed me. As a guy who hunts 200 days a year, does seminars on hunting, wrote for six hunting magazines, had a hunting TV show, and wrote 20 books on hunting, how could I have been so ignorant and out of touch with reality in the world of hunting and shooting?

But I was. I really can’t explain it, maybe because I just summarily dismissed the firearms in question in my mind when I saw them in magazines and catalogs. I saw one “black” firearm in a hunting camp in all my 50 years of hunting, and I shot one last year off a boat when fishing in Alaska. To tell the truth, it was fun and I enjoyed it immensely, but I never considered one for use in hunting. I have to tell you that I have had a revelation. I’m learning that many of my pals own AR-15’s and similar firearms and indeed use them for hunting. I was totally unaware that they were being used for legitimate hunting purposes. That is the absolute truth.

My biggest regret is not the financial impact of all this. I’m almost 67 and retirement is an option. The dreadful impact here is that I inadvertently struck a spear into the hearts of the people I love most…America’s gun owners. And, even though this huge cadre of dedicated people have succeeded in stripping me of my career, I hold no grudges. I will continue to stand as firm on pro hunting as I’ve ever done. But what’s different now is that I’ll do all I can to educate others who are, or were, as ignorant as I was about “black” rifles and the controversy that surrounds them. My promise to you is that I’ll learn all I can about these firearms, and by the time this week is out, I’ll order one. The NUGE has invited me to hunt with him using AR-15’s, and I’m eager to go, and learn. I’ll do all I can to spread the word.

I understand that many of you will not accept this apology, believing that the damage has been done and there’s no way to repair it. You have that right. But let me say this. I mentioned this above, and I’ll repeat it. I’m willing to seize this opportunity to educate hunters and shooters who shared my ignorance. If you’re willing to allow me to do that, we can indeed, in my mind, form a stronger bond within our ranks. Maybe in a roundabout way we can bring something good out of this.

Jim Zumbo

[Old School]

There is no doubt that Zumbo was beaten. The man lost most if not all of his sponsors and his words were the Brady Bunch mantra for weeks.

[GaryTx]

Originally Posted by Old School

There is no doubt that Zumbo was beaten. The man lost most if not all of his sponsors and his words were the Brady Bunch mantra for weeks.

He got what he deserved...good riddance as far as I'm concerned.

[Ed Ely]

Goodbye Zumbo!! Forever, you da*n
wolf in sheeps' clothing.

Ed

[RudyN]

Looks like he cut his own throat. He really screwed himself up.

[Deadcenter]

Originally Posted by Ed Ely

Goodbye Zumbo!! Forever, you da*n
wolf in sheeps' clothing.

Ed

perhaps ... wolf in sheepDOGs clothing ?

[KEVWYO]

I could be wrong but I thought I saw him talking with Nugent on his show either late spring or summer about all this. The thing that tipped me off is I remember Nugent's zebra stripped AR.

[standerson]

I think you were watching a rerun. If that is the same show I'm thinking of, it's been out for sometime.

Zumbo stepped on his winkey big time. He has had years of experience in front of the camera. In this day and age, he should have known better that to have said what he did.

I'm still unsure if he is sorry for what he said or sorry for what it has cost him.

He got burnt, but he lite the match.

[rodnocker1]

Jim is back on the air, although I don't remember what channel it was. I saw his first show since all of this took place and it was called his "comeback show" or something like that. They had clips from both his time with Ted and also a defense course he took. He went on to tell where his future trips would be, so I'm guessing some of his sponsors returned.

[Arps]

Yeah, that is an old show. I think he learned his lesson, and he seems like he will be OK.