USA Today -- Rifle Maker Bounces Boss Who Supports Obama
Proof that gun-nuts are nuttier than pecan pie.
"Montana gunsmith Dan Cooper has been ousted as chief executive of the rifle company that bears his name after pressure from gun owners who are angry that he is supporting Democrat Barack Obama."
He explains that he is backing Obama "probably because of the war. And also because the Republican Party has moved so far right in recent years." He likes Obama's message about "retooling America, which involves the building of middle class jobs and helping American small business be competitive with those overseas."
This sounds like good common sense reasoning coming from a man who started his own small business (Cooper Firearms employs 38 people). But I guess good reasoning doesn't count for anything when your business is making rifles.
Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer defended Cooper and "was disturbed by the backlash against Cooper. 'It's the silly season,' Schweitzer said. 'There are people who have partisan interests here, and they are using the gun issue. Three weeks from now these bloggers are going to wake up, look under their bed and see that their gun is still there.'"
Gun Rights are a hot-button issue, one of many emotionally laced issues that the GOP has harnessed to drive single issue voters to the polls. But it is not an issue that separates the two presidential candidates this time around and gun control does not infringe on a person's right to hunt. It is sad to see that a hunting enthusiast like Dan Cooper who sees the big picture and issues other than gun rights is forced to take one for his company because Republican gun-nuts and the NRA can't stand dissension in the ranks.
-
Mmm... Pecan Pie.
11 comments:
Unfortunately, Obama's particular breed of gun control would infringe upon hunting capabilities. He has already supported an "armor piercing ammunition" ban that could easily stand to eliminate all calibers capable of penetratining any body armor. Given that Type I body armor (the lowest variant) is only designed to stop .22 caliber bullets, you can imagine what that would do to the hunting industry (and thus Cooper Firearm's customer base).
Furthermore, the Second Amendment is not solely about hunting, nor is it solely about recreation, nor solely about self-defense, nor solely about any particular topic at all. It covers a wide variety of different aspects of firearm ownerships, and Obama has already professed his opposition of most of those. That he supports hunting (in name and word only, not action) is good on him, but that he opposes every other application of the Second Amendment makes him a hypocrite at best.
As for dissention, Mr. Cooper is more than welcome to profess whatever political stance he so desires. He can support the resurrection of a zombified Stalin to run for President, for all I care. However, I will not allow my money to be given to a man (by way of his corporation) who will simply divert that money onwards to another man intent on abridging my rights. And, given that this is still a free market (at least for the time being), that, too, is my right, just like it was Mr. Cooper's right to say what he pleases.
Actions have consequences. 'Nuff said.
What? Stalin? You have got to grow a brain my friend and stop sleeping with that .22. America is a better place then that. OK so because you make armor piercing bullets, does that mean you can shoot "normal" rounds.
The last time I saw a deer with body armor it was a in Disney cartoon. Correct me if I am wrong wild animals are made of hair and muscle? Which do not require any type of armor piercing rounds.
OK McPalin, will should insult your intellect. After all, you would not have to think for yourself anymore.
At least you would still be able to sleep well with your guns still under your bed.
This type of *h@t drives me crazy. Some of my best friend are avid hunters. Please use you head, not your guns.
You obviously did not read what I said - most "normal" hunting rounds can penetrate body armor. .30-03, .308, .300 Win Mag, .223, .30-06, .270 - all of those calibers, and more, are "normal", common hunting calibers, and every single one of them can penetrate one (or more) types of body armor. And every single one of them could be banned under this proposed armor-piercing ammunition regulation. Oh, and Cooper Firearms builds firearms capable of shooting those rounds... for which there would not be much of a market, should that legislation come to pass.
I am not sure you should talk about trying to insult other people's intellect when your own sentence and grammatical structure routinely makes no sense whatsoever, or when you know so little on the topic you are trying to argue.
Sadly, I do not have a .22 at the moment, though I should probably correct that in the future. And my concealed carry pistol is beside my bed when I sleep, not under or in it.
I don't own any firearms, don't hunt and don't plan to at least anytime soon, so I guess I don't get the controversy here and will not pretend I can have an opinion on it.
However, I am not sure about where Stalin comes in the story. Are you sure you know who you're talking about?
Claire - my comment concerning Stalin was something called a "hypothetical situation". I was merely illustrating that I do not care who Mr. Cooper decides to support politically - he could, if he so wanted, support electing a zombified Stalin to the office of President, and I would not really care either way. It would be a bit odd, I confess, but I was aiming for something of a hyperbole to go with the hypothetical (gotta love alliterations). I was not, however, attempting to draw parallels between Obama and Stalin... why, do you think Obama looks zombified? :)
On a more positive note. check out the http://www.hook.tv/ site. Let go fishing and enjoy America while we can.
Mr. linoge,
Lets get real here. Anytime that ANY constitutional right is taken or threatened we ALL suffer. I do not care if you are talking guns, privacy, etc. By the way, I believe that none of MY/OUR rights have ever been insulted as much as over the last eight years. Thanks to Bushman!
Also, lets talk about the ZOMBIFIED nonsense. If you want to see a zombi check out that guy in Arizona and his mannerisms.
Face it life if more important then to spend so much time enthralled in one aspect of life.
If you do not mean to draw comparisons then do not use comparison in the first place.
Flycaster, your reading comprehension is sorely lacking. Nowhere in my first post did I draw any comparisons whatsoever. I was using what is commonly referred to as a "hypothetical situation" to help illustrate a point. I was not, repeat - not, drawing a comparison, despite your incessant and inaccurate claims to the contrary.
Had I known that you were incapable of wrapping your head around such a difficult concept, I would have avoided it, and stuck to using monosyllabic words instead.
Furthermore, you are in absolutely no position of determining how much of my life is enthralled in any particular aspect of anything. You are drawing a baseless, inaccurate, and inherently unsound assumption, and, in this particular case, have managed to make a complete ass out of yourself.
Congratulations, sir, I bow to your superior ignorance and childishness!
Thank you for the rhetoric lesson...
I am happy to hear that you were not making a comparison here, although I believe that your choice was a little unfortunate considering the recent (funny) comparisons one campaign made of the other with socialism or even marxism.
This choice is probably what triggered flycaster's reaction, and it's hard to believe that you wouldn't be aware of that.
Too bad it ends up with insults.
Well, I can see things took off over the weekend. Take it easy guys. It’s hard to achieve any kind of satisfaction by lobbing insults at each other over the internet (and by tomorrow we’ll have moved on to something else anyway).
Here are my two cents…
Freedom of speech is one of the great things about this country. Short of threatening to assassinate the President, you can say just about anything of a political nature and know that you won’t be jailed, or worse, killed if someone in authority dislikes the tenor of your voice. This freedom allows for a healthy national discourse. Mr. Cooper was voicing his political opinion. Was it wise for him to do so publicly knowing that it could cost his company customers? Probably not; but his reasoning was sound. Mr. Cooper was supporting the Democratic candidate because of The War, a shifting Republican philosophy, middle-class jobs, and improving small business competitiveness overseas. Second amendment rights may have been a factor in Mr. Cooper’s decision, but because he failed to mention it, one can surmise that it was not a major issue for him in this election. It also shows that he does not get stuck focusing on a single issue, unlike Republican gun-rights hard-liners.
This post was as much about the treatment of Dan Cooper as it was about my disdain for single-issue voters. Elections are more important than one issue. Believe me, I wish the nation was in a position where the only things left to debate were the volatile and emotional issues of abortion, gay marriage, and gun rights, but that’s not the case. The economy, energy, the environment, and Bush’s War will decide this election, not gun-rights.
Linoge, you are correct. I share your belief that where you spend your money has as much, if not more influence than for whom you cast your ballot. For this reason, as you stated, voice your objection to Mr. Cooper’s politics by not buying a Cooper firearm. I will abstain from shopping at Cabela’s or Sportsman Warehouse, two retailers that caved to the threats of a few hard-liners (see Newest article out today). This is a civil way to show disapproval.
Well, this comment was far too long. Linoge, feel free to respond but I won’t hash through interpretations of the second amendment or judicial philosophy because we probably won’t agree. I support a sportsman’s right to hunt, but I don’t abide by the principle that a well-armed citizenry makes for a civil society.
fly-caster, keep the comments coming but try and convey your intent a little better in print.
Just because you don’t hunt or own any firearms does mean you can’t share. Thanks for participating, claire.
Hmm… Politics is starting to wear on me a bit. It’s time for a break. Tomorrow, I will vote and then head to the mountains.
Follow up article in NewWest here.
Post a Comment