American Hunters and Shooters Association

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Gun interest groups in the U.S.
Pro-gun rights
National Rifle Association Gun Owners of America JPFO Pink Pistols Second Amendment Foundation Second Amendment Sisters Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms Liberty Belles Law Enforcement Alliance of America
Pro-gun control
Americans for Democratic Action Brady Campaign Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence Coalition to Stop Gun Violence League of Women Voters
Pro-rights and pro-control
American Hunters and Shooters Association Americans for Gun Safety Foundation

The American Hunters and Shooters Association (AHSA) is an association of hunters and shooters in the United States that was founded in 2005. As an advocacy group it presents itself as a force of moderation and "common sense" in the debate over gun politics in the United States. Its critics say it is a front organization whose real goal is to eliminate the rights of gun owners by driving a wedge into the gun rights movement.

1 Goals
2 Leadership
3 Criticism
4 Notes
5 External links

[edit] Goals

The AHSA has four stated goals:

"Protecting our sporting heritage" (gun education, marksmanship, hunting, sponsorship of shooting competitions, opposition to canned hunts)
"Hunting and fishing conservation" (wildlife education, promotion of public land protection, conservation)
"Gun safety" (gun safety programs for adults and children, support for mandatory hunter safety training; bans on "cop-killer" bullets, and assault weapons; safe firearm storage, such as gun locks, manufacturing standards for firearms, public service announcements)
"Law enforcement training, outreach and development" (cooperation with law enforcement)

[edit] Leadership

The leaders of the AHSA are:^[1]:

Ray Schoenke, founding president ^[2] A former football player for the Washington Redskins, Schoenke ran for Governor of Maryland as a Democrat and has given "millions" to Democrat politicians and causes according to a January 19, 1998 Washington Post article.^[3] Among the groups that Schoenke has donated to are two that actively lobby to ban firearms: Handgun Control, Inc.^[4]^[5] and America Coming Together. Schoenke was on the Governor's Commission on Gun Violence in 1996.
Bob Ricker, executive director ^[6]
John E. Rosenthal, president of the AHSA Foundation and Founder of Stop Handgun Violence^[7], a leading Massachusetts-based gun-banning lobbying group.
Joseph J. Vince, Jr., a member of the Board of Directors is the former chief of the BATF's crime guns analysis branch. Currently, he is a principal of Crime Gun Solutions. HCI has hired Crime Gun Solutions in order to support numerous gun control laws,^[8]^[9] to support HCI's lawsuits against firearm dealers^[10] and he was a signer on a letter submitted to Congress opposing the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act^[11]
Jody Powell, co-chairman of the AHSA Advisory Board
A. Austin Dorr, co-chairman of the AHSA Advisory Board

[edit] Criticism

In August 2005, the National Rifle Association said about the AHSA [1]:

"... they want to allow the FBI to keep records on law-abiding citizens who buy guns and put an end to gun shows as we know them. Not to mention the fact that they want to regulate .50 caliber rifles in the same way that machine guns are regulated."

"The most telling thing about AHSA is its leadership. Bob Ricker ... is a former NRA employee who switched sides and has actively worked for gun control groups for many years now. ... John Rosenthal ... is one of the founders of the Massachusetts based group Stop Handgun Violence, a group that has been a major force in passing some of the most Draconian state gun laws in the nation."

"With leadership like that, there is no doubt about the true goals of AHSA. They are trying to fool hunters and gun owners with a soft sell ... while working behind the scenes to end the sport that we all love."

President of AHSA, John E. Rosenthal, is one of the founders of the Massachusetts anti-gun group, Stop Handgun Violence, a group instrumental in having many anti-gun laws in Massachusetts passed.

ASHA officials have testified in favor of gun control legislation, such as Washington State bill SB-5197 which aims to restrict sales at gunshows.^[12]