American Hunters and Shooters Association
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The American Hunters and Shooters Association (AHSA) is an organization involved in advocacy for gun control.[1] Its critics claim that AHSA is a front organization aimed at dividing gun owners by pointing to AHSA members' bias against private ownership of the most popular modern sporting firearms, and note AHSA leaders have donated money to gun control groups[2] and maintained ties to individuals and organizations who advocate gun control.[3]
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[edit] History
In June 2006, Executive Bob Ricker formally introduced AHSA at a press conference at the annual conference of the Outdoor Writers Association of America[4] [5]. Mr. Ricker proclaimed at this conference that the NRA and other 2nd Amendment rights organizations did not address the specific concerns of hunters - protecting hunting lands and wildlife habitats - which led to the creation of AHSA[6] [7]. In 2007, President Ray Schoenke addressed the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition [8].
[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:[9]:
- Ray Schoenke, founding president [10] A former football player for the Washington Redskins, Schoenke ran for Governor of Maryland as a Democrat and has given "millions" to Democratic politicians and causes according to a January 19, 1998 Washington Post article.[11] Among the groups that Schoenke has donated to are two that actively lobby to ban firearms: Handgun Control, Inc.[12][13] and America Coming Together. Schoenke was on the Governor's Commission on Gun Violence in 1996.
- Bob Ricker, executive director [14]
- 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,[15][16] to support HCI's lawsuits against firearm dealers[17] and he was a signer on a letter submitted to Congress opposing the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act[18]
- 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[19]:
- "... 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.[20]
- ASHA opposes the views of the BATFE and Fraternal Order of Police concerning the Tiarht Amendment. These law enforcement groups claim ASHA's perspective would jeopardize both lives and law enforcement operations.[21] [22]
[edit] Endorsement of Barack Obama
The AHSA has endorsed U.S. Senator Barack Obama for President in the 2008 General Election:
| “ | "Because the gun issue has recently become a factor in the Democratic primary in Pennsylvania, I want to share the remarks I made today... [Millions of gun owners] not only wanted an organization that would protect their gun rights but an organization that was also committed to the protection of their communities as well as the protection of our lands." | ” |
ASHA has endorsed Obama based mainly on Obama's vote for the Disaster Recovery Personal Protection Act.[23]
[edit] Endorsement by the Brady Campaign
Paul Helmke, the President of the Brady Campaign, says of the AHSA, "I see our issues as complementary to theirs".[24]
[edit] References
- ^ Fact Sheets: American Hunters And Shooters Association (AHSA). Retrieved on 2008.05.06.
- ^ Ray Schoenke's $5,000 donation to Handgun Control Incorporated, March 23, 2000 http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.asp?key=YVYY6&txtName=schoenke,%20ray&txtState=(all%20states)&txtAll=Y&Order=N
- ^ Donors to HCI/Handgun Control Incorporated http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgave.asp?strID=C00113449&Cycle=2000
- ^ Saving Hunters From the NRA | New West Network
- ^ https://ssl.tnr.com/p/docsub.mhtml?i=20060904&s=blanding090406
- ^ Saving Hunters From the NRA | New West Network
- ^ Tony Dean Outdoors Issues
- ^ http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/downloads/misc/2007_summit_schoenke300k.asx
- ^ Hunters and Shooters - AHSA Leadership
- ^ Hunters and Shooters - Ray Schoenke, President of AHSA and AHSA Foundation
- ^ washingtonpost.com: Against Long Odds, Ex-Redskin Is Ready to Challenge Glendening
- ^ Indivs search
- ^ Political Action Committees
- ^ Hunters and Shooters - Bob Ricker, Executive Director, AHSA
- ^ http://www.bradycenter.org/xshare/pdf/reports/on_target.pdf
- ^ http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=26943
- ^ http://www.gunlawsuits.org/xshare/pdf/reports/lethal-lous.pdf
- ^ GovTrack: House Record: PROTECTION OF LAWFUL COMMERCE IN ARMS ACT (109-h20051020-23)
- ^ http://nraila.com/CurrentLegislation/Read.aspx?ITNDrop=1702-L
- ^ http://www.leg.wa.gov/pub/billinfo/2007-08/Pdf/Bill%20Reports/Senate/5197.SBR.pdf (Senate Bill Report of SB-5197)
- ^ News Item
- ^ http://www.nraila.org/media/PDFs/DOJ_Bloomberg_ltr.pdf
- ^ AHSA statement endorsing Barack Obama April 16,2008 http://www.huntersandshooters.com/index.php
- ^ Birnbaum, Jeffrey H. Tuesday, March 18, 2008; Page A17 The Washington Post
[edit] External links
- AHSA Official website
- Sometimes the Enemy Wears Camouflage, NRA statement on AHSA, August 14, 2005
- Chris W. Cox, "Anti Hunters Don Camo As Elections Loom", NRA-ILA Executive Director, August 14, 2006
- "The American Hunters and Shooters Association" Gun Law News
