American Hunters and Shooters Association

The American Hunters and Shooters Association (AHSA), founded in 2005, was a small United States-based group, which has set itself apart from the much larger gun owner organization, the National Rifle Association, founded in 1871, by advocating further restrictions on 2nd Amendment rights. Critics have questioned the legitimacy of the group, including whether the membership is composed of or representative of gun owners, or is merely a front organization for misleading political endorsements.

Description

The AHSA describes itself as "... a national grassroots organization committed to safe and responsible gun ownership" and "... a mainstream group of hunters who are looking to belong to a gun owners association that doesn't have a radical agenda." ^[2] According to information from a 2005 deposition, the group had fewer than 150 dues-paying individual members.^[1]

The AHSA bills itself as a moderate, common-sense advocacy organization. It favors most restrictions on firearms, but believes that little progress will be made until gun owners are allowed to bring their common-sense perspective to the table.^[3] In March 2008, Brady Campaign President Paul Helmke stated that he saw his organization's issues "as complementary to" those of the AHSA.^[4] The National Rifle Association (NRA) and other pro-gun organizations have criticized the AHSA for its members' associations with other gun-control organizations and gun-control legislation. NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris Cox has characterized the AHSA as "the latest front group for the anti-gun movement."^[5]

Despite the similarity in name, AHSA has no ties to the field marksmanship promoting organization, the Hunter's Shooting Association(HSA).

History

In June 2006, Executive Director Bob Ricker formally introduced AHSA at a press conference at the annual conference of the Outdoor Writers Association of America.^[6] 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.^[7] In 2007, President Ray Schoenke addressed the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition.^[8] As of October 19, 2010 The AHSA website had been taken down.

Stated goals

The AHSA web site indicates four general programs:^[9]

• "Protecting our sporting heritage"
• "Hunting and fishing conservation"
• "Gun safety"
• "Law enforcement training, outreach and development"

Current leadership

The leaders of the AHSA are:

• Ray Schoenke, Founding President. A former football player for the Washington Redskins, Schoenke ran for Governor of Maryland in 1998 as a Democrat. He is a millionaire and has contributed to numerous Democratic politicians and causes.^[10] Schoenke has donated to Handgun Control, Inc., which actively lobbies to ban some types of firearms,^[11] and he was on the Maryland Governor's Commission on Gun Violence in 1996.
• 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. Crime Gun Solutions has worked for the Brady Center, providing data analysis supportive of the Federal Assault Weapons Act,^[12] and has provided ballistics evidence and analysis in lawsuits against firearm dealers.^[13] He was a signer on a letter submitted to Congress opposing the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act^[14]
• Jody Powell, co-chairman of the AHSA Advisory Board
• A. Austin Dorr, co-chairman of the AHSA Advisory Board

Endorsement of political candidates

The AHSA endorsed U.S. Senator Barack Obama for President in the 2008 General Election^[15]:

AHSA endorsed Obama based mainly on Obama's vote for the Disaster Recovery Personal Protection Act.^[16]

The AHSA endorsed the following Congressional candidates:

• Jim Esch [D] (Nebraska - District 2)^[17]
• Eric Massa [D] (New York - District 29)^[18]
• Walt Minnick [D] (Idaho - District 1)^[19]
• Harry Teague [D] (New Mexico - District 2)^[20] - Harry Teague's campaign declined the endorsement.^[21]

Controversy

• In August 2005, the gun-rights group, the National Rifle Association, said about the AHSA "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."^[22]

• ASHA officials have testified in favor of gun control legislation, such as Washington State Bill SB-5197, which aims to restrict private transactions at gun shows and create a database of gun owners.^[23]

• ASHA supports the call by the coalition of Mayors Against Illegal Guns to repeal the Tiahrt Amendment, which restricts full access of cities and law enforcement to gun trace data.^[24] Repeal of the amendment is supported by more than 20 national and state police organizations ^[25] but opposed by the BATFE and Fraternal Order of Police, on the grounds that repeal would jeopardize lives and law enforcement operations.^[26][27]

• Two of the AHSA endorsed candidates for Congress have received low ratings by the NRA. With Massa receiving a "C" and Minnick a "D+". Only one AHSA endorsed candidate, Teague, has received an "A" rating from the NRA. However, this was an "AQ" rating which means it is based solely on the NRA questionnaire. The grade disparity between the organizations is large enough to be called into question.^[28]

• The AHSA claims to be a non-partisan organization.^[29] However, to date the AHSA has only endorsed Democratic candidates.

Gun control activities of AHSA leadership

• Bob Ricker, former Executive Director of the AHSA, was a former NRA employee who began supporting some groups advocating restrictions on the ownership and use of firearms and has testified as an expert witness against the firearms industry in multiple court cases.
• John E. Rosenthal, a founding member of AHSA who left in 2007,^[30] is one of the founders of Stop Handgun Violence, a group which has been influential in instituting strong restrictions on the ownership of firearms in the state of Massachusetts.^[31]
• Schoenke has donated over $10,000 to the Brady Campaign, a national organization which advocates strong restrictions on the ownership of firearms.^[32][33]

References

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