Elmer Fudd (a.k.a. John Kerry) Goes Goose Hunting

Originally my slant for today’s blog was to include some mundane topic as far away from politics as possible. But these days how can you escape the barrage of political activity that is currently going on in our world. Then, of course, we learned that candidate Kerry (a.k.a. Elmer Fudd click here) had to go waterfowl hunting in Ohio this morning…and suddenly my motivation for writing on some other topic was as fleeting as spooked whitetail pushed from a thicket.

Let me say this…WHAT A PURE UNABASHED PHONEY!! If Kerry honestly thinks that the sportsman community will embrace him just because he dons a camouflage outfit and carries a shotgun into the field…something is desperately wrong with our world. I would rather have a president who openly and honestly discloses that he does not hunt…rather than to merely portray one for misleading political gains.

I don’t doubt for one minute that Kerry has probably hunted a time or two in his past. That’s not exactly at issue here. Today, John Kerry woke early to go hunting for no other purpose than to use the outing as a photo opportunity. His mind was not even excited about the hunt. When asked by a reporter why he was not carrying one of the dead geese, his response was:

“I’m too lazy…I’m still giddy over the Red Sox. It was hard to focus.”

Hmmm…sounds to me like it was almost a chore to go out hunting this morning for poor Kerry. Sure, I’ll cut him some slack that the Red Sox beating the Yankees last evening was reason for many New Englanders to celebrate, but give me a break. When you make a comment like that it is crystal clear to me that you are only going through the motions for appearance sake. If the hunting experience is not riveting and demanding of your attention…then maybe you should ask what the hell you are doing out there.

There are many activities that people participate in for social or networking reasons. Golf, for instance, is a perfect sport that an individual will play to entertain a client or to solidify some social status with friends. Your heart does not really need to be in the golf game…as you can still have fun socializing, drinking and otherwise schmoozing with the buds in your foursome.

Hunting, on the other hand, can also be quite social, but it’s quite fundamentally different, too. The last person I want in my hunting group is someone who is not focused on the activities at hand. Remember, an inattentive golfer could theoretically kill someone with their errant swing…but an inattentive hunter who carries a firearm is quite another matter altogether. One of the fundamental gun handling rules is pay attention to what you are doing. Someone who claims publicly that they are distracted (not focused) has no business toting a gun around—for photo purposes or otherwise.

I suppose this morning when John Kerry went goose hunting he actually bagged much more than a few geese. He also bagged several would-be voters who may be unsuspecting of his real stance on guns and their positive use in the outdoors. Kerry’s voting record, however, is quite clear…during his 20 year senate career he has taken every voting opportunity possible to vote against sportsmen. I find it highly hypocritical for him to now suddenly be wooing voters under these false pretenses.

Actually, though, I am also somewhat heartened by Kerry’s decision to go hunting today. No, I don’t for a minute believe that maybe he will turn a new leaf and become the next Teddy Roosevelt. Instead, I truly believe that for every vote he might have gained from attempting to fool the sportsman’s ranks through this little charade…he probably lost or disenchanted several others who do not share or tolerate our passion for the shooting sports.

Today Kerry was asked by reporters to describe this hunting experience. Kerry promptly replied that he had been a hunter since the age of 12 or 13 and has much experience hunting such things as deer, pheasants, quail, and woodchuck. WOODCHUCK??? Is it possible he didn’t memorize his lines properly when they prepped him for the photo op? You have to believe he meant to say woodcock…not woodchuck. My guess is John Kerry wouldn’t know the difference between a woodcock or woodchuck if it bit him in the @$$. Moreover, if the unthinkable occurs and Kerry becomes President…look out Punxsutawney Phil because you might just be in the crosshairs of a man who will go to any lengths to prove a point if he thinks personal gains can be made.

© 2004 Jim Braaten. All Rights Reserved. No Reproduction without Prior Permission.