American Hunters and Shooters Association explained

American Hunters and Shooters Association
Type:Social Welfare Organization
Status:501(c)(4)
Purpose:Promoting "Safe and Responsible Gun Ownership"
Region Served:USA
Leader Title:President
Leader Name:Ray Schoenke
Website:www.huntersandshooters.org
(defunct)

The American Hunters and Shooters Association (AHSA) was a United States-based non-profit 501(c)(4) organization which operated from 2005 to 2010. The group described itself as a national grassroots organization for responsible gun ownership and advocated for increased gun control. The organization's president, Ray Schoenke, said the AHSA was intended to bridge the gap between urban liberals and rural gun owners, but closed down due to a lack of support from the Obama administration.[1]

Critics, including the National Rifle Association of America, questioned whether the membership was representative of gun owners and suggested it was a front organization for gun control advocates.[2]

Description

The AHSA described 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",[3] and as a moderate, common-sense advocacy organization. It favored most restrictions on firearms, but believed that little progress will be made until gun owners are allowed to bring their common-sense perspective to the table.[4]

In March 2008, Brady Campaign President Paul Helmke stated that he saw his organization's issues "as complementary to" those of the AHSA.[5]

Despite the similarity in name, AHSA had 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] Ricker said 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 has been taken down. President Schoenke stated that the group was closed because of lack of membership.

Stated goals

The AHSA web site indicated four general programs:[9]

Leadership

The leaders of the AHSA were:

Endorsements

The AHSA endorsed U.S. Senator Barack Obama for president in the 2008 general election:[18] AHSA endorsed Obama based mainly on Obama's vote for the Disaster Recovery Personal Protection Act.[19] In 2008, the Obama campaign paid for Shoenke to travel to 40 events in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida and Colorado to address pro-gun voters.[20]

The AHSA endorsed the following congressional candidates:

ASHA officials 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.[26]

ASHA supported the call by the coalition of Mayors Against Illegal Guns to repeal the Tiahrt Amendment, which restricts gun trace data.[27] Repeal of the amendment is supported by more than 20 national and state police organizations [28] but opposed by the BATFE and Fraternal Order of Police, on the grounds that repeal would jeopardize lives and law enforcement operations.[29] [30]

Position in D.C. v Heller (2008)

AHSA joined in the amicus curiae brief of Maj. Gen. John D. Altenburg Jr., et al., in the Supreme Court case of D.C. v Heller, arguing that the individual right of the people to keep and bear arms enhances the collective goal of supporting national defense, and that the dichotomy between individual right argued by Heller and collective militia right argued by D.C. is false: the Second Amendment protects both.[31]

Criticism from the NRA

The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) criticized the AHSA for its members' associations with other gun-control organizations and gun-control legislation. NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris Cox characterized the AHSA as "the latest front group for the anti-gun movement."[32] In August 2005, the NRA 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."[33]

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Glenn Kessler . The White House's curious silence about Obama's claim of skeet shooting . The Washington Post . 22 May 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230213055438/https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/the-white-houses-curious-silence-about-obamas-claim-of-skeet-shooting/2013/01/30/be78bb10-6b35-11e2-95b3-272d604a10a3_blog.html . Feb 13, 2023 . Jan 31, 2013 . live.
  2. Web site: Meet the American Hunters and Shooters Association . 7 September 2006 . Field and Stream . February 15, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120522234316/http://www.fieldandstream.com/pages/meet-american-hunters-and-shooters-association . May 22, 2012 . live.
  3. Web site: AHSA Programs . American Hunters & Shooters Association (self-published) . https://web.archive.org/web/20081025113350/http://www.huntersandshooters.org/about/who . 2008-10-25 . dead . December 14, 2012 .
  4. Web site: American Hunters and Shooters Association Responds to its Critics. 2008-11-07. Ray Schoenke. 2008-09-19. NewWest Travel and Outdoors - Guest Commentary. Ray’s wife Nancy is also connected politically. Like many wives of gun owners she is an independent thinker and does not like guns. She took a seat on the board of the Brady Campaign but soon became frustrated with the group’s lack of progress. Ray told her that progress would not be made until gun owners were allowed to bring their common sense perspective to the table. As a result, Nancy closed the family checkbook, resigned from the Brady board, and encouraged Ray to start AHSA.. https://web.archive.org/web/20081122130414/http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/american_hunters_and_shooters_association_responds_to_its_critics/C41/L41/. 22 November 2008 . live.
  5. News: New Pro-Gun Group Hopes to Draw From the NRA. 2008-11-08. Birnbaum, Jeffrey H.. The Washington Post. 2008-03-18.
  6. Web site: Saving Hunters From the NRA. 2008-11-07. Bill Schneider. 2006-06-21. NewWest Travel and Outdoors.
  7. Web site: NRA Does Not Represent Both Hunters and Gun Owners . 2008-11-07 . Bill Schneider . Tony Dean Outdoors - Issues . https://web.archive.org/web/20070929182231/http://www.tonydean.com/issues2.html?sectionid=7648 . 2007-09-29 . dead.
  8. Web site: Speech by Ray Schoenke, President of the American Hunters and Shooters Association, at the Mayors' Against Illegal Guns 2007 National Summit (transcript and video links) . 2008-11-07 . Ray Schoenke . Mayors Against Illegal Guns . https://web.archive.org/web/20090923105324/http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/html/events/summit_ahsa-speech.shtml . 2009-09-23 . dead.
  9. Web site: AHSA Programs . 2008-07-28 . American Hunters & Shooters Association (self-published) . https://web.archive.org/web/20080501101649/http://www.huntersandshooters.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=84&Itemid=47 . 2008-05-01 . dead.
  10. News: Against Long Odds, Ex-Redskin Is Ready to Challenge Glendening. 2008-11-07. Amy Argetsinger. Washington Post. 1998-01-20.
  11. Web site: Open Secrets - Donor Lookup: Find Individual and Soft Money Contributors. OpenSecrets.
  12. Web site: Glendening appoints gun panel . 28 April 1995 .
  13. Web site: The Impact of the 1994 Federal Assault Weapon Act . 2008-11-11 . Brian J. Siebel . Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence (self-published) . March 2004 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081113032530/http://www.bradycenter.org/xshare/pdf/reports/on_target.pdf . 2008-11-13 . dead . etal.
  14. Web site: Lethal Lou's - Profile of a Rogue Gun Dealer: Lou's Loan. 2008-11-11. Elizabeth S. Haile. Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence (self-published). September 2006. etal.
  15. Web site: GovTrack: House Record: Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (109-h20051020-23) . 2008-11-11 . GovTrack.us . https://web.archive.org/web/20070930033348/http://www.govtrack.us/congress/record.xpd?id=109-h20051020-23 . 2007-09-30 . dead.
  16. Web site: AHSA Press Release - John Rosenthal no longer with the American Hunters & Shooters Association (AHSA) . 2008-11-11 . American Hunters & Shooters Association (self-published) . 2008-02-21 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090304183931/http://www.huntersandshooters.org/node/1419 . 2009-03-04 . dead.
  17. Web site: Stop Handgun Violence: Press Releases . 2008-11-07 . Stop Handgun Violence . https://web.archive.org/web/20081121040515/http://www.stophandgunviolence.com/press-debut.asp . 2008-11-21 . dead.
  18. Web site: Hunters and Shooters Support Obama: He "Gets It" . 2008-11-11 . Ray Schoenke . American Hunters & Shooters Association (self-published) . 2008-04-16.
  19. Web site: American Hunters and Shooters Association (AHSA) Endorse Obama for President. 2008-11-11. PRNewswire-USNewswire. 2008-04-16.
  20. News: NRA-led gun lobby wields powerful influence over ATF, U.S. politics . The Washington Post . Sari . Horwitz . James V. . Grimaldi . 2010-12-15.
  21. Web site: American Hunters and Shooters Association Endorses Jim Esch for Congress . 2008-11-11 . 2008-10-16 . American Hunters & Shooters Association (self-published) . https://web.archive.org/web/20090713005000/http://www.huntersandshooters.org/node/1446 . 2009-07-13 . dead.
  22. Web site: American Hunters and Shooters Association Endorses Eric Massa for Congress . 2008-11-11 . American Hunters & Shooters Association (self-published) . 2008-10-21 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090713005132/http://www.huntersandshooters.org/node/1447 . 2009-07-13 . dead.
  23. Web site: American Hunters and Shooters Association Endorses Walt Minnick for Congress . 2008-11-11 . American Hunters & Shooters Association (self-published) . 2008-10-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090713005000/http://www.huntersandshooters.org/node/1446 . 2009-07-13 . dead.
  24. Web site: American Hunters and Shooters Association Endorses Harry Teague for Congress . 2008-11-11 . American Hunters & Shooters Association (self-published) . 2008-10-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090715044715/http://www.huntersandshooters.org/node/1420 . 2009-07-15 . dead.
  25. Web site: Knowing who & who NOT to vote for – courtesy of the AHSA front group…. N.U.G.U.N.  - New User of Guns. November 3, 2008. 2010-03-21.
  26. Web site: Senate Bill Report of SB-5197 . 2008-11-08 . Washington State Senate Committee On Labor, Commerce, Research & Development . 2007-02-27 . This bill represents the first step to restricting private arms sales in this state. This bill stands for a registration database of Washington gun owners...If this bill became effective, private firearm transactions brokered at gun shows could not be completed until several days after the event ends. . https://web.archive.org/web/20080910154254/http://www.leg.wa.gov/pub/billinfo/2007-08/Pdf/Bill%20Reports/Senate/5197.SBR.pdf . 2008-09-10 . dead.
  27. Web site: 14 Mayors from Ohio and Kentucky Join Bi-partisan Coalition of Mayors Against Illegal Guns . Mayors Against Illegal Guns . April 12, 2007 . 2010-03-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100706194152/http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/html/media-center/pr003-07.shtml . 2010-07-06 . dead.
  28. Web site: What Police Say. Protectpolice.org. January 1, 2009. 2010-03-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20090607141248/http://protectpolice.org/what-police-say. June 7, 2009. dead.
  29. Web site: Letter to Appropriations Subcommittee in support of Tiahrt Amendment. 2008-11-07. Chuck Canterbury. Kenneth Charles Canterbury Jr.. Fraternal Order of Police. 2007-04-19.
  30. Web site: Letter to John Feinblatt. 2008-11-08. Michael A. Battle. Michael A. Battle (attorney). US Department of Justice - Executive Office for the United States Attorneys. 2007-02-06.
  31. http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/publishing/preview/publiced_preview_briefs_pdfs_07_08_07_290_RespondentAmCu11GeneralsAHSA.pdf District of Columbia v. Heller amicus curiae of Maj. Gen. John D. Altenburg Jr., et al.
  32. Web site: Anti-Gunners Don Camo As Elections Loom . 2008-11-08 . Chris W. Cox . 2006-08-14 . National Rifle Association - Institute for Legislative Action (self-published) . Seeking to pick up the baton dropped by the ham-fisted Americans for Gun Safety, the American Hunters and Shooters Association (AHSA) has arrived on the scene to become the latest front group for the anti-gun movement in America. . https://web.archive.org/web/20080831012648/http://www.nraila.org/Hunting/Read/HuntingArticles.aspx?ID=200 . 2008-08-31 . dead.
  33. Web site: Sometimes the Enemy Wears Camouflage . 2008-11-08 . National Rifle Association, Institute for Legislative Action (self-published) . https://web.archive.org/web/20101203033956/http://www.nraila.org/Legislation/Federal/Read.aspx?id=1702 . 2010-12-03 . dead.

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