Sierra Club remains anti-hunting despite overtures to sportsmen
By Larry S. Moore
Sportsmen and shooters have a number of organizations working against our heritage and freedoms. Many of these organizations use names and tactics to disguise their true agenda. Over the past few months Buckeye Firearms has followed the saga of the Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA) regarding the disagreements with the NRA here and here and here and here).
Outdoor writer, Pat Wray of Oregon has been very outspoken regarding his views that the NRA is not really for hunters. Wray has written some blistering commentaries' suggesting the NRA is using hunters to push the gun agenda while ignoring conservation. Wray has also set his sights on Senator Larry Craig (R-Idaho) and President Bush over environmental policies. While blasting these individuals and organizations, Wray also suggested that hunters should join other conservation organizations. He included the Sierra Club on his short list of recommendations.
Let there be no mistake, the Sierra Club is overwhelmingly anti-hunting. I know there are individuals within the Sierra Club who hunt and support hunting. They are a minority with one report suggesting twenty percent of the membership hunt. The agenda and actions of the Sierra Club remain anti-hunting.
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Recently the Sierra Club has initiated efforts to reach out to sportsmen, especially hunters. I don't believe this reflects any real change in their agenda or mission. I believe the Sierra Club has simply looked around and taken note of the money hunters do spend on conservation through true sportsmen organizations such as Ducks Unlimited, National Wild Turkey Federation, and Pheasants Forever to name a few. They want our dollars but don't share our values. Need some proof?
April 2006 Sierra Club Director Paul Watson resigned from the National Board of Directors. He was protesting the use of the Sierra Club to promote a hunting trip. This sounds like a good thing. I still believe the Sierra Club was using the trip and the young person who won it as a promotion gimmick for fund raising. Watson said the Sierra Club is forgetting their roots in conservation. Watson said, "You can't love nature with a gun."
More proof can be found by examining the records that our friends at the US Sportsmen Alliance
Former Sierra Club Director Watson needs a lesson in conservation. That lesson is that hunters were the first conservationists. Hunters remain the strongest conservationists today. Hunters, hunting, and the purchase of hunting/camping/shooting equipment and supplies continue to fund conservation in Ohio and the United States.
Sportsmen have a number of organizations to join to do more for conservation than just buying a license and ammo. Several fine organizations with local and Ohio chapters are listed above.
Sportsmen need to become involved and support the organizations that share the values of conservation plus conserve and promote our firearms freedoms. The US Sportsmen Alliance also works to protect and promote hunting, trapping, and fishing. Buckeye Firearms is one such Ohio organization working in the political arena.
The only thing worse than sitting on the sidelines is being fooled by the false advertising and giving your money to hucksters that don't share our heritage and values.
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