The American Hunters and Shooters Association (AHSA) is an association of hunters and shooters in the United States that was founded in 2005. As an advocacy group, it presents itself as a force of moderation and "common sense" in the debate over gun politics in the United States. Its critics say it is a front organization whose real goal is the elimination of the rights of gun owners by driving a wedge into the gun rights movement. “Hunter” redirects here. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Moderation is the process of eliminating or lessening extremes. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Gun Politics, the political aspects of gun control and firearms rights, has long been among the most controversial and intractable issues in American politics. ... A front organization is any entity set up by and controlled by another organization, such as intelligence agencies, criminal organizations, banned organizations, religious or political groups, advocacy groups, or corporations. ...

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)

Shooting is the act of causing a gun to fire at a target. ... “Hunter” redirects here. ... A canned hunt is essentially a trophy hunt where the customer is guaranteed a kill by the simple expedient of the hosts pre-capturing the animal, and releasing it into an area where the hunter can take a shot at it, such as in a fenced-in area. ... In all modern states, some land is held by central or local governments. ... The conservation movement is a political and social movement that seeks to protect natural resources including plant and animal species as well as their habitat for the future. ... (For discussions on politics concerning firearms and gun safety, see Gun politics. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... A public service announcement (PSA) or community service announcement (CSA) is a non-commercial advertisement typically on radio or television, ostensibly broadcast for the public good. ... For the band, see The Police. ...

Leadership

The leaders of the AHSA are:^[1]:

• Ray Schoenke, founding president ^[2] A former football player for the Washington Redskins, Schoenke ran for Governor of Maryland as a Democrat and has given "millions" to Democrat politicians and causes according to a January 19, 1998 Washington Post article.^[3] Among the groups that Schoenke has donated to are two that actively lobby to ban firearms: Handgun Control, Inc.^[4][5] and America Coming Together. Schoenke was on the Governor's Commission on Gun Violence in 1996.
• Bob Ricker, executive director ^[6]
• John E. Rosenthal, president of the AHSA Foundation and Founder of Stop Handgun Violence^[7], a leading Massachusetts-based gun-banning lobbying group.
• 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,^[8][9] to support HCI's lawsuits against firearm dealers^[10] and he was a signer on a letter submitted to Congress opposing the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act^[11]
• Jody Powell, co-chairman of the AHSA Advisory Board
• A. Austin Dorr, co-chairman of the AHSA Advisory Board

This article needs additional references or sources to facilitate its verification. ... Official language(s) None (English, de facto) Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Area  Ranked 42nd  - Total 12,407 sq mi (32,133 km²)  - Width 90 miles (145 km)  - Length 249 miles (400 km)  - % water 21  - Latitude 37°53N to 39°43N  - Longitude 75°4W to 79°33... ... The Brady Campaign or The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence or The Brady Campaign united with the Million Mom March was founded in 1974 as The National Council to Control Handguns (NCCH) by Dr. Mark Borinsky, a victim of gun violence. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Official language(s) English Capital Boston Largest city Boston Area  Ranked 44th  - Total 10,555 sq mi (27,360 km²)  - Width 183 miles (295 km)  - Length 113 miles (182 km)  - % water 13. ... The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE or ATFE) is a law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice. ... HCI has different meanings depending on the context: Handgun Control Incorporated, the former name of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, a gun control advocacy group Home Computer Initiative, a UK Government programme designed to increase home computing. ... The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act was passed by the U.S. Senate on July 29, 2005 by a vote of 65-31. ...

Criticism

In August 2005, the National Rifle Association said about the AHSA [1]: This article concerns the National Rifle Association of the USA. For the UK organisation, see National Rifle Association of the United Kingdom The National Rifle Association, or NRA, is a non-profit group for the promotion of marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection of hunting and personal protection firearm rights...

• "... 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.^[12]

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a federal criminal investigative, intelligence agency, and the primary investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). ... An M2 machine gun surrounded by spent shell casings The M2 . ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Notes

1. ^ http://www.huntersandshooters.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=32&Itemid=44
2. ^ http://www.huntersandshooters.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=87&Itemid=44
3. ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/longterm/library/mdstateleg/govrace/schoenke1.htm
4. ^ http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.asp?key=YVYY6&txtName=schoenke,%20ray&txtState=(all%20states)&txtAll=Y&Order=N
5. ^ http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgave.asp?strID=C00113449&Cycle=2000
6. ^ http://www.huntersandshooters.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=94&Itemid=44
7. ^ http://www.stophandgunviolence.com/
8. ^ http://www.bradycenter.org/xshare/pdf/reports/on_target.pdf
9. ^ http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=26943
10. ^ http://www.gunlawsuits.org/xshare/pdf/reports/lethal-lous.pdf
11. ^ http://www.govtrack.us/congress/record.xpd?id=109-h20051020-23
12. ^ http://www.leg.wa.gov/pub/billinfo/2007-08/Pdf/Bill%20Reports/Senate/5197.SBR.pdf (Senate Bill Report of SB-5197)

External links

• Official website
• Sometimes the Enemy Wears Camouflage, NRA statement on AHSA, August 14, 2005
• Beware the American Hunters and Shooters Association, Digger's Corner, July 30, 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