My business agent sent me this today.   I'm getting sick and tired of being told how to vote by the union.  Good thing they can't follow me into the voting booth.



Sportsmen’s Bill of Rights



"As a life-long hunter and fisherman, I am proud to be among the millions of American sportsmen and sportswomen who are dedicated to conserving fish and wildlife and passing along the American hunting and fishing heritage to the next generation." -- John Kerry



A Kerry-Edwards administration will create a Sportsmen’s Bill of Rights with America’s sportsmen and sportswomen to ensure that the basic rights of all Americans to legally and safely hunt and fish are protected.



Our Sportsman’s Bill of Rights contains six rights:



The Right to Own Firearms

John Kerry and John Edwards will always support the Second Amendment right of law-abiding American citizens to keep and bear arms, such as rifles and shotguns, including semi-automatic firearms used by hunters and sportsmen across this country.  Gun rights are fundamental for the sport of hunting, and they will vigorously support those rights.



Like President Bush, and sportsmen and law enforcement officers across this nation, John Kerry and John Edwards also support the extension of the current assault weapons ban.



The Right of Access to Areas to Hunt and Fish

One of the greatest challenges facing hunters, and to a certain extent anglers, is the dwindling access to nearby places to hunt and fish. More and more, America’s sportsmen and sportswomen are facing the loss of land to urban sprawl, leasing of private lands for pay hunting, or simply an unwillingness of private landowners to risk the liability associated with the public hunting or fishing on their lands.



A Kerry-Edwards administration will work to open millions of new acres of land to public hunting and fishing by providing better funding for state walk-in access programs. A number of states currently pay private landowners, on a voluntary basis, to open their lands to the public. This has resulted in millions of acres being made available in the West and Midwest to hunting and fishing. These programs need more resources. That is why John Kerry and John Edwards have supported legislation called the “Open Fields” bill. This bipartisan legislation will provide $50 million each year to state agencies to strengthen existing walk-in access programs and to encourage states that do not currently have walk-in programs to establish them.



The Right to High Quality Fish and Wildlife Habitat

As every hunter and angler knows, healthy and abundant habitat is the key to maintaining fish and wildlife. A Kerry-Edwards administration will focus the efforts of the Department of Interior, Department of Agriculture, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on conserving and restoring habitat throughout this country. Some of this work will entail expanding the use of voluntary, incentive-based land and water conservation programs that target private landowners and farmers. In other cases, it will involve enhancing upland habitat or better protecting water quality on federal lands.



In the case of wetlands, where so many birds and fish live, the situation is critical. Loss of wetlands threatens the future of waterfowl hunting as well as of fishing, bird-watching, and even water quality.  John Kerry and John Edwards will ensure that the Fish and Wildlife Service immediately develops and implements a comprehensive plan to restore thousands of acres of wetlands lost over the last few decades and that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Corps of Engineers strengthen protection for wetlands. A Kerry-Edwards Administration will rewrite the existing field guidance for EPA and the Corps to ensure the maximum protection of wetlands. They will also increase funding for wetlands protection and restoration under the North American Wetlands Conservation Act.



The Right of the Protection of Wildlife from Irresponsible Oil and Gas Drilling

While there is no doubt that America needs to find and develop more natural gas and oil reserves, the current effort to exploit these resources on federal lands in the West is putting fish and wildlife unnecessarily in harm’s way.  Under a Kerry-Edwards administration, the federal land management agencies will take seriously the multiple use mandates and ensure that fish and wildlife resources are not sacrificed to irresponsible drilling. Lands that are better used for hunting, fishing, camping, and other uses not compatible with intensive drilling will be set aside.



At the same time, more resources will be devoted to strengthening federal land management field offices. This will allow better land management plans to be developed with input from all interested parties – including hunters and anglers, ranchers, and local businesses that rely on a healthy range – so that necessary monitoring can take place and decisions on legitimate proposals to develop these oil and gas resources can be made in a timely manner. And where federal lands are leased and permitted for energy development, sufficient protective conditions will be applied to ensure that fish and wildlife are not adversely affected.



The Right of Wise Management of the National Forests

Many fish and wildlife species depend on the wise management of the national forests. In previous years, the management of our federal lands too often has been driven by politics rather than by common sense. Some management needs to take place each year.  John Kerry and John Edwards will undertake legitimate thinning projects to reduce the risk of fire around communities and to create a mosaic of habitat in the forest. In managing the forests, they will also seek to protect the remaining wild places and critical spawning habitat. To provide hunters, anglers, and hikers with the solitary experience many of us seek from time to time, and to prevent further fragmentation of our forests, we should prevent the construction of new roads into our remaining roadless areas.



The Right to Fair Share of Federal Funding for Fish and Wildlife Programs

Sound stewardship of the nation’s fish and wildlife, and the habitat on which they depend, relies on a consistent commitment of resources to federal and state natural resource agencies. The Conservation Security Program—if properly implemented and fully funded—also provides enormous potential by making financial and technical assistance available to farmers to promote the conservation and improvement of soil, water, air, energy, plant and animal life on private working lands.  Federal tax policy also can contribute to conservation by encouraging the donation of easements on private lands, which ensure that these lands will remain free of destructive development in perpetuity. John Kerry and John Edwards strongly support guaranteed and increased funding for federal and state fish and wildlife programs and for public land conservation.  In addition they will enhance tax incentives on donations of private lands for conservation.



Farm programs like the Conservation Reserve Program and the Wetlands Reserve Program have contributed enormously to the cause of conservation, to improved water quality, and to farm and ranch income. These voluntary programs represent an important partnership between landowners and hunters. John Kerry and John Edwards will work with the conservation and agriculture communities to expand these programs.  They will also work to use the Farm Bill to maximize benefits to fish and wildlife consistent with providing strong economic support to rural America through existing farm programs.



Throughout the United States, diseases, such as Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), are affecting our nation’s wildlife populations.  Kerry-Edwards will empower the US Department of Agriculture and the US Department of the Interior to further study and better coordinate the scientific research into the prevention and eradication of CWD and similar wildlife diseases.  They will also provide increased federal funding to further research CWD and to identify and implement effective management strategies.

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They're evil bastards! That bumper sticker is right- It'll take two Johns to handle all the sh!0t they are spilling out.

As my state senator said...."mushroom hunters".....

Sort of reminds me of the "Trust" established by the commies when Lenin took control.

They just plan to re-write the Constitution, nothing to see here...

btt

I somehow suspect that he doesn't think of your local Defensive Carbine Club as a a group of "sportsmen."

Quoted: I somehow suspect that he doesn't think of your local Defensive Carbine Club as a a group of "sportsmen."

Yeah, no doubt.

It's a great gig if you can get it.  It's like Fallwell stating the he supports the legitimate music industry.  Of course, he gets to decide what is legitimate music, and what is harmful noise....

Quoted: Sounds like spin to me, to make the enviromental agenda appeal to hunters/fishers.

You would be surprised (or maybe not) at how many "sportsmen" subscribe to a lot of the environmentalist propaganda.

Mark Warner pulled the same thing here in VA in 01.  And a lot of people believed him.

hmmm, could one forward that to PETA with a note asking why they are supporting maniacs like Kerry & Edwards who wants to blast away at innocent bambis and fishies?

Kerry/Edwards =

Quoted: The Right to Own Firearms John Kerry and John Edwards will always support the Second Amendment right of law-abiding American citizens to keep and bear arms, such as rifles and shotguns, including semi-automatic firearms used by hunters and sportsmen across this country. Gun rights are fundamental for the sport of hunting, and they will vigorously support those rights. They know damn well the 2nd ain't about "the sport of hunting" it is about KILLING TYRANTS.

In one sense, the only rifles and pistols constitutionally protected are those that are militarily useful.

Big Brother could probably ban sporting firearms under this reasoning, but not militarily useful weapons.

Hunting ain't protected under the Bill of Rights.

As usual, the libs just don't get it.



Edited to add, I got thrown out of my former Union Hall a few years back for being VERY vocal when the idjits there tried to tell me how to vote.

Fuck that Union.

Well.... that changed my f*cking mind... Im voting for KERRY!!!!
NOT!... that just hurt typing that.

Well now that I know that Kerry will support my right to keep and bear arms for the security of a free state as long as I only use them for hunting I will gladly vote for him.

Yea...you fools just keep believing that Kerry and the Democrats aren't out to get your guns if they win.  But IF you do vote for the Democrats and they do regain power in DC...just remember your stupid decision when they come for your guns.

Yep, it's obvious that John Kerry lives and breathes to hunt...

"I go out with my trusty 12-gauge double-barrel, crawl around on my stomach. I track and move and decoy and play games and try to outsmart them. You know, you kind of play the wind. That's hunting," said Kerry. (Craig Gilbert, "Bringing candidate to life," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 7/5/04)

Don't make me puke

Eventually, we're going to have to build special prisons for these people. We can't leave them open to felonious assrape, but we can't allow them to be around children, either.

Quoted: Eventually, we're going to have to build special prisons for these people. We can't leave them open to felonious assrape, but we can't allow them to be around children, either.

Thats what France is for.  Ship 'em all over there with the rest of the socialists.

Quoted: Yep, it's obvious that John Kerry lives and breathes to hunt... "I go out with my trusty 12-gauge double-barrel, crawl around on my stomach. I track and move and decoy and play games and try to outsmart them. You know, you kind of play the wind. That's hunting," said Kerry. (Craig Gilbert, "Bringing candidate to life," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 7/5/04)

HUH WTF, I know some bird hunters will lay on the ground dead still for hours (in a blind or gilli) waiting and calling em in.

But What game shooting requires a person to actively hump dirt  and crawl around on the Ground? Is this what is called snipe hunting?

What Kerry is not telling you is that he wants a ban on any ammo that can go through a police officer's vest.  Hmmmm!  That covers most of the ammo used by hunters except those that hunt squirrels.  Kerry the sportsman - what .  For hunters, who don't give a rat's ass about the AWB, wake up!  You are next!

Want answers? Just look at JFK's voting record. There's plenty of answers there.

Vote accordingly.

So...how do you feel knowing you are working your ass off so your socialist union can spend money to take away your right?


Make you proud?

SGatr15

That does it, I cannot vote for Kerry.  How can I support someone who goes out and hurts innocent animals?

He thinks he can get "sportsmen" with those stupid photos showing him posing with his shotgun.  Suppose  his  "people" decide he is losing votes as a result.  Might shut down that nonsense and gun owners won't be hypnotized into thinking he's ok.  While I don't wish to denigrate many gun owners, I think we all know some who could care less about "plastic" guns as long as they can have theirs.

So...how do you feel knowing you are working your ass off so your socialist union can spend money to take away your right?

+1

Quoted: So...how do you feel knowing you are working your ass off so your socialist union can spend money to take away your right? Make you proud? SGatr15

I'm in it for the money only.  The funny thing is that the IBEW's charter denounces Communism and any other subversive "isms".  

Quoted: Sounds like spin to me, to make the enviromental agenda appeal to hunters/fishers.

+1 - the NRA magazine had a very detailed warning about these guys as environmentalists masquerading in 2nd amendment clothing...

I'd guess  they also sent out a fudge packers bill of rights as well as a tree huggin' whacko BOR and a Welfare spongue BOR as well.

As a sportsman I am voting Bush.

Screw you Kerry.

CRC

Quoted: Quoted: So...how do you feel knowing you are working your ass off so your socialist union can spend money to take away your right? Make you proud? SGatr15 I'm in it for the money only.  The funny thing is that the IBEW's charter denounces Communism and any other subversive "isms".

Communist Goal #32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture--education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc.

Communist Goal #36. Infiltrate and gain control of more unions.

www.uhuh.com/nwo/communism/comgoals.htm