It is within the board’s right to dismiss Mr. Cooper for any reason. Usually, when things like this happen there is some other issue just underneath. As Cooper Firearms in privately held, their financial statements are unavailable, as is a corporate organizational chart. My guess, and it is only that, would be that there is some pre-existing struggle within the company.

The market for high-end products of all kinds is fickle, and probably getting more so as the economy weakens. Given that political radicalism holds sway over many gun owners, it’s easy to imagine that the company’s board of directors would have seen the protests about Dan Cooper’s politics as a threat to the company’s survival.

In fact, it wouldn’t shock me if Mr. Cooper was a prime mover on his departure from the board. The company bears his name, and that makes him a major potential loser from any boycott, formal or otherwise. It also wouldn’t surprise me if Mr. Cooper remains at the company, performing the duties he always has, but with none of the publicity.

It’s unfortunate and short-sighted of sportsmen to penalize Mr. Cooper, or his company, for his political leanings. If Cooper Firearms makes a superior product, as is indicated by the reviews I have read, that ought to be enough. No one shoots politics. Moreover, there is no inherent contradiction between gun ownership and Democratic Party affiliation and belief.

“GW Bush IS the face of modern conservativism. So is Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, Bill Kristol, Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity and FOX News to name a few.” Perhaps.

I am not a modern conservative though. I don’t think most grassroots gun rights activists are “modern conservatives” or neo-cons, or whatever you want to call it. Your earlier posts made those assumptions. I’m glad to see you have taken a moment to step back and reflect on what you are saying.

The truth is, most of us are classical liberals, libertarians, Reagan conservatives, or some suchlike. We all believe in individual liberty, although that is probably where the universal similarities end. The modern form of “conservatism” which you speak of is as abhorrent to most of us as it is to you. But we feel it can be fixed from the inside. It doesn’t require electing a socialist. We want change, just not the kind Obama is offering. On the other hand, most of the Second-Amendment-centric blogs do not speak highly of McCain. If you spend any time looking around, you will see that quite readily. Most of us have simply decided that McCain is the lesser threat to our liberties. I agree with that, but just barely.

Still, none of us think Obama will “take our guns”. We know, however, based explicitly on what he has said and done that he will push for and sign legislation that limits our rights without any benefit to society. His reasons are 100% political, and have no solid basis in reality. The other reason we don’t buy into “common sense” gun control is that it has and always will be 100% take with 0% give. Obama supports the Second Amendment out of political expediency. Were he not running for president, you would have never heard him utter those words. That is why we fear an Obama presidency… not because he will confiscate Pappy’s old duck gun.

I do feel bad for Dan… it seems that he got caught in this maelstrom for a few off-hand statements he made. However, any time a CEO makes a statement can be construed to represent his company, the board of directors and shareholders have a right to second-guess him. If the CEO of McDonalds came out and said he still enjoys a Wendy’s chicken sandwich from time to time, he would be fired that same day. Cooper is in position of being the namesake of his rifle company. The name is attached to an earned respect within the industry. Once you lend your name to a corporation in which others have a stake, you are no longer free to use your name with abandon. Mr. Cooper could have supported Obama in any number of ways that wouldn’t be tied to his company, but he chose to link his company and his NRA membership to his support for Barack Obama.

I will admit that my initial posts were a bit inflammatory and a bit too much name calling, but I do believe what I wrote.

The fact is that GW Bush IS the face of modern conservativism. So is Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, Bill Kristol, Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity and FOX News to name a few.

I think that what we are witnessing in America in regard to this election is the average American acknowledging the source of their economic pain – the GOP. I know many, many Republicans in rural Indiana that regret their decision to vote for Bush. They know now that they have been played as rubes, suckers and marks by the ultra-wealthy elite that control the GOP. They have seen their jobs along with their healthcare disappear in ever greater numbers. Believe me when I tell you that rural Indiana is hurting and the pain is going to get worse as more chickens come home to roost. I think we are witnessing a seismic shift of allegiance in American politics much like the shift that happened when Johnson supported the Civil Rights legislation of the 1960′s. Many are coming back to the Dem party because they realize that Reagnomics and the GOP are the party that has caused their economic security to evaporate. I will also offer that there are many Democrats that have played ball with the corporatist, deregulation policies enacted by Congress. NAFTA, the bankruptcy bill and other legislation was passed with Democratic support. That I do not deny.

I will end by offering that Dan Cooper is a lifelong Republican and gun rights supporter. You folks here and elsewhere have mounted a campaign that has deprived one of your own of his livelihood and his legacy simply because you are irrationally scared that Obama is going to come and take your guns. How sad and crazy is that? I think all of you that wrote to Cooper Inc attacking Dan should be ashamed of yourselves. I welcome Dan into the light and out of the cave of shadows (cheap Plato reference).

Second, to my knowledge Dan Cooper didn’t directly say anything about Bush. He said he had a problem with where the Republican party is headed. So do I. But that’s not what this debate is about.

I don’t know why you must keep going on about Bush. Most of us well also be glad to see him gone. Bush != conservative. Bush != Republican. We know. We are all counting down the days until he’s gone. Whatever. You spend so much time talking about how much you hate Bush that you don’t seem to really have much else of value to say.

You need to refresh your rhetoric.

Instead of attacking Bush, why don’t you try to explain to us how Obama is actually going to support the Second Amendment. Start out by explaining what exactly the 2A is and what it does. Then square that with Obama’s record and statements.

In addition, I do find it un-American the way Dan was attacked. You folks didn’t just disagree with Dan and make a personal choice not to buy Cooper rifles, you instigated a public campaign that ended up depriving a lifelong Republican and gun owner of his livelihood and legacy. Talk about eating your own. I dare say that many of you would be shocked at how many employees and managers at other gun manufacturers will be pulling the lever for Obama. I will also offer that Cooper is simply the latest in a LONG line of republicans that have been villified for publicly stating that GW Bush and his policies were/are madness.

Lastly, I find it sad that so many of the extremist NRA members seem to think that America’s greatness is solely tied to gun ownership. It isn’t and never was. The 2nd Amendment is simply ONE part of our greatness and to think that Americans will allow the government to eliminate the right to own guns is paranoid insanity. I know I will stand up to protect the Constitution. The difference, it seems, between me and many of you is that you folks will only stand up for a tiny part of it.

No he doesn’t support that. Bush has not been a friend to gun owners. He stated he would sign a renewed assault weapons ban. His administration was responsible for an Amici brief in the DC vs Heller which argued for a weakened Second Amendment.

McCain has also already promised support for further restrictions, but not nearly as many as Obama.

It is also worth noting that nobody in this country can buy either an automatic Uzi or an AK-47 at a gun show. The process for obtaining a fully-automatic weapon is long, expensive, and requires a full background check, and approval from local law enforcement as well as the BATFE. That is, of course, if you can even afford an automatic weapon, which run anywhere from $5k for a “cheap” one to many hundreds of thousands. These guns are not used in crimes because they are so heavily regulated and extremely difficult to procure.

However, I expect to hear apologies from you if we get a renewed ban on common rifles (the so-called Assault Weapons Ban,) higher taxes on guns or ammo, or any of the other things that I have talked about. Do we have a deal?

That being said, I’d like for you to explain precisely what “un-American” means within the context that you used it?

If you actually read what Peter had to say, you would understand that the only point of contention we have with Mr. Cooper is that he publicly supported a candidate whose record is in stark contrast to the beliefs of a substantial majority of gun owners. Simply mentioning that to other gun owners isn’t an “attack”.

Regarding role reversal, I never do or say anything that I am not 100% prepared to stand by.