Saul,
Let me begin by stating that you have every right to your personal opinons, and I respect that right...It's one of the priciples supported by the Constitution that we as Americans used to all agree on...Now, not so much...
As for your opinions on TN, I hope you have more evidence that what you are stating because I feel that you may be caught up in the media's caricature version of him via soundbites taken out of context. I'm not a diehard TN supporter trying to defend him, and I don't agree with all of his views. But, I do find him to be intelligent, articulate, informed, and very passionate about what he believes. I have respect for that. Above all, I find him to be entertaining which is first and foremost what he is....An entertainer, lest we forget....
If you have ever read any of his books you would know that his problem with gun control is that the federal government wants to make it very subjective. Specifically with background checks, he is against them in principle because as they have been proposed by the liberal leaders, the disqualifications would be inconsistent and arbitrary. His biggest problem with federal gun control is that it takes the power away from individual states to decide what's best for them. If you are familiar with any of TN's politics, you know he is a huge advocate of states rights, and minimal federal government, which I also believe is what the founding fathers intended when creating our republic.
As for him poaching, are you referring to his bear incident? If so, that hardly quantifies him as a poacher or an outlaw in my opinon. It was a misunderstanding of a very complicated and outdated law, that many hunters before TN have been victim of... If you know how the entire event unfolded, TN made a sincere public appology and explained that although ignorance is no excuse, he felt the law was a bad law, and should be changed. He had his day in court and paid his debt to society. Of course, when you are a controversial celebrity, everything you do is analized and ultimately crucified by the media. He could not win...
Your view is that TN has no respect for wildlife or the animals he harvests? Again with due respect, I completely disagree... I know of no other hunter that is more thankful for nature's bounty than this guy. He revere's the natural resources that he constantly thanks God for providing him. The problem that you and others have, I think, is the way he goes about praising the hunt and the experience of the kill. TN, has a very primal view of the hunting experience as do I... We are not those type of hunters that lie to ourselves about what we are doing, and that we do not enjoy the kill. This is a controversial topic that has debated endlessly here on this and every other hunting forum. The bottom line is that everyone gets something different from their personal hunting experience. TN enjoys it his way, you can enjoy it the way you see fit. I personally find his enthusiasm, and his reverence of the hunting experience as the ultimate tribute to the animal.
As for your view of the President, I can understand your point about respecting the office. However, I think you are looking at it differently that I am. Where is it stated that, we as Americans, are obligated to respect the individual holding said office? I have to agree with others here that this president may be the president holding the office, but he is not my president. I did not vote for him, and I do not believe in any of his policies or agendas. I believe he is doing irrevocable harm to this country and our culture....So, your saying that we as a people are still obligated to respect and revere him simply because he holds a public office?? Why?? I like the analogy you gave about supporting the guy on our team... That's fine, but where does it say that this guy is on my team? If anything, his policy has dictated to me that he is certainly not on "my team". There are millions of people in this world who are socialists, communists, or subject to dictatorships simply because they didn't oppose the guy that was supposed to be on "their team"....
I know you feel that you are supporting America by supporting him, but I assure you that it's not the same...There's a fine line sometimes between patriot and rebel. I guess it just depends who you ask...We were all rebels 240 years ago. I don't mind being one now...
"All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent." Edmund Burke