Jeff Cooper

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

Jeff Cooper - Former NRA Board Member
Former firearms instructor for the American Pistol Institute.

After serving in the military in World War II and the Korean War, Cooper founded the American Pistol Institute (API), which offered classes for both civilians and law enforcement personnel. Cooper is considered to be a pioneer in the use of handguns. His two-handed firing technique, which was developed at a time when handguns were typically fired with one hand, is now the standard for shooters. Cooper was a prolific author during his lifetime, publishing books on firearms technique, big game hunting, as well as a politicized gun rights newsletter. The term "hoplophobia" (fear of guns) was coined by Cooper in 1962, and continues to be used by pro-gun activists. In 2001, Cooper received a lifetime appointment to the National Rifle Association’s Executive Council. He passed away in 2006 and his memorial ceremony was held the next year at the National Rifle Association Whittington Center in New Mexico. A 2011 retrospective of Cooper published in the National Rifle Association’s American Rifleman magazine declared, “No one has ever done so much for so many as John Dean Cooper.” Shooting Illustrated, another NRA publication, eulogized Cooper as “an American patriot” and “a scholar.”

Controversial Actions and Statements

Controversial Actions and Statements:

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

Race

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 13, No. 7 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in July 2005, Cooper wrote, “For those who are thinking of equipping your own private army, the Socom 16 appears to be the best thing now available.” The “Socom 16” is a nickname Cooper gave to an automatic rifle produced by Springfield Armory.

Vigilantism

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 13, No. 7 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in July 2005, Cooper made reference to the war in Iraq, describing it as “this Holy War.” Referring to the religious traditions of Muslims, Cooper said that Americans should “resort to pig−like pollution of these murderers and their survivors” because “tradition has it that the Ay−rab is horrified by anything swine−like.”

Race | Religion

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 12, No. 12 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in November 2004, Cooper wrote about the recent presidential election won by President George W. Bush, stating, “And [close] it was, but not so much as the left−leaning media would have us expect. The important thing is that we did win, and now we have the chance to do something about this evil religious conflict that threatens to engulf the world … We may give thanks as Thanksgiving approaches in the realization that most Americans prefer to face up to a violent challenge rather than to cut and run. Hurray for our side!” Cooper added, “At school long ago I was told of one of the early church fathers, Telemachus by name, who taught that one of the delights of the blessed in heaven would be looking over the ramparts and relishing the torments of the damned below. This struck us as a bit rough for a true Christian, but after our recent election I can see how it might apply to our current domestic scene.” Cooper then turned to the topic of the war in Iraq, stating, “We continue to reflect upon the need to identify our objective in this Holy War. We certainly have the ability to destroy our enemies; but first, of course, we must be able to point out who they are. The fanatics cannot be intimidated, since tactical suicide is in their minds the pathway to paradise. Therefore they must be personally destroyed. The policy was set forth at the notorious Siege of Beziers. 'Omnes moritatem. Deus suos cognoscet.'" Cooper is referring to a quote attributed to the Abbot of Citeaux Arnaud Amalric during the Siege of Béziers: “Kill them all, God will know His own.” Finally, Cooper shared an observation from a Marine, “Consider the following: ‘And I know you don't have much use for female Marines (neither do I, but let's keep that quiet) but there is one out here who is pulling more than her weight and is doing things no one else could do. She is an educated Syrian−born Lance Corporal, an absolutely delightful and fascinating person. Because of her particular abilities, she can go with units on a variety of missions and help calm a situation by speaking to the women and children, which is something no male Marine can do effectively. She has also done yeoman's work as a translator for the interrogators. All of that is even more impressive when you hear what career she walked away from to enlist in the Marine Corps: she was a practicing physician. I wouldn't have believed it unless I saw it myself.’”

Republican Party (GOP) | Religion | Women’s Rights

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

Political Violence

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 12, No. 9 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in July 2004, Cooper wrote about an “Arab who signed up for the US military and then proceeded to murder his comrades−in−arms in Iraq.” Cooper was likely referring to a March 2003 incident in which Hasan Karim Akbar, a U.S. soldier and Muslim convert, threw grenades and fired his weapon into tents where his fellow soldiers were sleeping. Cooper wrote, “There are various ways of disposing of a sociopath, but in this case whatever action is taken should be both quick and exemplary. In situations like this it might be nice to have a king in charge.”

Political Violence

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 12, No. 2 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in February 2004, Cooper discussed technological advancements in China and stated, “The Chinese communists seem determined to join the human race.”He also added, “The fact is that some people are better than other people, on any point worth discussing, from shining shoes to making money. Equality is not only impossible, but also undesirable.” Cooper then turned to the topic of vigilantism and Muslims in the United States military, writing, “’If I were ‘king’ I would give serious thought to the institution of exemplary punishment. This goblin who murdered the little girl in Florida should be disposed of publically in some horrifying manner. This would not bring back the child, but it just might give pause to certain kinds of social degenerates. As for capital punishment, it has not been announced what we have done or will do to that Arab soldier who joined the American Army and then took it upon himself to murder his comrades in arms. Is it possible for a devout Moslem to take oath to serve in a non−Moslem army? As I understand it, his first duty must be to Allah, as revealed in some version of the Koran, but not to the United States.” He then addressed the culture of native Africans, writing, “It appears that life insurance is an unpromising enterprise in Bantu Africa. When a friend of ours suggested to his employee that he might take out a policy to provide for his dependents upon his demise, the man pointed out that as soon as such an act had become known he would be poisoned at his next meal. This is called cultural diversification.”

Race

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 12, No. 1 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in January 2004, Cooper wrote, “If the year 2003 showed us the flowering of the Holy War of Islam upon the West, it also established the United States of America as the world's sole super power, and thus charged us with the responsibility of setting forth on the 21st century with the capacity of altering the world for the better. The Moslems will do their best to frustrate this, and for that we must prepare, but it is a struggle well worth fighting. Christianity is not just one among several equivalent religious faiths, but rather the champion and exemplar of the western way of life. The Moslems would prefer to see us all dead, as far as can be made out from their rather obscure language. So be it. Let us buckle on the sword and prove worthy of the challenge. God's will be done!” He also wrote, “This unisex thing can be pretty silly. At the winter meeting we learned of a case in which a girl insisted upon qualifying for the wrestling team. When a match came up, her prospective male opponent quite properly refused to compete. We may assume that any girl who chose to compete in interscholastic wrestling would not be much of a choice damsel, but this sort of thing may come up again, from time to time, as the feminists flaunt their foolish flag.” Turning to the meaning of the Second Amendment, Cooper stated, “You can only push people around if they submit to being pushed, and this is impossible if they are personally armed. Thus the Second Amendment of the US Constitution has nothing to do with hunting. It has rather to do with the security of a free state against all enemies foreign and domestic.”

Political Violence | Religion | Women’s Rights

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 11, No. 11 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in September 2003, Cooper wrote, “Some of our pundits choose to make a political virtue of diversity. The point is not necessarily well taken. The goal of good government is the optimum balance of liberty and order. Social diversity does not pull in that direction. Liberty is what we seek over the centuries, but if we grant it to too diverse a population, order disappears … We have unsegregated schools in which the children segregate themselves by choice. Our military establishment does surprisingly well in this regard, but of course, the military is and must be a tightly disciplined organization. It seems to me that diversity, rather than being a goal to be sought, should be an obstacle to be circumvented.” He also wrote, “Walter Nowotny was a distinguished fighter pilot of World War II, killed in action just before its close. Born and raised in Vienna, Major Nowotny's remains were buried at Vienna's Central Cemetery. Now it appears that there is a movement afoot to disinter Nowotny's remains and toss them on the municipal ash heap—because he fought for the wrong side … I do not think that we can castigate Nowotny for fighting for the Germans when we recall that David was, according to Scripture, a thoroughgoing scoundrel. You do not have to be a nice guy to be a hero—it is not even much of a help—but you cannot dishonor a hero by spurning his mortal remains.” Nowotny was a Nazi pilot credited with 258 aerial victories.

Repressive Regimes | Race

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 11, No. 10 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in September 2003, Cooper wrote, “Tolerance means that you don't really give a damn.” He also shared this anecdote: “Reports from the front indicate that the Arabs cut down all their power lines in order to steal the copper, and then complain bitterly that power is out.”

Race

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 11, No. 9 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in August 2003, Cooper wrote, “So what are we going to do with this ragheaded US trooper who took it upon himself to murder his brothers−at−arms? The act of killing the man who fights alongside you is so atrocious as to merit special attention. If our Constitution did not forbid ‘cruel and unusual punishment,’ we would resurrect the exemplary British act of ‘hanging in irons,’ in which the subject is hoisted aloft in a snug−fitting network of iron straps and permitted to perish of thirst or exposure, whatever comes first.” Turning to the topic of slavery, Cooper wrote, “This foolish talk about reparations for slavery would be funny if it were not evidence of disastrous historical ignorance. Slavery is a natural course of human events from as far back as we have any record. If you are not going to kill all the losers on the spot, you put them to work. Somebody has got to chop the wood and draw the water, and that is generally what losers do. If we suggest that somebody today should pay somebody else for something that other people did in times long past, we might suggest that the Romans pay the Algerians, the Aztec pay the Maya, the Arabs pay the Berbers, the English pay the Irish, the Norwegians pay the Russians, the Russians pay the Cossacks, the Mohawks pay the Pequots, and so on and on and on. American Negro chattel slavery, which was just one form of the ‘peculiar institution,’ was abolished a century and a half ago, in case Al Sharpton has not heard. It would not be surprising to learn that some of Al Sharpton's ancestors did a bit of buying and selling on their own.” Then addressing the topic of race relations, Cooper added, “It may be that there is such a thing as racial memory, and it is supported by the undeniable observation that the goblins will get you if you don't watch out.”

Race | Religion

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 11, No. 1 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in February 2003, Cooper wrote, “’Political correctness is the oppression of the majority by the minority.’ Who said that?

Race

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 10, No. 11 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in October 2002, Cooper wrote, “The Moslem objective seems to be simply to destroy the infidel. I cannot believe that any Moslem feels that by killing Christians or Jews or agnostics at random he will win any sort of tangible objective … the ragheads still insist that we infidels are the accursed of God, and they seek to flaunt this without any prospect for amelioration. We see these people complaining when they are ‘profiled’ while making every effort to make such profiling obvious. If a raghead does not wish to be identified as a raghead, there would seem to be no reason for him to speak like a raghead, act like a raghead, and dress like a raghead. The best way for him to avoid being identified as a raghead would be to stay back where he came from.” Turning to public schools, Cooper added, “The attempt by the education establishment to castrate American youth has produced some very peculiar attitudes. One is an announced ‘hatred of violence.’ It seems to me that people who hate violence as an abstraction are living in the wrong country. This nation we live in, still the last best hope of Earth, was born in violence, and if there is any such thing as a typical American man, he is certainly a violent man.” Addressing Islam again, Cooper wrote, “By examination we may conclude that a good Moslem earns one point for killing another Moslem of a different sect, two points for killing a European Christian, three points for killing an American, and four points for killing a Jew. I may have this wrong, but then I cannot speak Arabic.” He then took up the topic of political correctness writing, “This political correctness foolishness is so silly that it is hard to take seriously, but there it is. It is even miscalled, for it is neither political nor correct. It is social censorship, the rule of the polypragmatoi (read ‘busybodies’). Mr. Jefferson is quoted around the inside of his monument at Washington as standing foursquare and forever against every form of tyranny over the mind of man. As he declaimed, and as I hope we all agree, the State may justifiably control our actions—but never our thoughts. Sorry, Mr. Jefferson, but all men are not created equal. (‘All ya gotta do is look.’)” Turning to the topic of slavery, Cooper wrote, “This foolishness about reparations for slavery has got to take some sort of prize for inanity. Human slavery has been with us since the beginning of time. It is the natural course of social order. Without it we would probably still be living in the Bronze Age, and such trivia as mathematics, philosophy, religion, and art would never have been invented. As Aristotle pointed out, most people have slave minds, and prefer to be told what to do and where to line up for chow.”

Education | Race | Religion

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 10, No. 10 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in September 2002, Cooper wrote, “Note that riflery is not an exclusively masculine province. The ladies can shoot right along with the gentlemen, if they wish to. Driving, on the other hand, does seem to be a man's job.” He went on to mock the accidental shooting of a tourist, writing, “We hear from Namibia that a German tourist's holiday down there came to an end when he was mistaken for a baboon and shot by a local farmer. If this poor fellow looked enough like a baboon to be mistaken for one, he may be better off dead.” Turning to the topic of slavery Cooper added, “This talk about reparations for slavery is so silly that one could expect it to fade of its own embarrassment, but people keep after it. In the first place, it is unreasonable to ask anyone to make reparations for something he did not do, nor cause others to do. In the second place, if you study this subject you will realize that slavery may be considered a natural condition of civilized man. As our favorite columnist, Thomas Sowell, has pointed out, there is hardly anybody on earth whose ancestors have not enslaved or been enslaved at sometime in the past. It is a lot more sensible, as well as more humane, to put the losers to work than to kill them. I have been amused by the tale of Richard Burton, the famed explorer of Arabia, who was a crusader against slavery but went to considerable trouble to acquire the necessary slaves of his own when setting forth for Mecca. As even Al Sharpton should note, the Negro slaves who were brought to America by the colonists had one and all been enslaved by their black brothers in Africa. Perhaps these activists should put in to Nigeria or the Congo for their reparations.” He continued on the topic of race, writing, “Perhaps you will not believe it, but I recently picked up from a British publication that some movie producer is now contemplating making a movie about the man who crossed the Alps with the elephants—casting Denzel Washington as the man! So much for public education!” Cooper was upset because Denzel Washington is African-American, and added, “If we can cast Denzel Washington as Hannibal, I think we might try to cast Brad Pitt as Booker T. Washington.”

Gun Accidents | Race | Women’s Rights

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 10, No. 3 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in March 2002, Cooper wrote, “Well, they finally got Jonas Savimbi. There was possibly the greatest unsung hero of the Cold War. Savimbi fought the Communists to a standstill in Angola for decades, with no help from us. He was not ‘African−American’ (unsatisfactory term). He was, on the contrary, a first−string African, and he will go down historically with [Zulu chieftain] Chaka as one of the great heros [sic] of his people. I never had the honor of meeting him, but I got pretty close on two occasions, and I regret the loss.” The United States Department of Homeland Security characterized Savimbi’s UNITA political group—from 1998 until the killing of Savimbi in 2002 by Angolan government forces—as a terrorist organization. During this time period, Human Rights Watch described UNITA as “a rebel group led by Jonas Savimbi, [that] killed, abducted, and terrorized civilians with impunity.” The United States Institute of Peace wrote, “Savimbi is indeed responsible for a litany of crimes against humanity.” The conflict between UNITA and the Angolan government resulted in the country having one of the highest concentrations of landmines in the world, with some experts estimating that up to six million mines remain in the ground. Cooper also wrote, “Those of you of the old school will remember that we threw the Moors out of Spain in 1492. Trouble is that we did not throw them far enough. In searching through the records for ragheads of consequence, I discover Haroun−al−Rashid and Saladin, and then my sources begin to dry up. Our current crop of Extollers of The Faithful would have us believe that what we may refer to as the Arab Culture was way ahead of the West up until something mysterious happened along about 1450 or so. These people had shown us such things as numerology, algebra, cotton fabric, and coffee, but suddenly something went wrong. Maybe they lost their push and civilization left them behind. The cultural structure of Islam must have a strong appeal, otherwise it would not be proselytizing throughout the world as it is. How is it that the West copes and the East does not? Allah has fallen short somewhere along the line.” He then complained about patients at the Mayo Clinic, writing, “A friend of ours who is troubled with a nagging form of recurrent carcinoma makes a practice of visiting a Mayo Clinic regularly to keep ahead of the game. He reports that over the last couple of years the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, has been so completely patronized by Arabs that treatment therein begins to resemble some sort of cult practice. The waiting rooms are solidly populated with people wearing bed sheets. Treatment at the Mayos is not cheap, but this does not trouble the rag heads.” Cooper continued, “Our enemy in the Holy War turns out to be simultaneously deadly and silly. They can kill us, of course, dead, but it is hard to take anyone seriously who announces continuously five times a day that God is Great. Is it that ‘milady doth protest too much’?

Repressive Regimes | Immigration | Race | Religion

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 10, No. 1 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in January 2002, Cooper wrote, “The devout Moslem demands that other people share his faith or die. That is not a foolish fancy—it is right there in the book [Koran]. The devout Moslem does not necessarily hate the Infidel, he simply cannot accept his existence, and there you have the Holy War. It may be that OBL's [Osama bin Laden] days are briefly numbered, but whether he lives or dies, Islam remains the core of the Holy War. I cannot handle the Arabic language, and therefore it is not possible for me to interpret the Koran. The fact remains that we do have a Holy War on our hands, and how we pursue it remains to be seen.” He also added, “We American shooters who constitute the foundation of liberty, are philosophically correct, but we are not strong enough to aid the enemy by fighting amongst ourselves. Please do not throw rocks at people on your own side of the barricade. Despite our temporary victory at the polls, there are still plenty of people who voted the wrong way—and will continue to do so. [New York Democratic Senator and gun violence prevention advocate Chuck] Schumer, I understand, is still alive and well.” Turning back to the subject of Islam, Cooper wrote, “Several correspondents have informed us that according to the Koran, Moslems are forbidden to fight any but defensive wars. Since I do not read Arabic, I cannot be sure about this, but it seems that the Arabs had to defend themselves furiously all the way from Mecca (in Arabia) to Tours (in France), going backwards all the time. Those Christians must have been pretty clever in order to get around behind the ragheads, who then defended themselves in reverse for several thousand miles and several hundred years.” Cooper continued, “Our two favorite columnists are Thomas Sowell and Florence King. Miss King just threw us a real beauty in National Review. She asserts that her mother (an unreconstructed Southern Lady) disputed this ‘sensitivity’ about busting the ragheads during Ramadan, as follows: ‘That's the best time to get 'em—when they've got their faces in the rug and their asses in the air.’

Republican Party (GOP) | Political Violence | Religion

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

Race | Religion

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 9, No. 12 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in November 2001, Cooper wrote, “We are informed from South Africa that the crime situation there continues to deteriorate. This is not something you will hear in what is normally called ‘the Western media,’ since it indicates what happens when you give the country back to the Indians. We knew South Africa reasonably well back in the old days, which we think of as the good old days, despite current political rectitude.” The “good old days” that Cooper referred to are the days before the end of the white supremacist apartheid state in South Africa. Political reforms in 1994 mandated majority rule.

Race

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 9, No. 11 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in October 2001, Cooper commented on 9/11 architect Osama bin Laden, writing, “This fellow, whom we shall refer to henceforth as OBL, is said to stand 6’ 5” and could properly be referred to as a ‘trophy rag−head.’ Any Arab this long should certainly go in the record book.” He also wrote, “It has been suggested that you can really upset a Moslem if you undertake to sew up his dead body in a skin of a pig. If we are going to play this game, we should explore all possibilities.” Cooper turned to the topic of slavery to state, “This talk about ‘reparations’ for slavery is pretty quaint when you think about it, unless you are disconnected from history. Slavery has always been a normal aspect of civilization. Since the beginning of recorded history, and probably before, human beings have enslaved one another and nobody thought much about that until quite recent times. What do you do with the losers? You can either kill them on the spot or put them to work. Without the institution of slavery, civilization would never have been achieved, for no one could ever have done anything intellectual if he had to spend all his time hewing and digging and fighting … Those who speak of ‘reparations’ for slavery betray a state of mind which might have been universal if it had not been for slavery. I find it odd that nobody has brought that up in these dim−witted discussions we hear about.” Turning back to the topic of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Cooper called Islam, “an extremist cult rooted in the Middle Ages.”

Race | Religion

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 8, No. 13 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in December 2000, Cooper published the following excerpt of a song written by his daughter Lindy: “The sun shines bright/On the old Kentucky home/'Tis summer/And all the African−Americans are homosexual.” In Vol. 9, No. 3 of the Commentaries, Cooper stated that his daughter was updating the pre-Civil War song “My Old Kentucky Home,” which opens with the lines, “The sun shines bright on my old Kentucky home/Tis summer/the darkies are gay.” The song’s status as the official song of Kentucky has been called into question for the song’s use of racially disparaging terms for African Americans. “Clearly we had to restructure this because we cannot longer use the term ‘darky,’ and ‘gay’ has been rerouted,” explained Cooper.

Gay Rights | Race

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 8, No. 8 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in August 2000, Cooper wrote, “Perhaps you know of the book ‘Unintended Consequences,’ by John Ross, which narrates the fictional account of violent resistance to the infringement of the right of the people to keep and bear arms in the United States. Turns out now that the BATF [Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms] is doing its best to suppress the book, since those people care no more about the First Amendment than they do about the Second. We hear mutterings from several sources about the possibility of a serious backlash against these obnoxious people in their unconscionable behavior.” The plot of “Unintended Consequences” revolves around a man who systemically kills federal law enforcement agents as revenge for the implementation of the 1994 assault weapons ban and other gun control laws. The book concludes with the president of the United States vowing to repeal gun control measures. Oklahoma City Bombing perpetrator Timothy McVeigh called the book his “New Testament” and stated that if he would have read it before plotting his attack, he might have gone on a sniper rampage.

Political Violence

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 8, No. 9 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in August 2000, Cooper wrote, “It is okay to cut your wife's throat as long as you are rich, famous—and black.”

Race

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vo. 8, No. 6 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in June 2000, Cooper wrote, “It is sad to note that the political unrest in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) has practically ruined tourism/hunting in that country. I find this odd. On several occasions I have gone hunting in a war zone, and found the experience exhilarating.” Zimbabwe has not been called Rhodesia since before 1980 when the country was subjected to the white supremacist rule of Ian Smith.

Repressive Regimes | Race

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 8, No. 3 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in March 2000, Cooper wrote, “It appears that this baseball player [Atlanta Braves reliever John] Rocker has stated publically that he dislikes having to ride public transportation in company with scruffies. On this he has been sent to Coventry, where presumably they regularly wash his mouth out with soap. Does anybody really like to ride with scruffies? Social censorship − miscalled ‘political correctness’ − is reaching new lows all the time.” Cooper was reacting to the following comment that Rocker made when asked during an interview if he would like to play baseball in New York: “I would retire first. It's the most hectic, nerve-racking city. Imagine having to take the [Number] 7 train to the ballpark, looking like you're [riding through] Beirut next to some kid with purple hair next to some queer with AIDS right next to some dude who just got out of jail for the fourth time right next to some 20-year-old mom with four kids. It's depressing. The biggest thing I don't like about New York are the foreigners. I'm not a very big fan of foreigners. You can walk an entire block in Times Square and not hear anybody speaking English. Asians and Koreans and Vietnamese and Indians and Russians and Spanish people and everything up there. How the hell did they get in this country?” Cooper also wrote, “They had a big raffle [election] recently in Zimbabwe (Rhodesia). To everyone's intense surprise, Comrade [Robert] Mugabe was the winner of the grand prize. For all our putative rejection of ‘racism,’ it is sometimes hard to take these popinjays seriously.” Zimbabwe has not been called Rhodesia since before 1980 when white supremacist apartheid supporter Ian Smith ruled the country.

Immigration | Gay Rights | Poverty | Race

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 7, No. 5 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in April 1999, Cooper blamed students at Columbine High School for not stopping a mass shooting at the school committed by two students on April 20th of that year. He wrote, “I suppose I should begin this issue by wringing my hands over the disaster at Littleton, Colorado. Certainly that was a dreadful episode, but I can see no relevant connection between the murderous rampage of a couple of psychopathic adolescents and the activities of the National Rifle Association. If anyone on campus had had the presence of mind and the ability, he might have stopped that atrocity before it got started: at the very least, he could have limited it to one or two casualties. But as we know, no weapons are allowed on campus, so the place is ostentatiously defenseless. I once saw a door−poster which announced, ‘There are no guns in this house. Feel free.’ Thus it is with schools. We do not announce these things, but the creeps know that a school is easy pickens. That is probably an important factor in the recent epidemic of school shootings.” The Columbine shooters obtained their firearms through private unregulated sales at a Denver gun show where no background checks were required. The National Rifle Association has long opposed legislation to require background checks on private firearm sales. He went on to write, “As Cousin Bongo continues to wander around the vast Pacific, he runs across more evidence of the general aspect of the war in the Pacific. For example, recently on the Gilbert Islands, the remains were discovered of 22 whites − probably British − who were simply shot out−of−hand when the Nips took the place. There was no fighting, this was just murder, but that is the way that war was. The ‘post modern’ generation does not seem to understand that.” Finally, Cooper shared a story from a friend who pulled a handgun on four African-American men because he saw them wearing “ski masks” on Halloween, writing, “It is delightful to contemplate a circumstance in which the right man was there at the right time. We do not read of such situations often because they are simply not newsworthy. There is nothing to wring our hands about.” Cooper’s friend concluded his story thusly: “Perhaps they did nothing else criminal that night, or perhaps they did. I will never know. But I'm sure that before they decide to approach another old, broken−down, potential victim, they may remember what the muzzle of my 45 looked like as it was pointed at their heads.”

Education | Race | Vigilantism

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 6, No. 6 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in June 1998, Cooper blamed “blacks” for all of the crime in South Africa, writing, “The criminal violence is pretty nasty, but it tends to take place in categories. Street crime in the big towns is mainly a car−against−car, black−against−black proposition, and it can be avoided it one stays out of the wrong places and does not move around in congested areas after dark. On the other hand, raids on isolated rural dwellings are mainly black−on−white, and they are difficult to combat in a culture which has been used to staying in Condition White [a relaxed mindset] at all times. As you know, it is possible to be legally armed in South Africa and to fight back, unlike the situation in Britain where it is considered politically incorrect to resist violence. In most of the cases which have come to my attention, the farm house raids could be defeated by people who are prepared to fight back. It is, however, a truth that most people find it difficult to remain in a properly guarded mindset all the livelong day. The result of this is that most of the wonders of South Africa can be visited by the tourist or hunter without risk, provided, as always and everywhere, that the individual is armed, awake and aware.” He also wrote, “We were saddened to discover that South African Airlines, which we used to think was second only to SwissAir, has come down several clicks in service and comfort following the revolution [that ended the white supremacist apartheid in South Africa]. A form of affirmative action seems to have equipped the cabins with too many people who are simply not up to the task. The job of airline stewardess (‘flight attendant’) demands an eminent degree of intelligence and sophistication. It is not a task for just anyone, and people who have spent a lot of time flying commercially over the past decades have discovered that times have a way of changing.”

Race

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 6, No. 5 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in May 1998, Cooper wrote, “In view of all the excitement about that sad business in Jonesboro, we should note that fatalities from firearms mishaps are at an all time low today. More people die each year from medical misadventures than from accidental shooting.” The “business in Jonesboro” was not a firearm accident. On March 24, 2023 13-year-old Mitchell Johnson and 11-year-old Andrew Golden perpetrated a mass shooting at their middle school that left four of their female classmates and a teacher dead; 10 more were wounded. Cooper also added, “Have you noticed that women who spout off about things they do not understand usually hyphenate their last names? In my opinion, a hyphenated last name is evidence of violation of Rule 5, which is ‘Thou shalt not take thyself too seriously.’

Women’s Rights

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 6, No. 4 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in April 1998, Cooper wrote, “It appears that since the Nips were unable to defeat us in the field, they are going to try to do so at the conference table. We may lose this one, as long as we maintain the current sleaze camp in Washington. It's just another reason why we must change the administration.” He also added, “Did you see where some Nip punk recently attempted to attack a police officer in order to hijack the officer's service pistol? Upon his arrest he claimed that he just wanted to know what it was like to shoot a firearm. Now what on earth should we make of a social organization in which that sort of thing turns up!” Turning to the role of women in society, Cooper wrote, “Family member Pat Rogers tells us of a case in New York wherein a police officer correctly, justifiably, and expertly laid out a goblin on the street with his shotgun. The action had been building up for a few minutes, and there were several other police officers in the vicinity. Three of them were copchicks, who had to be taken off the line to recover their composure after having witnessed so ghastly an event. One of these girls obtained a medical discharge, and is now on a pension from the taxpayers because of what she saw in the line of duty for which she volunteered.” He went on to write, “A recent report from Africa informs us that a Bantu hunter of our acquaintance was recently set upon after dark by an armed robber. Our friend cut him down neatly and went on about his business. Naturally, I am not going to furnish any details about the nationality or locality of our friend. In cases like this, the less the authorities know, the better. Years ago in our Balsas expedition we were forcefully informed by our permit issuing authorities in Mexico City that if we had occasion to knock off a bandit, we were by no means to report the matter. Just get the body out of sight in the bushes and get on with your business.”

Republican Party (GOP) | Race | Vigilantism | Women’s Rights

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 5, No. 13 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in December 1997, Cooper favorably quoted a National Review article that stated, “It is not ignorance, but an accurate perception of reality, that lies at the root of much of what is now called ‘white racism.’”

Race

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 5, No. 11 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in October 1997, Cooper expressed surprise that a woman could be an officer in the Marines, writing, “While in Washington I ran into a rather presentable woman of young middle age wearing the Marine Corps casual uniform. On her collar appeared three stars. As with Scarlet O'Hara, I do not want to think about that today. I will think about that tomorrow.”

Women’s Rights

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

Political Violence | Race

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 5, No. 1 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in January 1997, Cooper wrote, “We ran across an amusing anecdote from Vietnam which suggests that there are two sides to most questions. It appears that this marine sergeant became involved in a short−range daylight firefight in which his people were supported by two M48 tanks mounting 90 millimeter guns. As things developed the sergeant noticed a gook a short way off armed with a bazooka (RPG), which was aimed precisely at one of the supporting tanks and well within rocket range. The sergeant assumed a classic offhand firing position, right elbow high, left elbow under the piece, and with his weapon placed properly in the semi−automatic mode, he squeezed off his single round. At precisely that moment, the other tank, having noticed the same gook, touched off one round of 90 millimeter main battery ammunition, but there was so much going on at the time that the sergeant was not aware of the tank round. The gook was totally scrambled, and our marine looked wonderingly down at his little poodle shooter in amazement. ‘Jeez!’ he said.” Cooper also added, “I suppose all sports fans are aware of the case in which some Texas stripper claimed that she was ‘raped at gunpoint’ by a member of the Dallas football team. What a quaint notion! The technical procedures involved in rape at gunpoint would seem exotic, to say the least. How does one do that? As it turns out the whole thing was a hoax, which is not unusual in the circles involved, but it is curious that nobody in the press thought to ask any questions about that.”

Race | Women’s Rights

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 4, No. 16 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in December 1996, Cooper wrote, “Objection to that sneaky piece that was slipped through at the last congressional session, depriving anyone convicted of ‘spouse abuse’ from forever owning a firearm, is rising to a crescendo. Certainly no one defends wife beating under any circumstances, but permanent recision [sic] of civil rights is not the answer. I have always held that the proper punishment for the wife beater is the public whipping post, but certainly not permanent deprivation of basic civil rights.” He also wrote, “Clearly propaganda is more potent than truth. Take this matter of Guernica, for example. Pablo Picasso, one of the more significant propagandists of the left, made a very successful point in claiming that the town of Guernica had been flattened from the air by the German Condor Legion in the Spanish Civil War−this being an atrocity since the town had no strategic value. This point was accepted by the world press, and is now considered a fact, even for inclusion in encyclopedias. For those who have access to the official records it is clear that the Condor Legion had been grounded for two weeks prior to the occupation of the city by the Nationalist forces. Moreover, the German light bombers did not have the technical capacity for ‘carpet bombing,’ as later practiced by the Allies in Europe. Most conclusive, however, was the fact that there were no bomb craters in the streets. The buildings were pretty well demolished, but this was done from inside them. It is obviously impossible to flatten a town from the air without hitting any of the streets, but now, to the amazement of the well−informed, the German government is proposing to pay an indemnity to Spain for an atrocity never committed. Such goings on!” In reality, Guernica was bombed on April 26, 2023 by the Nazi Germany Luftwaffe and the Italian Fascist Aviazione Legionaria. The bombing is considered one of the first instances of military planes being used to target civilians. The idea that Guernica was a hoax has been propagated by supporters of right wing Spanish dictator Francisco Franco in order to cast blame upon leftist anarchists, rather than the Nazi and fascist forces, for the atrocity. Turning to a racial discrimination lawsuit brought against oil giant Texaco, Cooper wrote, “In continuing observation of what might be called the ‘hoax effect,’ Texaco has caved in to Jesse Jackson, even after both parties have discovered that the tapes responsible for the racial uproar were fake. Jesse Jackson, himself, has claimed he does not want to be bothered by the facts.” In actuality, tapes did exist of Texaco executives using racially disparaging language and plotting to destroy evidence related to the lawsuit. Texaco settled the lawsuit for $176 million.

Conspiracy Theory | Repressive Regimes | Race | Vigilantism | Women’s Rights

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 4, No. 11 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in September 1996, Cooper wrote, “For those who are proud of their lifetime shooting record, we learn of an old geezer, aged 96, who at the end of his life in the Transvaal boasted that he had taken 341 elephants, 187 lions, 40 kaffirs and two Englishmen. It will take some doing to top that.” “Kaffir” is a racial slur for individuals of African descent that was used in apartheid-era South Africa. The slur is analogous to the use of the N-word in the United States, and its use in South Africa is criminal.

Animal Rights | Race | Vigilantism

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 4, No. 8 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in July 1996, Cooper wrote, “Family member Barrett Tillman tells us that he recently caught a segment on the tube portraying girl soldiers undergoing bayonet training. We had been told that obscenity on television was growing out of control, but we did not realize that it had gone this far.” He also wrote, “Just last week up in Denver we were treated to an example of the handgun training procedures now apparently in widespread use amongst the feds. I was holding rifle school on a range back−to−back with the contingent of agents from the Health and Human Services division. Their training procedure was strictly in accordance with regulations handed down from on high, and the officer in charge was a copchick in the range tower manning a bullhorn. Naturally she could not do much supervising up in that perch, but she had the training manual in front of her and she proceeded with great precision.” Cooper went on to blame feminists for the suicide of Chief of Naval Operations Mike Boorda, writing, “The naval establishment−most specially the naval air arm−constitutes the republic's first line of defense, and when it is pilloried by feminist activists such as [Democratic Congresswoman] Pat Schroeder and its traditions are thrown aside in the face of ‘sensitivity’, it had become impossible for Boorda to look himself in the mirror. Turning our mighty fleet carriers into floating brothels, and the erosion of the iron discipline necessary to fighting efficiency are rapidly wrecking, if they have not already wrecked, America's status as a world power. Mike Boorda apparently could not face the prospect of presiding over this calamity−by the direction of the sleazemaster in the White House.” In his suicide note, Boorda cited a controversy about whether he was entitled to wear a medal for valor in combat as the reason. Cooper also added, “On the subject of concealed carry, it occurs to us that the occupation most in need of this asset is that of trained nurse. A nurse goes on and off duty at all hours. Most nurses are young, trim, reasonably attractive females.”

Vigilantism | Women’s Rights

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

Race | Vigilantism | Women’s Rights

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 3, No. 10 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in August 1995, Cooper wrote, “I do not think I mentioned the name of the BATgirl [federal law enforcement agent] who stomped the kitten to death in the course of the [Harry] Lamplugh raid. Her name is Donna Slusser. That is one to remember along with [FBI agent] Lon Horiuchi. We are treated to inquiries and investigations, but it seems very difficult to ask a straight question of a perpetrator. ‘Mr. Horiuchi, why did you shoot Vicki Weaver in the face? Ms. Slusser, why did you stomp on that kitten?’ ‘Self defense’ will not do.” The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms denied that the raid on Lamplugh’s home involved violence. Assistant Special Agent Robert Graham stated, “We are not picking on Mr. Lamplugh. I can't even tell you how many [media] shows he puts on. It really makes my blood boil to hear some nut and liar say that stuff.” Commenting on the animal stomping allegation, Graham said of Donna Slusser, “She's an animal-rights activist who has pets of her own. She won't even eat meat.” He went on to call Lamplugh “a chauvinist” for singling out the only female agent involved in the raid. The ATF conducted the raid with a valid search warrant based on suspicion that Lamplugh, who was a convicted felon, was in illegal possession of firearms because of his involvement in hosting numerous gun shows. Sixty firearms were recovered during the raid, and Lamplugh and his wife were later convicted on tax evasion charges. Lamplugh’s dubious account of the raid on his home was the impetus for a National Rifle Association fundraising letter that described federal law enforcement officers as “jack-booted thugs.”

Conspiracy Theory | Political Violence | Women’s Rights

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 3, No. 7 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in May 1995, Cooper commented on the trial of former NFL running back O.J. Simpson—who was accused of murdering his ex-wife—by writing, “We should perhaps remember that when the peasantry become enraged they burn down cities, whereas no matter how exasperated the bourgeoisie may feel, they do not take to the streets.”

Poverty

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 3, No. 6 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in April 1995, he wrote, “In view of this queasy multi−culturalism with which we are continually affronted, it occurs to us that Western Europeans gave the world to the human race and there is nothing harder to forgive than a favor.” Cooper also commented on then Attorney General Janet Reno, writing, “As you have doubtless heard, there is a bill now banging around in the House authorizing Butch Reno to recruit, train, arm and equip a federal force of 2,500 ninja, presumably to make war upon American citizens. It is up to your representatives in Congress to find out why this country needs a special force of civilian storm troopers in order to make war upon its own people.” He then shared a story that suggested that black children who beg for money should be threatened with a gun: “Herewith an interesting tactical ploy for our times. Late night shopper comes out of supermarket to be confronted by a hostile crowd of pickaninnies asking for money. The shopper greets hostiles in friendly fashion and raises a question, ‘Any of you brothers seen my speedloader?’ ‘Speedloader?’ ‘Yah, something like this,’ and he brings out his Detective Special, fishes around in his pockets and says, ‘A speedloader is something you use to load this piece. It's round and made of black rubber. I swear I dropped it around here someplace. Anybody see it?’ We have often noticed that one can frequently disconcert a goblin by asking him a question he is not prepared for. This would seem to be a good one.” “Pickaninny” is a racial slur for a black child. Cooper also added, “For those who wring their hands over the status of the poor, long−suffering Japanese, two questions should be posed about World War II in the Pacific. ‘Who started it?’ [and] ‘Who won?’ Whenever the Nips get uppity I reflect that those two questions should be engraved in bronze in prominent places throughout the now defunct Empire of the Rising Sun.”

Political Violence | Race | Women’s Rights

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 2, No. 16 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in December 1994, he wrote, “I have been criticized by referring to our federal masked men as ‘ninja,’ when in the view of the critic the traditional role of the ninja in Japan was to fight against oppression and tyranny. Let us note that almost no one ever resorts to force and violence unless he is convinced that his cause is right, but without going into that let us reflect upon the fact that a man who covers his face shows reason to be ashamed of what he is doing. A man who takes it upon himself to shed blood while concealing his identity is a revolting perversion of the warrior ethic. It has long been my conviction that a masked man with a gun is a target. I see no reason to change that view.” He also wrote, “For the FBI to investigate [FBI sniper Lon] Horiuchi is somewhat like Hitler's investigating [Nazi SS leader Heinrich] Himmler. But no matter what [former Attorney General Janet] Reno and [former FBI director Louis] Freeh and [former FBI agent Richard] Rogers and Horiuchi may say, that case is not closed. Whether Horiuchi committed a procedural error at Ruby Ridge is not important. What he committed was a mortal sin, and that sin will find him out. The only appropriate demise for this man now would seem to be the traditional route of sepukku [suicide], with which he should be familiar. If he needs a proper knife I have one, which I will provide to him upon request.” Horiuchi received death threats from anti-government extremists after his role in a shooting during the Ruby Ridge standoff. While attempting to shoot armed extremist Kevin Harris, Horiuchi instead killed an unarmed woman, Randy Weaver’s wife Vicki.

Political Violence | Race

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 2, No. 15 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in December 1994, Cooper wrote, “Recently in the waiting room of an office in Prescott we heard a customer, looking at us, remark, ‘The man has a pistol.’ My response was, ‘Yea, we just won the election!’ I do not know if the customer got the point, but I did enjoy the exchange.” In January 1995, the Republican Party took control of the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time since 1954. Cooper also called Nathan Bedford Forrest, the first “Grand Wizard” of the Ku Klux Klan, “an amazing man.”

Republican Party (GOP) | Political Violence | Race

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 2, No. 14 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in November 1994, Cooper shared a poem celebrating a 1994 incident where a man fired 29 rounds from an assault rifle at the White House. The poem, in part, read, “The White House, it was shot up/It was only tit for tat/Shame on the fellow with the SKS/He shot like a Democrat.” Cooper also listed several “humorous” made-up statistics, including, “71% of feminist agitators tend to be ugly.”

Political Violence | Women’s Rights

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 2, No. 8 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in July 1994, Cooper wrote, “An informal poll conducted in the area of Harare (ex−Salisbury, Rhodesia) indicates that the great majority want Ian Smith back in place of Robert Mugaby. If Mugaby finds out about this, Mr. Smith's head rests very lightly on his shoulders.” Ian Smith was the white supremacist leader of Rhodesia who enforced white minority rule of the nation until 1980. Robert Mugabe became president when the country declared independence from the British and became Zimbabwe. Cooper also described a business deal gone sour involving the sale of Gunsite, his firearms training facility, as “the great lynch party of April Fool 1993.” Turning to the topic of the Vietnam War, Cooper described Vietnamese as “slant−eyed little fiends.” He then added that, “If Nicole Simpson had studied at Gunsite she would now be a wealthy widow.” Simpson was murdered in 1994 and her ex-husband former NFL star O.J. Simpson was eventually acquitted after being charged in connection with her death. Cooper then recommended that his readers purchase “Racism, Guilt and Self−Deceit" by M. Gedahlia Braun, stating “His work, which is very carefully researched and irreproachably objective, is not politically correct, which may be its strongest recommendation.” In the book’s forward, Braun writes, “It was obvious to [black Africans] that whites were ‘cleverer’ and they made no bones about it. It is whites who feel guilty about this and blame themselves for black failure. Shrewd blacks use this ‘guilt’ to blackmail, browbeat and bamboozle whites. This sham anger is a principal weapon of psychological warfare. It is used by women against men, blacks against whites, homosexuals against straights and islam [sic] against the West—though always with the help of the (alleged) wrong-doers … Blacks are deficient in abstract thinking and this leads to moral blindness … Blacks’ difficulty in thinking of the future explains, e.g., their high rate of criminality and HIV.”

Repressive Regimes | Gay Rights | Race | Religion | Women’s Rights

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 2, No. 5 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in May 1994, Cooper wrote, “We see that the Bahutu [Hutu] and the Watutsi [Tutsi] have resumed their age−old hostilities. Truly they enjoy this sort of thing, and what they may lack in aptitude they make up in enthusiasm. This, of course, is one of the rewards of independence. The Belgian administration did not put up with it.” Later, he added, “How long do you suppose it will take Jesse Jackson to discover that the horror in Rwanda was caused by the French abandonment of their colonial policies and leaving these people to their own devices?” Cooper was referring to the genocide in Rwanda where up to 1,000,000 Tutsis were massacred by Hutus. He also wrote, “Let us all gather round to meet the New Woman of The Nineties. Her name is Tonya Rodham Bobbitt.” Cooper was referencing Tonya Harding (who was implicated in a violent attack on a rival figure skater), then-First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Lorena Bobbitt (who was famous for an incident where she severed her husband’s penis).

Repressive Regimes | Race | Women’s Rights

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 2, No. 3 of Jeff Cooper’s Comenntaries published in March 1994, Cooper wrote, “Major Robert Hines, of the DC Park Police, maintains that [Deputy Whitehouse Counsel for President Bill Clinton] Vincent Foster, who was found dead in the park, was in possession of a ‘38−caliber 1911 Colt army revolver.’ Now there is a collector's item for you!” He also added, “The newspaper accounts coming out of the Waco trials are quite unbelievable at this distance. It would appear that the attorneys for the FBI are talking about some other occurrence entirely. They are quoted as telling the jury that ‘These people (the Branch Davidians) wanted to destroy your country!’ Somehow I never got that impression. What I would like to find out, however, is what sort of wounds caused the death of the three BATmen [ATF agents] who entered the upper story first. Those men were buried before anyone got a good answer to that question, and evidently it was not raised at the trial. It matters, however, if the BATmen shot each other, as seems likely. That might well be verified by the nature of their wounds.” Cooper also quoted Howard McCord’s novel “The Coming Civil War in America,” stating, “What Clinton and his kind want to develop is a population which sees itself as a victim of violent crime, economic injustice, racial and sexual prejudice, and helpless to correct these wrongs without government assistance. People who see themselves as victims look to rescuers, look to those who will help, for a victim is one who is demonstrably incapable of doing things for himself. He wouldn't be a victim otherwise. And under no circumstances must a victim take action on his own to remedy the evil he suffers from. Never. He should call the government to help.” Cooper also wrote that “a woman who cannot cook, like a man who cannot shoot, is in important ways incomplete.” Finally, Cooper went on to share a quote: “Under the administration of [white supremacist Cecil] Rhodes there were the fewest laws, the widest freedom, the least crime, and the truest justice I have ever seen in any part of the world.” Rhodes, a British colonialist responsible for the founding of Rhodesia, said of the British people, “I contend that we are the first race in the world, and that the more of the world we inhabit the better it is for the human race.”

Conspiracy Theory | Political Violence | Race | Women’s Rights

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 2, No. 2 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in January 1994, Cooper wrote, “Now that the media are doing their best to cover up the Waco atrocity, they have been able to downrate the news with the forensic pornography surrounding the Bobbitt case [where a woman severed her husband’s penis]. In response to this, Dan Dennehy, the renowned knife maker who has long been one of the stalwarts of Orange Gunsite, will now offer a special instrument to be known as the ‘Dan Dennehy Dick Docker,’ featuring a serrated edge and a pink plastic hilt. He will have it on special order for uppity feminists as soon as it is available.” He also stated, “The Republic is in very bad shape−probably the worst since 1776−but it does us all well to remember that the principles of the Founding Fathers stand as sound and irrefutable today as yesterday. We must bear in mind that ‘they’ cannot disarm us. They do not have the legal power, of course, but neither do they have the physical power. An army may be defeated by another army, but the people of a nation cannot be, as long as they are aware of their principles and maintain their determination to observe them. We hope, of course, that ‘they’ never presume to try, because ‘they’ simply cannot do it. What the American people need is the viscera to tell ‘them’ No! God grant that we still have the courage!” Cooper also indicated that one of the awards he gave to his students while a firearm instructor was a Scharfschützenabzeichen, a badge awarded to Nazi soldiers who had great sniper proficiency.

Conspiracy Theory | Political Violence | Race | Women’s Rights

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 1, No. 9 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in October 1993, Cooper wrote, “This ‘family values’ concept seems to be burgeoning amongst the counterculture. Just recently in Phoenix a professional burglar went about his business accompanied by his wife and children. (Was he perhaps thinking of the statement, ‘The family that preys together, stays together’?) In any case, when he was shot dead by one of his victims in broad daylight, his wife, who was driving the getaway car, and his children, who were interested observers, were much upset. One observer opined in the newspaper that you should not shoot people for stealing stuff. It gives one to wonder. Obviously, the constituted minions of the law are doing little about people who steal stuff. Perhaps it is indeed time for ‘the militia’ to take over. Remember that according to the Founding Fathers the militia is constituted of all the people, except for a few public servants.” He added, “Back in the Dark Ages, the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation occupied a place of glory in the eyes of the young. The FBI under John Edgar Hoover was an organization to be held up as a goal for young men of sufficient ‘patriotism, valor, fidelity, and abilities.’ Now then, see what has happened! In addition to its various other transgressions, such as the Randy Weaver disaster in Idaho, the FBI has now come out for the disarmament of the American people, and has issued an official press release totally exonerating the Bureau for any sort of transgression in the Waco atrocity. I do not suppose there is anyone who has not seen the Linda Thompson tape of the action of the Federal ninja at Waco. The attempt to clear the Feds of any sort of misdemeanor in that episode completely destroys the credibility of the Bureau. Lo how the mighty are fallen!” Cooper also shared the following story: “It seems that a felon armed with a 357 revolver robbed a bank. As he left the bank, he was accosted by a policeman whom he murdered with one shot. Great excitement ensued, with the felon taking hostages and racing madly around from one store to another. When the forces of law and order had been mobilized and surrounded the goblin, a policeman volunteered to trade himself to the goblin for two hostages. This offer was accepted, at which time the felon fired at the policeman and seriously wounded him. The forces of law and order opened up with everything they had, which was mostly AUG and Glock fire. Shortly, the goblin killed himself with one round. He had fired three times and achieved three hits. The police, according to their official report, fired 1,261 rounds without drawing blood. At one time, we used to refer to an event of this sort as a ‘Chinese Fire Drill.’ Later we came to call if ‘Father's Day in Harlem.’ After the interment of the Ayatollah Khomeini, we began to call it ‘An Iranian Funeral.’ Now, I guess we can call it ‘A Viennese Bank Robbery.’ As I have often stated, if someone wants to shoot at me, I sure hope he does it on full−auto.”

Political Violence | Race | Vigilantism

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 1, No. 8 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in September 1993, Cooper blamed victims of rape for not successfully fighting off their attackers by writing, “We read in the Washington Times of some character in the vicinity of Washington, DC, who has raped three different women, always wearing black and armed with, of all things, a cross bow. Now how does one go about his sexual jollies when he is armed with a cross bow? Apparently the instinct to fight back has been all but bred out of the American people. Either that or the law of the survival of the fittest has been repealed.” He also wrote, “It would appear that the media are desperately attempting to sweep Waco [standoff] under the rug. Let us hope this takes more sweeping than they can handle. The success or failure of the National Health Plan or of NAFTA [North American Free Trade Agreement] are trivial considerations compared to the menace of the federal ninja making war upon American citizens on no stronger grounds than suspicion of bad behavior. We are thankful for the policies of [fellow NRA board member] Colonel Bob Brown, publisher of Soldier of Fortune, who is determined not to let the matter drop. We simply must do something about these fat men with face masks and MP5s who shoot down unarmed citizens. Personally, I would not think that the American people would stand for this, but then I am a member of an older generation which took the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution with more than a grain of salt … It has been suggested that the reason that our federal ninja wear face covering on raids is that they are not American citizens. The suggestion is that UN troops of other nationalities are being employed on these nefarious affairs so as not to be liable for prosecution in the United States. Now this may be a farfetched idea, but when the feds will not level with us we must be free to draw our own conclusions.”

Conspiracy Theory | Health Care | Political Violence | Women’s Rights

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 1, No. 5 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in August 1993, Cooper recommended his readers view the film “Waco: The Big Lie.” The film promotes several conspiracy theories related to the 1993 standoff between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and a sect of anti-government Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas, including a false claim that agents of the United States government, rather than Branch Davidians, were responsible for the shooting deaths of four ATF agents. Cooper wrote, “This is the unexpurgated record of the atrocity at Waco, and while it does not have all the answers, it certainly poses all the questions … But the big one, of course, is why the United States government, in its majesty, saw fit to declare war upon a group of citizens guilty of no offense. The only defense that the feds have suggested up to now is that the whole thing is a hoax. When you look at the tape, see if you think that it is.” The Waco standoff began in February 1993 after ATF agents attempting to serve a valid search warrant on the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas were met with gunfire, and ended 50 days later in another violent incident. Commenting on the dismissal of FBI Director William Sessions for financial improprieties, Cooper wrote, “Now we need the [head] of [Attorney General Janet] Reno … Note that [NRA Board Member] Senator Larry Craig of Idaho is hard at work on that one.” Additionally, Cooper related an anecdote from a friend about a police officer shooting a criminal suspect and added, “See how lucky Rodney King was to escape with his life?

Conspiracy Theory | Republican Party (GOP) | Education | Political Violence | Race | Women’s Rights

Jeff Cooper (Former Board Member)

In Vol. 1, No. 3 of Jeff Cooper’s Commentaries published in July 1993, Cooper wrote, “Nonetheless, it is the month in which we celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence, in which it was set forth unmistakably for posterity that human rights are not granted by man but rather by God, and that when any government or institution threatens those rights it is the duty of the people to abolish it. That is an idea especially pungent at this stage of America's political devolution.” He also added, “It was interesting to observe the Attorney General [Janet Reno] coming forth to ‘accept full responsibility’ for the atrocity at Waco. One wonders what that means. When one accepts responsibility, one accepts appropriate punishment for one's transgression. The Japanese have a long tradition of the proper means of accepting responsibility. It is conducted by means of a short, sharp knife. I have such a piece in my armory and I would be glad to part with it in a good cause, such as appropriate use by the Attorney General.” Continuing to discuss standoffs at Ruby Ridge and Waco between anti-government extremists and federal law enforcement, Cooper wrote, “How long are the American people going to put up with this sort of thing? It is popular, at this time, to compare the behavior of our uncontrolled federal agents to that of the Nazis in the Third Reich. It may be that this is a valid comparison, but the Nazis are long ago and far away, whereas the ninja in the US are right now in full−cry and apparently without fear of any sort of control. They move mainly at night. They conceal their faces. They use overwhelming firepower and they make almost no effort to identify their targets. They are scarier than the Nazis − who at least never concealed their faces.”

Political Violence | Race
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