A CALL TO ARMS on March 1 - Please Read

M

mdhunter

New member
I’ve read posts on different forums stating why we can’t win the gun control war, and my frustration has built up enough to send out a call to all of our Firing Line members. The first thing I want to do is apologize to those members who already are very active; this is a call to action to the many of us who are doing a little, but can do more to protect our 2A rights.

First a brief bio, to give you an idea where I’m coming from and why I feel such a sense of urgency. I live in Maryland, but was born in Alaska and lived there until I was 12. I hunted from ages 6 through 30, but sold/gave away my 11 guns (dumb, dumb, dumb) when I started racing road bicycles as an amateur (stopped eating meat, so stopped hunting). I stopped racing several years ago, and started hunting again in 2000…..but just came upon gun forums, back in November of last year.

I was amazed to learn how much our gun possession rights had eroded over the past 10-15 years, and after reading passively for several weeks, decided that the battle (especially in our beloved Maryland, home of the gun haters and sheep) needs EVERY PERSON WE CAN GET. So I’ve rejoined the NRA, will be joining the GOA, and have written letters to the Baltimore Sun and to my state and federal representatives.

My point is THIS: I didn’t know anything about this battle, or care about it, until a couple of months ago…..so if I can get going and increase my involvement, ANYONE can. So I’m throwing out a challenge, and a call to arms, to the large number of us who can do A LITTLE MORE!

What can we do? There are many things, and several of them are simple and quick:

1) Get over worrying about being viewed as a gun nut – other people’s opinion of you should not guide your life;

2) If you’re not an NRA member, join NOW – they’re the best friend we have at the moment. You may not agree with everything they do – but an organization of 4 million can’t please every member, with every action it takes;

3) Join the GOA as well, to make them a bigger force to be reckoned with;

4) If you’re already an NRA/GOA member, get a friend who is already a shooter to join;

5) Introduce a friend, woman, or child to shooting;

6) Talk to at least one person about gun control and the reasons you oppose it;

7) Work with others in your state to actively campaign against gun control; and finally,

8) Use this forum to share your success stories, or to ask for assistance or help in any areas of the above list that you might need help with.

The best news - none of these things are incredibly difficult to do! And if you have trouble with any of them, there are hundreds of able and willing helpers, right on this Forum!

Here’s where I throw down the gauntlet, and challenge each of you who are willing, to STEP UP AND JOIN THE FIGHT:

I’m going to set a personal goal of 1 new activity per month – that means that EVERY month, I commit to adding at least 1 new NRA/GOA member, or taking at least 1 non-shooter to the range, or talking to at least 1 uninformed person about gun control, or writing at least 1 letter to my state and federal delegates. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but that’s a MINIMUM of 12 actions per year, for every person who steps up – THAT will start to add up very quickly! At the beginning of each month I’ll start a thread to report on the past month’s activity, and others can chime in as well.

So come on, guys and gals…..the time for apathy has passed; we have a long fight ahead, and we need every hand we can get, to step up and stand beside your brethren – no one person more important than any other, and no time more important, than now.

Thanks for reading,

Michael Moore (yes, my real name) :)
 
Man, I feel sorry for you with that name :p (just joking).

I think that you will find that most of us are doing that already. Unlike some boards the members of TFL (and a few other boards) type/write our fingers to the bone when it comes to our reps in DC and the states we live in, have califlower ear from all the phone calls that we make, and even (some of us anyway) buy memberships for our anti friends/relatives to the NRA/GOA and JPFO.

I still have one anti old co-worker who still doesn't know why she is on the NRA magazine mailing list :D. (the funny thing is that she still hasn't called to canx the subscription).

I think that our biggest thing that we need to do now is to get the hunters and the skeet/trap shooters to join with us "gun nuts" and stick together in this fight. Right now I don't think that we are losing some battles due to us not doing enough but due to the fact that we are split within our own ranks.
 
Hunters and Skeet Shooters - Great Point

I agree with you 100 percent, it's amazing how fractionalized the different shooting groups can be.

Since I belong to the Maryland Sportsmen's Association, I'm gonna ask the leaders if I can write an article about supporting ALL gun owners and put it in our next newsletter! Thanks again for the great thought, USP.

Your comment about paying others' membership dues into the NRA/GOA is also a great point - it will let me get a few of my buddies who are gun owners, but fairly shy and quiet, convinced that their voice makes a difference.

Thanks again,

Michael
 
Not a problem my friend. That is one of the reasons that alot of folks like it here, good ideas and knowledge abound.

Good luck in your endeavers. You actually reminded me that I need to get off my rear and do some things that I've been thinking of doing but haven't gotten around to it yet. Kinda like the winter chill effect that makes one abit lazy :(.

And I can also now say:

another: You like Michael Moore

me: Yes, great fellow with alot of good ideas

another: Oh, so you liked his movie

me: Oh, that Michael Moore, no, I meant the smart one that I talked with on TFL :D
 
An interesting point has been brought up. The differenct factions of the shooting sports not being willing to support the others. A good example of two. I know a fellow who shoots nothing but trap and skeet. He has multiple thousands of dollars tied up in expensive shotguns. His take on the assault weapons ban? So what? I don't have one nor does anyone need one. He also doesn't care for rifles or hunting, so if your Remington 700 with a scope is banned as a sniper rifle, again, so what? it doesn't affect him. Guess he just doesn't get it, and I cannot convince him that it will eventually affect him.
If someone finds my next statement offensive, so be it.
If the various gun owners, whether they be pistols, revolvers, shotguns, rifles or even black rifles and full auto guns do not get their heads out of their collective asses and start supporting each other, then the antis will win, and all gun owners will be the losers. :mad: :(
You don't like black rifles? That's OK. Just don't pontificate that no one else should own one, should they choose to do so. The same goes for full auto, high cap magazines, shotguns of any type. Support your fellow firearms owner, even if you don't like his gun. :cool:
United we stand, divided we fall, and the antis are doing a damn good job creating division.
NUFF SAID?
Paul B.
 
Great Point on Skeet Shooter Friend.....

I also know a couple of skeet/trap shooters who don't have much interest in the gun control topic.

Paul - do your friends own any shotguns with thumbhole stocks? Probably not, but you may want to ask them - these are classified as "assault weapons" in many of the AWB bills.....if he/she owns any, you might be able to show them a draft bill that would outlaw HIS/HER weapon, and maybe we can get them off their butts!

Thanks for the goo comments.

Michael
 
A call to Arms

I like most of the TFL, have typed my fingers to the nubs, with letters to my Senators and Representatives asking for support on Gun Issues, Support for the second Amendment, CCW Legislation, you name it. Join organizations such as NRA and GOA. Get into the various forums, such as TFL, Smith and Wesson forum. :)
 
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