The following was posted on GlockTalk, I was so impressed that I wish to pass it along for others to read. Don't give up Hope!! k
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Please accept my apologies in advance for a long post, but I thought you all might be interested by my story:
Six months ago I was a Democrat who thought the best thing for this country would be an outright ban on handguns ("never mind registration, gun locks, and all the other foreplay, just ban the damn things!"). Today I bought my first gun of any kind: a G19. I have come 180 deg. on the issue in less time than it takes some of you to get your carry permits. No, I haven't been raped, attacked, robbed, or been the victim of any crime of any kind. I grew up in the suburbs of a large east coast city (not exactly Montana as far as gun culture, except for the illegal ones downtown) and there were never any guns in the house and although my parents never tried to instill the guns=evil theme, this thought developed in me over time, primarily as a result of the media coverage of gun crime. So what happened?
1) About 8 years ago, a good friend took me shooting at an indoor range, using a couple of different pistols. Up to that point, I had never even seen a real gun in person. I thoroughly enjoyed my time learning to shoot and was in awe over the power of a gun. This outing planted a seed somewhere in my mind that I might like to become more proficient at shooting someday. However, soon after that I went overseas for 8 years as a result of work assignments and never had the opportunity to pursue the interest. Meanwhile as the result of Columbine, etc, my emotions got the better of me and I became anti-gun once again.
2) I am currently in law school and recently attended a debate on gun control. Although the debate itself did not change my anti-gun stance (I was still overemotional about the issue), it made me think, and to research the issue on my own. I found great info on the web (Guncite, etc) that presented the FACTS and the data that led to some serious doubts about the hype I had been spoon-fed by the media (e.g. a gun in the home is 43x more likely to injure or kill a family member than an intruder). I also bought John Lott's "More Guns, Less Crime."
3) I took Constitutional Law. Perhaps this was the biggest factor in my "metamorphosis." The curriculum did not even come close to touching the 2nd Amendment with a 10 ft. pole, but what this class did was open my eyes up to what the Constitution is, what it means, and the importance of this document to the Founders' intentions and to the long term viability of the United States (if only my liberal professor knew the effect the class was having on me!). I began to recognize that this is an issue that concerns RIGHTS, not just guns. I began to see the "government knows best" mentality our administration maintains. I began to understand that those in control were fostering the seeds of tyranny that our Founders feared and I did not like what I saw. That mentality is not what this country is about and THAT point needs to be hammered home by all of us. It is not a question of whether I "need" a gun, but one of whether I want a gun and have a right to a gun and the self-defense it provides me.
The point is, I know it seems hopeless to convince the anti's that guns are not the problem that the Moms are trying to cure. But it CAN and DOES happen if the right approach and tactics are used (I am proof):
1) Some will never be convinced because they do not know how to open their minds, but others like me will listen and think about what you are saying. Don't force it down their throats, but allow an intelligent person to digest the facts and give them some resources to check out on their own.
2) Take them shooting. People who have not grown up around guns (like me) are intimidated by them and the very sight of them represents bad thoughts. Without being overbearing about it, gradually work on getting them out to the range with you and teach them how to properly handle a weapon. Show them that not everybody that owns a gun is a fatigue-wearing mercenary intent on overthrowing the government-point out the doctors, lawyers, and other professionals (this is not to disparage other types of people, but to counter the stereotype that gun owners are not "normal").
3) Talk about the Constitution and what it represents. Develop good counter-arguments for the "2nd Amendment only means a National Guard" argument. Know more about the history of the document than your adversary. Once again, some people in this country will never understand the Constitution and the sacrifices that were made in support of it. Don't focus on these people-look for the ones that can think intelligently about an issue.
4) Support the pro-rights groups such as the NRA, GOA, etc. I became an NRA member, a GOA member, and contributed to the SAS and Glock Legal Defense fund before I even owned a gun. Talk about WHY we cannot accept gradual intrusions on our rights (the "slippery slope"). Most people don't understand why the NRA is so adamant about opposing even the most "common sense" type restrictions (superficial common sense says fewer guns=less crime, safety locks=less chance of injury. Get beyond the superficial level and dig deeper into the question with anti's). I didn't understand this position either until I really began to think about the consequences for our future RIGHTS, not just gun rights but ALL of them. Try to speak about it unemotionally and have the facts correct-the other side will be emotional and will have skewed facts so that gives you the advantage.
5) Every time you write a post on this forum about how our rights are being infringed, take the time to write a well-composed letter to your legislators. Posting here is the proverbial "preaching to the choir." Although there is nothing wrong with that, we need to focus on the people that can make a difference. I wrote my congressman yesterday to ask him to support H.R.4257.
6) Vote. We may never fully support any candidate on all the issues but some believe in our individual rights more than others and we need to put them in office. Don't assume that your neighbors will take care of it. Go out and do it yourself.
Once again, I am sorry if this appears like a lecture. Don't take it that way-I am only providing my perspective a a recent anti-gunner. There is hope for our side, don't give up. When I hear things like "one million moms can't be wrong", I think "yes, they can, and they are." I, too, was wrong about this before. Others can change as well.
One last thing, I am generally impressed with the overall community atmosphere on this board and have learned a lot by reading other posts. I look forward to asking many of you for help as this new gun owner learns the hobby. BTW, shot 50 rds through my new 19 and loved it…though I won't be winning any marksmanship trophies anytime soon!
Have a nice day!
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Please accept my apologies in advance for a long post, but I thought you all might be interested by my story:
Six months ago I was a Democrat who thought the best thing for this country would be an outright ban on handguns ("never mind registration, gun locks, and all the other foreplay, just ban the damn things!"). Today I bought my first gun of any kind: a G19. I have come 180 deg. on the issue in less time than it takes some of you to get your carry permits. No, I haven't been raped, attacked, robbed, or been the victim of any crime of any kind. I grew up in the suburbs of a large east coast city (not exactly Montana as far as gun culture, except for the illegal ones downtown) and there were never any guns in the house and although my parents never tried to instill the guns=evil theme, this thought developed in me over time, primarily as a result of the media coverage of gun crime. So what happened?
1) About 8 years ago, a good friend took me shooting at an indoor range, using a couple of different pistols. Up to that point, I had never even seen a real gun in person. I thoroughly enjoyed my time learning to shoot and was in awe over the power of a gun. This outing planted a seed somewhere in my mind that I might like to become more proficient at shooting someday. However, soon after that I went overseas for 8 years as a result of work assignments and never had the opportunity to pursue the interest. Meanwhile as the result of Columbine, etc, my emotions got the better of me and I became anti-gun once again.
2) I am currently in law school and recently attended a debate on gun control. Although the debate itself did not change my anti-gun stance (I was still overemotional about the issue), it made me think, and to research the issue on my own. I found great info on the web (Guncite, etc) that presented the FACTS and the data that led to some serious doubts about the hype I had been spoon-fed by the media (e.g. a gun in the home is 43x more likely to injure or kill a family member than an intruder). I also bought John Lott's "More Guns, Less Crime."
3) I took Constitutional Law. Perhaps this was the biggest factor in my "metamorphosis." The curriculum did not even come close to touching the 2nd Amendment with a 10 ft. pole, but what this class did was open my eyes up to what the Constitution is, what it means, and the importance of this document to the Founders' intentions and to the long term viability of the United States (if only my liberal professor knew the effect the class was having on me!). I began to recognize that this is an issue that concerns RIGHTS, not just guns. I began to see the "government knows best" mentality our administration maintains. I began to understand that those in control were fostering the seeds of tyranny that our Founders feared and I did not like what I saw. That mentality is not what this country is about and THAT point needs to be hammered home by all of us. It is not a question of whether I "need" a gun, but one of whether I want a gun and have a right to a gun and the self-defense it provides me.
The point is, I know it seems hopeless to convince the anti's that guns are not the problem that the Moms are trying to cure. But it CAN and DOES happen if the right approach and tactics are used (I am proof):
1) Some will never be convinced because they do not know how to open their minds, but others like me will listen and think about what you are saying. Don't force it down their throats, but allow an intelligent person to digest the facts and give them some resources to check out on their own.
2) Take them shooting. People who have not grown up around guns (like me) are intimidated by them and the very sight of them represents bad thoughts. Without being overbearing about it, gradually work on getting them out to the range with you and teach them how to properly handle a weapon. Show them that not everybody that owns a gun is a fatigue-wearing mercenary intent on overthrowing the government-point out the doctors, lawyers, and other professionals (this is not to disparage other types of people, but to counter the stereotype that gun owners are not "normal").
3) Talk about the Constitution and what it represents. Develop good counter-arguments for the "2nd Amendment only means a National Guard" argument. Know more about the history of the document than your adversary. Once again, some people in this country will never understand the Constitution and the sacrifices that were made in support of it. Don't focus on these people-look for the ones that can think intelligently about an issue.
4) Support the pro-rights groups such as the NRA, GOA, etc. I became an NRA member, a GOA member, and contributed to the SAS and Glock Legal Defense fund before I even owned a gun. Talk about WHY we cannot accept gradual intrusions on our rights (the "slippery slope"). Most people don't understand why the NRA is so adamant about opposing even the most "common sense" type restrictions (superficial common sense says fewer guns=less crime, safety locks=less chance of injury. Get beyond the superficial level and dig deeper into the question with anti's). I didn't understand this position either until I really began to think about the consequences for our future RIGHTS, not just gun rights but ALL of them. Try to speak about it unemotionally and have the facts correct-the other side will be emotional and will have skewed facts so that gives you the advantage.
5) Every time you write a post on this forum about how our rights are being infringed, take the time to write a well-composed letter to your legislators. Posting here is the proverbial "preaching to the choir." Although there is nothing wrong with that, we need to focus on the people that can make a difference. I wrote my congressman yesterday to ask him to support H.R.4257.
6) Vote. We may never fully support any candidate on all the issues but some believe in our individual rights more than others and we need to put them in office. Don't assume that your neighbors will take care of it. Go out and do it yourself.
Once again, I am sorry if this appears like a lecture. Don't take it that way-I am only providing my perspective a a recent anti-gunner. There is hope for our side, don't give up. When I hear things like "one million moms can't be wrong", I think "yes, they can, and they are." I, too, was wrong about this before. Others can change as well.
One last thing, I am generally impressed with the overall community atmosphere on this board and have learned a lot by reading other posts. I look forward to asking many of you for help as this new gun owner learns the hobby. BTW, shot 50 rds through my new 19 and loved it…though I won't be winning any marksmanship trophies anytime soon!
Have a nice day!
Glad to hear there are a few anti's that are convertable.