I feel like a frog - how about you?

A

Al Thompson

Staff Alumnus
Well, after 25 (+) years of NRA membership, military service, lots of firearms experiance, I have finally ID'ed our true enemy. It's the media. I had a carthritic experiance last might over at a neighbors place. My conclusion is that the average guy in the street is a classic victem of brainwashing. The guys on Smokebomb Hill could not have done better.

The long and short of it is that I keep a pretty low profile about gun ownwership here in my middle class neighborhood. We had an impromtu dinner gathering with a bunch of my neighbors when gun control came up as a subject. These are decent folks, middle class, late 20's to mid 30's. The consensous seemed to be that more gun control is better. They were completely unaware that guns were available via mail until 1968 and had no clue that most federal firearms violations go unpunished. The ignorance was stunning. One fellow gave me a lecture on cop killer bullets coated with teflon and how bad the NRA was for opposing them. He also owns a Remington 742 and got agitated when I told him he had an assult rifle.

I think we are rapidly becoming a marginalized sub-culture. The parroting of news media crap was enough to turn your stomach. Hopefully by remaining cool and calm, I did't make any new enemies and may have got some to do a little critical thinking.

I fear that the end is near and that the combination of turncoat politicians and a hostile news media may be our undoing. Not sure where this culture clash is going to lead, but it could get messy.

I feel like a frog in a pot full of water that is beginning to bubble.

Giz
 
I guess I'm lucky. Most if not all my neighbors have weapons. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't be scared to say that in my area at least 70% of the adult population has a firearm of some sort. Hunting is real big down here, deer, duck, turkey, etc. The kids grow up around guns, learn to use and enjoy them. I'm indeed forunate in where I live. I
don't think I'd last too long around where some of y'all live, don't have the temperment for it. But while the local pot is cool, I feel the heat of the big national pot, and it's starting to burn..............

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fiat justitia
 
I too have come to the conclusion that the media is brainwashing _us_ and that the average citizen is too lazy to find information with some level of objectivity. I have been appauled at the lack of understanding that many of my fellow citizens have. To combat this, my wife and I try to invite someone to dinner at least one a week for an informal dinner party. Not surprisingly, the conversation turns to guns, violence, and kids, and we then have the entree (no pun intended) to educate, and _deprogram_. These dinner parties get very interesting, and we actually have quite a few former guests that are now lurking here and have taken up shooting.
 
Longhair--
Don't know where you live, but I live in N. TX, where there is likely to be about the same (70%) ratio of gun-ownership-to-household. Still and all, it is true that fully *half* of those people still want some gun control. Why? Because they really have been buying into the constant mantra that the assorted media throw at us. (For example, have you noticed that NO ONE has called the networks on the fact that they always refer to this new bill to mandate background checks prior to sales between private individuals as "gun reform"?????)

It's sort of like the way people feel about lawyers-- "All lawyers are crooks, except MY lawyer." "It should be hard for people to get guns... except for me."



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If you're *not* a member of the NRA, what *are* you doing to protect your rights to enjoy yourself on this Bulletin Board?
Do SOMETHING!
 
If you're *not* a member of the NRA, what *are* you doing to protect your rights to enjoy yourself on this Bulletin Board?

I'm not a member of the NRA.

To protect my rights, I used to write, call, email, and fax my "representatives." Much good it did me.

Now I practice civil disobedience. I'd tell you exactly what I do, but the Fifth Amendment is still in effect. For now, anyway.

Let's just say, I've not gotten to the point where my alias is Henry Bowman, but it won't take much more pushing to get there.
 
I think we, that is all firearms enthusiast, should take one non-enthusiast to the range and allow the fun to deprogram them. I have converted four of my friends in this way in the last six months. It beats the hell out of talking until you're blue in the face about something they will never understand until they try it.

It's worth a shot. (sorry, couldn't help it)

~Blades~
 
Shall we invest in a large hog farm - Henry er Coinneach? ;)

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Ne Conjuge Nobiscum
 
Coinneach: Until this morning I too had doubts about the effectiveness of the NRA, and whether or not they are even trying. The NRA has a large lobby in Washington, good thing they do, they need it. The horrible confusion of trash bills introduced is mind boggleing. Someone has to wade through all that crap, point out what is really being said, and try to get someone to listen. I joined the NRA, I joind last year, I joined the year before, I will join again.


Giz: Agreed 110%
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(!)

[This message has been edited by Hal (edited June 02, 1999).]
 
Gizmo99,

Do a search in this forum. Subject is "Who's PC", originator is Spectre, date 5/20/99. You can find my tale of woe there (think I'm the second post) and discover how my neighbor reacted to a couple of targets in my garage. Reactions to gun folks are defintely out of control!

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Regards - AZFred
 
Coinneach: There are very few things we can do to protect our rights. But just because we can do little does not mean we shouldn't do what we can. Contributing to the NRA's membership and coffers (even if nothing more than the annual membership fee) is the least any gun owner should do. People have all these reasons why they don't like the NRA (they do this, or don't do that) - but look, the leaders at NRA are the EXPERTS on preserving our rights - not you and not me. Unless you would have your mechanic perform a medical procedure or your doc fix your car, leave the RKBA protection to the NRA - that is what they do best - They have an elaborate system of board election and input to allow for a very fair majority rule process in terms of budget allocation. They know, for example, that the ultimate future of our rights depends on the attitudes and values of the next generation; hence, the kid's shooting programs. They fight for pro-gun candidates (NRA-PVF) to be elected, and they fight all the anti-gun crap legislation, both state and federal, as well as promoting pro-gun leg (NRA-ILA). Everything they do is tied one way or another, directly or indirectly, to saving gun rights. They are the best we have. They get a lot of my money, because I want to be able to say (if/when we lose) that I did everything I could to save freedom, and I definitely think you ought to consider doing the same (unless you're so destitute you can't afford the yearly dues). Calls and letters to reps are good, but the fights are won with MONEY - that's what NRA needs most; not to squander it, but to use it to keep the camel's nose out from under the tent, as they always have. Food for thought.
 
i feel that if you don't vote , don't bit*H !
EVERY CITIZEN HAS THAT RIGHT (FOR NOW) AND DANGED IF MORE THAN HALF WILL!!
SAME GOES FOR THE NRA...ISAY KWITCHERBITCHEN AND HELP--- PLEASE!!!!

you dont have to agre with all they do , but!! if washington stays worried with only 3 million of us , what could we get done witH 30 million?? huh?? light bulb??

get with it nra LIKE IT OR NOT is the " official gun owners voice in washington"
it's what the politicians have decided , so get behind them and PUSH!!
WE ALL HANG TOGETHER OR WE WILL SURELY ALL HANG ONE AT A TIME.
CMORE-NRA LIFER
 
Here is an example: Dateline just ran an ad that patted itself on the back for "exposing gun shows" and therefore helping legislation go through on gun shows. They then said that the Columbine shooters got 3 of their 4 guns through gun shows. End of sentence. They forgot to ad that the Columbine guns were registered at the gun shows, just like the new law would have, and that the new law was already applied to those purchases. So, the new law would have no effect, it was already used.
They failed to mention that part, while congratulating themselves, and left everyone that watched with the impressiong that gun shows are to blame for the shooting. %99 of people that watch that will never look deeper and will take that as fact.

It sounds to me like you did an excellent job educating your neighbors. I have found that most average people are very receptive when you point out how the media only tells half the story, and you correct them on their false information.


[This message has been edited by thaddeus (edited June 02, 1999).]
 
Futo, i have to disagree on the nra. maybe i blind, but i fail to see what they are doing.
new gun laws going in everytime you turn around. where are they? the thread where in California they're supposed to turn in their sks's. where are they. i hear how great the nra is, and they may have done some good in the past, but this is a "what have you done for me lately thing". where the hell is the nra during all this stuff. what are these experts doing? from where i sit, they don't appear to be doing s**t. i don't/won't condemn anyone for supporting them, that is certainly your right, and if you think you're getting your money's worth, great, but in return for your support, you should be seeing at least a few results.JMO & YMMV

oh yeah, Long Path, i live in south Arkansas.
and you're probably right. i do tend to forget that there are people that believe everything they see on tv or read in the newspaper...

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fiat justitia



[This message has been edited by longhair (edited June 02, 1999).]
 
"Knee-deep" in the pot...

Cmore,

I have a t-shirt that says: <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>If you didn't vote you don't have the right to complain![/quote]

Spot on!

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John/az

"Just because something is popular, does not make it right."

www.countdown9199.com
 
I think the media and people's own lack of desire for finding the truth is the problem. I agree that the media only tells part of the story and people only hear what they want to hear. A few weeks ago, I got into a discussion with a man in a airport bar about gun laws. It just happened that the news was headlining checks at gun shows. This guy kept shaking his head during the program. I spent the next couple of minutes explaining the "full" story to the man. He was surprised and asked me why the "full" story wasn't what was said on the news. Go figure.



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"Time changes everything"
 
Me thinks the camel is in the tent, stompin' around and spitting at me.

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land of the free and the home of the brave......WHETHER THEY LIKE IT OR NOT
 
I agree 100% that the 'media' is a tremendous part of the problem. Ignorance by most of our neighbors is appalling indeed, and their ignorance is made much worse by the mis / disinformation distributed by CNN and the networks.

This is particularly fascinating when you consider that free speech and a questioning 'fourth estate' was supposed to help keep government honest. Our current media is so enamored with our Coward in Chief that they fairly fawn over his every word. A few more years of this disgusting display, and we'll be lucky to legally own a copy of the Constitution ...
 
The point over the frog in the saucepan/boiler is that it stays in the increasingly hotter water and eventually is cooked...and eaten....(.but probably only in french homes!) Put into boiling water it hops out, as we did in 1988 with Barrie Unsworth in NSW. Now we are at a worse stage, all due to the Pt Arthur shootings by an unlicenced, rich,mental/real gun-nut, with a grudge against society.***So I feel angry - not like a frog...OK?

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XXX the Bunny.
 
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