I'll try to stay on point, but its not easy,
, if I drift, please steer me back...
Less Molon Labe, More Reaching Out...
Agree with more reaching out, though there are a great many blocks in that path. Not so sure I agree with Less Molon Labe, though I think we could be less vocal about it, without hurting our position.
One of the blocks against reaching out, was carefully crafted and as with most, sold to us as something to increase safety, and that is the laws and restrictions that make it difficult, or even an actual crime to teach children about firearms, with real firearms.
It was a gradual thing, but we are now in a place where laws and many people's attitudes seem to want children to know nothing about firearms, other than what they see on a tv or game screen, until they reach that magical age of maturity, (18, now being moved to 21 in many cases) at which point they cannot, by law, stop them from getting a gun, legally.
Combine a virtually enforced ignorance about what real guns do to real things when shot in the real world, and then grant them full legal rights on their 18th (21st?) birthday, and what do you expect?
Of course a percentage will be irresponsible. A tiny fraction of that percent, criminally so. You (and here, "you" means general anti gun attitudes and laws) never allowed them to be taught anything different.
There are still people living who remember that the school they went to had a rifle team. It wasn't an "evil" thing to teach children what guns were, and how to use them properly. In some parts of the country it still isn't thought of as "evil" but in those areas where the most people live the closest together, its a very, very common belief.
its darn near a self fulfilling prophecy, if you can't teach the youth to be responsible, you get irresponsible adults, and so you need more laws to make them responsible. Which seldom actually works, as laws can generally only be applied after the fact.
Progun messages are seldom accepted and run by the mainstream media. "Guns are BAD!" messages are run 24/7. That is the right of the people who own the media. Not fair to us, but it is their right to do as they see fit with their property. All we really ask is the same right with our property, and they won't allow it!
Those of us who have been around a while have watched (and fought) them taking things from us, that we used to be able to have, or do, over, and over, and over. After a while, we tend to get a bit resentful.
So, yeah, we've been pushed, and pushed, and pushed, and I can see how one can get a "come and take them" attitude. How many times does it take for someone to swat you upside the head with a rock and take your stuff before you realize that guy isn't acting in your best interests???
reaching out?? The gun culture is the most open and accepting one I know. As long as you aren't trying to stomp on our rights, you are welcomed, and accepted. This is something unknown to those outside the gun culture. And something the anti gunners devoutly hope never becomes known.
Yes, we have our share of curmudgeons, cranks and out right idiots who do us no favors with their rants and attitudes, but what group doesn't have those?? None I know of.
When you take those beginners to the range, and start teaching them, what is the attitude you normally find in the others there? Is it surly, disrespectful, get away from me...or is it more like. Hey, good to see ya, need any help???"
I've found the former from a few individuals, but it is the latter that generally prevails.
As a group, we're not bad people, though the other side works 24/7 to convince everyone that we are.
So where are we?? "kiss off, its our right!!" doesn't bring newcomers into the fold very often. But if all we do is "dialog" and compromise, there won't be a fold to bring newcomers into.
I am sick of seeing signs that say things like "NRA condones murder" and "2nd Amendment is killing our kids!"
These are lies. Simple, straightforward, lies. What's our response? The only rational one, the truth. But they won't accept the truth, not the zealots, any way, and those zealots spend a lot of effort ensuring the non-zealots and the unconvinced don't even get to hear the truth.
Reality matters less than the distorted image of reality that the anti's have proven to be masters at packaging and selling to the public. They are masters of the "big lie" tactics and use it constantly.
Our moral compass generally prevents us from using that tactic at all. We consider it dishonest. Plus, we suck at it when we do actually try it.
We get attacked, and if we don't defend our position, we lose (something), but if we do defend our position, our attackers scream, "look! they're attacking us! this proves they are the bad people we told you they were!!!"
(another lie)
We're not in an absolutely no win situation, but things aren't good, and we desperately need a Capt Kirk type to "change the conditions of the test". Sadly, the only place I'm seeing that right now, is when I put the right disc in my player...