Losing the war on words - here are some good ones

mckysdad

New member
Hi all-
I found this excellent post on Sturmgewehr and thought it might be found of interest here as well. The gist of the post is that, even before you start the debate, the actual choice of words you use makes you the winner/ loser. Here goes.

Btw, I am in no way affiliated either to the original poster (Alan K) or to Sturmgewehr.

mckysdad

How's your GUN vocabulary?
Posted By: E.T. <circlei@vtc.net>
Date: 3/1/00 07:52

Dear friends and fans,

We've all talked about how we're
losing the war of words in the
struggle for our liberties.
Well here comes the cavalry.

I'll have the first part formatted
as a two-column table you can download
from my site, http://www.gunlaws.com ,
just as soon as I can get it posted
(use the New Stuff button).

My own email list is meager. Do not assume
I have sent this to your own state's right
places. I can only count on you for that.
I don't think I even reach all 50 states
myself.

Alan.
-------------------------------------------------------------

For Publication, 3,449 Words, 2/29/00
One-time North American Serial Rights
Copyright 2000 Alan Korwin
Not-for-profit circulation is approved.

POLITICALLY CORRECTED Glossary of Terms
POLITICALLY CORRECTED Glossary of Terms
POLITICALLY CORRECTED Glossary of Terms

by Alan Korwin, Author
Gun Laws of America

Part One -- The Concept
Part One -- The Concept

Certain words hurt you when you're talking about your rights.

People who would deny your rights have done a good job of manipulating
the language so far. Without even realizing it, you're probably using
terms that actually help the people who want to disarm you.

To preserve, protect and defend your rights in this critical debate, you
need effective word choices.

They want you to say (and you lose if you say):
PRO GUN

It's better to say (and they lose if you say):
PRO RIGHTS

====================================

They want you to say (and you lose if you say):
GUN CONTROL

It's better to say (and they lose if you say):
CRIME CONTROL

====================================

They want you to say (and you lose if you say):
ANTI-GUN MOVEMENT

It's better to say (and they lose if you say):
ANTI-SELF-DEFENSE MOVEMENT

====================================

They want you to say (and you lose if you say):
SEMIAUTOMATIC HANDGUN

It's better to say (and they lose if you say):
SIDEARM

====================================

They want you to say (and you lose if you say):
CONCEALED CARRY

It's better to say (and they lose if you say):
CARRY or RIGHT TO CARRY

====================================

They want you to say (and you lose if you say):
ASSAULT OR LETHAL WEAPON

It's better to say (and they lose if you say):
HOUSEHOLD FIREARMS

====================================

They want you to say (and you lose if you say):
SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIALS

It's better to say (and they lose if you say):
RACIST GUN LAWS

====================================

They want you to say (and you lose if you say):
JUNK GUNS

It's better to say (and they lose if you say):
THE AFFORDABILITY ISSUE

====================================

They want you to say (and you lose if you say):
HIGH CAPACITY MAGAZINES

It's better to say (and they lose if you say):
FULL CAPACITY MAGAZINES

====================================

They want you to say (and you lose if you say):
SECOND AMENDMENT

It's better to say (and they lose if you say):
BILL OF RIGHTS

====================================

They want you to say (and you lose if you say):
ANTI GUN

It's better to say (and they lose if you say):
ANTI-GUN BIGOT or ANTI-GUN PREJUDICE

====================================

They want you to say (and you lose if you say):
ANTI GUN

It's better to say (and they lose if you say):
ANTI RIGHTS

WHEN THEY SAY
Guns kill

YOU SAY
Guns save lives

====================================

WHEN THEY SAY
Guns cause crime

YOU SAY
Guns stop crime

====================================

WHEN THEY SAY
Guns are too dangerous to own

YOU SAY
Then you should take a safety class

====================================

WHEN THEY SAY
Guns are too dangerous to own

YOU SAY
Then don't trust the boys and girls in
the military and police with them

====================================

WHEN THEY SAY
People shouldn't have guns

YOU SAY
You shouldn't be required to have one

====================================

WHEN THEY SAY
The only purpose of a gun is to kill

YOU SAY
The main purpose of a gun is to protect

====================================

WHEN THEY SAY
People shouldn't have guns

YOU SAY
Only the good people should have the guns

====================================

WHEN THEY SAY
Guns should go away

YOU SAY
Then you should personally sign up to never
have a gun in your life, under penalty of felony
arrest, as you would ask of me.

====================================

WHEN THEY SAY
They should take all the guns away

YOU SAY
Bad guys first

====================================

WHEN THEY SAY:
We need more gun laws

YOU SAY:
Everything criminal about guns is already illegal

====================================

WHEN THEY SAY:
Why would anyone want to own a gun?

YOU SAY:
You're kidding, right?
You mean you really don't know?
Well, why do you think the police have guns?

====================================

WHEN THEY SAY
We're not really against people having guns

YOU SAY
What sort of guns do you think
people should have, and why

====================================

WHEN THEY SAY
Do you really have a gun?

YOU SAY
Of course, don't you?

Then just give it a rest and watch where it goes. You'll hear their
litany, replete with flaws. Don't rebut, seize the moment, listen hard
and learn -- then just raise an eyebrow and think, "How 'bout that.
Feller doesn't even own a gun. It takes all kinds." Then talk about
something else. And boy, does the disjoint hang in their craw.

-------------------------------------------------
Part Two -- THE GLOSSARY
Part Two -- THE GLOSSARY

PRO RIGHTS
A more accurate, and far more compelling term than the common "pro
gun." The reverse term, which describes them, is "anti rights."
Misguided utopian disarmament advocates love the phrases "pro gun" and
"anti gun", because they automatically win when they're used. They
believe the righteous path is to be anti gun, because only devils would
be pro gun. You flat lose if you allow a debate to be framed that way.

The debate is really between people who are "pro rights" and "anti
rights" (and then you automatically win), because the righteous choice
between pro rights and anti rights is obvious. You're pro safety; pro
self defense; pro freedom; pro liberty; pro Bill of Rights (correctly
casting them as anti safety; anti self defense; anti freedom; anti
liberty; anti Bill of Rights). This is an accurate depiction of people
who would restrict, repress and flat-out deny civil rights you and your
ancestors have always had in America.

ANTI RIGHTS
A more accurate, and far more compelling term than the common "anti
gun." The reverse term, which describes you, is "pro rights." Fight
the desire to cast repressionists as "anti gun," (and by so doing
casting yourself narrowly as "pro gun"). Instead, always refer more
broadly to the "anti-rights" posture they take. Make them argue rights,
not guns.

CRIME CONTROL
What "gun control" used to mean, and a generally good idea (the phrase
"gun control" has morphed to mean "disarm the public" and thus should be
avoided, more on this later). Everyone basically agrees there should be
crime control, so it is good grounds for détente. A common sense and
reasonable proposal. Includes forcibly disarming criminals. Emphasizes
the differences between criminals and an armed public.

GUN BIGOT
A person who hates guns. Typically has little or no personal knowledge
of guns, may never have even fired one, certainly doesn't have any.
Would subject innocent people to defenselessness without compunction.
An elitist. One with an irrational and morbid fear of guns that is
ignorant and immoral. Spews bile and venom at guns, gun owners,
gun-rights advocates, gun-rights associations, pro-Bill of Rights
legislators. Striking similarity and direct parallels with racial
bigotry before (and even after) the civil rights efforts of the 1960s.

GUN BIGOTRY
The notion that you can only own a gun if it is expensive, or passes a
drop test, a melting point test, a consumer products test, a government
design test, a caliber size, an ammunition capacity, a lock test, etc.
The notion that only idiots, miscreants, red necks, dim bulbs and other
nasty-named people would own guns. The notion that you can only vote,
oops, I mean have a firearm, if you pass a test run by your government,
and pay the tax, often called a "fee." The notion that anyone who fails
the tests -- or any other qualifications -- automatically forfeits their
rights "for the common good." An inability to distinguish honest people
from criminals.

GUN PREJUDICE
Discrimination against honest people merely for their legal ownership or
possession of firearms. A common occurrence in society today. A
violation of your constitutional and natural rights. Gun prejudice
appears to be a federal civil-rights offense, punishable by prison and
fine. Now there's a thought. Repressionists have attempted some very
novel court challenges to laws that protect our liberties. Turnabout's
fair play. If there were, say, a city bank somewhere that refused
customers simply because they legally handled firearms...

AFFORDABLE FIREARMS
Anti-rights bigots curse these as "junk guns" and "Saturday night
specials," racial epithets you should never use. The racist goal of
outlawing guns unless they're expensive is self evident and
reprehensible. A woman who eats inexpensive food and drives an
inexpensive car doesn't lose her right to protect her family because she
can only afford an inexpensive gun.

SIDEARM
Or would you rather use the complex and dangerous sounding (though
accurate perhaps) "semiautomatic handgun," a term which many people
think means machine gun, according to Handgun Control (who recommends
use of the term "semiautomatic handgun"). Unfortunately, "handgun" has
been vilified beyond usability, and needs to be retired or at least
back-burnered for now. Remember, it was the so-called Brady "handgun"
law that federalized all retail sales of rifles and shotguns.

PISTOL
Or would you rather use the complex and dangerous sounding (though
accurate perhaps) "semiautomatic handgun." A basic, reliable, standard
type of pistol, a regular pistol, an ordinary pistol, the same kind of
pistol anyone would normally own. A basic, reliable, standard type of
sidearm, a regular sidearm, an ordinary sidearm, the same kind of
sidearm anyone would normally own.

HOUSEHOLD FIREARMS
The type any household is likely to have. All the firearms you own,
despite constant name-calling from the media, are just household
firearms.

GOVERNMENT GUN
The only kind you can now buy in America at retail.

BASIC SELF-DEFENSE GUN
Any type of firearm that could save your life in an emergency.

CARRY
Expunge the word "concealed" because so many people hear it and believe
only a criminal would conceal something. It implies you have something
to hide. Because being discreet is a common sense, reasonable measure,
there's no need to demean it with an ugly adjective (in this use anyway)
like "concealed." "Carry license," not "concealed-carry license."

LETHALITY
The quality of a gun that makes it useful as a crime-stopping,
life-saving, defensive tool. A point that is attacked subtly in most
anti-rights arguments. When met head on, the issue works against the
anti-rights position. Caliber and capacity restrictions reduce
lethality and your ability to save yourself or the state. Reducing
lethality costs lives. Why should police need more capacity than you,
when you both face the same criminals. How few bullets may a person use
against an attacker, and how small should they be.

Guns are dangerous. They're supposed to be dangerous. They wouldn't be
any good if they weren't dangerous. Anything that makes them less
dangerous by reducing lethality puts you (or police officers) at
unacceptable risk.

ANTI-SELF-DEFENSE MOVEMENT
People who believe you have little or no right to defend yourself if
attacked, because social order may only be imposed by an authority, and
that such authority is superior to your right to exist (if push comes to
shove). Also sometimes referred to as socialists. Sometimes expressed
as your right to keep a cell phone handy to dial 911. The
anti-self-defense movement is often deceptively portrayed as the
"anti-gun movement." Never let them hide behind their comfortable
disguise as anti gun.

POLITICALLY CORRECTED
Language that does not automatically bias a debate about the Bill of
Rights against individual liberty and freedom. Opposite of "politically
correct" language, which is basically socialist in nature. We all
recognize that "political correctness" is "incorrect," and then we sneer
and dismiss it. We do this at great peril, however, for PC statements
treated that way don't just go away, they fester and insidiously modify
the paradigm, and bend our thinking into acceptance of that which we
have verbalized as "correct."

You want a good example of neurolinguistic programming and
transformational grammar on a national scale, there it is to a tee.
It's how we get to the Orwellian point where war is peace, freedom is
slavery, ignorance is strength.

BILL OF RIGHTS
More broadly appealing and less polarizing than "Second Amendment."
Sure, I like the Second Amendment, and talk about it all the time. But
saying "Bill of Rights" protects you from malicious stigma and
stereotyping as a gun nut. Much more difficult to oppose, slows the
bigots down. All the rights count, don't they, and they're all under
attack. Bill of Rights Day. Pro Bill of Rights. I support the Bill of
Rights, don't you? Actually, even virulent gun haters and gun bigots
champion the First Amendment and other parts of the BOR, which, if
you'll recall, was a single amendment (with separate articles) to the
Constitution.

SUNSHINE GUN LAWS
Laws that encourage gun safety training and responsible firearms
ownership, as opposed to repressive laws that criminalize honest gun
ownership and infringe civil rights. Civil rights.

THE FIRST AMENDMENT
Stop saying Second Amendment so much, since the other side tunes this
out immediately, and marginalizes you as a gun nut. Say "First
Amendment" instead, and make your comparisons there -- does the
government jeopardize your First Amendment rights? You betcha! Should
you be concerned? Of course! What would you think of Internet
censorship, government approved religion, font size limits, restricted
word choices, acceptable word counts, licensed writers, training and
testing before publishing controversial editorials, and tests for
accuracy -- now there's a nice parallel.

People on all sides recognize there are threats to free speech,
religion, privacy and more from our friends, the government. The same
root problems affect the whole Bill of Rights, gun rights are no
different than other rights under attack.

GUN-SAFETY CLASSES
Something that, with all the accidents reported in America, all
Americans should be taking -- from the tens of thousands of trainers out
there. Always encourage people on both sides of a debate to take a real
class. Why wouldn't an honest person take a gun-safety class? Going
out for some wholesome and relaxing target practice, with friends.
Getting good at marksmanship. Target practice. Marksmanship. These
words have not been defiled and cast a good light, use them. Privately
promoted gun-safety training days. Talk up the goal of "National
Accident Reduction" through education and training. Private enterprise
should vigorously swell to fill the gaping theater called, "We need more
safety."

ROWANITES
Anti-rights bigots who secretly own guns themselves, rely upon armed
guards for security, or live inside communities with private security
forces, but decry your right to arms. Closet gun owners. Named in
honor of Carl Rowan, a vicious anti-gun bigot whose syndicated newspaper
column vilified guns and gun owners for years, to a vast audience, until
he one day fired at a trespasser near his home.

GUN BUYUPS
Gun buy back programs are misnamed. You cannot buy back something you
didn't own in the first place. Since the Brady law prohibits dumping
such guns into criminal lairs (gun buyers must be certified by the FBI
these days), there is no longer justification for destroying firearms
collected in buyups. That's right, there is no longer any justification
at all for destroying firearms collected in buyups. When buyups are
government funded, meltdowns are therefore wanton destruction of a
public asset, and someone deserves to be held liable. Tax dollars are
buying legal property simply to destroy it, when the only way to sell it
is to certifiably law abiding individuals. What an outrage.

Where I live, savvy collectors have set up shop at widely publicized gun
buyups to make competitive bids and cherry pick the merchandise,
pre-smelter.

DEMOCIDE
Murder committed by government. The most prevalent form of murder,
responsible this century alone for 170 million deaths. Regime-ocide.

GUN CONTROL
Now generally synonymous with "disarming the public." Using the phrase
"gun control" in its currently twisted form distorts the debate and
should be avoided; it is the other side's rallying flag, bolstered every
time the words leave your lips; argue about gun control and you've
already lost. Use "crime control," "accident reduction" and "disarming
the public" to distinguish issues and preserve accuracy.

Listen hard when you hear the term "gun control" in the news. You'll
notice they're basically not talking about controlling crime. They're
talking about controlling you.

Always start by asking what a person means when they say this phrase,
then shut up and see. Often, people who think of themselves as being
anti gun, unwittingly adopt the position that only the rulers should be
armed (cop and army guns OK, but not you; such a person isn't anti gun
at all, they're simply anti rights -- your rights).

When a "gun-control law" regulates or demeans honest people in the false
name of controlling crime, that's actually tyranny. When "gun control"
controls your right to have a gun, that is people control. The phrase
"gun control" is a dangerous misnomer (some would say euphemism) for an
agenda now actively pursued by a segment of society -- that would
consolidate power solely in "official" hands.

Help seize the metaphor back:

1. Drop into conversation how your gun control at target practice
recently was better than usual, or how you have pretty good gun control
but you still need some lessons. Invite someone to your gun-control
class at the range next Tuesday -- free style target practice. A well
advertised gun-control class might attract some pretty interesting
neighbors. Jokes about gun control ("a steady hand") are
neurolinguistically challenged and don't help. Say something else funny
if you must be funny.

2. When reporters and others inevitably ask, "Are you in favor of gun
control?" they often don't realize their question is as biased as, "Are
you still beating your wife?" So it's up to you to show them. They're
looking for a pro or con answer, and then a question of how much. Don't
play into it. Instead, try responding, "Well me, I'm in favor of crime
control. How about you?"

3. When you write about so-called "gun control" or so-called
"gun-control laws" always put it in quotes, to disparage it.

THE HENIGAN/BOGUS THEORY
Named by Dave Kopel in honor of its two leading proponents (Dennis
Henigan and Carl Bogus). This is the notion, first arising a few
decades ago, that the Second Amendment does not protect an individual
right. It stands in opposition to the fact that "the people" means all
of us, and is responsible for the widely armed population we observe
today. Covered more thoroughly in an earlier article of mine, The Big
Lie (posted under Position Papers at http://www.gunlaws.com ). Kopel's
recent paper on this, for the St. Louis University Public Law Review, is
nothing short of brilliant. David can be reached at http://www.independenceinstitute.net .

COGNITIVE DISSONANCE
A tool for reaching closed minds. The use of questions to point out
fundamental illogic, which can then topple the notions a person builds
on that flawed base. An application of the Socratic method. The mental
awareness that forms when a simple question challenges fundamentally
held beliefs. Here are many. One at a time is usually enough for most
minds.

If a registration list makes sense for the Second Amendment, would it
make sense for the First Amendment?

Are criminals and an armed citizenry the same thing?

So why do people these days carry guns anyway, and does it ever work?

Should it be against the law to defend yourself?

If a person can't have a gun, why should the police have them?

So if you are allowed to defend yourself, how many bullets can you use?

Shouldn't we disarm the criminals first?

Why haven't we disarmed the criminals?

Why don't they arrest all the Brady criminals they find?

Are you against an armed citizenry?

Do you believe that only the rulers should have guns?

Now let me see if I understand this; when you say "gun control," do you
mean "stop crime" or "disarm the public"?

Now let me see if I understand this; when you say you're anti gun, do
you mean you want to disarm the police and the armed forces?

If you don't want to disarm the police and military, you're not really
anti gun at all. You're anti private gun. Why is that?

You know, after listening to you for a while, you've convinced me that
you should never own a gun.

I'm against the idea that you should be forced to own a gun, and I would
stand up for your right to not be armed.

Maybe you could sign up to be permanently disbarred from ever owning a
gun. Would you do that (as you would ask me to do)?

Closing Note:

This article doesn't end here. In attempting a document like this, I
know I can never reach its ending. It defines a path which simply
stretches forward.

If I wait until I have this evolved to my satisfaction it will never
wrap. These ideas are too important to let wait that long. Consider it
an early peek at a work in progress.

Alan.

"Social balance has evolved into a war of the metaphor --
neurolinguistic programming meets George Orwell."
-- Alan Korwin

---------------------------------------------
Alan Korwin is the author of seven best-selling books on gun law,
including "Gun Laws of America -- Every Federal Gun Law on the Books,
with Plain English Summaries," and gun owner guides for AZ, CA, FL, TX,
VA. This paper is part of an ongoing series, click Position Papers on
the home page, or write or call for copies.

BRAND NEW --
BRAND NEW --
"Licensed to Carry" by Greg Jeffery
Check out this 30-State Shall-Issue License Guide,
find out what it takes to get a carry license in each state.
Use the link below.

ALSO --
50-State Traveler's Guide to the Gun Laws
Use the link below.

LOOK AT "GUN LAWS OF AMERICA" YOURSELF --
If you knew all your rights you might demand them.
Use the link below.

AVAILABLE AT LAST:
Gun owner guides for New York and Utah.
Use the link below.

Contact:
Alan Korwin
BLOOMFIELD PRESS
"We publish the gun laws"
12629 N. Tatum #440
Phoenix, AZ 85032
602-996-4020 Phone
602-494-0679 FAX
1-800-707-4020 Book orders http://www.gunlaws.com

Sign up for future updates on our home page.
 
mckysdad,

Thank you very much. Great post.

------------------
NRA/GOA/SAF/USMC

"Is your church BATF approved?"
 
Another word to avoid is "weapon." The military has "weapons." Private citizens own guns. The word "weapon" makes it sound like it is used to indescriminatedly shoot poeple.

------------------
Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked.
Nehemiah 4:17,18
 
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