12-18-2019, 03:02 PM
Having been in and out of the retail gun business several times over many years, there are two things that I commonly saw. First is the outspoken gun rights "advocate". This is an "in-your-face" obnoxious person who has taken the 2nd Amendment as his chosen venue. I recall VIVIDLY a guy who frequented a store I was in. He had a Glock on each hip and a 1911 in a shoulder holster. All legally carried, but... The rest of his appearance would bring chills even without the hardware. And this is what the public sees. And fears!
The other is far more common, the politically agnostic. They have had a problem of some kind, a stalker, a break-in, an assault. I would ask if they belong to a range or to the NRA, NGOA or the TSRA or any similar organization. Typical response was no, they did not want anyone to know they had a firearm. I would try to explain the virtues of joining any of these organizations but the common answer was "no thank".
Folks, we are often our own worst enemy. We want the other side to accept us but we so often show them our worst.
There are numerous products on the market that, under any other political climate, would be no big deal. But in this climate only serve to feed the other side. And we try to show these things off. A screaming example is the bump stock. I often wonder if it's development was fostered by the ammo manufacturing world. It's only real purpose was to facilitate the expenditure of a lot of ammo. And it worked well at this, but in all the wrong places.
There are other examples but I'm getting long winded.
We need to police up our own side of the line, not wait for them to do it for us. We need to be the good guys not the bad guys. How many of y'all have taken a notice off the web relating to a local event where a 2nd amendment follower has been "the white knight and slain a dragon". I have. Was it broadcast? Not the first time nor the second, but eventually one did! It was a brief mention but it was a mention! Did they take it from what I sent? I don't know and never will but if enough of us do this, the broadcast station will understand the magnitude of the audience that wants to hear this. And when there are enough ripples in the water, they become a wave! And start getting noticed! In my area ( greater Dallas ) I send 'em to FOX, NBC and CBS. You can do the same!
Yes, we can't stop what is probably inevitable and not that far off. But we can do a lot of damage control in the mean time. We can make sure that the objections from "the other side" are minimized. We need to be seen as the good guys and not just by the folks who already know us.
The other is far more common, the politically agnostic. They have had a problem of some kind, a stalker, a break-in, an assault. I would ask if they belong to a range or to the NRA, NGOA or the TSRA or any similar organization. Typical response was no, they did not want anyone to know they had a firearm. I would try to explain the virtues of joining any of these organizations but the common answer was "no thank".
Folks, we are often our own worst enemy. We want the other side to accept us but we so often show them our worst.
There are numerous products on the market that, under any other political climate, would be no big deal. But in this climate only serve to feed the other side. And we try to show these things off. A screaming example is the bump stock. I often wonder if it's development was fostered by the ammo manufacturing world. It's only real purpose was to facilitate the expenditure of a lot of ammo. And it worked well at this, but in all the wrong places.
There are other examples but I'm getting long winded.
We need to police up our own side of the line, not wait for them to do it for us. We need to be the good guys not the bad guys. How many of y'all have taken a notice off the web relating to a local event where a 2nd amendment follower has been "the white knight and slain a dragon". I have. Was it broadcast? Not the first time nor the second, but eventually one did! It was a brief mention but it was a mention! Did they take it from what I sent? I don't know and never will but if enough of us do this, the broadcast station will understand the magnitude of the audience that wants to hear this. And when there are enough ripples in the water, they become a wave! And start getting noticed! In my area ( greater Dallas ) I send 'em to FOX, NBC and CBS. You can do the same!
Yes, we can't stop what is probably inevitable and not that far off. But we can do a lot of damage control in the mean time. We can make sure that the objections from "the other side" are minimized. We need to be seen as the good guys and not just by the folks who already know us.