How to Speak of Assault Weapons Ban

I think Rustmeister has some good advice here for how to talk to people about Assault Weapons, and suggests a sort of “30 second commerical” to get a conversation going.  I think if you generally appear reasonable, and approach the topic from an angle that can be understood by a person who’s probably not familiar with the topic, other than what they see on TV and hear in the media.

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13 thoughts on “How to Speak of Assault Weapons Ban”

  1. I can remember something that happened just before the congressional vote on the last ban, which took place almost 15 years ago. The NRA had a live-fire demonstration at a rifle range somewhere in Northern Virginia to show the major differences between the “evil” firearms and the “good” ones. It got less than 5 seconds of coverage from the major news networks back then, and Bill Clinton signed the ban into law soon afterward.

    This time, the NRA or whoever ought to start a campaign sooner rather than later to educate the public on the reality of what the Democrats have on their agenda – a total ban on all semi-automatic firearms and detachable box magazines.

    One thing that may be favorable to us on the pro-gun rights side now is the simple fact that there are probably more legal owners of AR and AK type rifles now than ever before, and these people most likely all vote, too. Even though Obama managed to mostly avoid the gun issue during his campaign in 2008, it is going to catch up with him eventually.

  3. Chuck’s right. Now that Obama’s anti-gun agenda is on the Whitehouse web site, the NRA has all it needs to start banging the drum.

    We need to head this off at the pass if at all possible.

  4. Well, I disagree with Rusty on the importance of explaining the difference between full-auto and semi auto because I believe that most of the polling support for an AWB is bases on the intentional confusion between the two. When the Anti’s talk about AK-47s and Uzis being banned they are pulling a bait and switch. People should know that the AWB doesn’t cover full-auto guns that they see in the movies.

    I’ve tried to think of the simplest way to explain this, and came up with this:

    An Assault Weapon is not

    An Assault Rifle, is not

    A Machine Gun.

    I don’t know if that will work or not.

  5. Another big advantage that we in the pro-gun rights movement have compared to 15 years ago is the internet itself. The general public is not getting all of their news from just the major TV news networks and print media any more. We now have pro-gun media on Sirius radio with Cam Edwards’ show, conservative talk radio, and blogs like this one to counter all the anti-gun hype and hysteria. (This is precisely why the liberal Democrats want to abuse their majority now to reign all of this in with “fairness” standards or whatever – because it is quite effective and they fear it.)

    I can recall this one outrageous propaganda piece disguised as a public service announcement on TV in the months before the AWB of 1994. (It was some sort of voice-over of a gun violence survivor telling her sad story with sad music playing in the background.) If that type of cheap tactic gets used again, it really needs to be countered with something just as effective.

  6. I have found that trying to explain the 2nd amendment to anti gun people is like trying to explain right to life to an abortionist. I quit discussing the subject. they have nothing to lose and don’t care. they are rabid and need to soon be dealt with.

  7. also, the Nra has sold us down the river guys. GOA or JFPO doa lot better job and seem to need less in the way of money. I recall the NRA agreeing to the Brady bill, compromising as they call it. a compromise by definition is when two parties agree to give something up to come to an agreement. When have the anti gunners given anything up? I see massive gun control and rising crime rates in the same places. I see a gov’t poised to comitt tyranny. I hope to see armed americans ready and waiting

  8. GOA and JPFO have no presence on Capitol Hill. I’ve never talked to a lobbyist, who’s ever seen one of their lobbyists there. Also, JPFO is a 501(c)(3) and is very limited in the kind of political work it can do.

  9. The only thing I have ever seen the NRA say about an AWB is they are totally against it. I don’t get where some of these guys think the NRA is going to “sell us out” and compromise on an AWB. If they sold us out on an AWB, their membership would take a serious shit. I totally agree with you Sebastian, NRA is the only 2A organization with real pull in DC.

  11. I’m a lot more concerned about fudd gunners selling us out on an AWB than the NRA. I’m sure you know the type,”they only want to ban your AR, not my hunting rifle” But if other AR owners are like me, my AR is my hunting rifle.

  12. I’ve heard the type, but we were a lot more divided about this in 1994 than we are now. The Assault Weapons issue was only a few years old in 1994. There’s been 15 years to educate gun owners in the mean time. Some of them will never get it, but there are a lot of folks who didn’t get it in 1994, who get it now.

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