Caleb at Gun Nuts Media talks about a topic that I sort of hinted at in the comments on a post from yesterday: “There are a lot of jerks, idiots, and assholes in the world, I can guarantee that some of them legally own guns.”
Not every bad situation involving guns is invented by anti-gunners. The fact is that there are some people with very poor decision-making abilities who use cars in a dangerous manner, exercise their right to speak to say dumb things, and even brandish guns in a way that reflectors poorly on gun owners. As Caleb notes, we should be calling out these people for their poor decisions and bad actions and making clear that this kind of behavior isn’t acceptable in the modern gun community.
I realize that the easiest form of thinking is to just assume that everything is the fault of gun controllers, but just stop and consider it for a moment. Think of every hoop they would have to jump through to make whatever bad incident you’re thinking about happen. Chances are, you’ll realize that it’s really outlandish.
Energy spent coming up with conspiracy theories in every single situation is better spent on being a better representative of the pro-gun community and encouraging others to do the same.
Said it elsewhere, but it still applies. Buckeyeland can sure make some Stupid People.
Just look at our Politicians.
I overheard 2 conversations today involving guns/gun owners, neither being complimentary. At the first, the conversants probably knew I was listening and are aware that I’m a gun owner and shooter. Both were regarding stray bullets and fear of being hit by one. Both conversations recalled bullet holes where they shouldn’t have been.
We’re our own worst enemies.
Since I, as a gun owner, am going to be tarred and feathered with every gang related drug deal shootout, I see no reason NOT to tar and feather our opposition with every single idiocy possible, too.
Alinsky points out that we make them follow their rules. OK then. Whenever an idiot gun owner does something stupid we say it was a false flag operation done by our opponents.
And then when there’s no evidence to support that claim, you may look like liars or conspiracy nutjobs.
What were they arrested for? I couldn’t hear the audio, not even with headphones.
There are dumb people, and even psychos, in any organization of significant size.
BUT…
Before I would believe that these people are not anti-gunners, or being encouraged in their folly by antis, I would need to have them vetted, somehow. Somebody who is NOT anti would have to stand up and tell me that they have been lifelong shooting buddies with them, and that they were not recently admitted to the local gun club’s membership; that they were always a bit in-your-face about gun rights.
I think a background investigation (that nobody will pay for, so it will never get done) into these guys will find in many cases that SOMEBODY put them up to it, or that they were encouraged in their idiocy.
After all, if Obama and company can export rifles illegally, then getting Homeland Security to send in a dozen snitches to stir up trouble is nothing by comparison.
The antis have not made much progress, except when the in-your-face crowd gets on the news.
“Somebody who is NOT anti would have to stand up and tell me that they have been lifelong shooting buddies with them, and that they were not recently admitted to the local gun club’s membership; that they were always a bit in-your-face about gun rights.”
If ten percent of the people in this country who own guns belong to any kind of “local gun club”, let alone go shooting more than twice a year, I’ll eat my hat.
Ten percent? Hell, Tam, I’ll go five percent. But, if someone proves me wrong, I insist on Tabasco for my hat. :D
True, but I think our side is very good at calling out the bad apples. You rarely see our side celebrating misuse or dumb handling of guns.
I’m a part time range officer at a large municipal facility in South Florida. Yes with absolutely NO doubt there are Jerks, fools, ignoramuses (Ignorami?)and general know nothings. Most benefit from simple training, some will never learn, some refuse to learn (we ask those to leave).
Overall though, most shooters are good folks, willing to learn and safety conscious. A good day for us is to find a new female shooter, train her properly and watch her easily out-shoot her male escort.
Ignoramuses. It comes from a Latin verb and is already in plural form. Literally translated, it means “we are ignorant”. So although it looks like it would decline, it doesn’t, and English endings are the way to go.
I bow to Caleb’s vast expertize in this field.
Many years ago, my wife and I were staying at a bed & breakfast in the Sierras. My book Firing Back had just come out, and like a proud papa, I had a small stack of paperback copies with me. We got to talking to two couples that were staying there as well, and one of them ended up buying a copy of the book. These were pretty obviously middle-class professional sorts, not rednecks.
One section of the book discusses how alcohol and other intoxicants are among the strongest determinants of violent criminal behavior, and that alcohol not only doesn’t mix well with cars, power tools, ladders, and lots of other stuff, but doesn’t mix well with guns, either. My wife overheard the conversation between the two wives and the two husbands; the wives were apparently pleased to see this point, and the husbands were obviously a bit startled. What? Guns and alcohol aren’t a really neat combination? Groan.