Perspective from someone who was anti-gun

[Trail Teams]

I was anti-gun most of my life, and I'd like to share some approaches that worked on me.

Approach #1 - Introduce this quote, or some form of it:

"For nothing is more destructive of respect for the government and the law of the land than passing laws which cannot be enforced." -- Albert Einstein on Prohibition

It doesn't matter if you're anti-gun or pro-gun or indifferent. But when you vote or read about proposed legislation, ask yourself - how will this be enforced? It doesn't matter if it's about guns or not. Let's take Prop 60. I get it. It was about health and safety. It didn't pass. But imagine if it did. How will it be enforced? Create a "Condom Inspection Agency"? Imagine the required manpower, logistics, and overhead costs. That would've come out of your pocket - your taxes. To fully enforce this, they would need to create a database of professional and amateur adult performers, submit a filming schedule, so the "CIA" can inspect if they are using protection. And what if there is an infraction? What if the adult performer appeals? Does this go to the courts? More of your tax money. And this is supported by the ballot's fiscal impact statement. It didn't pass - it's fiscally and practically unenforceable, therefore destructive.

You then apply the same logic to guns and proposed gun control laws. It's about finding common ground. And there's no better common ground than this: Don't mess with my money. But I think it's more than that. It's a departure from the militant approach. And that's why I like that quote. It's about respect for self-accountability, respect for the government and the law of the land. Not about liberal or conservative talking points. It's about holding those in public office, and ourselves, accountable to uphold meaningful laws.

[Trail Teams]

[Skip_Dog]

Good post. But this will not work with people on the left. They do not care what you have to say in the least. They only care that they can control you and you cant respond against them. Its not about guns to them.

[Divernhunter]

My question is if you are no longer anti-FIREARMS then what made you change sides?
Honest question and not a put down.............unless you are still anti then just go away. This is not the place for you.

[ozarkpugs@gmail.com]

My question is if you are no longer anti-FIREARMS then what made you change sides?
Honest question and not a put down.............unless you are still anti then just go away. This is not the place for you.

He answered the question ,he was anti gun because he legitimately thought they were bad but was open minded enough to research and saw the light so to speak .No his approch will not work on left wing liberal nuts but they already know the truth and just pretend guns are bad .His advise is to challenge the good people who have been tricked or are innocently ignorant to learn about guns and gun owners and make decisions based on facts .

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[Trail Teams]

My question is if you are no longer anti-FIREARMS then what made you change sides?
Honest question and not a put down.............unless you are still anti then just go away. This is not the place for you.

Good question. No, I'm no longer anti-gun, and that is the purpose of this thread. I'm sharing some approaches that made me change sides, and I've used these approaches when talking to friends, family, and co-workers, and most of them are anti-gun. So far as I can tell, they work. But I've only been pro-gun for less than two years, so I have a lot to learn. But here are some of my questions: Do you really feel like we're winning? And if I did turn out to be still anti-gun, don't you think that this would be the perfect place to maybe convince me otherwise? These too are honest questions. So I don't think it hurts to discuss different perspectives and methods that may turn out to be effective, and I have other approaches that I'll be sharing later.

[Scratch705]

my issue with #1 is the anti-gun will throw back the stupid "so we shouldn't have any laws then, since you just said no one will follow/can't enforce the law".

so unless you are dealing with an anti-gunner only b/c of mis-information, not an anti-gunner that is a true believer there is nothing that can be said to convert the true believers.

[Spanky8601]

The people? proposing the new laws are not really concerned about enforcement. The few enforcement prosecutions is small compared to the overall numbers. What is being looked at is the long game. What will the playing field look like in 20 years, how about 50 years. If you were around in the 60ies it was common for rural school districts to have the kids arrive and some would have guns in the vehicles for after school hunting or from before school. What do you see now. It is the old how do you boil a live frog. Slowly turn up the heat until the job is done.

[ozarkpugs@gmail.com]

Trail teams did not imply it would help everyone or even most anti gun people he didn't imply Every or even most wanted to know the truth what he is doing is letting people know some anti gun people are willing to listen and learn the truth and we should all try to do all we can to presuad them to learn .I say part of the problem is negative people like the ones making negative comments about this post .If you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem .

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[Thoughts]

My question is if you are no longer anti-FIREARMS then what made you change sides?

For me, I always had a bit of an interest in firearms as a hobby, although I was raised in a very anti-gun environment. So eventually I took a basic pistol class, and was hooked. As I learned more about firearms, I become more aware of how dishonest the Brady Campaign and other gun control organizations are. So I stopped donating to them (I'm ducking now), and switched to donating to the other side. I was gullible, but not fanatical.

[randomBytes]

OP has good point, you have to have a real conversation as a starting point.
Will it work on everyone - of course not, but some people are just miss-informed (wow big surprise there considering the media etc).
I have kids in college - being constantly bombarded with left wing propaganda, older one starts out on "racism" claiming that black men are far more likely to be shot by police - I calmly point out that the data says otherwise - discussion ensues.

[jaysantosauxiliarypolice]

I grew up pro gun up until around the age of 14.
What happened? Peer pressure and treated like crap by my teachers and college professors. My dad taught me well but I fell on the dark sided.

In my 20s after having earned my place in life (not a wealthy person but I've done fine) and have a wife, I bought my first firearm, 12ga pump.

Looking back I felt like an *** for believing that way. I guess it's what most young people go through to avoid being heckled in college by professors and hoping to get into the pants of college chicks.

Then my son was born. I now acquire a couple of firearms a year. My wife is nice enough to give me some funds for a new gun on our anniversaries. My dad didn't give up setting me straight.

From my cold dead hands.

[nitroxdiver]

I flipped a multitude of anti gunners when I was a California resident, simply by not being a douche bag when talking to them and taking them to the range on my time and dime and educating them. They are all adamant 2a supporters, recreational shooters, and collectors now. It can be done, but it takes effort. If everyone on CG would take one neighbor who is neutral or just propaganda media ignorant/anti gun to the range this year, be nice, respectful and helpful, think of the new support you could garner in the state.

If Ca gun shops would demand their employees to be nice, helpful, and respectful, especially to new shooters and potential buyers, think of the support you could ad.

If public ranges would ****can every old codger who treats people like crap (Richmond & Livermore I'm talking to you), and provide a place of learning for new shooters, think of the support you could get. My wife used to REFUSE to go shoot at Livermore because of a couple RSO's that used to "work" there. It takes effort from everyone in the fight. The gun owner, the ranges, and the stores. Provide a welcoming learning environment for new people or curious people, or continue to watch as fewer and fewer people join in or think gun owners are a bunch of dicks.


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[Divernhunter]

OP and others---I have found that the real strong anti people will not change. This is because they only use emotional responses and not thinking and will not hear/accept logic, facts and figures or take the time to think thru things. Those that are more on the fence can often times become pro gun after research, accepting facts and accepting them without the strictly emotional responses. This also goes with hunting.
You might have been able to be convinced that you were wrong about firearms BUT only because you have an open mind shown by you coming to the pro gun side by your own research.

I also do not feel we are winning. We are only losing at a slower pace. Every new restrictive firearm law is just another lost part of our rights. The antis know that and that is why they always want to push all out bans then fall back to "compromise" . This means to them that the pro-firearm side give up a little more. It never means that the anti side gives up anything that they already have. That is not compromise. They know it and it has slowly worked since I can remember. I am 66 and I can tell you that this whole thing really got started after Kennedy was killed. It is also a libtard and democrap thing that they push hard. It has NOTHING to do with firearms. It is controlling the population pure and simple.

I have always been pro-firearms and grew up on a ranch hunting and shooting at an early age. I took my 22 or shotgun to school to hunt after school and never had a problem. I had several high school teachers come hunt with my family and friends also. I grew up to have RESPECT for others and myself unlike today. If there was trouble we settled it one on one fistfight. Never considered using a knife or firearm. I did have to protect myself with a shotgun once when 2 trespassers thought they would intimidate me with a knife. Without my shotgun and headed to hunt quail I could have been in a real problem.

Also to clarify par of my original question---The reason for asking what made you change you mind. I have found antis who suddenly want to have a firearm(even though they have no idea how to use/care for it or safety) when something happens to them or neighbors.

Example. years ago I had a very anti neighbor who lived down the street. She called the sheriff to have them arrest me or take my firearms because people should not have them. The sheriff came out and spoke to me and I told him to go away(politely) and tell her to drop dead as I have done nothing wrong. He went down to her house and explained I have done nothing wrong and can take my firearms and go to the range anytime I want, go hunting or work on them in my garage with the door open(it gets quite hot here at times). Fast forward a few weeks. I thought this was over but as most antis she would not give up. So she called the highway patrol(since she did not get the wanted response from the sheriff) and I get another knock on the door. He apologies to me right off then tells me he has to come out since she called. He asks some questions and then goes down to her place to tell her I am not doing anything illegal and leave me alone. Well another week goes by and another sheriff shows up. This time it turns out to be someone I went to school with. We exchange greeting and I as him in for a soda and catch up talk since he was forced to respond to he complaint. We started talking about firearms/hunting and other topics. Somehow gun collections came up and I said I had mil surplus as well as hunting firearms. He said he would like to get a M1A and I told him I had one, did he want to see it. Well I dug it and a number of other firearms out of the safes for him to handle. He then went down to her and told her I have a really nice collection and if she continued to call them she would be cited and I could press harassment charges. That was the end of that.
UNTIL we had a person who was breaking into peoples homes(even when they were sleeping) in the neighborhood. Then 2 of the homes close to her were hit she borrowed a handgun to protect herself and home. The idiot did not know how to use it or load/unload it let alone any basic firearm safety. When the person was caught she walked over to a neighbor who was a friend of mine wanting him to unload it. She walked over with the pistol loaded, off safety and pointed at him! She could not understand why he was not happy with her. This stupid women then returned the pistol(not in a locked case in her car) to the rightful owner and told my friend she did not want that evil thing around and anyone who has them should be arrested!!! He never told her he owned 4 firearms, so she thought he was ok. The firearm was not evil and was necessary for her to have when she thought she might be in danger but when that passed went back to the nobody should own them thinking.

People like that will never learn or become neutral or pro gun. The sad thing is they vote.

[SC1]

OP and others---I have found that the real strong anti people will not change. This is because they only use emotional responses and not thinking and will not hear/accept logic, facts and figures or take the time to think....

I have friends on the left, friends on the right, and friends in the middle. Guess what? There are people on the left that think this exact same thing about people on the right, using these exact same words. For those people that are so polarly and staunchly opposed to the others value system, any kind of dialogue is not possible whatsoever. You refuse to listen to each other. This unfortunately is exacerbated by politicians and the media.

This gets us nowhere...