How do we get fair weather firearm owners on our side?

[Lagduf]

Folks, I've made the mistake of getting in to an argument on another firearms forum with a gun owner outside of California.

I'm getting the classic responses we all know so well:

"It's your own fault your laws suck - you voted the politicians in"
"We don't need to support California or any anti-gun bastion because 'Free America' has all the guns it needs."
"Just move out"

How do we get these fair weather firearm owners on our side?

It seems there are far too many gun owners who fail to realize that gun rights are civil rights. As someone with a firm (admittedly idealistic) belief in the United States as an institution it's very disturbing to see my fellow citizens basically not give a damn about our civil rights.

More then ever we need a unified base, and we're getting that in CA for sure, as well as in other states. It's just these knucklehead holdouts who seem content so long as they have "their guns."

How do they fail to realize once our guns are taken away that "their guns" will be next?

[G60]

"I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it."

[Lagduf]

"I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it."

Heh, I know, I know.

But really...how can we convince those firearm owners who are simply content with the laws in their state that we need their help, and support, in the fight now only for our rights but for their rights as well?

[CapS]

Speaking only for myself,

Don't even bother. Those folks will just eat up our own valuable time and resources.

The battle is Here and Now.

Regards,

Cap

[mag360]

without a long discussion, they won't realize that it is not fair for anyone to have to live under diminished civil rights. And I doubt any of the gun owners they are telling to "just move" voted for any of the numbskulls that have taken our rights away.

[GOEX FFF]

Folks, I've made the mistake of getting in to an argument on another firearms forum with a gun owner outside of California.

I'm getting the classic responses we all know so well:

"It's your own fault your laws suck - you voted the politicians in"
"We don't need to support California or any anti-gun bastion because 'Free America' has all the guns it needs."
"Just move out"
<snip>

OP, what forum was this on?

My Responses would be below -

1. "It's your own fault your laws suck - you voted the politicians in"

I didn't vote for them. But using that logic, when Slick Willie Clinton passed the Federal Assault Weapon Ban, including the sale of new "hi-cap" magazines in 1994 that lasted 10 years, which most certaily effected your FREE state, then YOU were to blame for that too right? Even if of course you never voted for him......

2. We don't need to support California or any anti-gun bastion because 'Free America' has all the guns it needs,[/I]

(usually this statement comes from sellers who won't sell here)

You're complaining about our state having an anti-gun bastion, at the same time you're contributing to that same anti-gun bastion by driving the knife deeper into our backs by keeping firearms that are perfectly legal in CA out of the hands of fellow gun owners.

3. "Just move out"

If you're not part of fight for the solution, you're part of the problem (take additional note to this problem in response to #2)

[selfshrevident]

They don't realize that places like CA are the testing grounds for BS. Coming to a theater near you!

[Lagduf]

Discussion was over on reddit. I was truly saddened to see a fellow firearm owner so completely content on the knowledge that millions of his fellow citizens' right to self defense were being infringed.

I know my personal friends out of state who own guns are onboard. They understand that gun rights are civil rights.

I will continue to educate who I can. For now I really just need to donate more to CGF.

[m03]

Thoughts on responses:

"It's your own fault your laws suck - you voted the politicians in"

By that logic, the import ban and AWB were your own fault.

"We don't need to support California or any anti-gun bastion because 'Free America' has all the guns it needs."

Whatever happens here will eventually spread to the rest of the nation.

"Just move out"

It's better to stand and fight than run away like a coward.

[tonelar]

Ya know. The rest of free america will change its tune come November. When Barry was first elected (& came along with a refreshed interest in the Federal AWB), a lot of our out of state gunnys were very interested in CA AWB work-arounds.

[SamsDX]

When it comes to standing up for everyone's civil rights regardless of your current personal stake in it, the famous Martin Niemoller quote would be an appropriate citation:

First they came for the communists California gun owners,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist California gun owner.

Then they came for the trade unionists Washington, D.C. gun owners,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist Washington, D.C. gun owner.

Then they came for the Jews, Illinois gun owners
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew Illinois gun owner.

Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.

Don't think for a moment that harmful and restrictive regulations in California, D.C., New Jersey, New York, Illinois, will be contained there. Tyranny has a tendency to be voracious in its appetite for freedom.

[stix213]

What starts in California usually spreads to other states. Living in CA is fighting on the front lines.

[dustoff31]

How do we get these fair weather firearm owners on our side?

Well, the first thing you can do is stop blaming them for your problems.

Maybe you didn't vote for the anti-gun politicians, but they were elected nonetheless. They are your government, not someone else's. If you can't control them, just exactly what do you expect people in other states to do about it?

As to the nonsense about CA gun laws spreading to other states, well, that simply flies in the face of what has occurred, and is actually occurring on almost a daily basis.

[shy 7th]

Telling us to move out of CA because we don't like the 2A climate is like telling a black man to move out of Alabama because he doesn't like the racism. They didn't gain their civil rights without the help of other states and neither will we.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stand_in_the_Schoolhouse_Door

[Stonewalker]

By telling them that the VPC has called for a ban on any rifle that can be fitted with a scope. They call them sniper rifles.

ETA: Whoops, I should read more than just the title before posting! I'm gona go post this in the other fair weather gun owner thread
I hate talking to gun owners from other states who just talk **** about CA. They are a part of the problem.