The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - HCI defines fully automatic weapons as "Weapons of Mass Destruction"

bookkie · March 10, 1999, 10:53 AM

What we are fighting here is perception. For example, the local gun club I belong to has since the 1930's had a program where they would take all the 12-18 year old kids from a local orphanage, run them through the NRA hunter's safety course and then take them out for a few days of pheasant hunting. We would usually end up taking around 50-75 kids out each year. Was a lot of fun to see those kid's faces light up when they got their first bird. This year we were informed that the orphanage would no longer participate, "as guns are evil and we are encouraging the kids to join gangs and use the guns to kill people". Don't have to tell you that they just got a new director.

By the way for those of you in the know, the NRA hunter's safety course did not start in the 30's. It was sometime later, but I'm proud to say that our instructor was one of the first three certified NRA instructors in the nation. He is still going strong teaching the course in his mid 70's.

The gist of this little story is that we are fighting a propaganda war. And we are losing badly. It is getting harder each year to come up with our 10-20 kids for the junior shooters program. We must change our attitude and fight back. We can no longer afford to make excuses for why we have a weapon or why we need this. What we have to do is change our tack. Something like "And you don't own a gun? What's the matter with you? Are you a coward? A communist? Why are you jerking your duty to be armed for the defense of all?" We must change the perception that people have of guns. We must show them that we are proud to be gun owners and that it is a good thing, not an evil.

Thanks,

Richard

March 10, 1999, 10:53 AM	#14
bookkie Senior Member Join Date: March 5, 1999 Location: Arbuckle, CA, usa Posts: 1,269	What we are fighting here is perception. For example, the local gun club I belong to has since the 1930's had a program where they would take all the 12-18 year old kids from a local orphanage, run them through the NRA hunter's safety course and then take them out for a few days of pheasant hunting. We would usually end up taking around 50-75 kids out each year. Was a lot of fun to see those kid's faces light up when they got their first bird. This year we were informed that the orphanage would no longer participate, "as guns are evil and we are encouraging the kids to join gangs and use the guns to kill people". Don't have to tell you that they just got a new director. By the way for those of you in the know, the NRA hunter's safety course did not start in the 30's. It was sometime later, but I'm proud to say that our instructor was one of the first three certified NRA instructors in the nation. He is still going strong teaching the course in his mid 70's. The gist of this little story is that we are fighting a propaganda war. And we are losing badly. It is getting harder each year to come up with our 10-20 kids for the junior shooters program. We must change our attitude and fight back. We can no longer afford to make excuses for why we have a weapon or why we need this. What we have to do is change our tack. Something like "And you don't own a gun? What's the matter with you? Are you a coward? A communist? Why are you jerking your duty to be armed for the defense of all?" We must change the perception that people have of guns. We must show them that we are proud to be gun owners and that it is a good thing, not an evil. Thanks, Richard