[Mark Tyson]

There is a disturbing trend in gun control legislation: it almost invariably originates in urban areas and spreads out from there. Even in typically conservative Western states gun control gets passed because of people in metropolitan areas - Denver for example.

This is disturbing because demographic trends seem to indicate increasing ubranization, not only in America but around the world. Most people live in cities, and cities are where gun control legislation thrives.

I suppose this could be so because people simply do less shooting in urban areas.

Am I wrong? Anyone disagree?

[TarpleyG]

Look at Austin... Same way there...

GT

[Fastlane]

Mark:

You are correct. How do you introduce new shooters to a gun culture when you have no place to shoot? I have to drive a hour to use a small indoor range. You can use 22, small cal. pistol and shotguns no rifles. I have tried to join a local gun club that has a nice range but was told they are not accepting new members. I believe this "no place to shoot" will eventually cause us to lose to the anti's.

[2dogs]

Well, living in the largest (and worst) city in PA I have to say- there are ample indoor ranges (at least six within 5 minute drive time, twice as many within 1/2 hour drive); the indoor range I belong to allows pistol, rifle, shotgun.

Within an hour drive I believe there are several outdoor ranges.

Looking at the website for NJ Rifle and Pistol Club it looks like even in that hole there are a good number of places to shoot.

I'd have to say that lack of shooting ranges is probably not the cause of the problem Mark noted- any other ideas?:scrutiny:

[BigG]

Mebbe us Rednecks better move into the 'hood, hmm? :o

[Skunkabilly]

Same with California. By square footage, 95% of the state ain't half bad.

[Carlos Cabeza]

If all the rednecks moved into the 'hoods there wouldn't be any drive-by shootings, There'd only be a bunch of dead drug dealer homeys in lowride impalas. :evil:

The Ford pickup would once again rule the streets. :D

[Ian Sean]

The last place I lived was growing, alot of new houses being built and sprawl.

A lot of the city folks moving out to the burbs and commuting back into the city for work. It shows in many of the gated communities and or homeowners associations they started.

It pays to be sociable, I invited a newby neighbor to the gun club and he wound up joining and being a pretty active member.

It all started with him seeing me load gun cases into the truck heading to the range. He runs in his house and comes back out with a .30 carbine his dad left him when he passed away. He had no idea as to value, never fired it or anything. We went out the following week and he was hooked.

[NukemJim]

"If all the rednecks moved into the 'hoods there wouldn't be any drive-by shootings, There'd only be a bunch of dead drug dealer homeys in lowride impalas. "

What is the problem with this plan ? it sounds good to me!;)

NukemJim

[MacPelto]

Look at Austin... Same way there...

I don't follow you, what does Austin have to do with it?

[David Park]

I think the attitude or mindset of the populace plays a large part. I grew up in the country, surrounded by hunting and guns, but never had much interest in them. When I moved to the Big City, I realized that it was a more dangerous place than where I grew up. After looking into self-defense options, I bought a handgun, took some classes, and got my carry permit.

I suspect many city folks are used to living in high-crime areas, so they have a different reaction to danger. They think either "it will never happen to me" (because it hasn't -- yet), or "I can take care of myself", or "I can just call 911." Also, your home and neighborhood become comfort zones. You don't want to think about violent crime in your backyard, so if you don't actually see it happen, it doesn't exist.

Since my neighborhood was new to me, I didn't have any "comfort" issues to overcome, and I could look at reports of armed robberies in the apartment parking lot and think, "Hey, that could be me!" Growing up in a rural area where the sheriff is 30 minutes away if you're lucky, "just call 911" was never something I could rely on either. Sadly, I think a lot of city folks don't see through their illusions of safety until after they have been victimized.

[campergeek]

Having grown up in rural areas, and now living in the metro St. Louis area, I think that perceptions of firearms are formed in vastly different ways between the two. My experience is that people in rural areas are more casual with firearms, a greater percentage of the population owns firearms, and people generally learn to shoot at younger ages. In urban areas people's exposure to firearms is generally through the media, which paints them only as instruments of murder.

I'm not historically-minded enough to know when, why or how this separation of understanding occurred. However, here in Missouri it creates a great divide. When CCW came up for a public vote, it passed overwhelmingly in the outstate areas, but was defeated by the urban vote. Now that it is on the governor's desk, I expect that we can expect shrill complaining (at least of the magnitude of what MN is experiencing) from K.C. and/or St. Louis if the governor signs it or his veto is overriden. The tone will be "the people defeated this and do not want it" ("people", of course, referring to the elite urban academics - not the outstate ignorant hillbillys). Nevermind that most counties in the state actually DID vote for CCW.

I get really disgusted with the way that Democratic leaning, urban voters tend to control statewide issues simply because they are the population centers. I'd love to see an electoral college by county implemented within the state. Of course, that would give the population centers new things to whine about. Does anyone else remember that just prior to the 2000 presidential election, when it looked like the vote would be very close, the Democrats were falling all over themselves reminding the peasants that the president is chosen by electoral votes - and may actually not be the recipient of the most popular votes (this, of course, when they thought Gore would receive the former but maybe not the latter)? Now that Bush is president, it's still easy to find Democrats who remind the peasants - with contempt - that Bush didn't win the popular vote. Nevermind that the election turned out exactly as they described, but just in the opposite way of what they wanted.

[dinosaur]

It`s not just firearms. When you grow up in a big city, most things are more convenient. When things are working right, you can call 911 and get fairly quick police, fire and EMS responses. You can call the local grocery, pizza and liquor store and get free delivery in 30 minutes or less. Many people don`t even own a vehicle because there`s ample public transportation. The list goes on. When this social order breaks down, there`s panic.

The rural life is different because you have to be self sufficient. None of the above applies.