Ever wonder why most women and most urban males don't like or have no use for guns?
If you grant that the above supposition is true then the answers to the question are central to maintaining and regaining the right to keep and bear arms.
A few of my thoughts, (I realize that some of the following are generalizations and that individuals in a given population will vary):
1. People who have no first hand experience with firearms are afraid of them because they can be dangerous if mishandled or misused. Women and urban males are less likely to have first hand experience with guns. People fear what they do not understand.
Solution - take people shooting every chance you get - instead of arguing or putting down a co-worker, acquaintance, or family member offer to take them shooting.
2. People with no first hand experience with guns get their information second hand from the news, politicians, television, and movies. News, politicians, TV, and movies almost universally portray guns in a negative light.
Solution - well first give them hands on experience. Secondly, write letters to the editor, inform politicians and vote and support those few that support gun rights, share movies that show firearm usage in a positive light, and share, when a person is open to it, literature that supports the right and duty to bear arms. Try to do this in a positive and informative rather than confrontational manner or tone.
3. Women and urban males are taught/socialized to be victims and to be dependent on government or others.
Solution - attack the culture of dependency and victim hood - support individual and local private community solutions to problems - as opposed to government solutions. Encourage responsibility instead of dependency. Point out in a positive way the many benefits of accepting responsibility for ones life and feelings as opposed to trying to impose a one size fits all solution that really won’t work. Acknowledge common goals while gently suggesting non-dependent and non-government solutions. Pet peeve - one of FDR’s four freedoms - the freedom from fear is a spiritual issue that has no solution outside of one’s self, let alone a government solution.
4. Most individuals don’t like to deal with or seriously think about unpleasant things, (I.e. death, where the steak they eat comes from, having to defend their life or their family, etc…), urban dwellers in first world nations are particularly removed from the normal processes of life and death unlike rural populations. This fosters an I don’t want to know or have to think about it attitude, let alone really having to deal with it. Guns represent a direct affront to such an individual - just the image or thought of one, let alone a real one.
Solution - engage people in your life in non-confrontational conversations, (don’t argue), to learn their thoughts and feelings. Don’t denigrate their thoughts and feelings - accept them as their valid and real feelings and thoughts. When listening to them, (really listen don’t just bide your time until you can jump in and “correct” them). Acknowledge their point of view and then share your feelings and your thoughts without directly attacking theirs. Talk about yourself without “judging” them. Such discussions do not have to be limited to guns, in fact they shouldn’t. They should include all those difficult and uncomfortable things that we don’t like to normally look at, such as death, self-defense, personal accountability, the meaning and purposes of life. Don’t approach it as an argument - because you can’t really win an argument - besides you don’t want to win an argument - what you really want is to engage in discussions that lead to the development of an emotionally mature and spiritually centered person. Such discussions will help everyone involved - us included.
5. Some people really believe that "guns are evil" for many of the above mentioned reasons and as a result they identify totally with that belief.
Solution - when someone truly believes that guns are evil - they are emotionally invested in that belief - it is a feeling that is valid to them. One cannot argue to any positive effect with such a person. Arguing with them only leads them to feel that they are being personally attacked - because their belief that guns are evil is part of their identity. There is no quick or short term solution for such a situation. One can listen without argument. Validate that you accept that is how they feel. Don’t immediately volunteer your differing beliefs. Accept them for who they are and if you can, engage them in conversations about issues that they are more open about or about which you may agree. Earn their trust and respect over time and then if the opportunity presents, share your differing thoughts and feelings about guns and the right to keep and bear arms. But do it as above in a conversational and non-confrontational way. Finally even if they never agree with you they may at least accept that you and others feel differently than they do and that perhaps live and let live is a better solution than gun bans.
6. Women and urbanites are socialized to hate direct confrontation - a gun is a powerful symbol of direct confrontation.
Solution - take them shooting and/or show them that guns serve many purposes - hunting, sport, self-defense - (most instances result in no crime being committed and no shots fired), and that what they thought they knew about gun owners and guns is by far not the whole story.
7. Women and urban males are more invested in their desire for security than liberty. For both, this is part of societies current socialization process. For women this also may tie into the desire for security to raise a family and to protect children. For urban males this may have more to do with emotional and spiritual immaturity and an unwillingness to become an adult.
Solution - Acknowledge their need for security and discuss how guns are a necessary part of security in the real world. With immature males tell them to grow a pair and become men. (Okay, that last comment might not be a good idea - though I have less patience with such “men.”) With immature men - find a gun toting woman to take them shooting - then the boys will want to grow up.
Individuals who are secure in themselves do not feel the need to control others.
Oh, since this is on THR - I should add that Oleg's photos are wonderful and thought provoking - they offer a way to get others to think in a non-confrontational way.
Please feel free to comment, add your own thoughts, or to correct me as you see fit.
If you grant that the above supposition is true then the answers to the question are central to maintaining and regaining the right to keep and bear arms.
A few of my thoughts, (I realize that some of the following are generalizations and that individuals in a given population will vary):
1. People who have no first hand experience with firearms are afraid of them because they can be dangerous if mishandled or misused. Women and urban males are less likely to have first hand experience with guns. People fear what they do not understand.
Solution - take people shooting every chance you get - instead of arguing or putting down a co-worker, acquaintance, or family member offer to take them shooting.
2. People with no first hand experience with guns get their information second hand from the news, politicians, television, and movies. News, politicians, TV, and movies almost universally portray guns in a negative light.
Solution - well first give them hands on experience. Secondly, write letters to the editor, inform politicians and vote and support those few that support gun rights, share movies that show firearm usage in a positive light, and share, when a person is open to it, literature that supports the right and duty to bear arms. Try to do this in a positive and informative rather than confrontational manner or tone.
3. Women and urban males are taught/socialized to be victims and to be dependent on government or others.
Solution - attack the culture of dependency and victim hood - support individual and local private community solutions to problems - as opposed to government solutions. Encourage responsibility instead of dependency. Point out in a positive way the many benefits of accepting responsibility for ones life and feelings as opposed to trying to impose a one size fits all solution that really won’t work. Acknowledge common goals while gently suggesting non-dependent and non-government solutions. Pet peeve - one of FDR’s four freedoms - the freedom from fear is a spiritual issue that has no solution outside of one’s self, let alone a government solution.
4. Most individuals don’t like to deal with or seriously think about unpleasant things, (I.e. death, where the steak they eat comes from, having to defend their life or their family, etc…), urban dwellers in first world nations are particularly removed from the normal processes of life and death unlike rural populations. This fosters an I don’t want to know or have to think about it attitude, let alone really having to deal with it. Guns represent a direct affront to such an individual - just the image or thought of one, let alone a real one.
Solution - engage people in your life in non-confrontational conversations, (don’t argue), to learn their thoughts and feelings. Don’t denigrate their thoughts and feelings - accept them as their valid and real feelings and thoughts. When listening to them, (really listen don’t just bide your time until you can jump in and “correct” them). Acknowledge their point of view and then share your feelings and your thoughts without directly attacking theirs. Talk about yourself without “judging” them. Such discussions do not have to be limited to guns, in fact they shouldn’t. They should include all those difficult and uncomfortable things that we don’t like to normally look at, such as death, self-defense, personal accountability, the meaning and purposes of life. Don’t approach it as an argument - because you can’t really win an argument - besides you don’t want to win an argument - what you really want is to engage in discussions that lead to the development of an emotionally mature and spiritually centered person. Such discussions will help everyone involved - us included.
5. Some people really believe that "guns are evil" for many of the above mentioned reasons and as a result they identify totally with that belief.
Solution - when someone truly believes that guns are evil - they are emotionally invested in that belief - it is a feeling that is valid to them. One cannot argue to any positive effect with such a person. Arguing with them only leads them to feel that they are being personally attacked - because their belief that guns are evil is part of their identity. There is no quick or short term solution for such a situation. One can listen without argument. Validate that you accept that is how they feel. Don’t immediately volunteer your differing beliefs. Accept them for who they are and if you can, engage them in conversations about issues that they are more open about or about which you may agree. Earn their trust and respect over time and then if the opportunity presents, share your differing thoughts and feelings about guns and the right to keep and bear arms. But do it as above in a conversational and non-confrontational way. Finally even if they never agree with you they may at least accept that you and others feel differently than they do and that perhaps live and let live is a better solution than gun bans.
6. Women and urbanites are socialized to hate direct confrontation - a gun is a powerful symbol of direct confrontation.
Solution - take them shooting and/or show them that guns serve many purposes - hunting, sport, self-defense - (most instances result in no crime being committed and no shots fired), and that what they thought they knew about gun owners and guns is by far not the whole story.
7. Women and urban males are more invested in their desire for security than liberty. For both, this is part of societies current socialization process. For women this also may tie into the desire for security to raise a family and to protect children. For urban males this may have more to do with emotional and spiritual immaturity and an unwillingness to become an adult.
Solution - Acknowledge their need for security and discuss how guns are a necessary part of security in the real world. With immature males tell them to grow a pair and become men. (Okay, that last comment might not be a good idea - though I have less patience with such “men.”) With immature men - find a gun toting woman to take them shooting - then the boys will want to grow up.
Individuals who are secure in themselves do not feel the need to control others.
Oh, since this is on THR - I should add that Oleg's photos are wonderful and thought provoking - they offer a way to get others to think in a non-confrontational way.
Please feel free to comment, add your own thoughts, or to correct me as you see fit.
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