Have you lost any "friends" because of your interest in firearms?

I haven't lost any friends, so to speak, but I have a cousin that won't talk to me anymore. I'm from a very large, mostly-rural, extended family that enjoys the fishing, hunting, and shooting that come with that type of lifestyle. One of my uncles married a very liberal woman who has been adamantly opposed to any civilian gun ownership for as long as I can remember. (My aunt is a wonderful person and we get along fine.) That uncle is quite conservative and an excellent shot. Their kids are split about 50/50 between very liberal/state-ist and very conservative. One of their daughters is an aide to a very liberal US Senator and has become very militantly anti-gun.

Every time we get together as a family (Thanksgiving, usually), we go shooting and there are a lot of us. We'll go through 1000 shotgun shells, 500 or so clay pigeons, and more 22 LR than I can even keep track of. Not to mention, several dozen sets of earplugs and lots and lots of snacks. This particular cousin posted a picture of us doing this on facebook and thought she would shame us into giving up our guns, somehow. She said some very nice things about how uneducated and unsophisticated we were, not taking into account the dozen or so bachelors degrees, several masters degrees, and a couple of PhDs in the group. To her, we were nothing but a bunch of barely-literate hicks who wouldn't be smart enough to put together a coherent sentence without help from people like her. She said some very insulting things, specifically about me since I'm an NRA instructor and usually bring more than a dozen guns to these activities.

Several of us responded as nicely as we could and tried to blow it off, but it just continued for a week or so. Even her own mother told her to knock it off, but she kept pushing. She then recorded an open-letter type video and posted it directing it at most of us other Neanderthal cousins about how we were complicit in the killing of children and that we weren't smart enough to realize how dangerous we all were. It continued for a couple of minutes and ended with the prediction that at least one of our kids would be killed by a gun because that's how dumb we are. She directly insulted a couple of my cousins, one of my brothers, and another uncle saying that the only reason they were farmers is because they weren't smart enough to get real jobs.

I wrote a very long piece pointing out that many of us had much higher ACT and SAT scores than her (something she kept bragging about in the video) and that all of the farmers had bachelors degrees, except for my uncle. I went into detail about defensive gun use and the proper status of firearms in the American culture. Several of my brothers and cousins also posted response. She then reported us to facebook and said that we were threatening her. After facebook pretty much ignored her, she deleted most of our responses and blocked all of us after sending me a very nasty PM.

The next time I saw her was at another informal family reunion and she looked so uncomfortable. Eventually she started yelling at me and started yelling "He's got a gun! He's got a gun!" because she knows that I always carry. I don't know what she was trying to accomplish; if she thought people would think I was threatening her, but I just kept my mouth shut. She finally left and she told my wife that I was probably going to shoot her (my wife) in her sleep and that she deserved it because she supports guns in our house. I haven't seen nor talked to her since and apparently she's never coming to another reunion or even to any funerals or weddings on our side of the family.

Matt

Guys, move down South. The South is very gun friendly, I have never had the problem of being rejected due to hunting, shooting or competition shooting. Darn near everyone owns a gun and shoots a gun. And that includes women.

SlamFire1 said:

Guys, move down South. The South is very gun friendly, I have never had the problem of being rejected due to hunting, shooting or competition shooting. Darn near everyone owns a gun and shoots a gun. And that includes women.

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I'm originally from Arkansas and even the liberals in my family are pro-gun and hunting with the exception of my stepmother who I have never got along with and haven't talked to in years. It was a lot of things not just guns with her.

aarondhgraham said:

There are two professors who refuse to come to my office,,,
They told my supervisor they "feel threatened" by me.

The truly funny part of this is that my supervisor,,,
Thinks it is my responsibility to somehow allay their fears.

So I asked him,,,
"Exactly what should I do?"

Her response was,,,
"I don't know but you have to do something."

Again I said,,,
"Okay, exactly what should I do?"

It was like an Abbot and Costello comedy skit,,,
I finally told her that when she had a firm plan of action to let me know.

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Have you offered to take them shooting?

Seriously. I have found lots of people who can't think rationally about firearms because they have digested so much propaganda from the media. They think a handgun could just snap and go off like a Pit-Bull on meth or something.

I have found I can argue facts with them all day long, but if I just take them out shooting, it does a lot more good.

I also found out that if you disagree on gun ownership, you probably aren't going to have much in common with that person.

Life is simpler when you stick with people who don't hate you for existing. After spending time with some self-described 'progressives' I walked away with a splitting headache, and a desire to not repeat the experience. I haven't, and neither have they.

So yes, I did lose a couple of acquaintances. I got a strange look from a couple of in-laws when they found out I was an NRA member, but they came around.

One that I forgot about. During the height of the post-sandy-hook shortages, I had a couple of 525 round boxes of Remington golden bullets that a local gun store set aside for me because I needed some for a BSA rifle merit badge shoot. One of my friends found out about it and wanted me to "donate" one of the boxes so he could go try out his new 10/22 (that he bought knowing full well that he wouldn't be able to get any ammo for quite a while). The LGS only set them aside because they knew I would use them for scouts and I promised them that's all they would be used for.

This "friend" started telling mutual friends that I told him I'd sell him some, but I that I wanted a nightmarishly high price for them and that I was nothing but a selfish person who's parents weren't married, if you get my drift. He finally gave up but I haven't heard from him since.

Matt

I don't care about abortion. Not even a little bit. If you are gay and want to get married then you will probably get to enjoy the trials of divorce and child support payments like the rest of us do. I'll still talk to you as you suffer. I could care less about your religion or if you smoke pot for breakfast.

Talk to me about banning guns and it will likely be the last conversation you ever have with me.

I also found out that if you disagree on gun ownership, you probably aren't going to have much in common with that person.

Life is simpler when you stick with people who don't hate you for existing. After spending time with some self-described 'progressives' I walked away with a splitting headache, and a desire to not repeat the experience. I haven't, and neither have they.

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+100 My low tolerance for pompous jerks will weed them out even before "the" gun issue comes up.

I don't care about abortion. Not even a little bit. If you are gay and want to get married then you will probably get to enjoy the trials of divorce and child support payments like the rest of us do. I'll still talk to you as you suffer. I could care less about your religion or if you smoke pot for breakfast.

Talk to me about banning guns and it will likely be the last conversation you ever have with me.

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In general, it's FAR more about control than guns, although you will occasionally come across somebody who's just pathologically afraid of guns to the point of psychosis.

Being a liberal, I like to tell self-described "liberals" that gun control is "anti-sodomy laws for leftists". They're principally a way to show contempt for and domination over people you hate.

And not infrequently, there's a racial component. At least a plurality of White anti-gunners I've known weren't actually afraid of guns. They were afraid of BLACK people with guns. Press them hard enough and in the right way and they'll admit it.

+100 My low tolerance for pompous jerks will weed them out even before "the" gun issue comes up.

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Most of the seriously anti-gun (wanting to ban OTHER people's guns) people I've come across were afflicted with "magical" thinking. Facts simply had NO bearing on their "argument", and in a number of instances I've seen them ATTACK the very IDEA of factual knowledge. When you ABSOLUTELY refute a Brit's factually incorrect statement on firearms, he's apt to call it "train spotting", as if a LACK of knowledge was a virtue.

Absolutely not! Most of my friends have known me a long time before they know about my gun hobby. Those who know me for me have no problem with my gun ownership, firearms training, etc.

Anyone who kicks me to the curb because of my support of the 2nd Amendment? Not a friend I want anyway.

And one of my best friends is a self proclaimed Democratic Socialist, would love to see more restrictions on firearms, and we have some good debates about it. That being said, we shoot together regularly. It seems he likes shooting them, but is okay not owning them. He just uses mine!

They werent true friends if they left you.

Yes. Some dude I went to high school with on the outskirts of rural KY. He came over with my roommate once and heard me dryfiring in my basement. This is something I do daily and only with the strictest safety procedures. He's so hoplophobic he slammed the door behind him and has never set foot in my home since. He told people I'm paranoid because I dry fire practice in my home. Has also told me he wishes civilian gun ownership was totally eradicated and only police and military had guns. He has since moved to NYC. I always knew he was a city boy at heart.

I would have to say no. Most of my friends are gun people, and the ones who are not gun people aren't really rabid anti's either. One coworker in particular comes to mind, he owns 3 or 4 guns and goes gopher hunting and target shooting, but is fine with more restrictions and generally toes the Democratic party line. Makes for some interesting discussions.

I generally try to avoid letting politics ruin a friendship, if we don't see eye to eye on every issue then so be it. If the other person can't "agree to disagree" on some subjects, I move on and don't lose any sleep over it.

Over the years it has cost me a few acquaintances but no real friends.

@Nanook

Life is simpler when you stick with people who don't hate you for existing.

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...but it's also okay to have a difference of opinion with someone–disagreeing on gun ownership, say–and just be an adult about it without hyper-rationalizing one's views and self-image. Not everyone who disagrees with you on something "hates you for existing." Odds are they don't think of your existence nearly as much as your post indicates.

Some of my friends shoot a lot, others not at all. I have a friend who hunts fifty days a year and another who went shooting with me for the first time. I've not lost one yet over issues dealing with firearms ownership.

montanaoffroader said:

I generally try to avoid letting politics ruin a friendship, if we don't see eye to eye on every issue then so be it. If the other person can't "agree to disagree" on some subjects, I move on and don't lose any sleep over it.

Over the years it has cost me a few acquaintances but no real friends.

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+ 1

Me too...especially the relative set, and that was my decision. People who only appear to be concerned about the idea of gun ownership for everyone else but themselves when they have a "need" for a firearm, or are nervous because of the increasingly troubled times.....tick me off. I don't know if you've noticed, but everybody is a nutball who owns anything bigger than a NAA 22 short with a 1 1/2 inch barrel....until they need a weapon. They even threaten senators now.......

Most of this gun phobic bull is the same kind of irrational behavior that is presented when folks fear snakes. I live in the south. Now we love our gun, but you let a black rat snake crawl up, and people evacuate thier digestive systems in both directions. Why?? Well...because its a snake. AND it's black. The worst thing a black snake can do to a human is not eat the rats that spread the diseases that WILL KILL US.

Then constrictors...the big ones. As long as they're caged properly and fed regularly, and handled responsibly, no threat at all, unless you live in a hurricane prone area. Kind of like semi auto rifles, I guess.

The venomous ones should only be kept by experienced pros, and even they get bit.

You can't reason with or tame a snake. You can't reason with or tame a 45 auto. You must be responsible

I have been shooting since I was 10 so I don't have an adult before and after event to make a comparison. I suspect there are some folks I might have in parallel universe spent more time with who,don't like guns. Having said that, it's not as if I really have room or desire for more close friends. Oddly enough, my best friend I've known sick third grade doesn't really shoot much. Maybe a dozen times in his life. He's not anti gum. It's just not his thing. Before we both got married I spent a lot of time hanging out with him and it never ever crossed my mind that we didn't shoot together.

Not a one, and I'll have been walking this earth for 59 years as of a bit later this week.

Of course, I've never been attracted to losers and idjits.
And I'm not compelled to take in every human stray who comes a-knockin'.

I have never had the slightest interest in social media---that whole scene always seemed exceptionally self-absorbed to me.

Anyway, I skip that whole segment of the population, along with the whole "friending/un-friending" construct.

Couldn't care less.

I've lost a few so called friends, but I prefer to think of them as my former associates.

psyopspec said:

@Nanook



...but it's also okay to have a difference of opinion with someone–disagreeing on gun ownership, say–and just be an adult about it without hyper-rationalizing one's views and self-image. Not everyone who disagrees with you on something "hates you for existing." Odds are they don't think of your existence nearly as much as your post indicates.

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They can disagree all they like, about any subject known to man, it doesn't matter to me. When they actively pursue disarming people because they're scared of guns, they lose me.

Hard core antis actively hate gun owners, and call us all sorts of names. I won't associate with them. I don't need the aggravation.

I have friends I disagree with on many issues, I would bet I have friends that disagree with me on every issue if you picked all of them out issue by issue.

Everyone can make connections on some level, if your so closed minded to every issue you won't be friends with someone on a single issue, you won't have many friends and I guess couldn't be a friend of mine.

You should also certainly not have any children, unless you get yourself cloned and put it through your same life experience. As the difference in their mind would lead you to believe you were a failure as a parent vs creating a person that can think for themselves and have opinions that might not always match yours.

Firearms, no I have lost no one that I know about. Have likely made more connections with people due to competitive shooting than any potential loss if I fact they have occurred without my knowledge.

Friends? No.
Acquaintances? Maybe.

When I was dating, guns were normally brought up on the second or third date. The next date, or lack thereof, was normally based on her reaction.

While no one on Facebook has unfriended me due to political beliefs, I'm sure some have clicked "hide from newsfeed." I know I've been blocked by friends of friends.

Honestly, I don't care. If a friend is going to part ways over a political matter, they aren't worth having as a friend. You know what they say, if you loan a friend $20 and never see them again, consider it well spent.

460Kodiak said:

I know there are people in my life who are uncomfortable with and even afraid of firearms, and who are most definitely uncomfortable with my interest in guns. I even feel like some people I once considered friends now avoid me because of my interest in firearms.

Has anyone else experienced this? Just curious.

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Those people aren't your friends.

If someone is too dumb to accept and understand firearms, they are unworthy of friendship. I make no room in my life for hoplophobes.