What kind of activism are we missing?

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Derek Zeanah

Derek Zeanah

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A members attacks on "freeloaders" who don't support the non-profit that employs him got me thinking. We've got the NRA, the GOA, the SAF, the SAS, the JPFO, and a few other groups that aren't mentioned as much on these forums.

Where is our biggest blind spot? If you were going to refocus the existing organizations, or build one to fill a gap, what would it be? What would it do?

Give money to pro-gun politicians, or advertise against the biggest infringers?

Educate non-gun owners?

Help with lawsuits?

Something else entirely?
 
Every time this comes up in various forums, I state what I think is obvious.

Outreach.

It's very easy to call people that don't like guns names.
It's not going to do anything for our rights though.

The best parallel to what you should be doing with "antis" is what Christians call "Witnessing" to them. Expose them to the truth in a "Loving, non threatening, non-judgemental way."

It worked on me, and it can work on many.

If any of you are active on LiveJournal (I know, I know...) There's a community there called "Guncontrolnow". It had more gun friendly folks than gun control friendly folks.

We worked on the guy, and finally:
http://community.livejournal.com/guncontrolnow/83228.html

This is where sizable efforts should be spent: demistifying guns.

We, as "gunnies" also need to be more open and inviting. Pushing for laws is great, but we need to get more of the public understanding why we believe what we believe.
 
I would say legal defense and offense funds are very necessary.

If Heller has shown me anything, it's that really there is a war of attrition that has to be fought in the courts to slap the hands that want to whittle rights away, and to bring the pain to the ones that want to just ignore it. They hope to play a protracted legal game, in either case. Can't do that without money.
 
I think it a wide range of things, and belive me, anti-gunners will use a wide range of tatics to disarm us.

Need political action, need to take kids and fence sitting adults out to a range and let them see that shooting is fun, that we are responsable, and we are not all "gun nuts" in the bad sense.
 
Lawsuits. LOTS of 'em.

Everyone stands around waiting for someone with deep pockets and a perfect plaintiff/defendant to invoke the perfect court case (see Heller). This comes from the social expectation that such cases are only for those who can afford very expensive lawyers or can find a "sugar daddy" like Robert Levy. Unfortunately, such cases are rare and risky.

What we need is a suitably-constructed boilerplate/template/checklist for ANYONE to walk into court and file a standard grievance, with the intent to limit the costs to basic court fees (a few hundred $$$) and to simply get a judge to rule up-or-down on the issue. Given enough cases filed, several things will happen:
- Favorable verdicts will happen, resolving the question locally and allowing appeal of unfavorable verdicts on equal protection grounds.
- Disparite verdicts will force appeals, ultimately getting SCOTUS more involved.
- The number of citizens affected will become apparent. The occasional well-funded case is viewed as a fluke/freak; thousands of self-brought cases will reveal we are numerous, infringed, and motivated.
- Money will follow. Low-level self-brought cases are hardly ideal, but good cases will become apparent and attract/demand serious funding for expensive appeals.

I'd file to overturn 922(o), if only I knew the standard procedure required to do it. (Don't give me the standard snide remarks about defending oneself; nothing is going to happen if nobody does anything, and I'm becoming aware my time on Earth is limited - I want my M4 before I go, and sneers from the peanut gallery aren't going to help.)
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Shooting groups for JRHS and HS age kids. I would give up on the schools themselves. A lot of them are filled with some really weird whackos that would create a lot of problems with adminstration support.

IMO the loss of shooting clubs in schools has made the schools less safe and led to an overall stagnation in shooting sports.
 
I'd say starting pro-gun Christian organizations is something that hasn't been done. Unfairly and far too often, Christianity has been linked to pacifism and their are many anti-gun Christian organizations.

If we can get a solid, pro-gun Christian organization going, that would help a lot.
 
What is your goal? Working towards tearing down current law, keeping American's interested in RKBA, etc.

The greatest threat I see is: Currently 60-70% of American's support the RKBA. The antis are tyring to split that 1 group into 2 groups. The USA functions like a democracy, which means might makes right; unless you get lucky in a legal battle. If the antis are able to take just 20% of the current RKBA supporters and sucker them into believing that the second amendment is a collective right, we could lose in the voting booth. My understanding is that is what happen in the UK. The majority of UKians wanted to ban firearms after a few shootings. They, the people of the UK did it to themselves.

Shooting groups for JRHS and HS age kids. I would give up on the schools themselves. A lot of them are filled with some really weird whackos that would create a lot of problems with adminstration support.

IMO the loss of shooting clubs in schools has made the schools less safe and led to an overall stagnation in shooting sports.
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Teach them while they are young. Great idea.
 
Its interesting that you see the same two tacts used in Christian circles: relational outreach, and political activism/culture wars (lawsuits, etc.).

I've found that much of the political activism does very little, actually to change the way people view anything, and at most buys a little legal time.

The focus should be on relational outreach; if you win a father, a mother, a family, you've got generations of change.
 
There is a huge problem within the gun owners of America, it is "Laziness, Ignorance and Apathy".

They are unmotivated and unwilling to do anything to preserve their Liberties.

They are clueless as to what they can do.

They just feel that they are "one", and that they can not have any real impact.

These are the enemies of Gun Rights, and these are the objects that are the targets of the Appleseed Project.

The Appleseed Project is very young, less than 3 years old (starting Feb 2006). Yet the program is looking at over 130 events in 2008 and over 200 events in 2009, nation wide. This is being done with a 100% volunteer group of common folks.

The program started as the effort of one man. Most Appleseed Shoots are the thought/effort of one person (initially), and each shoot generates many folks that are motivated to get involved, have a much better idea how to get involved and understand that their efforts not only have an impact, but are critical.

The Appleseed Project has now started State Chapters (nearly 30). One of the goals of this effort is to establish relationships with state level organizations that do many of the things that you all have mentioned here. The goal is to use Appleseeds to get folks motivated and steered toward the various organizations that already exist, that will be able to have a positive influence on their Liberties.

It is easier to get folks to come to an Appleseed than a political action group, or a higher dollar shooting program, or even competitive shooting events. It gives them some tastes of all of these, it introduces them to like minded folks from their state/region, and it is proven effective in motivating folks to step forward.

Getting Appleseed to the point of being a 'feeder program' for many of the already existing, good, but less than energetic, programs, is one of the goals of Appleseed.

While this seems like a commercial for the program, but it really is a great answer for the OP....it hits on many of the areas that we are lacking in.
 
El Tejon said:
All politics is local. :)

If you want the biggest "bang" for your buck, or dong for you denek, give to state and local groups. :cool:
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+1

Help your state organization win a few local law suits which will become legal precedent.
 
Take someone shooting.

De-link "gun people" from the "conservative right." There are too many folks who are radically turned off by some of the stuff you find there.

Be nice, and bust stereotypes. If I am talking to a store manager about an offensive sign, more than likely I'm wearing a tie-dye shirt, or a "business casual" shirt.

Use effective communication. Learn to write for media. Know what the media wants, and give it to them (odds are they don't actually have an agenda, but they -do- have an overworked guy screening all that stuff, and he's just out of college - make his job EASY for him).
 
Right now, there's 200 folks clicking on "General" and 4 clicking around in "Activism."

2% campers. A lousy 2%. And I'll guess that THR/Internet gunnies in general are more politically active than average.

Is it okay for me to stir some stuff up again?
 
bogie, a lot of folks just "do" activism. I don't think that I have ever posted in that sub-forum. I do however coordinate efforts in a two state region to get folks off their couches and out to the range. The organization I represent reaches out to minors, women, active service military, elected officials and others.
Lots of folks financially support the NRA and other groups and think thats enough. Some folks write letters, and some think that voting for candidates that they think are pro 2A is enough.

Different folks, different levels of activism.

I remember about a year ago you wanted folks to flood their reps mailboxes with single issue pro 2A letters. I don't know how that worked out, but I do remember that I thought you were going to have an aneurysm.

I don't know how to motivate a diverse group, so I'll just motivate the ones that want to learn to shoot.
Wheeler44

ps. I'm not criticizing or deriding, I'm just trying to show the differences.
 
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