davera
Member
I channel lapped into the 30 Days program on FX last night. It was the story of a female anti gun activist who spent 30 days in rural Ohio immersed in the "gun culture". It turned out to be better than it sounds like. The woman had a friend that was killed by gun totin' criminals some years back. On top of an east coast liberal lack of exposure to guns - this defined her entire mindset.
She went to live with a sort of red-necky father and son in rural Ohio - who themselves lived the gun culture. They didn't seem highly educated but they surely comported themselves well throughout the entire program. If we could all speak as calmly and logically as they did presenting their side of the story we'd all benefit. The father was a firearms enthusiast (gun nut to the woman) who was exemplary in his handling of guns and his justifications and explanations of gun ownership.
If you're like me, you might yell at the screen occasionally as the woman issues such gems as "when ever I hear the sound of a gun I think of children being killed" ... I laughed ... but had to consider she REALLY believes that. She thinks that no one but the police and military should have a gun. Guns are just for killing. All that VPC propaganda, she believed it.
But I had to also give her credit for the 30 day journey. She took a short term job at a gun store, she did learn to shoot. When she first fired a shotgun at a skeet range, she broke down sobbing (think of the children! I yelled at the TV). But she persisted, she learned to get 5 rounds into COM using a hand gun, she sought out and visited a married couple who used a gun to fend off a home invader. She offered gun store advice to a first time woman buyer at the gun store "get some training".
By the end of the 30 days, I doubt if she changed much of her attitude about guns and gun ownership - but I did think she took in what she learned and understood guns and gun owners much better than at the start. She saw guns and gun owners going about their lives lawfully, using guns in a safe and legal manner and (very important) being no threat to anyone who does not threaten them. She was more open to gun ownership than at the beginning - albeit with the usual "common sense" restrictions.
The show was better than I expected. It reaffirmed to me the need for us all to be "good ambassadors of the gun culture". People like this woman have no knowledge or exposure to safe and legal gun ownership. They only know what they see on the news or read in the NY Times. A lot of what they think (and feel) is due to NOT KNOWING. Some of them can be reached. They might not join our side - but they might get some knowledge of what our side is.
She went to live with a sort of red-necky father and son in rural Ohio - who themselves lived the gun culture. They didn't seem highly educated but they surely comported themselves well throughout the entire program. If we could all speak as calmly and logically as they did presenting their side of the story we'd all benefit. The father was a firearms enthusiast (gun nut to the woman) who was exemplary in his handling of guns and his justifications and explanations of gun ownership.
If you're like me, you might yell at the screen occasionally as the woman issues such gems as "when ever I hear the sound of a gun I think of children being killed" ... I laughed ... but had to consider she REALLY believes that. She thinks that no one but the police and military should have a gun. Guns are just for killing. All that VPC propaganda, she believed it.
But I had to also give her credit for the 30 day journey. She took a short term job at a gun store, she did learn to shoot. When she first fired a shotgun at a skeet range, she broke down sobbing (think of the children! I yelled at the TV). But she persisted, she learned to get 5 rounds into COM using a hand gun, she sought out and visited a married couple who used a gun to fend off a home invader. She offered gun store advice to a first time woman buyer at the gun store "get some training".
By the end of the 30 days, I doubt if she changed much of her attitude about guns and gun ownership - but I did think she took in what she learned and understood guns and gun owners much better than at the start. She saw guns and gun owners going about their lives lawfully, using guns in a safe and legal manner and (very important) being no threat to anyone who does not threaten them. She was more open to gun ownership than at the beginning - albeit with the usual "common sense" restrictions.
The show was better than I expected. It reaffirmed to me the need for us all to be "good ambassadors of the gun culture". People like this woman have no knowledge or exposure to safe and legal gun ownership. They only know what they see on the news or read in the NY Times. A lot of what they think (and feel) is due to NOT KNOWING. Some of them can be reached. They might not join our side - but they might get some knowledge of what our side is.
Especially when the group of people said. I think there's be a confederate flag and hillbillies settin on the porch drinking moonshine. I cant beleive people honestly beleive all gun owners are hillbillies.
