Anyone ever convert an anti?

[Werewolf]

Nope...

They exist in OK but are fairly rare. The few I've met and corrected some misconceptions they had were more neutral than anti. I've never met a real anti here and if I did would probably just ignore. If they react in real life like they do on the internet it'd be like talkin' to a :banghead:

I do know a real anti though - a brother living in FL. We haven't spoken in years. Politically we're polar opposites.

Got better things to do than waste my time on a real died in the wool anti.

 

[WayneConrad]

When I grew up in an all-white neighborhood, in a mostly-white part of the country, I learned racist ditties playing with my white friends. Was scared of black people. Scared of 'em when I did see 'em.

Later in life, was less nervous every time I was around them. Became friends with them. Worked with them. Learned that they're people. Good, bad, funny, boring, whatever. People. "Scared" wore off.

I didn't get converted out of racism. I got learned out of it.

 

[romeo212000]

Exactly. This is a perfect analoogy. Are there black people who are bad people who commit crimes? You better believe it but the majority of them are good people. This is the exact same thing with guns. My wife was nervous around guns because she was unfamiliar with them. All she knew was that guns hurt people. It wasnt until I started dating her that she started to realize that guns are really tools of protection.

 

[Kino74]

Most people I met in Louisiana that are anti gun just have no real experience with firearms or knowledge of firearm laws. Most people tend to love handguns and hunting guns but not so big on Class 3 and "Assault Weapons" unless its a Ar15. I find most of them tend to believe evertyhing the news tells them and expects journalists to always know what they are talking about.

Ironcially alot of people here say they are against gun control but in reality they are not. Yesterday I had a discussion with a Sherriff Deputy. He was against the DC handgun ban BUT believed in banning Ar15s. He said by banning AR15s and AK47s, it would be harder on criminals to get them and use them. The logic or illogic apparent to me was lost on him because banning handguns sure didnt make it easier or harder on criminals in DC.

 

[ozwyn]

Katrina and the LA Riots converted a few, I just was luck enough to point people in the right direction.

Katrina convinced my Father that some gun rights are needed. He may not be a full convert, but he is no long a militant anti either, and can actually discuss the issue rationally.

Events convert people better than rational arguments. They get to see exactly why the right means something.

 

[Kino74]

Funny that you say Katrina converted a few....I always been a gun enthusiast and when Katrina hit and the looting was going on, you be surprised how many antis wanted to borrow one of my guns. The same ones that use to laugh at me for owning guns. I have quite a few AKs, Ar15s, handguns and even a custom SBR. Ask them why they did not get a gun sooner, they either say "never thought I would need one" or my favortie "cops will protect me" and even better "if there is a riot or looting, i coming to stay with you!"

 

[armedandsafe]

When we werefighting the "It's a Crime, Bill" in the early 90s,there was a talk show host in San Diego who was anti-handgun. We pounded on him pretty hard for a number of months. He finally went to a range and got some learnin'. Shortly after, he changed his theme song on the subject. I don't know how much I had to do with the conversion, but he did quote from my newsletter.

Pops

 

[jakemccoy]

Jdude wrote,

I'll define it in 2 separate ways. First is someone who wants all firearms uninvented. Second is hoplophobic.

By those two definitions, I have never converted an anti.

However, I've converted 2 people who never deeply thought about a gun for protection. They didn't really understand the 2nd Amendment or any related issues. I'm sure if an eloquent anti had got to them before I, then they'd be on the other side of the fence right now.

By the way, I'll have to stray from the original post. If I get somebody interested in liking guns and going to the range, then that’s a conversion. I don't expect everybody to be an activist and into the NRA and the whole nine yards. That's an expectation from some other planet.

 

[10 Ring Tao]

We converted a hardcore anti over on livejournal.

He is a flaming hippy from cali, I think, and he started the livejournal community 'GunControlNow'.

http://community.livejournal.com/guncontrolnow

Go back through the posts, and a couple months ago he made a big post about how he has been shown the light. Its a great read, and an even better read to start earlier on, and read through his progression from blatant OMGGUNSAREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEVIL! to 'Well damn, I guess you guys are right.'

 

[Eyesac]

Same as everyone else, my wife was born and bred to fear guns... Now she's not.

 

[Eyesac]

Sounds like to me that a majority of people that change anti's minds are not doing so because of the perfectly spewed propaganda, but by having relationships w/ anti's. As much as it makes me cringe to say so, we need to befriend these crazy people...:banghead: Darn.

 

[mordechaianiliewicz]

No, but life experiences that happened to them have.

 

[Diamondback6]

Eyersac called it--I converted a few "soft antis" into "neutrals" and "mildly favorables" through personal relationships back in college. High point: one of the librarians, with a psycho ex. Started out anti, saw the studies I was going into and the level of responsibility I had committed myself to before even applying for my CPL, flipped to the point that she thought a 1911 or Thompson and I would be a very effective "life insurance policy"... (offtopic: sigh, too bad she was also my Stats prof's GF and I really needed to pass that class... even though she was around ten years older and a little "meat-on-bone challenged", she was kinda cute.)

 

[rainbowbob]

Yeah...me.

Most "antis" aren't necessarily anti-gun, they just don't know anything beyond the irrational alarmist propaganda spouted by other people who also don't really know anything about firearms.

Good post, Danus Ex!

OK...Maybe I wasn't really an anti - But I was a non-gun owner who bought into at least some of the BS.

This topic is of particular interest to me right now, because I was blind-sided yesterday by my daughter and her husband. I had let it be known that I had recently made the decision to CCW all the time. They knew I had a couple of guns and were OK with that (although not thrilled). When they found out that "all the time" included the couple of days a week I spend with my 3-year-old grandson - let me tell ya - the defacatory matter hit the portable cooling apparatus (SHTF)!

I was told in no uncertain terms - I would not be allowed to carry in the presence of their child - not even in my own home - or bring a weapon into their home!

Now I could tell them to piss up a rope, I suppose - but I love them all dearly. I am somewhat insulted that they apparently think I am so irresponsible that I would endanger my grandson in any way.

At the same time, I recognize that in their minds, a firearm presents at least some risk - and no firearm = no risk. In addition to that, although I am a (young) grandpa - I am fairly new to shooting (couple of years) and very new to full-time CCW. So I realize I am introducing a concept and a subject that is uncomfortable for them. (If we don't think about the violent predators out there - they don't exist!) AND (If you don't have a gun - you won't be involved in any gun violence!)

I have tried logic, personal experience, statistics, etc. At this point I will comply with their mis-guided directives and hope to whittle away at their propagandized minds.

 

[woad_yurt]

My ex-girlfriend had never even touched a gun until she met me. She had always thought that they were such bad things. I took her to the range once ("Hey, it'll be fun....") and now she even has her own carry permit. She's a hawkeye with her .32S&W long Iver Johnson Cadet. She's really good with that thing. Not bad with a CZ 52, either. Best of all, we're still friends even after breaking up. We're going shooting on Sunday.

 

[trinydex]

best way is to take fraidy cat girls to the range (girls are always curious and cautiously fearful of guns)

once you show them how it works and all that, they're converts.

 

[Ninja42]

You guys converted me.

I grew up in a socalist, gun-hating police state, raised by a pair of hippie parents, and I never really had an interest in guns before my late teenage years. I remember how my parents used to tell me that in the USA, people would shoot their neighbours kids for stepping into their garden to retrieve lost footballs ect., and that you guys would rather shoot a suspicious stranger walking past you in the night than risk him attacking you.

Now, I never really brought into their BS, but I also never got into guns because I believed them to be for criminals and govenrment officials only. However, that changed when I joined the army, and got a taste for shooting. I got very good with my rifle and later the squads LMG, and I even got to fire a few 84mm RPGs, and in time I learned to think of shooting guns as fun and relaxing. After I quit the army I joined a civillian gun club, in which I learned to shoot pistols and bolt action rifles, and when I finally got my permission to buy a sports weapon of my own i searched the internet for a place to find advice on my purchase, and thats how I landed here.

To be completely honest, I was sceptical of your attitude towards civillian gun ownership at first, but I eventually learned just how right you are on this matter. Ive tried hard to convert others, but for the most part my friends wont even speak to me on the subject, because they find the concept of civillian gun ownership and CCW too absurd to even consider.

So far I have a 6" S&W 686+ and a CZ 75 SP-01, and in ten months I will finally get my permit to store my pistols in my own home Its a slow process, but at least it is now set in motion. Thank you for showing me the light, you might have saved my life and the lives of my future family.

Keep fighting for your right to keep and bear arms, it is truly a wonderful thing!

 

[Markbo]

I think the chances of converting a real Anti is about as good as converting one of us the other way. Remember that the huge vast majority of the population are neither. They are the middle ground that do not take a strong stance one way or the other - the "Non's"

I have converted dozens of Non's into Pro's. For every Pro there is to combat the Anti's it is a win, win. I also believe that there are two types of hoplophobes. Those that are Anti's and those that are not... they simply live in fear, but take no active stance against the 2nd or gun ownership.

Kind of like people who won't drive into a 'bad part of town'. They don't actively participate in improving it, they just don't go there.

For ever calm, reasonable, rational, unemotional discussion each of us has with a Non or an Anti, we plant the seeds of reasonableness. ONE off the cuff, insensitive, aggressive or threatening sounding sentence can destroy all the good the other conversation can have.

Remember when you try... it is not a fight. It is not a debate. You are trying to sell someone on an idea that is foreign to them. Nobody can sell anyone anything coming from a confrontational stance.

Be nice. Always, always, always acknolwedge their thoughts and feelings and only then explain to them YOUR side. Not why they are wrong, but what your beliefs and experiences are. The majority of folks just need educating. Shoving it down their throats only firms up the stereotypical Gun Nut.

I have had conversations with folks that they are scared of gun owners. They think (thought) we are nuts! Can you imagine that!? They are more scared of us than gang-banger wanna be's hanging out trying to intimidate adults at the Mall. Takes 5 seconds for that wanna be to become a felon. There is not enough time on my clock to ever turn me into a bad guy and I would use my guns to protect the lives of myself, my family, my friends, my neighbors and even complete strangers.

Use that... it works.

 

[jakemccoy]

rainbowbob,

I'm even newer than you to guns - about 1 year for me. However, I shoot all the time and have undergone training. I don’t feel like a newbie. I’m 34.

The best way to reach your daughter is to take her the range with you. Schedule an instructor ideally. I know this may be a challenge. Nevertheless, it’s a proven, efficient method.

Just about all the men in my family are closed-minded. However, I've been able to secretly take my mother and sister to the range. They're hooked. Whenever I have a chance, I discuss 2nd Amendment issues with them. There aren't many chances though. It depends on what they recently read in the paper, what their free time is, etc. My dad and brother-in-law are basically cemented to the anti-gun side. Maybe my sister and mom can get to them.

 

[BlazingAngel01]

Yes.

 

[rainbowbob]

The best way to reach your daughter is to take her the range with you.

Jake:
That would be wonderful..but - at least in her present state of mind - it aint gonna happen.

She doesn't "believe" in guns. Which kind of cracks me up because I am certain they exist! I don't think she has given a minute of thought to 2nd Amd - just doesn't want to be around them. she googles "children and gun accidents"...and you can imagine what that turns up. She informed this afternoon that she read that all guns should be unloaded and locked away. I did explain that pretty much renders them useless and I wasn't going to do that. I will keep them locked (and loaded) away from my grandson, however.

My son-in-law isn't "against" guns so much - he just doesn't want his son to be anywhere in the vicinity of one. He comes from a country where guns are pretty much banned I think - so that doesn't help. This is boy who will make a toy gun out of his breakfast toast.

My grandson often asks me about guns, even though I've never shown him any of mine. I tell him I have some and like to make holes in paper with them. I also tell him that you must never point one at somebody unless they are a bad guy trying to hurt you. And I tell him he should never touch one if it he sees it sitting anywhere (not that he'll see mine), and to tell a grown-up if he sees one. He understands they are for grown-ups, but of course he sees them every day on TV and is curious.

I'm hoping that in a few years I will be able to convince his Dad that they should let him go with me to a range and shoot my .22 Remington. We'll see.

Meanwhile...When I take him to the park, or to walk the dog, or whatever - I'll be disarmed. That sucks.

 

[jakemccoy]

rainbowbob,

Yeah, there are some people I too can't reach. If you figure out how, let me know.

 

[bluestarlizzard]

she didn't become one of "us", however my intrests influanced my best friend in high school to read a book by John Lott. after that she was firmly in the pro 2nd amendment camp.

*sigh* she still won't shoot though. she also won't drive or handle knives for anything more then the most nessassory kitchen duties (and she woundn't do that if she didn't have to) *rollseyes* me and mom did manage to get her on a horse at one point. unfortunatly that didn't go over well....

 

[evilelvis]

I wasn't an anti - but was apprehensive about shooting a gun.

A friend of mine bought a pistol and after being a bit of a wimp about it I went and was hooked immediately.

One year ago to this month I bought my first firearm - Springfield XD 45.

It's been a fun year since! Sure I am poor and live in a cardboard box but dammit I can't even imaging having a home and not having the means to properly defend myself now.

From my own experience, the neutrals are the killers of legislation in this country. I would have never cared about the AWB or ammo stamping or anything until I made my first gun purchase. The simple fact is - if it doesn't affect someone directly they don't care. Heck read the comments on news articles online about things like drugs and smoking bans and you will realize that if someone fears something they will act upon it. Everyone else just doesn't care. Many many people are so ambivalent about everything they don't bother to comment, vote or voice their opinion. So then the antis steamroll through whatever morality legislation they are pushing. All I know is that after owning a gun I find myself caring a lot more about civil liberties and how they are being systematically hunted down. It opened my eyes to realize that just because my home hasn't been broken into or I haven't been mugged doesn't mean it won't happen and burying my head in the sand will not help a damn thing. In that sense getting into firearms made me more of an aware American than I was before.

 

[rainbowbob]

In that sense getting into firearms made me more of an aware American than I was before.

Big +1 on that!