One cannot change people, places and things, only a person can change themselves.
Most folks will not change playmates, playgrounds and playthings, until some tragic event occurs either to them, or someone extremley close to them.
Add, folks get this need for a sense of belonging to a community, and so desperately want to become matriculated into this community, they parrot what is said by others in the community they seek.
Pro Gun, Anti Gun, and Fence Sitters all do this.
Basically it takes when your butt won't bounce anymore, before folks choose to do something about themselves.
True.
While not actually "close friends" these persons were classmates in a English Lit class.
One instructed by a Anti, whom subscribed to how the UK was doing things.
This instructor was from the UK.
Oh needless to say she crammed her agenda at the class and I and others like me,crammed right back
[Infamous Fire Extinguisher Exploits were with this Instructor as some recall].
English Lit, various assignments, including attending Live Theatre.
Classmates and myself , Pro gun, with CCW, arrived early, parked in a better parking area for when this performance would end after dark.
Not the best part of town during the day, much worse at night.
Performance ends and the Antis were scared to death to walk out to vehicles.
They asked me, and mine if we would escort them out.
I suggested they flip a coin to see whom was going to dial 911 and whom was going to be raped first - and walked off.
Even some of my Pro Gun/ CCW classmates felt I was a bit too "rude and crude".
I cannot type what I said, still it goes along the lines of "to heck with them".
These Antis were royally "upset" with me.
They begged, pleaded and cried to Security, whom informed them, they were under contract for the Theatre, and could not walk them out.
Eventually one did...
Monday morning and these classmates were on campus and lit into me like white on rice.
I cannot type what all they said, still I will share there were tears, anger and fists upon my person...
Especially one.
She totally lost it.
She had hit her bottom that night, and realized that cell phone, and the instructions to comply to a rapist, mugger , or any other criminal was NOT what she wanted, and for darn sure she did NOT want to be part of the Anti Community.
She could not start firearm lessons, legal , COTUS, BoR, RKBA fast enough nor getting her a firearm and CCW fast enough.
Dale Carnegie was wrong.
Sometimes to make friends and influence enemies you have to tick them off and let them hit a bottom first!
Just one strategy and tactic I have used and will again.
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