Creating new gun owners out of many anti-Gun folks?

[Aim1]

With liberal DA's in liberal cities having crime erupt and reach out to even rich people's homes where one was recently murdered many people are arming themselves. Some people have never owned guns before and many might have even been anti-gun.


Could this be a positive that the situation is causing new gun owners from many people that used to be anti-gun?



https://nypost.com/2021/12/09/beverly-hills-residents-arming-themselves-after-murder-violence?utm_source=yahoo mail&utm_campaign=android_nyp

 

[entropy]

If the new owners take time to familiarize themselves with their new weaponry, and develop at least a minimum amount of competence with them, it may be a plus. I suspect many will buy a gun, take it out of the box, load it, and stick it in the drawer/corner and expect to become John Wick with it by osmosis, or believe that the 'magic talisman' gun will cause attackers to run screaming the other way.

 

[Howland937]

If the new owners take time to familiarize themselves with their new weaponry, and develop at least a minimum amount of competence with them, it may be a plus. I suspect many will buy a gun, take it out of the box, load it, and stick it in the drawer/corner and expect to become John Wick with it by osmosis, or believe that the 'magic talisman' gun will cause attackers to run screaming the other way.

The cynic in me half expects the former antis, who for years were only armed with misinformation, to load their newly aquired weapon and be shocked when it doesn't "automatically" shoot threats on its own.

The cynic in me also believes that the entitlement mentality of Beverly Hills elites probably means that gun rights don't apply to us lowlife types.

There's a shred of optimism though, that maybe some will learn guns aren't inherently evil and will also learn to appreciate the concept of self reliance and self determination. Time will tell.

 

[General Geoff]

I suspect many will buy a gun, take it out of the box, load it, and stick it in the drawer/corner and expect to become John Wick with it by osmosis, or believe that the 'magic talisman' gun will cause attackers to run screaming the other way.

While a gun is not a talisman, even a 10 minute instructional session will provide the most novice gun owner with a distinct advantage against even the largest, most hardened career criminal.

Bruce Lee himself knew he didn't stand a chance against a gun wielding criminal. One of the fastest, most skilled martial artists to ever live still had no delusions about dodging bullets.

The two most absolutely imperative things to have are 1. the gun itself and 2. the will to use it. Refined skill with it is a distant third.

 

[Appalachiannative]

If the new owners take time to familiarize themselves with their new weaponry, and develop at least a minimum amount of competence with them, it may be a plus. I suspect many will buy a gun, take it out of the box, load it, and stick it in the drawer/corner and expect to become John Wick with it by osmosis, or believe that the 'magic talisman' gun will cause attackers to run screaming the other way.

I second that motion. Someone with no idea what they are doing who lacks the nerve to pull the trigger will ultimately end up a victim as well as adding to some criminals arsenal

 

[Appalachiannative]

The cynic in me half expects the former antis, who for years were only armed with misinformation, to load their newly aquired weapon and be shocked when it doesn't "automatically" shoot threats on its own.

The cynic in me also believes that the entitlement mentality of Beverly Hills elites probably means that gun rights don't apply to us lowlife types.

There's a shred of optimism though, that maybe some will learn guns aren't inherently evil and will also learn to appreciate the concept of self reliance and self determination. Time will tell.

The way that the DOJ in CA has a list of approved guns in that state proves your point about the elites.

 

[Basura Blanca]

In the first place, I wouldn't put too much stock in a sensationalist piece from the NY Post.
More to the point, there's a lot of assumptions going on here mainly that residents of BH are anti-gun elites with entitlement mentalities, and that a few cherry-picked crime reports are somehow teachable moments. The greater LA area has nearly 10M residents. That's more than most states in the union. Anyone who believes that views on all sorts of things don't vary wildly between that large a group is deluding themself. And just for fun, how many people commenting on this thread so far have spent any real length of time in the area mentioned?

If we want to win people over and create a new generation of gun owners, doing so by stoking the flames of fear is a sub-optimal plan. A handful of folks running out to impulsively buy a gun because they're worried about being victims of random crimes isn't a healthy start nor a sustainable strategy.

 

[armydog]

The BH folks are no different than your average suburb or rural town that rarely has crime. Most people have to wait till something is real for them to do anything about it and even then you still have people that don't do anything.

I'm not sure becoming less anti gun is any benefit though. The rabid liberals in my extended family have always owned guns.... lots of guns. And they believe they should be allowed to own whatever they want because they know for a fact that they are responsible enough. It is everyone else that needs massive restrictions. That is straight from their mouths.

So while it's great that some people are going out there and buying guns for the first time, I just hope they realize the reason they are buying them is for the politically manufactured by design crimewaves and future imported crime they have ushered in across our borders with their votes. If they could just put the two together that would be great. But, last I checked, the indoctrinated side of my family is still mad about Trump. lol

So don't confuse the closet pro gun liberals with hope that somehow people are coming around and realizing what the real threats are in this country. The threat, that is their vote for the people orchestrating the demise of the USA, still exists.

 

[DTL]

It will not matter in any significant way, since the panic buyers, with very few exceptions, will never become "gun advocates" and politically involved to effect change. Gun owners are under the heaviest attack by liberal media, evidenced by the reporting and the exaggeration of every shooting event, and no balance with mention to the lawful ownership increase by those new buyers. I live in NJ, high crime, a government determined to eliminate gun ownership, and an electorate owned by the left.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

Antigun elites deciding to arm themselves in self defense does not make me hopeful or see them as new allies or even as fellow gun folks.

I was introduced by my father and uncles to civilian shooting as a skill set like archery, for hunting, and for marksmanship training before military service. In the 1950s keeping a gun for defense was remote and almost disreputable.

The state of Tennessee has gone on the record that Article I Section 26, TN RKBA, right of the citizen to keep and bear arms (not just firearms but arms) subject to regulation with a view to prevent crime. Regulation to prevent crime must not unduly burden possession or use for traditional and lawful purposes. Those purposes include self defense, marksmanship training pre military service, hunting, protecting livestock from predators, recreational shooting, collection of curios, heirlooms, keepsakes, curios or ornaments.

Beverly Hills elites arming out of fear of crime does not make me feel they have any sympathy for my reasons for owning guns.

 

[Zerodefect]

Rules for thee, not for me.

Corrupt, selfish, ignorant, liberals will still vote to ban firearms. Its fantasy to think that they'll vote against their religion of wokism.

They'll never learn.

 

[AlexanderA]

This is not news. There have been record-breaking gun sales for a couple of years now. And, people all across the ideological spectrum have been arming themselves.

The fear of crime obviously has something to do with this. But, I believe that political polarization is also a factor. People -- on both sides -- have demonized their political opponents to the extent that armed protection against them has become a real possibility.

That pretty much leaves the antigunners out in the wilderness. They are selling a product that nobody seems to want to buy. Ergo the muted response to the latest school shooting.

 

[FL-NC]

I would imagine so. Of course, at the end of the day- guns are tools. Tools are only as good (and safe) as the person using them.

 

[Archie]

I think there's a chance of a person realizing they need personal defense, may realize others need that option as well.
No, that isn't a guarantee of future individual rights, but I do not think it will hurt the cause, either.
I lived in PDSR California for many years. I left when I retired as I was tired of the oppressive laws. But I do know folks in the state who while being Democrat are not totally sold on all the tenets of the Liberalism religion. I'm of the mind where changes in behavior and outlook do not (often) change in the twinkling of an eye, but little by little.

Yes, I do wish there was a magic potion, but...

 

[GravelRider]

When large groups of people starting buying anything new to them, whether it be guns, motorcycles, fishing equipment, gym memberships, etc., most will rarely use them, and eventually quit altogether. However, a small minority will get sucked in and become proponents of their new hobby. Do I think that this will make a significant difference in firearms rights/ownership? No. But, every little bit helps.

And there is a pervasive attitude here (and not just in this thread, but on this forum in general) that just because someone is wealthy, it means they suffer from elitism, entitlement, and are anti-gun. While this is surely true of many of them, blanket statements are almost guaranteed to miss the mark. And if we look at the top 1% in terms of wealth, they are more republican/conservative leaning than the other 99%, so the wealthy probably are not by-and-large anti-gun.

 

[GEM]

We know of course that before this report of 'liberal' gun purchasing, the average concealed carry person was unlikely to pursue any training beyond what was required by their state (if any). A box at the range once a year was above average.

Thus, this virtue signaling about the true, righteous gun owners isn't supported by the reality of most gun purchasers. If you look the numbers of folks who go through the training schools, it's very small as compared to the population of gun owners. In fact, trainers point out that much of their business is repeat folks - training junkies so to speak. The number of serious competitors in the country is about 38,000. Compare that to golfers or bowlers.

I tore my hair out trying to get folks to train and/or shoot competitions. Nope - always an excuse. One theory is that the manly man is afraid of looking less than competent as a 'warrior'. Daddy taught me how to shoot on the 'ranch' or in the woods.

 

[1942bull]

I stopped by my LGS yesterday to pick up some cleaning supplies. I chatted with the owner and during that chat he told me that he estimates that about t0% of his sales over the past 18 months have been new gun owners. He also said that the classes they offer new buyers on basic gun safety and shooting are always full to capacity with new gun owners. Many of those new owners have expressed that they once were anti-gun but came to realize that if they did not take responsibility for their own defense no one would. Maybe the environment is changing. If you have noticed the Dems are not pushing gun control in Congress. Could itbe that they see the changing attitude in their base?

 

[Howland937]

Anyone who believes that views on all sorts of things don't vary wildly between that large a group is deluding themself

I'm under no such delusion. I'll only point out that elected officials are generally a reflection of the voters who put them in office. California lawmakers (at the municipal as well as state level) attack the RKBA as vigorously as anyone, anywhere. It's not difficult to figure out how the majority of voters, especially in urban California, feel about private gun ownership.

The irony isn't lost on me that some of those folks have now realized that private gun ownership is a pretty spectacular right to have.

 

[Mousegun]

It really is great that more people are taking up the cause, but for every new owner that buys a gun and puts it in the drawer, that is just one box of ammo not available to those who put it in their holster.

 

[hso]

Could this be a positive that the situation is causing new gun owners from many people that used to be anti-gun?

In the most basic form, we've always advocated for taking any and all new shooters under the wing and helping them learn to shoot safely and enjoyable while making sure that they learn that we are the norm and not the criminals they see on the "news" or the caricature "bubbas" that Antis portray us to be.

Then the wave of new gun owners came along in the past two years and it was even more important for us to mentor them because of the greater opportunity to help them find ammunition, cleaning supplies, safe training and to become voters for our side.

This is the new wave where those of us that can should be quietly working with anyone interested in their safety and gun ownership.

 

[DT Guy]

In the most basic form, we've always advocated for taking any and all new shooters under the wing and helping them learn to shoot safely and enjoyable while making sure that they learn that we are the norm and not the criminals they see on the "news" or the caricature "bubbas" that Antis portray us to be.

Then the wave of new gun owners came along in the past two years and it was even more important for us to mentor them because of the greater opportunity to help them find ammunition, cleaning supplies, safe training and to become voters for our side.

This is the new wave where those of us that can should be quietly working with anyone interested in their safety and gun ownership.

I really, sincerely believe this is the single most important thing an individual gun owner can do to protect the sport. Help someone feel a vested interest in their right to own a firearm, and you've made a permanent change to the calculations regarding support for gun control.

Larry

 

[AlexanderA]

Gun ownership is not a "sport." And guns are not "tools." They are iconic, and for a lot of people, a gun -- or even just the ability to have a gun -- is central to their existence. This is something that the antigunners, isolated as they are in their enclaves, simply do not understand. What is happening is that more and more people are discovering the centrality of gun ownership. As things go from bad to worse in this country (the pandemic, the economy, etc.), having a gun is the last refuge of the quietly desperate.

 

[Appalachiannative]

Oh

Antigun elites deciding to arm themselves in self defense does not make me hopeful or see them as new allies or even as fellow gun folks.

I was introduced by my father and uncles to civilian shooting as a skill set like archery, for hunting, and for marksmanship training before military service. In the 1950s keeping a gun for defense was remote and almost disreputable.

The state of Tennessee has gone on the record that Article I Section 26, TN RKBA, right of the citizen to keep and bear arms (not just firearms but arms) subject to regulation with a view to prevent crime. Regulation to prevent crime must not unduly burden possession or use for traditional and lawful purposes. Those purposes include self defense, marksmanship training pre military service, hunting, protecting livestock from predators, recreational shooting, collection of curios, heirlooms, keepsakes, curios or ornaments.

Beverly Hills elites arming out of fear of crime does not make me feel they have any sympathy for my reasons for owning guns.

Panic buyer's drive up prices too. I turned 21 in 2011 and bought my 4th gun at a gun show. By 2012 I was seeing the same gun for twice what I paid.

 

[Appalachiannative]

Gun ownership is not a "sport." And guns are not "tools." They are iconic, and for a lot of people, a gun -- or even just the ability to have a gun -- is central to their existence. This is something that the antigunners, isolated as they are in their enclaves, simply do not understand. What is happening is that more and more people are discovering the centrality of gun ownership. As things go from bad to worse in this country (the pandemic, the economy, etc.), having a gun is the last refuge of the quietly desperate.

That too is a great point. I love the self reliance aspect of it. Guns allow us to protect our families and put food on the table without being dependent on society

 

[GravelRider]

Gun ownership is not a "sport." And guns are not "tools." They are iconic, and for a lot of people, a gun -- or even just the ability to have a gun -- is central to their existence. This is something that the antigunners, isolated as they are in their enclaves, simply do not understand. What is happening is that more and more people are discovering the centrality of gun ownership. As things go from bad to worse in this country (the pandemic, the economy, etc.), having a gun is the last refuge of the quietly desperate.

I definitely understand what you're saying, but I still think guns are just tools. A very important tool, but the most important part of the gun is the person holding it.