Do your coworkers or boss engage you in gun rights or gun control debates?

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somethingbenign said:
Not sure if it is true of all union workers but in my hall if I get through a day without someone trying to debating religion or politics I consider it a quiet day. Discussing guns is actually the much safer subject to bring up as even the most liberal coworkers tend to also be hunters and can at least relate to that. With that being said I'm generally regarded as the authority on guns at work if only because I'm aware of "odd" calibers like 44 special, just wait till I tell them about my 327! There is an open offer on the table to my current employer to show her and her family how to clean their carry pistols, not because I want to spend a second of my free time with those people but the idea of them being "ambassadors" of gun owners is terrifying without a little guidance.
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I'm a Union member as well, by choice, in an RTW state. A lot of THR members might consider me too liberal but usually at work I get called too conservative or other similar phrases. I never let it bother me. I try not to impose my opinions on others but if someone asks me about a topic I have no problem letting them know my views. And my local is pretty similar in regards to firearms and/or hunting. I've met a few members that were anti "assault rifle" but I can't say I've ever met one that was completely anti-2A. I've known many that own ARs and such.
 
No. Here in NYS, you can't trust anyone to not overreact and call the cops on you because their imagination gets the better of them. It's not even wise to have stickers on your vehicle, because it gives them a reason to toss your car looking for guns on the property.
 
For decades, I have worked for various California state government agencies and yes, I work with many anti-gun people. My coworkers knew I shot USPSA and my hobby/passion for shooting sports and reloading. My position (with a big smile) has always been "I will respect your First Amendment right if you respect my Second Amendment right" which kept things civil at the office.

In recent years, things changed. When the federal judge released thousands of inmates from prison, violent crime increased 37% in one year for my city and home invasion robberies increased where gang members staked out streets and posted gang members with radios and kicked in the door armed. Often, even when home owners cooperated, if it was gang initiation, home owners were raped/killed regardless. It got to the point where there was no longer "safe" part of town.

One day when I arrived at the office, I was confronted with a group of Anti-gun crowd who demanded that I teach them how to shoot. While pleasantly surprised, I asked why the sudden change. They told me they all either personally been victims of burglary/robbery or knew family/friends/neighbors who were and wanted to protect themselves because 911 did not work when the doors were kicked in. I gladly took them to the range and taught them to shoot. They bought guns and many of them obtained conceal carry permits. In exchange, I asked them to approach Second Amendment as a "rights issue" of self defense and to vote accordingly (To my shock, some of them actually voted for Trump in 2016).

Thankfully, we moved out of crime ridden city and to our retirement location in 2014. And yes, there are anti-gun Generation X, Millennials and Generation Z coworkers at my current agency but many have asked me to teach them how to shoot, particularly point shooting - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...-help-me-speed-up.824618/page-4#post-10902245

After I teach them the virtues of point shooting with pistols and AR carbines, I swap in 22LR conversion bolts and we have fun chasing bouncing ground targets. When they return back to work having shot multiple targets with their eyes closed, they beam and talk about shooting and building ARs for the rest of the shift (Of course with additional coworkers lined up to go shooting on next range session).

My current agency's anti-gun coworkers are leaning more towards guns as there are mountain lions and bears which have attacked pets/livestock/gardens/trees in the area and they are afraid/concerned. While introducing them to guns, I instill heavy dose of need for self-defense (from all sorts of dangerous animals, including 2 legged ones) and push support of Second Amendment as rights issue. So far, everyone of the anti-guns I have trained have bought guns and promised they will support the Second Amendment until they die.

So I am happy to report, my work hours are now often spent talking about guns, self defense, virtues of point/defensive shooting, building ARs and PCCs, using 22LR conversion bolts to shoot 22LR along with support for the Second Amendment.
 
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I discuss the mechanics of how to shoot, ammunition types and purposes, and how my day at the range went with a few of my co-workers who are gun owners. I have never gotten into an in depth conversation about gun politics. My co-workers know I'm progressive/ liberal / whatever, so maybe they give me a pass when it comes to discussing gun rights. I have introduced a few of them to shooting though, so at least they have some understanding of why folks would even own an evil firearm! Whatever the subject, I think it's important to open peoples minds that individuals are multifaceted and one opposing opinion doesn't capture the whole of who I am, or we are.
 
460 shooter asked:
... how many people on THR are open about their gun ownership in the workplace,
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Before i retired, I made no secret about the fact that I 1) owned guns, 2) regularly shot them and 3) reloaded for them.


and for those that are, have you ever been engaged by a coworker or boss on a gun rights issue?
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Keep in mind that I live in Texas where gun ownership and gun use is sort of assumed.

Before I retired I was occasionally engaged by co-workers about my guns, what I owned, where I shot, the price and availability of ammunition, reloading, and so on.

The agency regarded the ownership of guns as a personal matter, so when I was a manger, I never brought it up and when I was not a manager, my boss never raised it with me. At the end of the day, it simply wasn't a topic relevant to whether or not someone was doing their job.
 
No worries here - many behind the wire are pro rights, and we all have to qualify with Dept firearms. I have met a few who don't like firearms or people who carry off duty, but they are far and few between here. We often have firearms related conversations on the yard...just staff, we don't encourage the "residents" to participate. ;)
 
Although live in a very gun friendly state, I work in one of the 2nd amendment hell states. Still, I make no effort to hide my interest in firearms and handgun competitions. Most of the office workers know I shoot often and compete a lot and I have conversations with a few, friendly conversations all the time. I would not try to convince an anti to see things my way I would simply refuse to engage in conversation.

I have shot with several co-workers over the years. One asked me not too long ago if I would be willing to take his son shooting, give him an introduction. Long story but this co-workers entire family are now gun club members.
 
EIB0879 said:
Contrast my last job with an S&P 500 company. Lots of hunters at the branch offices, especially here in Texas. Up at the executive level, that I worked with, you had to be very careful what you said. A couple of times people that knew that I hunted and owned firearms would talk to me in front of executives that I knew were anti with the sole intention of making me look bad. Back stabbers.
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I'm curious.. how did you react to this after they said that in front of the executives? Just in case I run into the same situation at some point.
 
As I work in a law enforcement field, most all of my co-workers are gun folk. This is changing. In another ten or fifteen years, the "gun guys/gals" will be a distinct minority. We do take note of the fact that we are recruiting from a generation (and it's difficult here to not cast shade on the millennials) that does not generally support citizen firearms ownership ... so the encroachment has begun ... We are recruiting from the colleges, "preferring" at least 45 semester hours or an Associate's Degree, preferably BAs/BSs -- so I now run into newer employees who routinely say things such as, "No one who's not in the military should own an 'assault rifle.' " Then I point out that they are required to qualify with an M-4 ... "But, well, you know ... "

The handwriting is on the wall. In rather large, neon, four-foot high letters. The population -- the younger generation -- has been brain-washed to believe that the average citizen has no right, and no need, to possess firearms.
 
My boss is a retired FBI sniper. He gave me a box of Speer Gold Dot bullets when he found out I reloaded to try out. But, 90% of my co-workers are millennials and out of 10, only three don't own a firearm.
 
The phrase " living in the South " can be very misleading. It reminds me of "..being in the military", where most people aren't soldiers and otherwise seldom train with any weapon.

There are vast numbers of people who have lived in the Memphis area for decades, or all their lives, and never touched a gun.
 
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I work in armed security. One of the weapons I qualify with every 6 months is a M134 Dillon. It's kind of a common workplace subject of discussion.

I'm fairly well known for shooting competition and among the people on my shift and a few others, I'm known for being more knowledgeable than the average gun lover.
 
I shoot sporting clays with my boss and a coworker. I've had more 2A discussions with that coworker than anyone else in my life. He is a gun owner and apparently a 2A supporter but definitely has opinions on large capacity magazines and "modern sporting rifles"
 
Living in the UK is a bit tougher because the ratio of anti versus Pro gun people is much lower over here. I work for a large engineering firm with different types of people. I don't talk about shooting, handloading etc unless it's brought up by someone else. Most of my close coworkers are supportive and interested in what firearms I have and what not, but every now and the gun control (sigh) gets brought up, usually after a mass shooting or some sorts. Being an engineer, and predominantly working with engineers, you'd like to think that my coworkers are logical and see reasoning. But most aren't and we have to thank our anti-gun culture over the past couple of decades for that!

I don't like to debate this topic because they don't understand that the culture surrounding firearms with you guys is different (read: better!) than it is in the UK, and anything that is changed will affect your constitutional rights. Some people get this, but sadly most people don't. I try to end the discussion as soon as possible, usually with an anecdote about all tho London shootings where criminals use illegal firearms, thus demonstrating that gun control doesn't work.

I only took one coworker to the range, and this was a guy who visited from Indiana in USA :) we had a good time.
 
Work is not a social event, I don't discuss my private life with co-workers and I operate under the assumption that anything I say to a coworker will be known by all the other employees by the end of the week.

I make a rule of keeping my work and personal life separate. I would never start a conversation about a controversial subject at work and if another employee did I'd ignore it.
 
I get stuck in a van with the guys for hours at a time, so all sorts of topics come up.
Mostly pro-gun on my side, and I believe the ones that aren't are neutral. I'm teaching my favorite non-gun-owner coworker about guns because he's shown interest and plan to teach him to handle, clean, and shoot. At least one coworker keeps a firearm near at hand in his van.
Even at school (which I'll return to as soon as I have stable income again) a lot of my friends and classmates were at least interested. That sort of happens among engineers.
 
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Trunk Monkey said:
Work is not a social event, I don't discuss my private life with co-workers and I operate under the assumption that anything I say to a coworker will be known by all the other employees by the end of the week.

I make a rule of keeping my work and personal life separate. I would never start a conversation about a controversial subject at work and if another employee did I'd ignore it.
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I ran into that when I thought I was speaking to someone in confidence, but then the boss found out.

I also found when a group of employees were venting about a topic whatever I said made it back to the boss.
 
One of the things I absolutely love about my job is that I can speak my mind on just about any subject (esp. as I'm not a vocal perv by nature, etc) and the many pro-gun decals, ISRA and NRA Lifer stickers on my otherwise clear lunch box are absolutely normal. We are (of course) a union shop but this shows the current disconnect with the union's support of anti politicos and memberships' pro-2nd stance. If someone said of me "Mike is very interested in guns---probably obsessed -- and is perfectly OK with the idea of recourse to violence to solve problems" they would nod and agree that I was probably OK after all even though I was weird in many other ways. Guns and shooting are a daily subject, as is politics and the media. These are the perks of working in a state lockup in IL I suppose. I work with many great people and many of them are deeper into the shooting sports than me.
 
I work in a union shop. There are quite a few that hunt deer, and few that duck hunt. Some have CCLs and a small count are gun enthusiasts.
Many know that I'm "into" guns. And they sometimes start a conversation by saying, "Bought any guns lately?" Some will comment about, that they see no reason why a person needs any AK or AR guns. "Got a bolt action, or a shotgun, that's all I need."
Only a few will I talk guns with, unless someone starts the tone of the conversation about guns.
Politics, forget it!
 
One place I worked had a “no firearms policy”, I mentioned to the owner before I was employed, that I carried and he said that wouldn’t be a problem. That’s about it.

I have talked “guns” with lots of folks but generally don’t argue about religion, guns or politics with anyone associated with work. Doesn’t mean I don’t talk about them but if I know someone is diametrically opposed to my views on a subject, I just talk about something else.

Even a left wing gun grabber kook will trade a good rum cake recipe for a good no knead bread recipe. Most importantly, you now have a common ground and are “friends” at some level, in the work place.

That said I am blessed, in that I am married so I can argue pretty much anytime I want about pretty much everything.
 
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labnoti said:
My advice is not to do too much talking. If they're willing to go to the range with you, make it real good. Otherwise, carry on.

Take anti-AK47 lady, and give her some shooting glasses, ear-muffs, an AR-15, a half-dozen 30-round magazines and plenty of fun targets to shoot (not just paper bullseyes). She can say anything she wants afterward, but before then it's just blah, blah, blah.
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I mean no offense, but I didn't ask for advice. I asked if THR members are open about gun ownership, and if so, do their coworkers or bosses try to engage them in gun rights issues or debates.

I'm typically all about educating people who are ignorant about firearms or fear them. I'd happily take most people showing an interest and teach them, and I have taught two folks with no experience to shoot.

However, the person I described makes my life at work a living hell. I'm actively looking for other employment primarily because I can't stand working for her or her bosses. She actually told me how to vote! She'd argue with me if I said the sky was blue and water is wet.

And you think I'm going to spend my personal time with her, or let her shoot my guns? Sorry, but no.
 
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