Every liberal on my college campus seems to be pro-gun.

[Hoplophile]

There was a vegan picnic the other day, held to encourage the formation of a Peace Studies department at my college. I tell you, they were hardcore hippies. Dreadlocks, long hair, I'm sure a lot of patchouli oil, big peace signs and anti-Bush stickers everywhere. They wanted money to put a "peace pole" on campus.

Needless to say, my first thought: "Probably anti-gun."

I ended up talking to the head honcho of the whole ordeal, and basically asked him what peace really even was, and how we'd achieve "peace in the community". We talked, he actually didn't seem to have thought it out. He had no clear plan to achieve "peace", didn't know what "peace" really was (so couldn't tell me), and all I got from it was that peace involves harmony or something.

I thought, "Hm. Easy target!", and broached the topic of RKBA. I asked, "Well, what about people in the community who do things like, keep guns and stuff?", I said, trying to pretend to be an anti.

"Oh. I'm all for it. I own a few, do you shoot? I'm very pro-right to keep and bear arms.", he replied. He went on to assure me that he would take steps to ensure that Peace Studies did not turn into some anti-gun platform. He's for CCW and against another AWB.

Well, damn. Turns out, most of the people there were pro-gun...pro-environment...pro-gay-marriage...pro-choice, etc. And I don't mean pro-duck-gun. I mean pro-WASR-10 and stuff.

I felt really dumb and prejudiced. And honestly, I felt sort of proud. These are young folks, like myself. Everyone has their own beliefs, but at least some people are listening to the whistle in the wind and realizing that firearms are a vanguard of peace, rather than a cause of violence.

Has anyone else seen a sort of weird pro-gun slant from the hippies around your area?

 

[poker88]

Thanks for posting this. I think the liberal = anti-gun assumption is a bad one to make and that it ultimately hurts the pro-gun community by alienating potential supporters.

 

[AirForceShooter]

I had a long discussion with a woman that was trying to save all the people in Africa.
I told her my solution to the rapes and murders was to give every female over the age of 12 an AK-47.

She agreed with me!!!!

AFS

 

[rocinante]

I have never really understood how guns became a political pro or anti one way or the other. To me an armed citizenry able to protect their rights and lives and liberty is a no brainer regardless of whether you are a moonbat or a member of the John Birch Society. The disconnect from that from Democrats that went on and on how George Bush did this and George Bush did that to the constitution but supported giving the state a sole monopoly on use of the tools of defense is baffling. Maybe your old hippies still retain their sense enough to remember their distrust of Big Brother and exercise their right to bear arms. Glad you reported your experience but I don't have any hippies trying to raise a peace pole right handy here in Roswell Georgia to query.

 

[Cel]

Thanks for posting this. I think the liberal = anti-gun assumption is a bad one to make and that it ultimately hurts the pro-gun community by alienating potential supporters.

Very true. I am now unaffiliated but was registered Democrat. However I feel I was raised with conservative values. I think the problem is within the labels. We turned adjectives into political terms and screwed everything up. I know PLENTY of Democrats who are pro-gun.

 

[Calhoun]

I'm a big ol' stinkin' hippie liberal, and I love my guns.

 

[MT GUNNY]

Give them a few more Years and they will be Fully Indoctrinated!

 

[HDon]

The original poster's thread title and sig appear contradictory.

 

[Hoplophile]

HDon: But they're not contradictory. They're liberals. They don't believe in gun control. Therefore, they are true liberals.

Res ipsa loquitor.

 

[hso]

I felt really dumb and prejudiced. And honestly, I felt sort of proud.

Good for you. I'm sure if more of our members went to the trouble to associate with folks outside their normal circle, they'd find much the same as well as plenty of "traditional" "salt of the earth" folks who would strip each and every one of us of all our rights for not conforming to their view of the world.

I'm an old "river hippie" and most of the folks I've spent time with over the years are pro or neutral on RKBA. I think the cliche' anti image of folks called "liberal" or "hippie" come from a very small group that our prejudices play to.

 

[Highland Ranger]

Sounds like he was there for the "social opportunities" and not necessarily for the cause.

And yes, in real life people don't necessarily fit into those neat tidy stereo types.

 

[HDon]

Whoops. My mistake. I read it incorrectly...please ignore. Carry on.

 

[JImbothefiveth]

Thanks for posting this. I think the liberal = anti-gun assumption is a bad one to make and that it ultimately hurts the pro-gun community by alienating potential supporters.

+1

I have never really understood how guns became a political pro or anti one way or the other

I think the parties were "defined" in 1980 by the 2 candidates, and Jimmy Carter supported gun control, Reagan spoke out against it. That's why some things that you think one party would support, it would oppose, because their candidate then opposed, and the party has continued to do so.

HDon: But they're not contradictory. They're liberals. They don't believe in gun control. Therefore, they are true liberals.

They are conservative on the gun issue, just as I am liberal on some issues. I don't think it's a good idea to twist words.

I think a better word might be liberatarian.

The original poster's thread title and sig appear contradictory.

The way the thread is written

I thought, "Hm. Easy target!", and broached the topic of RKBA. I asked, "Well, what about people in the community who do things like, keep guns and stuff?", I said, trying to pretend to be an anti.

makes me think this might not have actually happened at all, might just be trying to get in a political agenda.
Of course, that's probably not the case, but it's still possible.

P.S.: Did any of them have one of those shirts on with the guns made in to a peace sign?

 

[VegasOPM]

I have found that a lot of younger so-called "liberals" are in actuality "libertarians". That is a refreshing change.

 

[danweasel]

The best thing about the RKBA is, with it you can be as progressive as you wan't and no one can (physically at least) intimidate you otherwise.
Like the Pink Pistols thing. I'm not gay but I am indifferent to the whole thing so I think it's kinda cool that there is some kinda "gay militia" to protect their well being. I would love to see some kind of sterotypical "gay-basher" guy get a gun pulled on him by some scrawny queer! That would be pretty funny. "Uh...sorry?"
By the way, I am not for or against gay rights etc. I was just trying to make a good example of armed liberals.

 

[expvideo]

Claiming to support the 2A, but voting for politicians that don't is NOT supporting the 2A. You're not helping anybody by donating $20 to the NRA if you're electing anti-gun politicians.

 

[average_shooter]

I often hear it said that more people are libertarian than realize it. I'd venture to guess most people don't fit 100% into "Conservative" or "Liberal" boxes. Most people fall somewhere in the middle, and that's basically where libertarian resides.

 

[ZombieHunter]

I sign a lot of my emails to state delegates: Registered Republican, Practicing Moderate.

Labels are bad...not the least reason being that it's hard for me to spell.

 

[QuietEarp]

Many Americans have learned to think independently on certain issues and not drink the party kool aid on everything. The fact that there are primarily 2 political parties in this country leaves most Americans compromising on many issues when they vote one way or the other. I don't want big business or big government making decisions and spending tax money in our citizenry's "best interest" or their own best interest. Without getting too political I think that politics in America is a lot of smoke and mirrors. Most of these "liberals" described are probably quite concerned with an individual's rights.

 

[Duke of Doubt]

Funny you should mention the gays. That stuff isn't exactly my cup of tea, though as between consenting adults I file that under "none of my business." I mean, my own sexual tastes would make theirs look rather boring, so I'd rather not rock the camper. Anyway, a local guy decided to change his sex recently. I taught him/her to shoot, and he/she became at least as rabid a pro-gunner as I am. Told all his/her friends the Good Word (not "Thunderbird.").

We can find allies in strange corners, my friends.

 

[nutter]

Thanks for posting this. I think the liberal = anti-gun assumption is a bad one to make and that it ultimately hurts the pro-gun community by alienating potential supporters.

You said it better than I could have.

That's why I like the use of the term "anti" on THR... anti is anti, liberal is, well, who knows.

Claiming to support the 2A, but voting for politicians that don't is NOT supporting the 2A. You're not helping anybody by donating $20 to the NRA if you're electing anti-gun politicians.

I don't intentionally vote for anti politicians, but there are more issues that concern me than only RKBA. Heresy I know, but if I waited to vote for someone who agreed with everything I believed, I'd die before I got to vote. Instead of deriding others' political leanings, assume they are doing the best they can and spend more energy on what you agree on, namely RKBA, than on what you don't.

$0.02

 

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

Claiming to support the 2A, but voting for politicians that don't is NOT supporting the 2A. You're not helping anybody by donating $20 to the NRA if you're electing anti-gun politicians.

This needs to be said again. One can believe and trumpet any idea they want. But true action comes through voting. Politicians are the ones who actually pass or repeal laws. Therefore, if one helps a politician get elected who is anti, they are anti as well, no matter how much the think they are not. Your vote is really the only thing that matters. Belief is irrelevant. One can say "I don't agree with Politician A's stance on gun control, but I voted for him because he is pro gay marriage, pro abortion, etc". Well I'm sorry to say, but because of your actions, Politician A will be passing more gun control laws. And he would not be in a position to do so if not for you and your vote. So one can disagree with a politician's views all they want. But if they enable him to pass legislation by voting for him, they are approving that legislation as well, regardless of how they feel about it.

Pick and choose your candidates based on what issues are most important to you. If RKBA isn't it, than vote for the candidate that best represents your views on the issue that does matter more to you than RKBA. But there is no hand-washing of responsibility if your candidate passes laws you claim to not agree with. If you voted him in, you voted for his whole platform, and all the laws that he creates.

 

[benEzra]

I'm a regular on Democratic Underground, and while there are plenty of authoritarian zealots over there (not all of whom are from the United States), there are just as many who want no part of the authoritarian mentality.



Point of fact, the anti-gun jihad of the 1990's wasn't led by liberals, but by self-styled "Third Way" communitarians (summed up as "down with rights, up with responsibilities") who viewed gun bans not only as a way to enforce Order, but also to look tough on crime to fence-sitting law-and-order conservatives. There were certainly some liberals in the mix, but the main thrust of it came from the communitarian Democratic Leadership Council, which was heavily influenced by the work of Amitai Etzioni (known for The Limits of Privacy (shudder), The Spirit of Community ("Too Many Rights, Too Few Responsibilities"), and similar authoritarian shill).

It is no coincidence that an authoritarian-leaning Arkansas politician named Bill Clinton was closely affiliated with both Etzioni and the DLC, and echoed his "Americans have too many rights" rhetoric. Ditto Dianne Feinstein, Charles Schumer, and (apparently) Joseph Biden.

 

[rocinante]

I have found that a lot of younger so-called "liberals" are in actuality "libertarians". That is a refreshing change.

If that a truth and a trend then YES it is a refreshing change.

GET THE HELL OUT OF MY WAY.

 

[jerkface11]

Liberals always claim to be pro gun. They always vote for anti gun politicians though.