Homeland Defense Rifle
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Baba Louie
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You want to call your rifle a Homeland Defense Rifle, feel free to do so. The media will call it whatever they want to, or make up a new term when that fits their need. The cynic in me is saying that the media will only call it a "HDR" with a knowing-it-all snicker and a rolling of eyes (in written format of course).
If I need a descriptive moniker I'll stick to self loading rifle or evil black rifle or even poodleshooter. You should hear my sister (anti) gasp when that term comes up... like I hunt poodles or something.
Since mine do not have selective fire control mechanism, should anyone call them assault rifles, I do point out the fact that they are neutered semi-auto only and have never been used as "an assault weapon". (that's come up once in conversation in 22 years)
Should the Department of Homeland Defense ever issue rifles to the unorganized militia, I would have no issues with calling those "Homeland Defense Rifles". It's simply that the 'propagandistically' loaded word "Homeland" tends to make me snicker and roll my eyes for some reason.
YMMV
If I need a descriptive moniker I'll stick to self loading rifle or evil black rifle or even poodleshooter. You should hear my sister (anti) gasp when that term comes up... like I hunt poodles or something.
Since mine do not have selective fire control mechanism, should anyone call them assault rifles, I do point out the fact that they are neutered semi-auto only and have never been used as "an assault weapon". (that's come up once in conversation in 22 years)
Should the Department of Homeland Defense ever issue rifles to the unorganized militia, I would have no issues with calling those "Homeland Defense Rifles". It's simply that the 'propagandistically' loaded word "Homeland" tends to make me snicker and roll my eyes for some reason.
YMMV
Guitargod1985
Member
I like this one.
Agreed. This is politics. It’s ugly, dirty, and devoid of merit.
Pass – sounds too much like the ‘duck and cover’ 50s.
However others and I may be turned-off by the ‘Homeland’ motif, it’s what the public at large has come to associate with the noble defense of America from the terrorist threat.
Homeland Defense Rifle it is for my AK.
I feel confident that I can beat the bradys with just facts and logic, I don't need to use cute or emotionally charged words to convince others the bradys are wrong. Call 'em assault rifles, I'll just point out how rifles generally aren't use in crime, assault or otherwise.
FourNineFoxtrot
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Treo and jdc1244:
If I thought that calling 'em "Home Defense Rifles" or "Civil Defense Rifles" or whatever would produce a meaningful effect, I would support it. Sadly, I don't think that changing the terminology at this stage of the game is going to help. People already have a mental picture of what an "assault rifle" is. Correcting them by saying "No, this is my 'Home Defense Rifle'" is going to feel like exactly the propaganda that it is. The anti you're talking to isn't going to say, "Oh, wow, a Home Defense Rifle! And here I thought it was an Evil Black Assault Rifle. I guess it's okay to own an HDR...." Meaning no insult, the change in wording sounds like B.S., and it's just going to set off people's B.S. detectors.
This in addition to the fact that labeling your rifle with a faux-official sounding term like "Homeland Defense Rifle" or "Civil Defense Rifle" has the potential of making you come across as a "militia nutcase", which is a beloved stereotype of the Antis.
And, personally, I too detest the "Homeland" terminology. "Home" is more acceptable, but not noticeably more effective in my opinion.
Like I said, it's a fight that has to be won on merits. We aren't going to win by confusing people on what an "assault rifle" or a "home defense rifle" is. We can only win by convincing people that these particular rifles, by whatever name, are very useful, and very necessary.
Logic, not misdirection.
If I thought that calling 'em "Home Defense Rifles" or "Civil Defense Rifles" or whatever would produce a meaningful effect, I would support it. Sadly, I don't think that changing the terminology at this stage of the game is going to help. People already have a mental picture of what an "assault rifle" is. Correcting them by saying "No, this is my 'Home Defense Rifle'" is going to feel like exactly the propaganda that it is. The anti you're talking to isn't going to say, "Oh, wow, a Home Defense Rifle! And here I thought it was an Evil Black Assault Rifle. I guess it's okay to own an HDR...." Meaning no insult, the change in wording sounds like B.S., and it's just going to set off people's B.S. detectors.
This in addition to the fact that labeling your rifle with a faux-official sounding term like "Homeland Defense Rifle" or "Civil Defense Rifle" has the potential of making you come across as a "militia nutcase", which is a beloved stereotype of the Antis.
And, personally, I too detest the "Homeland" terminology. "Home" is more acceptable, but not noticeably more effective in my opinion.
Like I said, it's a fight that has to be won on merits. We aren't going to win by confusing people on what an "assault rifle" or a "home defense rifle" is. We can only win by convincing people that these particular rifles, by whatever name, are very useful, and very necessary.
Logic, not misdirection.
M1 Shooter
Member
I prefer the term "Sport, Utility Rifle" to describe AR's, AK's, etc.
Brian Dale
Member
Welcome to The High Road, mail man!
The word, "homeland" still reminds me of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union ("Fatherland" / "Motherland").
"Civil Defense Rifle" is pretty good, if dorky; I still call my AR-15 a "Target Rifle" or "my match AR" (it's a CMP-configuration weapon with a free-float tube). The general term that I like is Sport Utility Rifle.
The word, "homeland" still reminds me of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union ("Fatherland" / "Motherland").
"Civil Defense Rifle" is pretty good, if dorky; I still call my AR-15 a "Target Rifle" or "my match AR" (it's a CMP-configuration weapon with a free-float tube). The general term that I like is Sport Utility Rifle.
mike101
Member
How about 'Freedom Defense Rifle'? The initials FDR will make all of the ultralibs weepy.
R127
Member
Sport utility rifle is ok. I also like self defense rifle.
41magsnub
Member
How about just rifle?
It's not some political thing, it just sounds stupid.
It's not some political thing, it just sounds stupid.
Travis McGee
Member
Homeland Defense Rifle is perfect. It's the Dept of Homeland Security, so how can the govt be against our helping to defend it?
papajohn
Member
I'll take Home over Homeland, I think Homeland has an icky European connotation.
Jeff Cooper started using the term "Urban Rifle" twenty years ago, I always thought it was close to what I was thinking.
The Mainstream, drive-by media are the ones who bastardized the language, and turned my Mini-14 ("The World's Most Expensive Plinker", as Ruger used to call it) into an Evil Black Assault Rifle. One anti-gun politician was spotted by a news crew getting into an SUV years ago with a rifle case, and when asked, he showed it (a Mini-14) to them. When the reporter asked how he could square his political record with his possession of an EBR he spluttered, "That's not an Assault Rifle, that's my turkey gun!"
I kinda like the term, "Terrorist Hunting Rifle." Especially the initials!
Papajohn
Jeff Cooper started using the term "Urban Rifle" twenty years ago, I always thought it was close to what I was thinking.
The Mainstream, drive-by media are the ones who bastardized the language, and turned my Mini-14 ("The World's Most Expensive Plinker", as Ruger used to call it) into an Evil Black Assault Rifle. One anti-gun politician was spotted by a news crew getting into an SUV years ago with a rifle case, and when asked, he showed it (a Mini-14) to them. When the reporter asked how he could square his political record with his possession of an EBR he spluttered, "That's not an Assault Rifle, that's my turkey gun!"
I kinda like the term, "Terrorist Hunting Rifle." Especially the initials!
Papajohn
barry960
Member
I think the types who are horrified about people having such liberty as we do regarding the second amendment will recoil from the HDL term just the same as "Assault Rifle", and probably sneer at "homeland defense" whatever it's in reference to. I still like the term though, and will spread it around.
blarby
Member
NAh, too aggressive.
I agree that Homeland Defense Rifle is good from the Department of Homeland Security angle....nazi propoganda aside, a lot of sheeple respect that agency.
The problem is it doesn't have that snappy one-two, two word punch the media love.
ASSAULT RIFLE, DATE RAPE , CAR JACK , SUICIDE BOMBER, BOOM STICK
SHELL SHOCK used to be a good one, GI's got what they needed, turned into COMBAT FATIGUE which was still ok, but didn't have the snap to it...now its "post-traumatic stress disorder" and these poor guys get little help, often too late. Carlin did a great bit on that.
Home Defense Rifle loses for that reason, as does Civil Defense Rifle ( although I like that one personally)
Liberty Rifle is good, Heston would love it.
SAFETY RIFLE has a softer tone, but the snickers would never die, and it would never stick.
Freedom Rifle
Could go East Baltimore and call it SPEED WHISTLE , Lolz.
Changing the term to change perception is a great idea- but I have no idea the words to use !
I agree that Homeland Defense Rifle is good from the Department of Homeland Security angle....nazi propoganda aside, a lot of sheeple respect that agency.
The problem is it doesn't have that snappy one-two, two word punch the media love.
ASSAULT RIFLE, DATE RAPE , CAR JACK , SUICIDE BOMBER, BOOM STICK
SHELL SHOCK used to be a good one, GI's got what they needed, turned into COMBAT FATIGUE which was still ok, but didn't have the snap to it...now its "post-traumatic stress disorder" and these poor guys get little help, often too late. Carlin did a great bit on that.
Home Defense Rifle loses for that reason, as does Civil Defense Rifle ( although I like that one personally)
Liberty Rifle is good, Heston would love it.
SAFETY RIFLE has a softer tone, but the snickers would never die, and it would never stick.
Freedom Rifle
Could go East Baltimore and call it SPEED WHISTLE , Lolz.
Changing the term to change perception is a great idea- but I have no idea the words to use !
pockets
Member
That was the very first thing that came to my mind while reading the original post.
Since I don't call them 'Assault Rifles' to begin with, I'll just keep using the term I use now; 'rifles'.
The term 'Homeland' has been beat into the ground so much it's coming out the other side of the Earth. It just conjures up images of militia or TSA.
'Civil Defense'? The term brings to mind the drills we did in grade school; "Duck and cover!". I suppose you have to be older to remember that though.
.
earlthegoat2
Member
I think putting "Homeland Defense" in front of anything firearm related screams instant mall ninja.
There is a gunshop by me and their tag line is "Homeland Defense Headquarters" They are a bunch of mall ninjas.
It just seems like another Tacticool expression to hide the fact that one is a wannabe.
There is a gunshop by me and their tag line is "Homeland Defense Headquarters" They are a bunch of mall ninjas.
It just seems like another Tacticool expression to hide the fact that one is a wannabe.
I agree with winning on merits, but that will have to be done face to face and by word of mouth. The media, however will latch onto any negative story and demonize us as they see fit.
As far as "misdirection" I think the OP is trying to use "redirection" to help explain our need for homeland/home/civil defense weapons.
Personally, of all the suggestions, I like civil defense rife or home defense rifle best. Of those two options I think home defense rifle is the least "offensive" to non-gunners. Even civil defense sounds somewhat of militia paranoids or cold war Russian invasion paranoids.
AlexanderA
Member
"Homeland defense" or "homeland security," as terms, carry their own baggage. These are often used as a justification for the denial of civil liberties, as we've seen in the so-called "Patriot Act" and the invasive screenings at airports. Libertarians, which I think most gun-rights advocates are, shouldn't be using terminology which derives from the diametrically-opposite camp.
As an alternative, the use of "home defense" seems to limit the use and/or possession of such weapons to the home. This, too, is not a good idea.
As an alternative, the use of "home defense" seems to limit the use and/or possession of such weapons to the home. This, too, is not a good idea.
USAF_Vet
Member
The anti's do it everyday. Unless I'm out of the loop on the whole 'assault clips' thing.
I like the idea of a "Home Defense Weapon" be it rifle, handgun, Louisville Slugger, etc.
"Homeland Defense" sounds too 'Department of' and invokes an image I'm not too thrilled about. "Home Defense" however, is something I can get behind.
Nushif
Member
Plenty of homelands everywhere on this planet were defended by the AK. One country even has it on their flag because it defended the homeland. 8)
Man, this makes me want one again.
Personally though .. Civil Defense Rifle sounds much better than "Homeland Defense" anything. There is a very, very, very large portion of the populace here who (in my opinion rightfully so) believe most, if not all "Homeland Defense" agencies to be rather intrusive on our so cherished and often so freely given away rights to privacy.
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