How to convert an anti.

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klover

klover

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I'm an uncle, not an anti:p .

One of my dear friends is an anti. At every turn he says he will have nothing to do with any guns. I say to him "Hitler disarmed his country with rhetoric identical to anti gun champagnes in this country", and he replies "we have a goberment with checks and balances":scrutiny: . I tell him his beautiful wife of 110 pounds needs to carry to ward off 225 pound rapists, he says she has a cell phone! No matter how I try to persuade him, he has an idealized view of human nature.

Finally I softened him one little iota. I told him he would have to come with my shooting buddies to the range to try some shooting for once in his life. That if he refuses, we have the guns to insist that he come with us! If he should try to call the police, they would fully support my friends and me because all the police are shooters as well! And the police are part of the goberment:p :p :p .

I'll bet he will NEVER shoot even a billiard ball in a pool hall if his life depended on it. What would you try to argue?:confused:
 
Maybe take him shooting. You can't change people they have to change themselves.
 
When the zombie hoardes rise up and he comes knocking at your door for protection, I'd use the famous line from the end of Animal House: "I'm sorry, you'll have to come back later, I'm doing the dishes." :D

But unfortunately, sometimes, there are people that will NEVER change. Even if you take them shooting, that probably won't be enough to change deep-rooted convictions, however misguided they may be. There are pics of shumer shooting an Uzi, I'm sure diane feinstein and sara brady have shot guns.

Too many gunnies think that taking an anti to the range is some magic event that will instantly transform them into gunnies. Its a fantasy, just like the typical lib/anti idea that talking and reasoning with an attacker will magically make him see the light and change his path in life.

Just continue to use every opportunity to impart reason and common sense to him and counter every dig or argument he makes against guns with more reason and common sense in favor of guns. That's about all you can do. Maybe it'll have an effect, maybe it won't.
 
Yep,
Zombie hoards, the answer that has no reply:neener:

Actually, he can be anti all he wants, so long as he does not want the take away YOUR right to have and bear arms.
 
I've found that it is very important to pin down WHY someone is anti.

If it's truely Hoplophobia...give up. You can't reason with a mental illness.

If it's due to fear from ignorance or because of brainwashing you may be able to educate and make some progress.

If it's due to social pressure (especially from a spouse) you may make headway but it's hard to convince that sort of person that guns aren't dirty little secrets to be hidden in "plain paper wrappers" :neener:
 
Depends on how ANTI they are. I think the only way to convert a hardcorps ANTI is them having to be victemized a FEW times by the criminal element to make them see why gun ownership is necessary. Theres to much anti TV out there that sways their opinion, as does their po;itical party that keeps pounding it into them every day.
 
MR. WHITE - "Too many gunnies think that taking an anti to the range is some magic event that will instantly transform them into gunnies. Its a fantasy, ... "

You're correct! Some anti-gun people, no matter their exposure to shooting at a gun range, will remain just as hard core anti-gun. I.e......

Several years ago when I lived in Los Angeles, I belonged to a tiny group of gun owners/shooters, who were members of a large, show business union of which probably 99% were extremely liberal and very, very anti-guns. We would periodically meet for lunch or dinner and then go to the Beverly Hills Gun Club to shoot. We invited anyone who wanted to learn to shoot, or get to know a "bit" about firearms. This included anti-guns union members.

One young guy came to our meetings, went to the Gun Club with us to shoot, shot many of our handguns (we always had a bunch, semi-autos both double and single action, double actions revolvers, single action revolvers, all calibers from .22 to .44 Mag. and .45 Colt). With our instuction, he shot most of them many times, at three or four of our "meat & shoot" gatherings. The ammo was free, as we provided it.

Also, we informed those ignorant of the truth of the matter, about various laws, statistics, criminals, etc.

One day I was looking through the L.A. Times and here was a full page ad advocating the banning of handguns, and the registration of long guns along with heavy restrictions on same. There were hundreds of show business people who had donated the $$$ for the ad, and who advocated the "reasonable gun control measures."

Guess whose name was right in the middle of all the other gun grabbing libs' name?? Yep, you guessed it. The dude we had shown how to shoot and how handguns functioned.

As for those who believe that an anti-gun person who is a victim of crime, will then want to be armed, learn how to shoot, etc., that's a myth, too. (Sometimes, of course, but it's a rare case.)

I.e., a man I knew, a well known and successful teeeveee writer/producer, anti-gun of course, was mugged on the sidewalk in front of his condo one day. Not only was he mugged, he was pistol whipped, with severe lacerations and a mild concussion.

So did he rush out and buy a pistol and learn to shoot it so he could protect himself??? Absolutely not! He doubled his efforts to have guns banned, spoke vociferously against honest citizens owning guns, and became a poster-boy for the gun grabbers.

No, boys and girls, if you take someone who is "anti-guns" to the range, fine.... but do NOT expect that person to change his belief just because you had him/her shoot your firearms a few times. Maybe, maybe not, no harm in trying, but don't think the change will happen automatically.

FWIW.

L.W.
 
Sometimes it's better to give up on them to keep them as a friend. I'm in that situation with one of my friends--though I did actually get him to fire a muzzleloader once.

It's tough to change someone who's been indoctrinated with anti-gun lies. Tougher still if they come from a place like NYC where guns were illegal and only criminals had them. The best bet with folks like that is just to be the example--the law abiding citizen who keeps several guns in his home and never says or does evil to anyone. By befriending an anti, you're going a lot further than you ever would by argueing with one. Through time, the example set by you and others you keep as friends may work on them.
 
The one thing that has astounded me with some of the antis I know is their amazing ability to compartmentalize. After knowing me for a while I start hearing about how it is okay that "I" (ZeSpectre) have guns (because I'm honest, trustworthy, etc.) but they still don't think "people" should have them.

The ones who say this stuff get the weirdest look of incomprehension when I point out that I'm still one of those "people" they keep talking about.
 
My recomendation....

Don't argue statistics. They will only quote an unimpeachable source like the Brady Bunch. :barf:

Your example where he said he has the magic force field of a cell phone for protection opens the example of Dru Sjodin the UND student that was abducted, raped and murdered. When she was abducted she was talking on here cell phone to her boyfriend and didn't even get a warning out before she was disconnected. This was in broad daylight at a shopping mall parking lot at Christmas time. How could this happen when she had the magic cell phone? I believe it was her mother that said something to the effect that Dru could not envision such evil in the world. It was beyond her scope of experience. That sums up most antis. So try to show examples instead of arguing statistics.
 
Well, the most reliable way is to wait until they really, really need a weapon, realize how stupid they've been the whole time, hopefully survive it, and come ask you.

However, that doesn't happen often. :)

More to the point though.. you say he constantly brings it up? Do you poke him about it to, or is it pretty much one-way? If he's the one constantly bringing it up, probably the direct approach is best.

"I thought you were my friend. Why are you constantly trying to irritate me by insulting something I hold dear? Are you secretly curious about arms and want to learn more and try it? Are you just looking for a fight because you don't value my friendship anymore and want me to blow my stack? What?"
 
These people are usually inept and in need of handouts. If, after taking ANTI shooting with something mild like a .22 rifle, they don't start to come around I would stop helping them in any way. I would cite Darwin.
 
Required printing and reading for all firearms owners: "Raging Against Self-Defense" at www.jpfo.org. Also, the excellent 'Grandpa Jack' booklets: "Gun Control is Racist", and "Do Gun Prohibitionists Have a Mental Problem?". Buy them in bulk!
 
best thing to do is be a great person. Let the antis think about that and they may convert themselves.

Conversely, buttmunches probably drive quite a few people who are interested in guns, away from shooting. Sometimes they seem to do it on purpose. Somebody will find out that the grand panjandrum of handgunnery is posting on a particular internet board, rush over there to soak up the glory and get clobbered with arrogance.
 
Take him somewhere dangerous and let him get brutally mugged and raped. You do not get hurt by the muggers and rapists but did not protect him do to his determined belief that guns are bad. Show him the videos from your cell phone of the event. That should do it.:D :evil:
 
RE: Klover

How long have you been trying?

Just be aware that some people cannot change, I would tell him that (of course if your genuine) that you care about him and his family and that you would like them to be able to defend themselves properly if that time should ever come, and you would not want to see harm come to them if you are able to help him avoid it.
 
That's what motivates me SoCal

He and his wife are great people for whom I have a genuine love. They are very intelligent and professional young people. It does give them a double take when they notice I'm pro gun and a very nice guy besides. I just don't want them to be victims.

But of course, there are no victims ---- only volunteers.

I do fear that my enthusiasm about guns will tire them rather than give them an idea to try some shooting.
 
Mr Kablammo said:
Required printing and reading for all firearms owners: "Raging Against Self-Defense" at www.jpfo.org.
Click to expand...
Just read it. He's right. It should be required reading for anyone trying to convince an anti. It discusses defense mechanisms (the psychological ones, not the ballistic ones) and how they are used by antis, how to counter them, and how to do it without hurting our cause.
 
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