I have an interview with a reporter, help school me on gun-culture please.

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I manage a gun store and a reporter from the local college paper is coming in tomorrow to do an interview about gun-culture. Our local population is pretty conservative but the university does have a strong liberal streak fueled by proximity to Seattle. I was hoping you THR alumni could help me prepare of list of what kind of questions will be posed and how best to respond for our 2A cause without coming off like Alex Jones.

I am pretty up to date on this issue and stand a fair chance at doing us proud but a little study session can't hurt!

I'm not quite sure how to respond to why we would need a 30 other than saying it's fun...

I have a personal catch too... I am a graduate degree alumni of this very university and have many friends there among the staff... I KNOW that they will not be made to believe that we NEED a 30 round mag for defense...

Please help brainstorm!

Cyclops
 
Well, for starters, it int a matter of "need" or "want" it is a matter of "rights." The 2A is here to allow us peasants to protect ourselves and family from domestic crime (such as robbers and rapists,) foreign invasion, and tyranny in government. All of those parties have 30 round mags, some of them have hand grenades. What you should be asking me is not "why do I need 30 round mags," but rather, "why have your rights to have full auto and explosives been removed from you?" Ask Thomas Jefferson to explain the 2A to you.
 
And you will end up looking like Jones.

Respond to the questions in kind, be polite, but be rational.

without a script, you cant prime for this in one night !
 
From the lefty standpoint they do not believe that the government will run-afoul. They very much believe that the government is there to protect them.

i only mention for the course of dialogue. Keep it coming :)
 
Do you have more information? I'm a puget sound resident and I'm curious what store and which college.

I would say a college-aged reporter probably isn't as brushed up on the topic as we are. Likely questions include "why do you NEED an AR15?" to which you need several concise, short, rational comebacks that appeal to the fence sitters.

Any argument that a reporter makes about firearms which "makes it easier for bad guys to kill" is also an argument that makes it easier for the overwhelming number of good guys to protect. I would cite OIS (Officer Involved Shootings) where a horde of cops launching a dozen bullets wasn't enough to stopped a hopped-up criminal. Criminals don't go hunting for cops. They go hunting for civilians and cops are fortunate enough to intervene once in a while before or during a crime. Most of the time, they're mopping up the mess after it's too late. Sadly, the topic of self-defense is incredibly complex and cannot be summarized to laypeople in a handy half-page article.

Maybe brush up on this entry Massad Ayoob recently wrote, titled, "WHY GOOD PEOPLE NEED SEMIAUTOMATIC FIREARMS AND “HIGH CAPACITY” MAGAZINES … Part I"

http://backwoodshome.com/blogs/Mass...-firearms-and-high-capacity-magazines-part-i/
 
From the lefty standpoint they do not believe that the government will run-afoul. They very much believe that the government is there to protect them.
Unless a Republican is president, of course.
 
oh i will be very calm and thoughtful.. im going to try and get a feel from the reporter before i permit going on the record. just wished i could have talked to him more on the phone but we were so stinking busy

Unless a Republican is president, of course.

True. I was a left of center (still am) anti-Busher... I admit the hypocrisy.. both sides do it... booo.. I blame media :p
 
True. I was a left of center (still am) anti-Busher... I admit the hypocrisy.. both sides do it... booo.. I blame media :p
Have you considered having pro-rights posters that a liberal would agree with, such as supporting freedom of speech, gay marriage, and etc, about to convey the impression* that your belief in the individual right to bear arms is born out of principal and not out of you being some sort of anti-government redneck extremist?

*Not that I doubt you are a principled man who respects everyone's civil liberties. But others may not know that from a glance.
 
You frame your responses according to recent legislation there that made pot legal. Get across to them that you now have the right to use pot even though it isn't good for you and may pose harm to others. You also have the right to not use pot if you choose.
The requirement is responsibility on your part.

As with anything that can cause harm, you must exercise care and caution. This is the very principle behind rights in our country. If you don't use caution and care, our government has the right to take your rights from you.

You are always trusted to do the right thing and most people do hence the reason these recent shootings are outliers and most gun owners never hurt anyone.
 
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Oh, I have one!

Non-gun types need to understand the AR platform is MODULAR. It can look like a military weapon, or with a simple upper change transformed into a dedicated deer rifle. Swap it again and plink with 22's. Or use it for varmint/hog control.

Nobody ever mentions this.

BTW make sure they get terms spelled right. I did an interview four years ago. Horrified to see the camera focused on my "Big Bower B220" as they labeled it.
 
Because I need something to shoot my bullets with.

Edit: Being serious though I own guns to collect, shoot for sport, and defend myself and those I care about.
 
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I mentioned the modularity to one of my old professors and he really didnt have a comeback.. though I'm sure in his mind he went right to "20 kids" and decided it wasn't worth it.
 
Asking for a crash-course on "gun culture" is like asking for a crash course on "car culture."

Just like there's a universe of difference between the guys who spend time lovingly restoring 1930s Cadillacs and guys who spend their weekends in drifting competitions with souped up Hondas, there's a universe of difference between the various sub-cultures of gun owners, and unless you've experienced them first hand, it's going to be very hard to speak about them with any sort of authority.
 
FYI my brother was the president of the University of Washington chapter of Students for Concealed Carry several years ago. He still has a clipping of him in the Times or PI when he battled reporters. He was responsible for at least a couple new law enforcement internal bulletins to correct the behavior of campus police harassing students and fabricating things for activity in compliance with the law. All you can do is make short, concise, rational arguments that appeal to the middle ground, even if it isn't the strongest argument that could be made. People who are fence-sitters or on the anti-gun side don't believe it's remotely conceivable that a government could turn tyrannical. Making that argument won't win anyone over. I would cite that evil assault weapons are responsible for less deaths than any other implement, including hands and feet, clubs, or knives. Get the #'s from the FBI so it can't be dismissed as NRA propaganda. I would point that an HONEST attempt at gun control would start at handguns since they're responsible for the most deaths. That puts the reporter on the defensive because the anti-gunners know handguns are needlessly difficult to ban. Now you've made them look for an excuse to weasel out of answering that.

When this invariably leads to the "if it saves one life", it's easily counter-able by applying it to any number of deaths occurring daily. Replace "assault weapons" with something else and see if it sounds reasonable to ban it. This story comes to mind because it happened last week in Everett. I obviously don't suggest using it as the healthy feminist population in the Puget Sound area would crucify you if you suggested mandatory breast reductions to prevent smothering deaths and reduce breast cancer rates, if only one life was saved! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/...gton_n_2486189.html?view=print&comm_ref=false

If you ramble on long enough, they'll take snippets and glue it together to paint you in a negative light. Give them minimal material. That means they can run what you said in it's entirety or not run what you said at all. Look at how politicians respond to questions and how brief the answers are. That's the attention span of America. You have to play at that level by being witty and concise in short bursts.
 
Just be aware, there is not an "off the record" unless there is someone officially taking a record, like in a courtroom setting. Anything you say that is detrimental to your cause and advances the news organization's agenda might very well be used, even if you say "off the record."

As a media relations specialist, I would advise against doing interviews with anyone you are unsure of, and certainly never do candid interviews with news outlets who show bias.

I write talking points all day at work, so I'm not going to do a lot here - but if you have time, write down 7-10 talking points that you can refer back to when asked just about any question.

As an example, if asked about guns and crime I would simply state I only personally know responsible gun owners and that the majority of gun owners are responsible and law-abiding citizens, exercising Constitutional rights that have been upheld by the Supreme Court.

Just don't the reporter lead you anywhere - you should lead him with your story about how guns are the best thing since sliced bread...
 
Hey! Nice opportunity you have hear. I'll just shoot a few bullet points :)

*2nd Amendment is a right, not to be infringed, to be armed against government tyranny. Self defense, defense from foreign invasion, hunting, and sporting were just universal realities of the time. It was the citizens having a legal right to defend themselves from the government that was new on the world scene.

*Registration leads to confiscation. History proves this. Anyone who "trusts" the gov't to play nice and not get power hungry is a fool. And yes, I like all of the politicians I've met and believe in the political process.

*"Assault weapons" are just semi automatics. Not full autos. Not death rays. Pistol grips, flash hiders, and adjustable stocks are just all logical advancements on the original muskets. "High Capacity" handguns are just a logical development of what once was. "Assault weapons" don't exist. Lightweight, more but smaller bullets, and black plastic are just the 21st century version of the 20th century bolt action, stripper clip fed magazine, and detachable bayonet. Which is somehow magically less scary then the "black rifle".

*The whole entire "limiting of high cap mags" is well... idiotic. It would hurt the law abiding citizen who grabs his M&P40 off the nightstand with 10 rounds and no reloads, but would not stop a criminal from reloading in 2 seconds OR using an illegal magazine in the first place. Wait I thought a mag ban helped the children??? Nope... just eroded the legality of your God given rights and maybe got law abiding, good people killed because they didn't have a 30 round mag when 5 druggies busted in the door or got shot by the 3rd thug in the street when they were reloading their nerfed CCW handgun. Yup. Magazine ban=pointless, and only harmful to the good, yet helps the liberals disarm you. :cuss: :cuss:

*Wait, so the police officer I just called in when the window and 3 BGs broke in and I ran to the bathroom feels he needs 17 rounds in his Glock and an AR with 30 rounds in his trunk, but the gov't says I only need 10 rounds in a handgun and can't have a semi auto rifle to protect my children from THE EXACT SAME THREAT??? :what:
 
Just some general guidelines for media interaction:

-Most reporters, especially at the local level, are not out to paint you into a corner. They are out to convey a story via interviews. Discounting any obvious red flakes, if the conversation is friendly, keep it that way.

-Keep in mind that you are a primary source for the story they are trying to tell. Your interview will ultimately be chopped into a piece that will likely be no more than 4 minutes long on a nightly broadcast. Of that, you may get 30 seconds. This means your answers must be concise, and topical while conveying the information you want the viewing audience to know.

-The way it usually works is that the camera will be rolling, and the reporter will go through their list of questions. From this long reel will come the soundbites that you get edited down to. If you make the entirely human error of tripping over your words, simply tell them you wish to start your answer again, take a breath, and then proceed. This can even apply if a question has been answered and then moved on; at an opportune time you can pause the interview, tell the interviewer that you thought of a better or more concise way to state your previous point, and they should be cool with letting you go over it once more.

-The final question is usually "Do you have anything else to add?" Having gone over your talking points, consider this a good place to put your information into a few sentences.

-The whole process from rolling to wrapping an interview for a local newscast usually takes less than 10 minutes. So again, concise, topical, and focused.

I have a personal catch too... I am a graduate degree alumni of this very university and have many friends there among the staff... I KNOW that they will not be made to believe that we NEED a 30 round mag for defense...

Don't worry about how agreeable others may be. Rather, just state your thoughts in a polite and truthful matter. As long as you're not unprofessional, it should not impede those professional relationships.

Some general thoughts on 30-round magazines: 'What many gun owners are concerned about is the incremental nature of gun control. In 1994, a 10-round restriction was considered reasonable. Recently in New York State, the legislature has decided that 7 rounds represents a reasonable number. And in Connecticut, a bill has been proposed limiting all guns to 1 round.'

You could mention the recent case of the woman who defended her home with a 6-shot revolver. She struck the home invader 5 times, and then fortunately chose to stop his attack and fled. Had he not chosen at that moment to flee, or had their been more than 1 attacker, those 6 shots may not have been enough to provide protection.

Look up the FBI crime statistics on so-called "assault weapons" and be ready to quote them accurately. 'We're talking about a class of firearms that are used in __% of crimes, and are obviously not the weapon of choice among criminals. Since most of their owners are law abiding citizens, it makes little sense to demonize this type of gun.'
 
Just tell them , in a life and death scenario when you have to defend yourself, you want the baddest gun you can hold on to, and must have the highest capacity of bullets to do away with reloading . That is the essence of firepower. Period.
 
psyopspec said:
You could mention the recent case of the woman who defended her home with a 6-shot revolver. She struck the home invader 5 times, and then fortunately chose to stop his attack and fled. Had he not chosen at that moment to flee, or had their been more than 1 attacker, those 6 shots may not have been enough to provide protection.

That should work for fence sitters. You're trying to persuade the middle ground, not the extreme on the other end. People who are already entrenched in their own corner won't budge. The morning show host of KIRO news radio insists that the Georgia story was perfectly illustrated because the guy ran away after being shot five times so no one needs more than 10 rounds. You can't browbeat an entrenched position even with basic logic when their mind is made up, but we're not concerned with the most extreme element.

nathan said:
Just tell them , in a life and death scenario when you have to defend yourself, you want the baddest gun you can hold on to, and must have the highest capacity of bullets to do away with reloading . That is the essence of firepower. Period.
Phrasing it like that, they'll just turn it around and claim it's the reason why these guns are "the preferred guns of mass shooters"
 
If it were me . . . I'd start off by acknowledging how tragic the Sandy Hook shooting was . . . but to put it in perspective for them. Youre more likely to be struck by lightening than be a victim of a mass shooting. So many other things from bathtubs to bees, to misdiagnosed medications, much less automobiles (in which approx. 100 people die each day) are more likely to occur. Given this reality, I'd ask the reporter why this reality doesn't seem to get any attention from the media. Is that the kind of 'reporter' they want to be . . . one who actually investigates this . . . or only spouts the party line ?
I'd also not fall for being drawn into using the term 'gun culture' in any way. That is a term the antis use to frame the argument. It attempts to paint the picture of 2A supporters as hicks, KKK members, or fat southern good ole' boys, etc. Ours is a 'culture' that needs to be changed, in their view. In fact, We have the 2A as a part of the Bill of Rights and there is a reason for that. I'd give the reporter a little instruction on the difference between a democracy and a democratic Republic. In a republic we have certain rights that cannot be legislated away. If they know little of the Constitution or American history - and that is very likely in students today - - -I would go at it from the angle that policemen can't be our personal bodyguards every minute. I'd also point out that courts have ruled that the police have no legal obligation to actually protect us from harm.

If they are a journalism student in some liberal (socialist/communist) university (indoctrination center) they may very well have already made their mind up over the issue and have the article practically written. If they are actually openminded on this - - I would insist that they accompany you somewhere for a fun shooting session and to meet other law abiding everyday American gun owners - men & women - to see what its all about. Hands on and face-to-face experience is the way to turn people around on this subject IMO.

Undoubtedly, youve given a lot of thought to this. I sure wouldnt wing it, if it were me. I'd write down their likely objections and questions, and have my answers well thought out. Again, I'd point out the reality of the odds of mass shootings and get them to the range to shoot. If they won't go to the range, I'd ask why not & I'd challenge them to actually research and experience what they were proposing to write about. Even if its just a local college paper, I'd line up my strategy. If I didnt have that figured out, I'd delay the interview till I did. Best of luck !
 
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