Identifying Responsible Gun Owners

[LadySmith]

In reading about contact between those pro-gun and anti, it appears to me that responsible gun owners spend a lot of time explaining what we’re not (NOT gun waving lunatics, wanton killers of pets and livestock, psychotic mass murders, racists, etc.).
So what ARE we?
We also use a lot of analogies that are unclear to those outside our circle: sheepdogs, guardians of the flock, molon labe and others.
If you were to come up with a clear code of conduct, a set of beliefs and a means of easily identifying responsible gun owners on sight, what would they be?
I’m keeping in mind that a lot of newcomers and fence sitters visit in search of identity.
What would you tell them?

 

[Spot77]

So what ARE we?

I'm a paint salesman. And a husband. And a father. I'm no different from the anti's except that I respect the Constitution.

We're no different than a responsible driver of a Corvette, a responsible airplane pilot or captain of a 600 hp Donzi boat.

 

[JonP]

We're no different than a responsible driver of a Corvette, a responsible airplane pilot or captain of a 600 hp Donzi boat.

Some of us are responsible Covette drivers, too.

 

[PennsyPlinker]

I think this is a real tough one to answer, since there are so many variations. The biggest problem I see with it is the natural human tendency to stereotype others who do not fit into a particular person's own frame of reference. It is very hard to fight a stereotype, and it is very hard to define a type of person who does not fit one, if you know what I mean. Responsible gun owners are found across the entire spectrum of political views, religious views, race, age, gender, etc. The big point of commonality is the ownership of guns.

It is easy to assume that people who think like I do about guns think like I do about everything else, especially since I am right about everything else as well as guns. Now, for you sensitive types reading along here, that last sentence was a joke! But behind the humor is a very natural human assumption. When we find a point of commonality, it is very easy to assign other points that may or may not be true. It is very hard to reconcile differences once we find those points, and when we do find them, we usually react adversely with some sort of illogical reaction.

I am not saying everyone acts like this, I am only saying that these are natural human tendencies. I think the best thing we can do when we encounter an anti-gun person is to make them think. Show them that you are not a wild eyed lunatic driving around drinking and shooting up the town every Saturday night. At the very least they will stop bothering you about your use and ownership of guns. I think the biggest problem with anti-gun people is the tendency to assign human characteristics to inanimate objects. "Guns kill people" is the thing we hear so often. Well yeah, but so do knives, clubs, cars, swimming pools, etc. But how many bad guys lurk around pools waiting to throw someone in? If we had no guns, people would use knives, since it is the evil nature of the human heart which kills, not the inanimate object which was used to do the deed. But try to get people to go along with that!

I have often found that people seem to think that there is something wrong with me because I own and carry a gun, but in reality, the problem is with them, not me, and there is not much I can do about that. While we can influence others, we can only change ourselves.

 

[dracphelan]

the definition of a "responsible gun owner" varies depending on who you are talking to. However, from a public relations standpoint, my definition meets the following criteria:
1. Does not meet the general stereotype of a "gun nut". I.E. he/she does not dress in camouflage all the time, does not espouse a view that includes black U.N. helicopters coming to get us all or any racist agenda. Look at the owner of MidwayUSA or the hosts of Guns&Ammo TV for examples.
2. He/She advocates safe and responsible firearms handling at all times. This includes making sure that untrained minors can not access his/her firearms without adult supervision.
3. He/She communicates with gun control advocates and fence sitters in a calm and controlled manner at all times.

I think point 2 is true of all responsible gun owners.

 

[Phenom]

People destroy eachother, It's the natural order of things. People will use whatever item they can get their hands on to do so.

 

[Rumble]

That's a very difficult question. Far as I'm concerned, I'm just folks. Normal-like. Ideally, there's no way to distinguish me from other people without examining my hut for the things I like to own.

Not that it matters to those who would vilify people based on things they like to own, but they're just something one has to put up with in life. Besides, as the Addams family credo says, sic gorgiamus allos subjectatos nunc.

 

[Pax Jordana]

I think the best way to recognize a responsible gun owner, esp. for a non gun owner, is to remove "owns guns" from your "figuring out if he's crazy" schema and go on from there. And to figure out if someone's crazy, you have to *talk* to them. The physical bit just won't cut it.

And even then, it's a continuum. If I have my Kel-Tec under my bed instead of my J-frame, and I get a little extra peace of mind knowing I have 10 rounds of 9mm instead of five rds of 38spl in the face of a home invasion, am I crazy? What about the shotgun in the closet for heavy-duty social work? We (family) plan on having at least a little advance warning in case the S truly H's T F, so the M1 carbine is sitting near-ish to a bag full of loaded mags. But really, what's the likelihood? Or, conversely, is it crazier to believe NONE of this will EVER happen?


I guess just listen for key phrases like "zionist-occupied government" or "black helicopters".

Or a handle like 'nightcrawler' ...

[eta] nightcrawler is not a racist, and I'm pretty sure he's not a paranoid nutball. If he is, I totally love his humor. But I didn't mean to associate him with the preceding key phrases.

 

[hso]

The bulk of Gun owners and RKBA advocates and self defense advocates are no different from the rest of the population. It's those individuals on the tails of the curve that are most easily noticed and become caricatures of gun owners. Just like the anti's.

If there were to be a “Code of Conduct” for pro-RKBA folks I think THR’s provided a pretty good example of one. No name calling when dealing with individuals, respect for the other person’s opinion, no blanket name calling of groups, agreeing to disagree, backing up positions with facts.

 

[pax]

LadySmith ~

When I thought about the usual analogies gun owners use awhile back, I realized none of the standard ones fit me. Moreso, I realized I didn't want those analogies to fit me. My thinking went like this:

A Sheepdog? Nope, not me. I'm not a police officer, a firefighter, an EMT. Those folks do a necessary job in society, but that's not who I am or why I own a gun. I'm not the "guardian" of anything except my own skin and my own family. I'd be lying to myself and to you if I said otherwise. Sheepdogs are out there, but most armed citizens are not sheepdogs, IMO&E.

Well, then, I could be

A Mama Bear? Almost. I would definitely kill to protect my offspring. But bears are grouchy, and pick fights. And I am just as interested in protecting myself, for my own sake, as I am in protecting my children. Even if I'd never given birth, my own life would be worth defending. Don't mess with my kids, but I'm not a Mama Bear.

So if I'm not a Sheepdog, and not really a Mama Bear, what am I? It turns out I'm

A Cornered Cat. Ever see a cat cornered by something she fears? She turns into something primal and fierce and very frightening. She's not interested in sticking around to fight the thing she fears, only in getting away from it. But she doesn't care what damage she inflicts when she leaves. She'll tear her attacker to shreds on her way past if she has to in order to escape. She's got a great command voice, a low deep growl that means "back off!", but she does not wave her claws around -- she either uses them, or keeps them sheathed. Finally, when a cat is not being threatened, she's cozy good company, pleasant to be around, and not scary at all. That's who I am and what I'm all about.

As for molon labe, I believe it in my bones. But there's no point going around mumbling ancient Greek at people. If someone tries to take my life, my children, or my means of protecting either, I'll utter the war cry. Until then ... I'm curled up in the corner, purring.

pax

 

[sm]

pax,

Very interesting to read your perspectives as always.

Ladysmith,

Reponsible Firearm Owners as shared with me, a l-o-n-g time ago by Mentors.

It is not what you see/hear so much as what you do not see/hear.-Mentors

 

[Phenom]

Antis think of gun owners as Rambos. There are Rambo types out there, but they account for about 5% of gun owners. I love military rifles like the AK-47. I don't spray bullets

 

[Henry Bowman]

I always find the "Rambo" label ironic. The character Rambo simply wished to be left alone and allowed to pass through. He only fought back in defense and escalated force as necessary to meet (and beat) the force used against him. Yet he was seen and is remembered as as the aggressor.

Just sayin'.

 

[El Tejon]

Tell them that we are American citizens that believe in the Constitution and we make no apologies for believing in the Bill of Rights.

A code of conduct that would identify gun owners on sight? Read Jeff Cooper for that.

 

[History Prof]

Unfortunately, what the uninformed public sees and percieves is the not-so-responsible gun owner. They see drive-by shootings on the news. They see bullet holes in road signs. They see junk cars, TVs and pop cans full of holes littering the boonies. If you can get them to a public range they see bullet holes in the awnings that cover the benches and in the walls of the restrooms.

Ok, we can't do much about the drive-bys. But responsible gun ownership not only includes DON'T do the stupid things, but volunteer to clean up after the idiots. Make sure the local news papers know you're out there. Imagine the headlines: LOCAL SHOOTING CLUB CLEANS UP MAKESHIFT SHOOTING AREA IN DESERT. Then make sure that the article clearly states that your club didn't make the mess, or the uninformed public just thinks "good, someone finally made them clean up the mess that they made in the first place."

Professional people, be vocal about being pro-RKBA. I am. My students love hearing that a history professor is pro-RKBA. They think we're all gun grabbing leftists until they meet me. I'm not alone, by the way. Pretty much everyone in my sub-field in my doctoral program was a Republican and a gun owner. The more people know that professional people are shooters, the more we can shift perspectives back to where they should be.

 

[Jeff White]

Responsible gun owners look just like everyone else. I've been in the Army or in police work my entire adult life. My wife really thought that gun people were all people like me, people who used them professionally. Then in 1994 she consented to go to the NRA convention in Nashville with me. She commented on all the regular people there.

I really miss those I'm the NRA ads that used to displl the image of the gun culture being composed of camo clad anti government, beer swilling nut cases.

Jeff

 

[gezzer]

99.9%er's

 

[Baba Louie]

Just a Responsible American.