Antis operate largely - and quite often, solely - on emotion. When an anti - particularly a family member like a mother, brother, father, or grandparent - comes up to you and questions your motives, the best thing you could do is not start using reason. That, in the mind of an emotionally-motivated person, makes you look guilty of something or cagey.
The second best thing you could do, in my opinion, would be to respond to such an obvious attack on your character - while not necessarily verbally aggressively - but with a somewhat heated and hurt tone. Remember, they are coming to you judgmentally and questioning not only your decision, but
your moral character to do what is right. Turn it around as a subtle statement about them: "did you not raise me/grow up with me/teach me right/know what kind of person I am? I am offended that you would suggest such a thing - that I would be less trustworthy in your mind than some random stranger who pulls you over, just because he has a badge?!"
Again, remember to phrase things - even if you throw in some facts and social/political statements - within the context of
emotion that
they will understand. Certain things are emotional hot buttons to certain people. (Guilt, trust, honesty, etc. - you should know what I'm talking about. My mother responds very well to guilt.)
That's the approach that has worked
very well for me with my emotional relatives. Just turn it back on them, and you'll more than likely have them (at the least) saying they understand, and quite likely have them say they're sorry and that you're right. Of course, this would also be more likely to happen if you have strong family bonds to begin with (ie stronger family alliegance than alligence to any ideal or agenda, particularly to the state).
Yes, it's an underhanded practice, but it's no more underhanded than beating someone out with logic if you yourself were to operate within the realm of emotional argument. You've got to communicate with people using methods which they understand. It's only logical to sometimes behave an illogical manner to lead an emotional creature towards the logical conclusion.
Interestingly, my brother likely has the same animosity problems your brother does, with respect to spreading things around to the appropriate people so as to cause strife for you. Didn't want someone to know something? Yep, he'll tell them if he knows. I'm guessing he's a younger brother, and it's sibling rivalry? Might want to address that problem with him, and try to form a closer friendship with him. In my mind, brothers should be
first, before extended family members.
IMO, the real problems here are not with respect to firearms - they're just typical family disagreements, and they'll happen as families grow apart geographically and in life interests. Let your parents (and grandparents, siblings, etc.) know that you're your own adult now, and that they should (respectfully) mind their own business and allow you to bring them into your adult life as you see fit, when you see fit.
As such, it's more than likely that it'll either have, or be able to run with little to know modification,
That sounds like something I, my dad, or one of my uncles would do. It would also most certainly be something my grandmother would
not understand, and would likely scare her. Unfortunately.
And honestly, a grandparent who thinks their grandchild wants to get a legal firearm carry permit to
kill people is not the kind of person who will respond to sarcastic rhetoric in any manner other than emotionally and literally - emotional people
want things to be emotional, in the same way that rational people want them to be rational.
