Shooting Clubs from the Left

[Speedo66]

Article about how people with a liberal bent are forming their own shooting organizations. Some feel they need a gun to protect themselves personally from the far right, others feel not only conservatives should have guns.

Be nice if we ever get the rabid bipartisanship tamed to have everyone just enjoy shooting.

Here's the article:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/02/...ular_sample&recId=1CQhkxJFQGhjdKNJMgmsSrMk99J

 

[GEM]

Thank you for the interesting link. The 2nd Amend. should be appreciated across the political spectrum.

I caution folks to keep the commentary civil!

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Thank you for the interesting link. The 2nd Amend. should be appreciated across the political spectrum.

Absolutely agree.
If people from all political backgrounds enjoyed the 2A, maybe we wouldn't spend as much time arguing about it and trying to limit it.
I think its a great thing.
Here in the south, it is common for people from all sides to be gun owners. I imagine that isn't the case everywhere.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Interesting.......

So, these clubs are going to be for leftists only?

My local gun ranges don't ask you what your political bent is when you sign up for a membership.

In fact, right-wing only shooting clubs are generally referred to as "white nationalist cult compounds" by the supposedly impartial media.

 

[GEM]

Historically, the use of personal firearms by African-Americans before and during the Civil Rights movement to protect themselves should be a prime point in discussion of the RKBA. There is a good deal of scholarship on the issue. It is the best example of defense against tyranny out there in the American context as local and state government official and sponsored racist suppressions of rights were resisted. The resistance to escaped slave catchers in the North with arms by citizens of states like Pennsylvania is in the same context.

Point being tyranny must be opposed and all across the political spectrum should come to that realization. If folks think the current context convinces them to appreciate this and the risks of government, all to the good - independent of their spectrum positions.

 

[bassjam]

I find it sad that left leaning gun owners feel the need to form their own groups. This shows a HUGE failure of the NRA to attract all 2nd Amendment advocates, instead of being inviting to all gun owners they push away those on the left. I’ve said it before, the NRA has become a right wing propaganda machine. I typically agree with what they do in the courts, but they would do gun owners a favor by cutting back on the “left vs right”, “Democrats vs Republicans” and “Liberals vs Conservatives” rhetoric and just focus on “2nd Amendment supporters vs gun-control advocates”.

We have plenty of pro-2nd Amendment friends on the left it we'd bother to put other politics aside for a moment.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

I find it sad that left leaning gun owners feel the need to form their own groups. This shows a HUGE failure of the NRA to attract all 2nd Amendment advocates, instead of being inviting to all gun owners they push away those on the left. I’ve said it before, the NRA has become a right wing propaganda machine. I typically agree with what they do in the courts, but they would do gun owners a favor by cutting back on the “left vs right”, “Democrats vs Republicans” and “Liberals vs Conservatives” rhetoric and just focus on “2nd Amendment supporters vs gun-control advocates”.

We have plenty of pro-2nd Amendment friends on the left it we'd bother to put other politics aside for a moment.

Theoretically, sure, that would be nice, but in a two-party system you only have a binary choice of ideologies to vote for, with the 2A issue riding the coattails, so to speak. Even if individual Democratic representatives are pro 2A, ultimately, they are at the mercy of their far-left Party leadership and Party purse-strings.
If Nancy Pelosi regains the House Speakership, do you think she would allow a pro-gun Democrat to chair any committee? Of course not, her base would roast her alive.

Like it or not, our issue is indelibly linked to the values and platform of Conservatism. It wasn't always so, and may change in the future, but that's the political reality of the current situation.

My own father is leaning more and more left as he ages. His thing is free government healthcare and he cares less and less about the 2A or his guns. I understand his position, though I may disagree with it, but I won't pretend that it isn't straining our relationship.

 

[GEM]

Without grass roots efforts to change parties, you just give up. That is not a plan for a decent American future.

 

[MidRoad]

How's about this. It's a shooting club, soooo go enjoy your fire arms , and keep your mouths shut in regards to politics. That way knownone knows who you align with politically, everyone can be civil and have a good time. Than simply enjoy the shooting and learn how to defend onsellf from real threats?

 

[cheygriz]

I must respectfully disagree with Bassjam's premises.

The NRA has not abandoned liberals, the liberals have abandoned the NRA.

If conservatives support the NRA, and liberals hate us, our course of action seems obvious to me. We support our friends, and oppose our sworn enemires.

 

[bassjam]

Theoretically, sure, that would be nice, but in a two-party system you only have a binary choice of ideologies to vote for, with the 2A issue riding the coattails, so to speak. Even if individual Democratic representatives are pro 2A, ultimately, they are at the mercy of their far-left Party leadership and Party purse-strings.
If Nancy Pelosi regains the House Speakership, do you think she would allow a pro-gun Democrat to chair any committee? Of course not, her base would roast her alive.

Like it or not, our issue is indelibly linked to the values and platform of Conservatism. It wasn't always so, and may change in the future, but that's the political reality of the current situation.

My own father is leaning more and more left as he ages. His thing is free government healthcare and he cares less and less about the 2A or his guns. I understand his position, though I may disagree with it, but I won't pretend that it isn't straining our relationship.

And you inadvertently are pointing out the flaw...the 2nd Amendment should be independent of the 2-party system. There are plenty of liberal gun owners out there that feel silenced and unwelcome by both the left and the right. The NRA shouldn't have the words "conservative, liberal, Democrat, republican" in their vocabulary. All that does is keep out left leaning gun owners who are otherwise on our side when it comes to the 2nd Amendment.

 

[LRDGCO]

The condescension of the article's author is remarkable, even by NYT standards. Let alone the hypocrisy. A newspaper with a vehemently anti-gun editorial line that has favored virtually every violation the of the 2nd Amendment criticizing then Governor Reagan signing a bill to ban open carry as "racist legislation" highlights the fundamental insanity that reigns at the NYT.

It is interesting to me that an organization based on arming and training adherents of a specific political ideology, namely the Socialist Rifle Club, is not considered a militia by law enforcement organizations.

 

[GEM]

I don't want to be too partisan and turn this into a debate about the NRA. However, the recent issue of Shooting Illustrated arrived at my house with a cover story that said something like: STOP THE SOCIALIST WAVE.

Not get out and vote for the 2nd Amend. but a clearly political message of one side of the political spectrum. The NRA clearly has sided with the right.

That folks still think you must be conservative to support gun rights as a litmus test is very sad. The rhetoric of 'sworn enemies' is ridiculous. One might also look at so-called conservatives that have opposed gun rights. Do we have to do that again?

Reading some posts, we are going off the rails and into the rant land I feared. I think I will call this and let staff discuss if it should continue.

Read the article FYI. We may reopen.