Take a minute to teach those around you.....

[cslinger]

We tend to make fun of COP's episodes, or the news or our neighbors and friends when they make, to us, grievous mistakes regarding firearms.

The fact is shooting, guns and shooting sports is a pretty technical skill and one where the average person has not only limited knowledge but lots of mis-information from TV, the news etc.

Take a few minutes to teach or set straight those around you regarding firearms and shooting. Best case scenario, take them shooting. Worst case scenario educated them while watching a movie or the news.

Don't make fun of them, don't disavow them just because they don't know any better, educate them. The GREAT MAJORITY of people know little to nothing about firearms and what they do know comes from Movies, TV and the news. Instead of brushing them off as ANTI or stupid, teach them, tell the the truth and let them make an informed decision.

You will win more people over to our side that way then you will by saying they are stupid and "From my cold dead hands etc......"

But what do I know.

Chris

 

[BozemanMT]

I agree.
Make a goal to try and take at least one new person shooting per month. They might not get hooked (ha, fat chance), but at least they will realize, hey, this was fun and safe, and they know who to come to.
Nobody (ok, almost nobody) is going to go to the range by themselves for the first time.
You'll have more fun teaching someone and seeing them get it down, then shooting yourself.
I haven't met my goal, but I've taken 4 new people this year.
and one more this coming monday.

 

[t driver]

Well said Chris.

 

[KriegHund]

I do my best cslinger.

Sometimes people dont want to be informed though. The majority are willing to hear me out.

 

[Warner]

Well said Chris.

+1

 

[heypete]

I did just that with my father yesterday. He is now skilled enough to put any round within an 8" circle at 100 yards out of any of the rifles I own. (After getting out of the army, I'm going back to school, and I can't afford my own place in California, so I'm living with the folks for now.)

While 8" isn't incredible, that wasn't the point. He hit the paper every time, most of them on or around the black. It was more a familiarization exercise than anything.

I now would feel quite comfortable with my dad providing covering fire for me. He also is beginning to understand the difference (or lack thereof) between "evil assault weapons" and "normal, happy, fun-guns".

Yes, my aim sucked that day. Yes, I was using cheap ammo out of cheap guns (including an SKS and a Kel-Tec that needs zeroing). Still, my point was to teach my dad and to have fun. Both goals were accomplished.

See http://www.livejournal.com/users/heypete/186906.html for the story and pictures, including a few video clips. He also learned to keep his eye a bit further away from the scope of a .30-06. It bites.

 

[TallPine]

guns and shooting sports is a pretty technical skill

Really .....?????

 

[MachIVshooter]

+1 tot he original post.

I have used the following example many times, and it can be applied using a different component analogy.

person states "guns are (evel/dangerous, etc.) and kill people and should be banned"

Being a mechanic, I say this:

You own a car right?

"yeah"

what do you know about it?

"not much"

So let me understand. You own and operate a motor vehicle. You are bombarded with information regarding motor vehicles in the form of television
and newspaper ads, you watch hundred of them every day and talk about driving all the time, yet you freely admit that you basically know very little about them?

"Yeah, I guess"

So why is it, then, that I should listen to your opinion regarding a device which you have never used, have little or no knowledge about and have absolutely minimal exposure to?

"oh....."


At this point, I proceed to claruify their misconceptions, once I have pointed out to them that they have no basis on which to form an opinion. After opening their eyes to this, they tend to more readily accept the truth about firearms.