Tried to convert an anti; didn't work out so well

[Missashot]

It sounds as if you did an excellent job of providing a well grounded debate. That is all you can really do. Sometimes someone doesn't want to see something from another angle or they do see it, but prefer the view from their side.
I think everyone has issues that they will stand firm on and not be swayed. I think you did a very good job. Hopefully you got a few of your fellow students interested in healthy relationships with guns

 

[Big Calhoun]

I'm of the opinion that there is no changing some peoples mind. The best thing to do is to articulate your stance in a reasonable manner, offer practical examples, and just demonstrate yourself to be a responsible gunowner. I'm learning from experience that those actions go a LOOOOONNNNGGGG way in getting someone to rethink their position. Heck, I even got my mother-in-law to soften up and she is probably the most anti- person I've come across.

 

[TallPine]

"Your life must be horrible to have you so paranoid about your safety," "If I get in trouble I'm confident that I can call 911 and be protected,"

Yeah, right

A couple weeks ago, the brave local county mounties flushed a parole violator out of his residence in a rural neighborhood not too far from us. After several fruitless hours of chasing him around in the snowy woods, they all retired back to town at dark. A few hours later, the fugitive showed up at a house and held an elderly couple at gunpoint and stole their pickup.

So IOW the cops poked the hornets nest, and then left the area residents all on their own without even notifying everyone in the area that a dangerous fugitive was on the loose.

 

[BigO01]

Talking to the Antis is for the most part a total waste of time , you need to give them a demonstration of just how vulnerable they are to get their attention .

Many years ago I was at a friends New Years eve party , met a pretty little girl and started talking and of course the age old "So what do you like to do" question was asked . When I mentioned hunting and shooting she turned into a demon from hell .

After trying all the usual arguments and failing I tried to change the subject and she wouldn't let it be . We were sitting on a couch with a table in front of us and on the table was the largest porcelain ashtray I have ever seen in the shape of a leaf , I picked it up and found it weighed nearly 20 lbs and handed it to her so she could feel how substantial it was and said "this is pretty heavy huh ?" she got a confused look on her face and agreed that it was indeed very heavy .

I took it away from her and and told her in just a matter of seconds I could crush her skull with that ashtray and since there was no one near us no one could stop me and since I now knew she was unarmed and she was perhaps 100 lbs lighter than me she couldn't do a thing to stop me .

She got a rather frightened look on her face and slowly got up and left the party within a few minutes after that .

I don't know if I changed her mind about guns that night but I prevented her from getting a DWI since she hadn't even finished one drink before presumably going home .

 

[vynx]

Be sure to tell the teacher (substitute may not return) and class the issue here is not a Virginia Shooting its MURDER.

The issue it not how they died it is that they were murderred.

Talk murder and take the word shooting (and the reference it impies to guns) out of the discussion.

 

[Turkey Creek]

It might be worthwhile to point out that many gun laws are not only useless in preventing criminals from using guns in their illegal activities, they actually increase the danger to the law abiding- Ask an anti if they think a criminal pays much if any attention to laws- Their "no" answer is then responded to by asking why you as a law abiding citizen should be deprived of the same tool to defend yourself with that the criminal has to assault or threaten you- Generally you will get a blank stare- At least sometimes you may see the wheels start to turn

 

[Havegunjoe]

It's hard to change a mind in that short an amount of time.

Too bad you didn't have more time, maybe he will be back for your next class and you can continue this discussion. Keep up the good work and it's nice to see you weren't afraid to voice your opinion.