Why do you guys do it???

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How about for this reason?

I'll bet that of our 10,000+ members there are just a few of them who are 'borderline' on some issues. Serious hunters who don't see the 'need' for 'assault rifles'. Serious target shooters who don't see the 'need' for concealed carry rights.

Anti-gun new posters, even if they be trolls, make good "straw men" in gun debates to help crystalize in the minds of bordlerline gunnies all the reasons why ill-informed anti-gun arguments are wrong.

Also, some people just like to argue:D :D :D
 
This is the one place where an obviouis troll will be met with polite and civil discussion. The more people that hop onto those threads without going into rabid attack mode the better it makes us look as a whole.

As others have said, at least it helps us hone our "newbie" arguments. I like being forced to think about the issue from time to time from such a stance. It seems to occur in real life with me about once a week, sometimes more. The better I can hone the "argument" the better off we are as a group. I gain perspectives by reading such threads and other THR member's posts.

If the thread doesn't turn the original poster over -- maybe we'll at least make a dent in them. If it fails to do that, well, it was least a fun exercise. Those points can be "taken to the streets" if you will from there on.
 
But I cannot thing of one, singe individual in the history of this board or the Firing Line who came to the website hating guns and who's mind you opened simply by explaining why guns are good or why the 2nd Amendment is not obsolete just because we don't use muskets anymore.
Click to expand...


Oh really? :D

I came to TFL hating guns. It all started over at the Rosie O'Donnell boards (don't slam me, this was in the PAST ;) ) after Tom Sellek was on her show. Being Rosie fans, 99% of us there were anti-gun. One day a bunch of pro-gunners raided the board (and I am SO thankful that they did!) and we got into some heated debates. There were a few gun owners that actually answered questions, stated facts, and didn't start a flame war with me. Those people I listened to and learned the most. The ones slamming us, just made everything worse.

Eventually they invited me to TFL. When I first posted on 'their' turf, I automatically assumed I'd be caught in the middle of a flame fest, but it was quite the opposite. Everyone was really nice, they answered my stupid questions and showed me a lot of facts. Rich Lucibella welcomed me to his forum and really made me feel comfortable there. Rosie's side couldn't provide any facts, it was all hear say. So obviously things started making more and more sense to me, and I was at the point where I was 'sitting on the fence'. Several months later, JeffOTMG took me shooting and to the Tulsa Gun Show. That did it for me, I became a gun nut within 24 hours. :D

I've been a gun owner for three years now, would love to own many many more, but $$ is tight. I am an NRA member, SAS member, LEAA, and a SAF member. I am one of three admins over at FFF. The other female admin, Ramangel, came from the Rosie Boards too. I try to talk to as many anti's as I can when I see them posting around different forums. I can relate to them because I was in the same spot as they are. I always encourage them to go shooting with an experienced shooter before they debate more. If they do end up going shooting, the debate is normally over. ;)

I do agree, that sometimes people post on forums without any intent on learning anything. They ask questions just to start up a long thread and usually never make more than 1 or 2 posts. People like that won't ever be converted because they don't have an open mind. You have to be willing to listen to the other side when debating. You can usually tell if someone is going to stick around or just leave because they will have a lot to say. If they ask a few questions, then no replies to the comments, they are trolls.

Debating is good up to a point, but the real kicker is taking that person to shoot. The anti's don't want to read long, dragged out, boring threads with a complete lesson in history. Listen to what they are saying, get to the point, show some facts, and more so get them to go shooting! Speaking to them in a friendly, intelligent way is showing them that not all gun owners are crazed out gang bangers. Always take the "high road". ;)

Thanks for the kind words Don. :D Not much online time but I always peek in when I can. You and the family need to come up during the summer for some shooting and Quizmo's. :D
 
Miss Demeanors ... a warming ''success'' story if i ever heard one .. but then you are a lady with smarts and a will to think for self ... all you needed was the stimulus and input to make you think further.

Wish that there were more like you. Kudos.:) Good to have you in the family at THR.
 
It's a good excuse to rehash the fundamentals. If you stay in a largely pro-gun community, where the "gun questions" you answer are about reloading, range drills, or concealability, you begin to wonder if you can still answer the big questions, like "Why do you carry a gun?" It's good to get a chance to answer these questions now and again, if only to remind yourself to ask them.
 
Two reasons

First, they came here to ask. The fact that they came here means that their minds are open enough to inquire. If they had no doubts in their Anti-ness, they wouldn't bother-they'd be harassing John Kerry about his hunting of cute little birdies and bunnies. :D

Second, if we can argue out the basic premise of RKBA with an anti, we will become more articulate in that argument. Most of us here are "the choir", so to speak, and some of our internal arguments aren't exactly the most intellectually stimulating, such as:

  • AR-15 vs AK47
  • 9mm vs 45
  • Anything but vs Glock
  • California vs New Jersey
:rolleyes:

If not us, who?

If not now, when?
 
If you respond politely and accurately to 1,000 trolls, and only one listens, uses reason, and comes over to our side, then there's one more of us and one less of them.
 
OK, OK, (grumble grumble grumble). You guys convinced me. (grumble grumble grumble).
 
I like the answer that maybe we'll help someone ELSE who happens to browse the board but I also think we plant some seeds with the original posters. Even some of the real negative posters show signs of reading and attempting to debate our responses. It also helps break the stereotype they have in their minds (billy bob cooter or whatever).
 
I LOVE guns and respect them. In my attic I have a rocking chair from when I was a toddler. When I asked my mom why there were deep scratches on the chair she told me it was from my toy "6 Guns" that I constantly wore when rocking; she used to wait until I fell asleep before she could get them off me. I went on to BB-Guns and the rest is history.

Why this ancient history? It's because I grew up in a very different "world" than the one I am raising my kids in. People are incredibly conditioned by the media and our society wants quick fixes for all our problems. People who don't share our love of guns see the banning of guns as a realistic solution. They believe that their Zack and Wendy will only be safe when getting out of the SUV if all guns are taken away. As much as I love guns, I can understand how people get so riled up after being bombarded by images of death and destruction. Every time I read about a gun related atrocity, I cringe and worry about our rights being taken away.

I'm new to this forum but have been a member of similar forums for years. Initially, my interest was strictly in handguns/IDPA. Because of forums like this one, I went on to collect rifles (look at my "name"). We probably won't make a gun lover out of a gun hater, but if we handle their questions with intelligent, respectful answers, they just might understand where we are coming from. It's possible they might even end up respecting our right to choose. And every once in a great while, we may even get a convert. Either way, it doesn't hurt!

By the way, I do political cartoons and will share one with you as a newbie introduction!

Glad to be here,
jAK-47:D

15916parentsAK.gif
 
Thanks for all the good reminders why you try.

Miss D., it is nice meeting you. Thank you for your story. Indeed, I occasionally try to recruit friends from work to take a basic shooting class. Few accept the invitation but I have recruited a few new shooters. I keep trying...

And welcome to all the new folks here. I appreciate your contributions. :D

Jimbo
 
Someone also mentioned WyldOne, and if anybody is interested, I have her e-mail addy. While I don't know if she's come as far as Miss Demeanors did, she seemed to be headed in that direction.

It's always good to keep one's debating skills honed, and there is also a lesson in warfare to be learned: know your enemy.
 
Because we are not snobs walking around with our noses stuck up in the air hanging out in our own little private cliques. We don't belittle anyone who has a question. People here will freely offer their advice and opinions to anyone who asks. Standards are set pretty high here and most everyone follows them.
 
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