Why is the gun culture still stuck in the 1960s?
- Thread starter bogie
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bogie
Member
Well, someone from SGN emailed me, and told me my ad would run extra time. I emailed back asking if it would have the correct phone number.
No response.
The process at Gun Digest took may 10 minutes, and ensured that the only typos would come from my end. SGN needs to revamp how they are doing things.
No response.
The process at Gun Digest took may 10 minutes, and ensured that the only typos would come from my end. SGN needs to revamp how they are doing things.
Tosler made some observations that I think mean a lot:
"...They are growing up in a completely different culture, one which fears guns, idolizes guns, and teaches nothing real about them."
You hit that one on the head. What it seems to me is that guns are being excised from our American culture. Elevated and tainted at the same time. When I was kid a gun was just a part of life. All my sibs and I needed to access a 12 gage, a 30.06 and a .22 was permission. Just same as my fathers set of Craftsman tools.
Then, the skillsaw and the shotgun came with the same warning from Pop: "Don't hurt yourself (or anyone else) with that (tool), son....and put it up when you're through."
And:
"....If you outlaw something otherwise moral, everybody does it. If you put enough restrictions on it, people stop doing...."
(alcohol) Prohibition didn't work. Pestering something to death over enough time might.
"...They are growing up in a completely different culture, one which fears guns, idolizes guns, and teaches nothing real about them."
You hit that one on the head. What it seems to me is that guns are being excised from our American culture. Elevated and tainted at the same time. When I was kid a gun was just a part of life. All my sibs and I needed to access a 12 gage, a 30.06 and a .22 was permission. Just same as my fathers set of Craftsman tools.
Then, the skillsaw and the shotgun came with the same warning from Pop: "Don't hurt yourself (or anyone else) with that (tool), son....and put it up when you're through."
And:
"....If you outlaw something otherwise moral, everybody does it. If you put enough restrictions on it, people stop doing...."
(alcohol) Prohibition didn't work. Pestering something to death over enough time might.
Stephen21B
Member
Theres no shortage of gun folk here in Central PA, if there is any problem with the gun culture here its the "fudd" mentality and an unwillngness to become active in support of the RKBA. Most are content to Shout "from my cold dead hands!" but they won't do anything to keep it from coming to that.
The FCC is stuck in the 30's with ham radio. It used to be that you really needed to know how to build the circuits and tune them, and fix them. Most hams probably can't repair or troubelshoot a lot of the new stuff these days.
The problem is that the law did not change with the technology.
They did finally get rid of the archaic requirement to learn Morse Code for at least one class of license, but left it in the others.
I don't think its the fault of hams or the FCC. I think ham radio was just surpassed by the internet. Some people enjoy the challenge of actually being able to establish with someone far off, but personally I'm there for the actual conversation. I can do more of that on the internet. And then when you start someone off on 2 meters and its just the local old men talking about their wives and bunions...
Young folks, for the most part, haven't got the money to do serious gun buying. They're all out spending what they have on getting drunk, and trying to get laid. Which is as it should be. There's time enough to settle down into a hobby after you've got through that phase.
Match14
Member
With regards to our "community" being stuck in the 60's I just have to say the following.
From what I have seen the majority of firearms owners appear to be over 30 years old on average. I'm currently in my mid twenties and can remember using Apple II's in school and when kids didn't surf the internet. Before Apple II's there were Commodore 64's which if I'm correct were the first widespread Personal Computers. Basically what I'm saying is that my generation was the first one to grow up with computers. Which means that people older than say 30, likely had little or no experience with computers when they were in school and are more inclined to keep to there old habits.
From what I have seen the majority of firearms owners appear to be over 30 years old on average. I'm currently in my mid twenties and can remember using Apple II's in school and when kids didn't surf the internet. Before Apple II's there were Commodore 64's which if I'm correct were the first widespread Personal Computers. Basically what I'm saying is that my generation was the first one to grow up with computers. Which means that people older than say 30, likely had little or no experience with computers when they were in school and are more inclined to keep to there old habits.
Brad Johnson
Member
Disagree. I think the death of HAM began when the licensing restrictions were lifted on CB radio. The cell phone was the next step toward HAM's demise, especially after they dropped under a hundred bucks in the late '80s. The final nail in the coffin was the internet. Why go through the hurdles of getting your HAM ticket, along with buying a bunch of dedicated equipment, when you could talk to almost anyone from almost anywhere with the computer you already had?
Nope, HAM didn't die because it was hard to get licensed. HAM died because cheaper, more convenient ways of communicating supplanted it. Heck, I still have my HAM ticket for voluteer work during severe weather season. Even then I'm on the cell phone most of the time because it's less hassle and works better.
Brad
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mainebear
Member
The social perceptions of gun owners have changed dramaticly over the last 40 years.
I can remember bringing our shotguns to school, On the bus yet, (stored in the overhead rack by the driver), leaving them in the principals office stacked in a corner and then partridge hunting after school.
At that time nobody gave it a second thought. Here in Northern Maine it was just what was done. The thought of shooting up the school never entered our heads.
Maybe as gun owners we think differently. I don't know but it sure seems like we're becoming a minority faster and faster with each passing year.
I try and succeed each year in introducing young hunters and shooters to the sport but we are few and the naysayers are many. It seems as if it just not worth the ostracization that many young people go through today for them to own and use firearms, so they play video games like so many of their peers.
Sorry for the long post, but I think young people just take the path of least resistance. Perhaps I would have done the same thing under the same conditions. Its a shame, but IMHO there it is.
I can remember bringing our shotguns to school, On the bus yet, (stored in the overhead rack by the driver), leaving them in the principals office stacked in a corner and then partridge hunting after school.
At that time nobody gave it a second thought. Here in Northern Maine it was just what was done. The thought of shooting up the school never entered our heads.
Maybe as gun owners we think differently. I don't know but it sure seems like we're becoming a minority faster and faster with each passing year.
I try and succeed each year in introducing young hunters and shooters to the sport but we are few and the naysayers are many. It seems as if it just not worth the ostracization that many young people go through today for them to own and use firearms, so they play video games like so many of their peers.
Sorry for the long post, but I think young people just take the path of least resistance. Perhaps I would have done the same thing under the same conditions. Its a shame, but IMHO there it is.
Dave Markowitz
Member
The Morse requirement is 100% gone as off February 2007.
I disagree that the gun culture is dying. It took a beating from 1968 through 1984, and again during the Clinton administration. However, we've made a lot of progress. E.g., compare the existence of right-to-carry laws in 2007 vs. 1967.
The gun culture is changing. Whereas in the past the primary reason for gun ownership was probably hunting, these days it's largely about self defense. You also have a lot of milsurp collectors and recreational shooters.
bl4ckd0g
Member
I'd say that the conservative side of the shooting sports is dying, or needs to undergo a few changes. For every grown up (35+ y.o.) hunter I see scoping in and practicing with their rifle at the local range, there are a bunch of 18-19 y.o. pistol shooters who point their Glock or Beretta off into the distance and empty their mags in record time with little or no respect to shot placement.
Most of the serious shooters that I know experienced it as a family tradition, and not as a new endeavour.
Most of the serious shooters that I know experienced it as a family tradition, and not as a new endeavour.
Mk VII said:
You're mostly correct. When I was still in school (not so very long ago) I didn't have much money, and hedonism certainly had its place in my life.
That said, even on the "starving student" budget I managed to put aside enough to get a decent weapon. I'd say it's a matter of priorities, and I know more than a few younger people who share my own. Come to think of it, firearm ownership even contributed to the aforementioned hedonism: some young women really like shooting.
Badkharma
Member
1. Barring financial considerations, how is it more difficult? If you're of legal age and meet the restrictions (ie. no felony), you shouldn't have any problems. I CAN see an issue being that since most age restrictions start around the university student age, most students cannot afford the hobby and furthermore cannot store their firearms on campus. If you're old enough to own a gun however, your parent's thoughts shouldn't matter since I hope you'd be out of the house...
2. Re: Citizenship. Not true. I'm a legal resident (green card) and I can own a firearm; heck I own several. If you have your green card, you're good to go.
3. So what if society has a negative view of guns? Do you let that stop you from owning one?
4. Airsoft is fun, I used to play all the time. However, it's completely different from shooting firearms as a hobby and I wouldn't call it an alternative at all. We don't go around shooting each other for fun with real steel. The appeal of airsoft is that it's a great alternative to paintball - with more realistic scenarios / weapons, and you don't have to deal with paint breaks and goofy air systems/hoppers. This is a whole 'nother discussion though.
bogie
Member
Another thing to consider...
MOST gun shops I've been in have about 1/3 to 1/2 the lighting that they really need.
Guys. Blow another $2-300 on some fluorescents, and put 'em in... Then when you get 'em in, clean the place. Put a big magnifying fluorescent at the counter - When people can see, they buy.
MOST gun shops I've been in have about 1/3 to 1/2 the lighting that they really need.
Guys. Blow another $2-300 on some fluorescents, and put 'em in... Then when you get 'em in, clean the place. Put a big magnifying fluorescent at the counter - When people can see, they buy.
deltacharlie
Member
The original post was....
As far as the "gun culture being stuck in the 60's" - I think you can apply that to a large part of American culture and business. Why? B/c babyboomers (practically) outnumber everyone else and they're the ones who are department heads and above in the vertical stack of business management. They grew up in the 60's.
So if the head of pubs at Shotgun News is a baby boomer and the ad submissions has been working the way it is since he was a kid, why change? Does it make sense, no, it's just the way it is.
As far as the rest of the gun culture goes with it's 60's mentality (1911 45's are the best ever!) and way of doing things (pencil & paper) yes they are predominantly populated with graybeards.
The exception to that rule is shooting courses (ccw, advanced tactical, sepcialized training, etc.) in which the old fellas are the ones teaching the class. And I for one (under 40) thank god they're still around doing it!
Speculation as to if or why we are "losing the younger generation" and not attracting new members to the gun culture....that's a whole other topic.
Back on topic: many publications & shop owners are online and actively surpressed by Yahoo, Google, eBay, PayPal, etc.
and then went on a tear about how antiquated Shotgun News is....I dunno, they do have a website with contact info. So that's something not from the 60's.bogie said:
As far as the "gun culture being stuck in the 60's" - I think you can apply that to a large part of American culture and business. Why? B/c babyboomers (practically) outnumber everyone else and they're the ones who are department heads and above in the vertical stack of business management. They grew up in the 60's.
So if the head of pubs at Shotgun News is a baby boomer and the ad submissions has been working the way it is since he was a kid, why change? Does it make sense, no, it's just the way it is.
As far as the rest of the gun culture goes with it's 60's mentality (1911 45's are the best ever!) and way of doing things (pencil & paper) yes they are predominantly populated with graybeards.
Maybe not where you are, but where I am, by and large the gun-related events I attend are mostly populated by babybooming graybeards (as high as 75%, but that's just an unscientific observation on my part).cnorman18 said:
The exception to that rule is shooting courses (ccw, advanced tactical, sepcialized training, etc.) in which the old fellas are the ones teaching the class. And I for one (under 40) thank god they're still around doing it!
Speculation as to if or why we are "losing the younger generation" and not attracting new members to the gun culture....that's a whole other topic.
Back on topic: many publications & shop owners are online and actively surpressed by Yahoo, Google, eBay, PayPal, etc.
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