How many have you converted?

[a2birdcage]

This is a question for all the pro-gun people. My question is have you ever converted an anti-gunner to a pro-gunner? If so how many?

My story: I live in Montana which for the most part is very pro-gun but the city I live in is very liberal and there are a few anti's in the population. Over the past year I have taken it upon myself to educate people who hate and/or fear guns. First, I talk to them about it asking them questions on their reasons for their fears or hatred, Second, I convince them to come to the range on the weekend to shoot with me (this usually consists of shooting various different guns including many so called "assault weapons"), Third, the shooting basically sells itself and they convert to the good side. The hardest part is getting them to try something they never have before. It always surprises me that they have such a hatred for something they have never even tried. To this day I have successfully converted 6 out of the 6 I have educated in the last year. All but one of them have made a firearm purchase in less than two months of shooting with me. The sixth one is still deciding on which Bushmaster he wants.

[SWPAdem]

1. Well, I'm not really anti or pro

Grew up in the country, hunters in the family etc, own several weapons that remain at my parents' home.

Spent eight years in the military, found that the 16 is a great weapon for a small framed female and enjoyed the hell out of going to the range.

My major concerns were related to personal experiences. My mother and father got in an argument when I was about five years old. One of them was holding a loaded .22 and in the struggle, the rifle discharged and nearly killed me. In addition, I am a pediatric ICU nurse and I cannot tell you how many kids I have cared for, or wrapped for the morgue, because of STUPID PEOPLE. My argument was not with weapons per se, but with the need to keep them out of the hands of morons. Unfortunately, there is no way to do so under the Constitution. You can only deal with these a$$holes after the damage is done.

What finally convinced me was the bloodless coup. Please note that I am not now advocating armed rebellion. Part of me thinks that that is sort of silly, because it would be pretty damned hard for the average citizen to hold off someone with tanks, etc. Still, I now have respect for that argument.

The other thing that I have trouble accepting is the "must be armed for self defense". Not denying anyone's right....just never understood the fear factor. In 50+ years, over 20 spent in high crime, inner city areas, I have never felt threatened enough to consider arming myself...I know, knock on wood.

Guess that doesn't answer your question but I think that taking people to the range and allowing them to overcome their fears is WAY MORE effective than any of the NRA rhetoric.

[LearnedHand]

2. GOOD answer, SWPA...

very reasonable and well-said! And good topic, a2b; ALSO very reasonable and well-said. Wish we could see more discussion like this!

[SWPAdem]

7. Thanks

Just because I have't really felt the need to be armed doesn't mean that there haven't been thousands of times that I wished I was......
:evilgrin:

[truthseeker1]

3. You must live in Missoula

I don't have much to contribute to the gun discussion, but had to guess that you must live in Missoula. My folks and brother and sister-in-law live in Bozeman and I have some family in Missoula as well. Husband is from Circle.

I can barely stand to go back to Bozeman anymore - mostly because my immediate family are a bunch of dittoheads (wonder how they're taking the Rush Limpballs news). I like Missoula and Kalispell/Whitefish/Big Timber areas much better - seems to be very more diversity and open-mindedness up north!

[1a2b3c]

4. and the River Runs Through It.

[1a2b3c]

5. converting the anti gun crowd

is a waste of time. Just try and let all the fence sitters know when they start spitting out....hoooey....and try and tell it how it is without all the spin. Sure 36 kids, age 0-24 die everyday from gun violence, but those kids age 18-24 made the choice to get involved in a gang or commit suicide. Some fence sitters might believe in the right for a person to choose his own destiny, others might not.

[Liberal Classic]

6. No, but I have helped some of my friends change on prohibition

Generally speaking, I have not had much chance to change people's minds on gun control. I have been to the local Young Democrats meeting where I was told that guns were "weapons of mass destruction." The only response I could give was that a firearm is a weapon of mass destruction the same way a car is a vehicle of mass transit. Which is to say it isn't. I will say that I was better liked than the La Rouche representative, but that is kind of a low bar.

I have had a much better track record changing people's minds on the drug war than I have gun control. Gun control and abortion seem to be the two most divisive and polarizing issues out there. I do believe there are moderate positions on both issues, but even moderate viewpoints catch hell from both sides.

Positions critical to the drug prohibition can be made to appeal to both Democrats and Republicans. Both center around constitutional and practical arguments, but they generally need a little different angle to keep someone from closing their ears. It seems to me though that plenty of Republicans and Democrats are ban-happy. Republicans and Democrats want to ban drugs. Democrats want to ban guns, Republicans want to ban rap music. If it sticks in someone's craw, certianly the idea that the government should get rid of it will present itself.

Some years back when the first tobacco lawsuits were getting in the news I told my friends that eventually someone will make the same arguments against junk food. They all told me I was totally nuts and that no one would ever make the argument that junk food was addictive and junk food companies should pay. I am sad to say that I was right.

[Nikia]

8. My husband convinced me

I am a big believer in civil rights and my husband convinced me that this like any other right is an important civil right. Merely possessing a gun does not harm anyone. If I believe that Americans have the right to privacy, it is hypocritical of me to believe that guns should not be included in this.

[a2birdcage]

9. Excellent Answer

[Romulus]

10. "converted" is a relative term

My fiancee was pretty anti-gun owner - until she met me! :evilgrin:

When we first started going out, I put the cards and the table and told her about my beliefs on firearms ownership, CCW, etc. She was taken aback at first because they didn't fit in her Yankee liberal playbook, but decided to give the relationship a try, anyway.

Now she is pretty neutral on the subject. Even though there's no MD CCW, she said she didn't care if I CCW on trips, etc., as long as I let her know beforehand. She has even expressed an interest in going to the range, but got too impatient with my pre-range safety class, so we've never finished the class. (At one point she asked me why I was teaching her all that "safety stuff" when all she "needed to know" was how to step up and go "blam-bla-blam-blam--blam."):evilfrown:

I think in her case that counts as a "conversion." :evilgrin: