When I got my first hunting permit in texas, I had to take some online training first. Something I really appreciated is that the online training had a whole section on "how to not be a dick with your firearms, so that anti-gun people don't hate all of us". Obviously they did not call it that, but it was basically that
Well I'm pretty much a second amendment absolutist and think that everybody should have a right to carry guns in public, I 100% agree with this post. People open carrying ARs are doing nothing but creating ill will towards gun culture. They are also, generally speaking, not representing the median gun owner. I know lots of gun owners and exactly zero of them would open carry a weapon in public. A lot of them would concealed carry, but they are all in agreement that open carry is stupid, not useful, and makes everyone hate us
Yup. Mostly agree, would quibble a little at the margins. Open carry of handguns isn't really eyebrow-raising anymore, at least in big swaths of the country. Open carry of rifles is touchy, but there are circumstances where it could actually be an effective form of protest. Imagine a super organized, professional, and friendly group, staging a calm protest in a location other than a school bus stop. That's not _necessarily_ counterproductive.
May 24, 2023·edited May 24, 2023Liked by Open Source Defense
"...Imagine a super organized, professional, and friendly group, staging a calm protest .."
That is a great idea in theory but based on the AR protests we had at the State Capitol here in New Mexico, which led to a state capitol building gun ban, they were generally a very unfriendly, scowling bunch and were countered by angry anti-gun people. I hate to make perfect the enemy of good, but I see few opportunities for such exquisite control, although I agree with you in principle. Plus, a bunch of guys showing up these days with ARs over their shoulders is to me, Kryptonite to gun rights.
On the margins, criticism can lead people toward better strategies; but I'm not sure we have those strategies. What are some modes of protest and community engagement that make our community look great?
One guy standing at the bus stop with a gun is not that great, but armed citizens as part of a parade is a time-honored tradition.
Maybe another good model for outreach would be guns and gear days organized with cafe owners, to let people come by and learn about what an Aimpoint is really like and what different guns really feel like to pick up and assemble / disassemble. This takes some thought and maybe we need some kind of working group to sort out some ideas about how to run one of these things and then consolidate experience reports into new procedures as things develop.
When I got my first hunting permit in texas, I had to take some online training first. Something I really appreciated is that the online training had a whole section on "how to not be a dick with your firearms, so that anti-gun people don't hate all of us". Obviously they did not call it that, but it was basically that
Well I'm pretty much a second amendment absolutist and think that everybody should have a right to carry guns in public, I 100% agree with this post. People open carrying ARs are doing nothing but creating ill will towards gun culture. They are also, generally speaking, not representing the median gun owner. I know lots of gun owners and exactly zero of them would open carry a weapon in public. A lot of them would concealed carry, but they are all in agreement that open carry is stupid, not useful, and makes everyone hate us
Yup. Mostly agree, would quibble a little at the margins. Open carry of handguns isn't really eyebrow-raising anymore, at least in big swaths of the country. Open carry of rifles is touchy, but there are circumstances where it could actually be an effective form of protest. Imagine a super organized, professional, and friendly group, staging a calm protest in a location other than a school bus stop. That's not _necessarily_ counterproductive.
"...Imagine a super organized, professional, and friendly group, staging a calm protest .."
That is a great idea in theory but based on the AR protests we had at the State Capitol here in New Mexico, which led to a state capitol building gun ban, they were generally a very unfriendly, scowling bunch and were countered by angry anti-gun people. I hate to make perfect the enemy of good, but I see few opportunities for such exquisite control, although I agree with you in principle. Plus, a bunch of guys showing up these days with ARs over their shoulders is to me, Kryptonite to gun rights.
Well said. When it comes to gun rights, it is better to be understated than to scare the crap out of everyday people.
On the margins, criticism can lead people toward better strategies; but I'm not sure we have those strategies. What are some modes of protest and community engagement that make our community look great?
One guy standing at the bus stop with a gun is not that great, but armed citizens as part of a parade is a time-honored tradition.
Maybe another good model for outreach would be guns and gear days organized with cafe owners, to let people come by and learn about what an Aimpoint is really like and what different guns really feel like to pick up and assemble / disassemble. This takes some thought and maybe we need some kind of working group to sort out some ideas about how to run one of these things and then consolidate experience reports into new procedures as things develop.