Poll: Do You Fear Or Have Misgivings About American Gun Culture?

[3MTA3]

I'm certain this video has been previously posted, but I wanted to get some feedback. I believe that NWFA has a fairly diverse membership, and I thought it would be useful to take a look in the mirror. All thoughts and input are welcome, but I am especially looking forward to those from folks who are members of otherwise perceived classes of discrimination due to race, religion, sex, sexual preference, etc.

My personal opinion of the video is that the boogie man they have been taught to fear does not exist. I still very definitely support their right to keep and bear arms. I also believe that if they popped their heads out of their political bubble and got to know a few folks "on the other side" that they wouldn't be as badly worked up.

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[po18guy]

Leftist gun group? Seems like an oxymoron, unless they are willing tools of the fedgov complex. I'll admit that there are leftists who simply love mechanical objects, but it seems a bit hypocritical to engage in an activity which your political philosophy is endeavoring to banish.

As to other religions, there is always an area of suspicion, as those who practice any given religion are defined by the religion they practice. In some cases the most fervent practitioners are the best people, and in other cases, the worst. It is a matter of constant discernment. Naivete lead to 9/11, for example.

The poll questions seem driven by the left as they love, more than the rest of us, to pigeonhole dissenters into negative stereotypes of "white supremacist", "right winger", "ultraconservative" etc. All the while they neither recognize nor attach any such stereotype to themselves.

 

[Xaevian]

Whole lot of stereotyping, assuming, and siloing going on. Sounds pretty normal.

 

[CamoDeafie]

Leftist gun group? Seems like an oxymoron, unless they are willing tools of the fedgov complex. I'll admit that there are leftists who simply love mechanical objects, but it seems a bit hypocritical to engage in an activity which your political philosophy is endeavoring to banish.

As to other religions, there is always an area of suspicion, as those who practice any given religion are defined by the religion they practice. In some cases the most fervent practitioners are the best people, and in other cases, the worst. It is a matter of constant discernment. Naivete lead to 9/11, for example.

The poll questions seem driven by the left as they love, more than the rest of us, to pigeonhole dissenters into negative stereotypes of "white supremacist", "right winger", ultraconservative etc. All the while they neither recognize nore attach any such stereotype to themselves.

John Brown gub club and the Socialist Rifle Association. These are just two of the most well-known Leftist gun groups


Edit. They seem to be of the mindset that guns allow them to.force their ideologies unto others and defend others from the opposing ideologies.

 

[TTSX]

Spend time in local gun shops with the regulars and you'll figure out real quick who/what/if there is any prejudice towards in the "gun community". I have my own biases, however I believe 2A is for everyone, even if I don't like you and I disagree with your political choices. Just like 1A is for everyone. And 5A, etc.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Fear...no.

Misgivings aplenty.

I don't own or care for all the various polymer / synthetic stocked firearms or the latest and greatest in optics , lasers and such...
Dislike Glocks and don't care for the AR15 type of firearms..
So...it has been assumed that I am a Fudd...and have been called such here at NWFA.

I am the Dean at the school I work at...again , many folks assume things and stereotype about those in the education field.
Many comments here at NWFA about educators and the school system ain't true , at least for the school I work at...
And yes I work at a public school.

I am not 100% Left or 100% Right in regards to my political leanings...yet...
I have been told repeatedly that folks like me are the problem...and that I ain't as much as a gun owner as someone who leans more Right with their political ideas...again...this has happened here on NWFA.

While the above may read like bashing where I live so to speak...
It ain't.

Being a White , male , gun owner , who speaks with a Southern accent. , drives a truck ...and has both been in the Army and seen combat...
Much has been assumed about me , at more places than here.

Misgivings ....yes about the assuming and stereotyping...and yes misgivings about blanket statements and those folks who read into postings , take things out of context and try to turn what I said into something it ain't.
And yes again..the above does not only happen here at NWFA...it can happen anywhere.
Simply 'cause that is what some people do.

What is most irksome to me about it...
Is not that someone does this elsewhere , who may probably be anti-gun.
It is when I am on here or talking in person with another pro-gun person , that is when it bothers me the most.

My thoughts on the 2nd Amendment are simple :
Own whatever firearms you wish to...or don't.
Just don't make that choice for others.

If it were only that simple for other folks....

In any event regarding the OP and its video....
Something to consider is that Fear sells...even if there is no real basis for fear in the first place.

Andy

 

[po18guy]

John Brown gub club and the Socialist Rifle Association. These are just two of the most well-known Leftist gun groups


Edit. They seem to be of the mindset that guns allow them to.force their ideologies unto others and defend others from the opposing ideologies.

Since their ideology is (per the Supreme Court), unconstitutional; since they exploit the constitution so as to overthrow the constitution, they are subversives. We are thus well advised to view them as "not friends" of America. My guess is that they are infiltrating the military and this also explains why they want to pack the Supreme Court (11, 13, 15 or more) with a leftist super-majority. The web of leftism spread far, far broader than that, but let's just say they are a societal and cultural cancer.

Long run: It is not going to be pretty.

 

[Xaevian]

Funny, that is exactly what they were saying in that documentary.

 

[Longwalkhome]

I belong to a gun club as a life member and there are 2,600 members last I heard. Nobody ever ask what party you are but everyone demands you handle a gun safely at the club.

Being an old man I just ain't woke enough to handle all the "feelings" in the question because I have lived in an America before woke and know people can do as they please...until they become woke.

Quick, what group does that put me in by profile so I know how I am supposed to feel

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Wow....tried to watch the video in the OP....couldn't even make it a minute.
I truly dislike it when someone comes at me with a "hard sell" about an idea or agenda that I don't agree with.
Andy

 

[Loc]

I suppose the original poll needs some context. Sitting behind a keyboard on a forum such as this, yes, there is a lot of maligning of certain identity groups going on. However, if we all showed up at the local gun range to shoot, I think there would be a different vibe going on and a lot more acceptance of each other's views and perspectives. An armed society is a polite society or some or other. Or maybe I'm naive.

 

[Longwalkhome]

I made it 10 minutes of the propaganda, it's a good sales pitch for leftist.

 

[Xaevian]

Wow....tried to watch the video in the OP....couldn't even make it a minute.
I truly dislike it when someone comes at me with a "hard sell" about an idea or agenda that I don't agree with.
Andy

They are the same ideas their far right counterparts have, just different descriptors. Hard to take it seriously if you can mentally redact those. It becomes like a parody at that point.

 

[CLT65]

We've all got our biases and prejudices to one degree or another. Like Andy, I do have some misgivings and concerns about American gun culture in general, but personally I haven't seen the rejection and mistreatment of the various groups like they claim. In fact, I've seen a lot of gun groups welcoming women and minorities with open arms.

One of my best friends is Filipino. He's never said anything about not feeling welcome. Another friend is Muslim, and goes to gun shows and buys guns all the time. Next time I see him I'll ask him if he's ever felt unwelcome or discriminated against. I'm sure there are pockets of prejudice in the gun community, like there is anywhere, but in general it's certainly not the "Good-ol'-boy white racist" atmosphere that the left makes it out to be.

I remember one of the Colion Noir videos I watched, he said something about how he was nervous when he first started getting into guns, because of the hard-right, racist perception some have of the community, but was pleasantly surprised to find mostly friendly, welcoming people.

You see the occasional "No sales to democrats" sign at gun shows, but that's obviously just a reaction to recent laws and anti-gun extremism on the left.

I have to wonder if these leftist gun groups support the inherent right of everyone to bear arms, or if they're merely reactionary: "Our enemies have guns, so we're going to have guns too". Are they primarily about guns, or politics? How welcoming would they be to someone from the other side of the aisle showing up and talking politics?

 

[RVTECH]

but in general it's certainly not the "Good-ol'-boy white racist" atmosphere that the left makes it out to be.

Oh, in the past there were some occasional 'pockets' of it in various places. I know, I witnessed some of it but it think it is mostly gone now.

 

[RVTECH]

I have to wonder if these leftist gun groups support the inherent right of everyone to bear arms, or if they're merely reactionary: "Our enemies have guns, so we're going to have guns too". Are they primarily about guns, or politics? How welcoming would they be to someone from the other side of the aisle showing up and talking politics?

While I only 'skimmed' the video quite frankly my take was they appeared to be a bunch of idealistic nerds who were on a 'fad' with their gun interest/ownership.

I saw what looked like wannabe LARPER emulations of video games, movies etc.

In effect they reminded me of the 3% goofballs of a few years ago, just with different attitudes and opinions is all.

 

[CLT65]

Oh, in the past there were some occasional 'pockets' of it in various places. I know, I witnessed some of it but it think it is mostly gone now.

True. One of the amazing abilities of the human mind is the ability to not see things that we don't want to. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, in a primarily white community, among family and friends who were racially tolerant but not racially diverse, it was easy to believe that racism was a thing of the past, something that didn't exist anymore.

As I grew older, I came to realize that the truth was much more difficult, as it usually is. People on "my side" aren't always good people, and people on the other side aren't always "bad".

 

[Certaindeaf]

Leftists/communists hate America and the only culture they have is called smegma.

 

[Jay Walk]

Culture - The set of predominating attitudes and behavior that characterize a group or organization.

Misgivings - Doubt, distrust, or apprehension.



As to the question, I jumped in when Rona started so being late to the party, I saw many people while waiting in lines at the gun store, the minorities I saw were mostly black and I thought that was great, a right is a right and they were exercising it.

 

[djm68]

Do I have misgivings about gun culture in 'Murica? Only so much in that I have a fear of citizens obsessed with the tattered and thinned veil of 'Left' vs 'Right' politics. It would seem our shared concern should the massive growth of authoritarianism and war mongering both parties have subjected us to. L and R sell us all out and we endlessly point fingers at one another. Meanwhile, as gun sales statistic bear out, the country is arming itself. My biggest hope is, all the new gun owners will see it is the government trying to take their arms is the thing to fear...perhaps it will help them wake up?