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

[CamoDeafie]

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?

Only one National Party is on record and actively trying to redefine what the 2A really means. The other simply pays lip service and most in that one are "not anti-2A" but there is the Freedom Caucus and then there's a couple of very minor 3rd Parties that seems to be "pro2A", the Constitution Party and the old Libertarian Party

 

[Knobgoblin]

Not voting.

You could remove the word " gun" from the title question and get a more honest response.

I fear nothing, while having misgivings about everything. And everyone.

 

[3MTA3]

I guess you can blame this thread and poll on a binge watch of Peter Boghossian on Youtube. These videos have made me more curious to understand others I might otherwise disagree with.

To make it perfectly clear I do not endorse the video in the OP, but what got my attention was that the people interviewed have a sincere belief that the gun community at large is opposed to them and they believe that sooner or later the caricature of conservatives given to them by MSM, the DNC, and others will become a lethal threat at some point.

I believe that our common interest in firearms and self defense can become a bridge whereby each side sees the other as a non threat and that it can help to neuter the current obsession of the left for gun control.

If you look at this thread it currently has a bit over 400 views meaning that the total number of individual people who have read at least part of it at perhaps 200, In the poll itself, just over half of the votes indicate that people have observed or experienced some form of exclusion or poor treatment for each category listed.

Granted this is non scientific and anyone can vote for multiple categories.

For those who have observed or experienced this type of behavior please feel free to PM me and tell me your story. I will keep the conversations confidential. I am simply seeking to understand and hoping to achieve common ground when there is no reason to be at odds.

 

[CamoDeafie]

If you look at this thread it currently has a bit over 400 views meaning that the total number of individual people who have read at least part of it at perhaps 200, In the poll itself, just over half of the votes indicate that people have observed or experienced some form of exclusion or poor treatment for each category listed.

Granted this is non scientific and anyone can vote for multiple categories.

You should consider that there are bots, and then there are lurkers who dont post at all but may vote in forum polls and read threads... If I remember correctly, we have a lot of "new"/low post count members who joined in only from Reddit... in the past, a lot were just blatant trolls and got dealt with rather swiftly and it seem to have died down a bit with the recommendation to do intro threads to complete profiles... point still stands... there's a not insignificant number of forumites who are solidly in one camp and see everything contrary to their beliefs as attacks/threats to them, or as invitations for "debate" (read, arguing for the sake of arguing)

 

[Stomper]

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

Well, I was going to pick on you for using the word, "ain't" because of you being a public educator and all, but much to my chagrin, "ain't" resides in the dictionary, so Imma pass on that tac and I ainna mention it no more!


BTW- I didn't answer the poll, 'cuz I hate everyone equally.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

@Stomper
When it's serious like this thread...and I post...
I write how I talk.

Which can be a tactical advantage at times when dealin' with some of muh edjucated brethren....
Andy

 

[3MTA3]

Well, I was was going to pick on you for using the word, "ain't" because of you being a public educator and all, but much to my chagrin, "ain't" resides in the dictionary, so Imma pass on that tac and I ainna mention it no more!


BTW- I didn't answer the poll, 'cuz I hate everyone equally.

Next poll I'll add a vote for "Ain't not" just for you so you won't feel excluded or treated poorly. I forgot that Stompers were their own category.

 

[Certaindeaf]

The taint is strong in you.






Lulz

 

[Member 53328]

Don't care.

 

[Cavedweller]

Am I the only one who sees a disconnect between the title of this thread and the subject of the survey? There seems to be an implication that the only reservations a person might have about "gun culture" (if such a thing exists) is that certain identity groups might be poorly treated by the "firearms community" (if such a thing exists).

But I'll play along. I voted "others" because if NWFA represents the "firearms community" (if such a thing exists), I see a definite bias against people of faith and religion in general in these forums. While discussion of religion is prohibited by site rules as being "divisive", it seems to be open season when it comes to denigrating, denouncing and/or mocking religion in general and religious people in particular. I could point to any number of examples. So I find choice #5 (Agnostics, athiests, or people of non Christian religions are excluded or poorly treated) to be somewhat ironic.

 

[Koda]

Do You Fear Or Have Misgivings About American Gun Culture?

I dont have any fears or misgivings about American gun culture. I feel like the left intentionally lies about American gun culture though and thats probably more concerning for this country than the few bad apples any community genre might have. The 2A is for everyone of all walks of life, it shouldnt be a left right thing.

 

[bradsteen]

Didn't vote, because I don't agree with the premise of the question. There's a big difference between willful exclusion and actively attempting to include. I think many marketing attempts by the industry to reach different demographics have fallen short, and I don't see a ton of outreach within the 2A community to those groups either. In spite of that, sales to female, LGBTQ, and minority buyers have risen sharply in the last 5 years. Hopefully this will result in more effective marketing and outreach from those whose perspectives or voices non-2A folks of all demographics will be more apt to listen to.

 

[arakboss]

Young people are often disrespected by both gun lovers and gun haters. Plenty of people here on NWFA that seem to be fine with restrictions placed on the 18 to 20 year old folks.

 

[CamoDeafie]

Young people are often disrespected by both gun lovers and gun haters. Plenty of people here on NWFA that seem to be fine with restrictions placed on the 18 to 20 year old folks.

The reverse is quite true, there are a lot of young gun owners or at least young people who profess to like guns, that disrespect, troll, and insult older gun owners. So... basically.. there's jerks everywhere

 

[gmerkt]

Well, the "gun culture" in the US isn't an interlocking, unitary block of people. The firearms sports group itself is pretty varied, between various forms of hunting, target shooting and so forth. Then there is another big block of people who are collectors to some degree. Followed by other, smaller concentrations like tinkers, fiddlers, experimenters, reloaders, etc. With some overlap between these interests. I suppose we might include the thousands of gang bangers who have an attraction to guns, like it or not, they are part of the "culture."

I can't speak for the gang banger group, they are outside my personal experience. I wouldn't know if they have any politics beyond criminality and gang loyalty. My exposure to gun hobbyists as collectors and shooters has informed me that most of these people tend to lean to the Right. A long time ago, there used to be a political outlook called Blue Collar Democrat. Back when the views of the two major parties weren't so distinctly opposed in viewpoints. These fellows might just as easily be interested in hunting and shooting as any guy leaning to the Right. Because the needle on the political gauge didn't swing so widely Left or Right from center. Nowadays, we don't have all that many blue collar jobs. Capital chased many of those jobs out of the country and children of Blue Collar Democrats took jobs in offices in the cities, sitting on their behinds or whatever. Instead of being closer to foundry, field and stream. Many of them went off to colleges for degrees, places where shooting sports had little place.

The Left is largely composed of people of the Democrat Party. In addition to the above gentrified offspring, the party has embraced the disenchanted (inner city poor) and immigrants. The inner city poor don't have the money, for the most part, to pursue hobbies that involve guns (not counting the gang bangers), and don't have access to shooting venues. The immigrants mostly come from places where gun ownership isn't legal. So these two contemporary cornerstones of the Democrat Party are not natural supporters of firearms ownership or activity.

I seem to recall a few brave souls posting here on NWFA with other than Right-leaning attitudes. Regardless of such attitudes, I'd prefer that all members here keep their comments civil, collegial and without rancor toward opposing views.

 

[Ura-Ki]

Not voting.

You could remove the word " gun" from the title question and get a more honest response.

I fear nothing, while having misgivings about everything. And everyone.

the people interviewed have a sincere belief that the gun community at large is opposed to them and they believe that sooner or later the caricature of conservatives given to them by MSM, the DNC, and others will become a lethal threat at some point.

These two quotes match up to my way of thinkin!
The way I see it. there is One side who are so brainwashed ( or is it brain dead? IDK) that we have lost the abilities to communicate with out devolving into a bunch of third graders yammering on about what ever pissed off 3rd graders get pissed about these days! In todays world, we have that one group who are so hell bent to remove firearms from everyone, and redefining their ideals of utopia and they are hell bent, hellishly so, to destroy everything and everyone standing in their way to get what they want, they deflect their own inabilities and use words like "Violent Extremist Conservatives" to denigrate those whom they don't agree with on anything. People stuck on the spin cycle who watch MSMBC and the The View for their "Unbiased" real world reporting, and a look at how the left thinks everyone thinks or believes, except those on the right! I miss the good old days when the two parties actually worked together to get things done, the days before a certain "First" President of the united states drove a wedge through the very heart of society that we are far worse off today then we ever have been, or at least since the rebuilding after the civil war and the abuses against the south and certain people!

As a 4th generation immigrant, I have faced my own challenges, try being from a former soviet country deeply integrated with Russia, having a Russian sounding name and accent, all at a time where everyone feared "The Reds" and all that came with that. I was discriminated when I visited certain gun shops, as well as various other stores, from car dealerships, to shoe stores, the distrust and fear in people, as well as the down right racism was shocking! As a born and raised American citizen, to be treated like that in my own country, Yea, I completely understand the issues many people face, having faced it my self, it still happens now and then, but not near as much as it used to! Outside of 'That Certain POTUS" I cannot point fingers at any one individual, BUT, I can point to One party, one side of the playground and say SEE, it's those arseholes who have caused all this, and until we stand up and punch those buggers right in their mouths and tell them to Sit Down and STFU, nothing will change! 2024 is going to be here soon enough, the sh!tshow has already started, this three dimensional chess game is boring as hell and all to predictable in that there will be no winners, only sore loosers, and the lesser of two weevils, and it's business as usual with the players playing their parts and keeping us from the greatness we have had before, and could have again! Change is needed, real honest change, but until We the People stand up and do what needs to be done, change will never happen, and were stuck in the spin cycle!

 

[DivCurlGrad72]

Didn't click, but simple: zero misgivings regarding a gun culture composed of anyone who supports freedom, rights of the individual, minimal government. Absolute misgivings regarding any armed leftist. The 2A is only for the former.

 

[Yarome]

I didn't vote, but will just say.... as a member of a minority... if you go looking for a reason to be insulted, oppressed, discriminated against.... you'll find an excuse to justify your bias every single time.

Personally. I think it's all a load of BS. It doesn't matter what minority group, gender, religious background or political leanings you might have. Any demographic you look at... an irrational a**hat is simply an a**hat... and that's more of a "you" problem than a "me" problem.

 

[Member 83510]

Members of the political left are excluded or poorly treated

I think this is the most prevalent one that I see and it's really not all that hard to understand why. It is factual to say that gun control in America has been overwhelmingly pushed by one side of the political spectrum, those on the left. People are not going to be very enticed to invite you into their culture when you're voting for politicians who actively try to dismantle parts of their culture. Not every liberal is a gun grabber but every gun grabber is a liberal. I've met plenty of wonderful people who are strongly on the left side of the political spectrum, but are also staunch supporters of the 2nd Amendment. The issue they seem to face is that can't stomach to vote for modern day Republicans so they settle for Democrats. Personally, I'm in the opposite boat. I can't stomach to vote for modern democrats so I hold my nose and vote Republican, solely because most of them will at a minimum not further restrict the 2A rights of the citizenry. There's also those on the extreme left who think anybody right of Mao is Hitler, and want nothing more to see those people removed from society. I think it's a no-brainer why those in the 2A community want to be separate from those people. Why would I help someone who openly talks about wanting to kill people like me?

I try my best to keep my political beliefs separate from my enjoyment for the 2nd Amendment but at times it is difficult. There are some people though who make no attempt to separate their politics and the practicing of their 2A rights. There's no shortage of stereotypical conservative bro-vet types in the 2A community and I can understand why that can turn a lot of people off, especially those new to the 2A who might not fit into the culture of those vocal members who fit into the above category. It's no wonder those on the left (who also statistically are younger) are instead fleeing to their own groups instead of joining already established groups to enjoy the 2A.

 

[Hueco]

Not every liberal is a gun grabber but every gun grabber is a liberal.

I seem to recall the NRA doing much to help pass gun laws in the era of the Black Panthers. More recently, I suggest you look up Tennessee Senate Bill 522 from the most recent legislative session.

Authoritarians come in all political colors.