National How Should The 2A Community Reach Out To Middle (Undecided) Voters On Firearm Legislation?

[arakboss]

One good thing we have going for us is that we get to interpret the legislation as we see it. You will rarely get those who propose this type of legislation to counter the narrative the opposition sets. The problem we have is getting our interpretation of the legislation out to the masses.

 

[arakboss]

That is the correct response when dealing with reasonable people... which is why this approach has failed for so many years. The unfortunate truth is that ideologues do not respond to a reasonable approach. Consequently, force of policy must be met with equal if not more aggressive force of policy. Period.

We are not trying to change the minds of ideologues. The people in the middle are squishy and can go either way. It's my position that we are going to be responsible for moving them in the direction of opposition to anti gun legislation. The NRA or fill in the blank organization isn't going to do it for us.

 

[3MTA3]

Most voters are not rational. By that I mean that facts alone don't have a great deal of influence on their opinions. The anti's have been using, and winning, with emotion based arguments. Know your facts, but use emotion inspiring rhetoric to convey the message like

"Did you hear about that latest home invasion in Portland? Now they want to take our guns away. Why do they always want to take guns away from moms and dads who need them to protect their kids, but won't do a damn thing to take them away from criminals and gangs? Why do they want to make us afraid to leave our homes while they let these people run free to terrorize us and worse? Why won't the mayor let the police do their jobs? Why won't the Deadbeat DA prosecuite or even hold them on bail?"

It's the truth and based in fact, but it has emotional impact. It targets the real reasons for gun violence and lays it at the feet of those responsible.

 

[Cavedweller]

i also lay heavily on the fact that the disadvantaged of all kinds - minorities, women, the disabled, LGBTQ, et al, ought to arm up - as its literally the only way to keep Republicans from raping you.

in summary- disconnect gun rights from politics, understand what their REAL issue is, and use reason over subjective "facts"

Nice job of separating gun rights from politics.

 

[arakboss]

I appreciate all the ideas on message content but until we know what mediums/methods will be used or available to spread the message it will be hard to decide what all goes into a message.

 

[nwslopoke]

I'm for funding billboards along I-5 and train routes depicting, reminding and educating people of their rights to self protection in these times of government dereliction.

Possibly through OFF or GOA or heavens forbid, NWFA donations. Old fashioned delivery in a high tech world but people will see it and images would force a reaction.

 

[RVTECH]

Why do they always want to take guns away from moms and dads who need them to protect their kids, but won't do a damn thing to take them away from criminals and gangs?

I have repeated this many times and will do it again so let it sink in this time - the Libs and Antis do not want DEFENDERS/PROTECTORS - they want VICTIMS and dead people for no other reason than to support their anti gun agenda - along with other 'social issues' - but guns are primary.

 

[arakboss]

I'm for funding billboards along I-5 and train routes depicting, reminding and educating people of their rights to self protection in these times of government dereliction.

Possibly through OFF or GOA or heavens forbid, NWFA donations. Old fashioned delivery in a high tech world but people will see it and images would force a reaction.

I definitely think road signs billboards could play a role.

Most all these new gun owners I keep hearing about must have visited an FFL and maybe other sporting good stores for supplies. I hate to think that we are missing an opportunity to target this demographic that many think are going to be a big boon for supporting gun rights, at those locations.

 

[3MTA3]

I have repeated this many times and will do it again so let it sink in this time - the Libs and Antis do not want DEFENDERS/PROTECTORS - they want VICTIMS and dead people for no other reason than to support their anti gun agenda - along with other 'social issues' - but guns are primary.

Agreed, And that's why we need to keep asking that question.

 

[RVTECH]

Agreed, And that's why we need to keep asking that question.

Have you ever got an answer?

 

[Hueco]

Nice job of separating gun rights from politics.

That's not what @The B said. He said: disconnect gun rights from conservatism.

And he ain't wrong with that notion.

Yes, this is what I was asking. We should look at this as an assignment or job we are being hired to do (for free). We can play the role of an advertising agency or public relations company and assume that the opposition of some firearm restricting legislation comes to us and says how can we get this "blank" message out to those who might be undecided on the issue.

I agree many minds on both sides are made up but there will be a chunk in the middle who will decide whether the legislation lives or dies. We will only have a very limited opportunity to reach these folks and they probably won't have strong opinions in either direction. We won't have much in the way of funding either. Our efforts will need to narrowly target the undecided and give us the best bang for the buck.

Social media will likely be a good method as this younger generation isn't glued to the tele or traditional media like other generations. In my experience their attention span is very short, so the message delivery method should catch their attention but be short and sweet.

I'd be down for that. I can research plenty, and having a wife in school gets me access to research tools not usually afforded to outsiders of academia.

I'm fairly handy with these here words and can string some into a half decent script…but video/animation are so far outside my skill set, my toddler draws better than I do.

But, I'd be happy to donate the time. Hell, it's technically a marketing effort and my company supports volunteering for such, as long as the "customer" is a non-profit. So, we just have to find such a company to be involved and I'm set.

This is a difficult task but you are right in that we need to separate firearm freedoms from being a conservative issue. I don't care what color somebody is, what political leanings they have, etc. If they appreciate firearm freedoms then I want them to oppose the restrictions. Many of the undecided are likely going to be in the age group you are talking about.

The question remains how do you reach the groups you mentioned?

I'd have to check with @The B girlfriend's friends, but let's start with the outline:

• Common argument against guns/ownership
  • Core belief at root of argument
    • Core emotion involved
  • Perspective that challenges core belief
    • Core emotion involved
  • Data that backs perspective
  • Emotional perspective/Story/Anecdote that shows perspective through narration

I don't have the time now to start listing but should later tonight.

 

[Cavedweller]

That's not what @The B said. He said: disconnect gun rights from conservatism.

Take another look. Direct quote from his post:

"In summary- disconnect gun rights from politics..."

 

[3MTA3]

Have you ever got an answer?

Usually it's "I dunno..."., but it plants a seed and makes them think. Mainly they need to realize that their law abiding neighbors and friends are not the threat and that incompetent politicians and career criminals are the threat.

 

[Hueco]

Take another look. Direct quote from his post:

"In summary- disconnect gun rights from politics..."

There's like 400 words there explaining about the need to remove gun's association with the Right and you're hung up on the summary sentence? That's like reading a news headline without diving into the article.

 

[VanceInWA]

Most voters are not rational. By that I mean that facts alone don't have a great deal of influence on their opinions. The anti's have been using, and winning, with emotion based arguments. Know your facts, but use emotion inspiring rhetoric to convey the message like

"Did you hear about that latest home invasion in Portland? Now they want to take our guns away. Why do they always want to take guns away from moms and dads who need them to protect their kids, but won't do a damn thing to take them away from criminals and gangs? Why do they want to make us afraid to leave our homes while they let these people run free to terrorize us and worse? Why won't the mayor let the police do their jobs? Why won't the Deadbeat DA prosecuite or even hold them on bail?"

It's the truth and based in fact, but it has emotional impact. It targets the real reasons for gun violence and lays it at the feet of those responsible.

Emotional arguments are propaganda.

The goal of propaganda is manipulation. That is, to cause people to willingly act in support of the propagandist's objectives. Left on our own, we may not intellectually support those actions, but successful propaganda changes that. Successful propaganda uses emotions as a manipulative tool.

Propaganda is a back door tool. Our mind's back door is our emotions, and that is how propaganda easily slips in. Our back door is rarely (if ever) as well guarded as our front door, our intellect. We may think we are rational human beings, but in a contest between intellect and emotions, our emotions almost always win.

Here is an easy self-test. Have you ever watched a movie, a TV program, a newscast, a commercial, and felt a twinge of emotional reaction? If you did, then you were subject to successful propaganda. That emotional reaction is what changes your subconscious beliefs, in small but successive degrees.

Today's propaganda relies on "truth." Truth in this context means it is not based on an overt lie. Recognize, however, that there is rarely such a thing as objective "truth." The propagandist's trick is to take a sliver of truth and make you emotionally committed to the idea that it represents the whole truth. It is not all that difficult because our personal exposure to the vastness of the world is relatively small, so we necessarily must rely on slivers of truth to form our opinions about larger realities. When a mere sliver of truth becomes embedded through our emotions it can transition into an unshakable belief, regardless how false that belief may actually be. Then we act on our beliefs.

Despite how powerful emotions are compared to our intellect, thought and reason are the only way we may prevent ourselves from being subject to propaganda and manipulation. Unfortunately, my pessimistic side sees the great majority of Americans as too lazy to exercise and develop their intellect and reason, at least not enough to counter emotionalism and propaganda.

Collectively, intellectual laziness is allowing the mass of Americans to be emotionally manipulated by propaganda. Worse yet, my prediction about America's future is that people who exercise advanced awareness, intellect, and reason will come to be regarded as outsiders, abnormal, and socially outcast.

 

[Cavedweller]

There's like 400 words there explaining about the need to remove gun's association with the Right and you're hung up on the summary sentence? That's like reading a news headline without diving into the article.

You counted them? Good work.

No, I'm not hung up on it. It's just a glaring contradiction. I really liked the part about playing to young women's fear that the greatest threat to their safety is all those nasty right wing racist old boomer white men just lurking around waiting to rape them. That's sure to swing the election. Go for it.

 

[3MTA3]

Emotional arguments are propaganda.

The goal of propaganda is manipulation. That is, to cause people to willingly act in support of the propagandist's objectives. Left on our own, we may not intellectually support those actions, but successful propaganda changes that. Successful propaganda uses emotions as a manipulative tool.

Propaganda is a back door tool. Our mind's back door is our emotions, and that is how propaganda easily slips in. Our back door is rarely (if ever) as well guarded as our front door, our intellect. We may think we are rational human beings, but in a contest between intellect and emotions, our emotions almost always win.

Here is an easy self-test. Have you ever watched a movie, a TV program, a newscast, a commercial, and felt a twinge of emotional reaction? If you did, then you were subject to successful propaganda. That emotional reaction is what changes your subconscious beliefs, in small but successive degrees.

Today's propaganda relies on "truth." Truth in this context means it is not based on an overt lie. Recognize, however, that there is rarely such a thing as objective "truth." The propagandist's trick is to take a sliver of truth and make you emotionally committed to the idea that it represents the whole truth. It is not all that difficult because our personal exposure to the vastness of the world is relatively small, so we necessarily must rely on slivers of truth to form our opinions about larger realities. When a mere sliver of truth becomes embedded through our emotions it can transition into an unshakable belief, regardless how false that belief may actually be. Then we act on our beliefs.

Despite how powerful emotions are compared to our intellect, thought and reason are the only way we may prevent ourselves from being subject to propaganda and manipulation. Unfortunately, my pessimistic side sees the great majority of Americans as too lazy to exercise and develop their intellect and reason, at least not enough to counter emotionalism and propaganda.

Collectively, intellectual laziness is allowing the mass of Americans to be emotionally manipulated by propaganda. Worse yet, my prediction about America's future is that people who exercise advanced awareness, intellect, and reason will come to be regarded as outsiders, abnormal, and socially outcast.

Propaganda is a persuasive argument that advocates for a cause (lookitup). I'm making that case that we have already reached the people who can accept a rational argument based on facts and that they are a minority in the present US. When we bring facts to bear the other side simply makes up their own by cherry picking data. This is quite effective on those who don't use critical thinking skills, which seems to be a shrinking art.

We need to use an emotional argument to reach the remainder, who also appear to be in the majority. I am not suggesting that we lie, but instead to persuade. If we don't we will lose this all important right that secures the remainder. The anti's have been using the emotional argument to great effect and if we concede that to them we lose.

 

[arakboss]

Emotional arguments are propaganda.

The goal of propaganda is manipulation. That is, to cause people to willingly act in support of the propagandist's objectives. Left on our own, we may not intellectually support those actions, but successful propaganda changes that. Successful propaganda uses emotions as a manipulative tool.

Propaganda is a back door tool. Our mind's back door is our emotions, and that is how propaganda easily slips in. Our back door is rarely (if ever) as well guarded as our front door, our intellect. We may think we are rational human beings, but in a contest between intellect and emotions, our emotions almost always win.

Here is an easy self-test. Have you ever watched a movie, a TV program, a newscast, a commercial, and felt a twinge of emotional reaction? If you did, then you were subject to successful propaganda. That emotional reaction is what changes your subconscious beliefs, in small but successive degrees.

Today's propaganda relies on "truth." Truth in this context means it is not based on an overt lie. Recognize, however, that there is rarely such a thing as objective "truth." The propagandist's trick is to take a sliver of truth and make you emotionally committed to the idea that it represents the whole truth. It is not all that difficult because our personal exposure to the vastness of the world is relatively small, so we necessarily must rely on slivers of truth to form our opinions about larger realities. When a mere sliver of truth becomes embedded through our emotions it can transition into an unshakable belief, regardless how false that belief may actually be. Then we act on our beliefs.

Despite how powerful emotions are compared to our intellect, thought and reason are the only way we may prevent ourselves from being subject to propaganda and manipulation. Unfortunately, my pessimistic side sees the great majority of Americans as too lazy to exercise and develop their intellect and reason, at least not enough to counter emotionalism and propaganda.

Collectively, intellectual laziness is allowing the mass of Americans to be emotionally manipulated by propaganda. Worse yet, my prediction about America's future is that people who exercise advanced awareness, intellect, and reason will come to be regarded as outsiders, abnormal, and socially outcast.

I am fine with using "propaganda" to "manipulate" the middle into opposing firearm restrictions. I have one objective and that's to defeat any legislation that restricts firearms or the ability to use them freely.

 

[3MTA3]

I am fine with using "propaganda" to "manipulate" the middle into opposing firearm restrictions. I have one objective and that's to defeat any legislation that restricts firearms or the ability to use them freely.

So long as we don't outright lie. The ends do not justify the means. I'd prefer to win by rational argument, but your communication method needs to accomodate the target audience.

 

[ma96782]

Perhaps a little history to start.

-- by Martin Niemoller (with my additions for firearms)

First they came for the Socialists Hi-cap magazines, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist had no Hi-cap magazines.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists Semi-automatic firearms, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist had no Semi-automatic firearms.

Then they came for the Jews shotguns, rifles and revolvers, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew did not own a shotgun, rifle or revolver.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me real weapons left to put up a fight with.

Next, ask them.......

What's your plan, for when the Govt comes to collect YOU.

Aloha, Mark