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I'm sure it's been discussed before, but I'll take another shot at it.

I think we should come together and invite a reporter from Seattle and/or Portland to come out to the range with us.
Take them to the range, explain the safety portion of it (because let's face it, they probably have NEVER EVEN TOUCHED A GUN), and show them how great the 2A is and how much fun they can have shooting.
Maybe even have a sports reporter out to cover an IPSC event...
Of course if we actually let them shoot, we need to have ROs watch them like a hawk, so they don't just spin around shoot someone, but we'll discuss that more later...

We need to assemble a variety of guns and introduce the reporter to them in stages. Maybe not even tell them what gun they're shooting till they've shot it and MAY actually like it...
Like talk to them a little about Crazy Uncle Joe's favorite "Go buy a shotgun." for home defense and then hand them an 870 LONG-barrel. Let them shoot that unwieldy bastard, then let them shoot a braced Tac-14 and see how they like that.
Then discuss how the laws of it ALMOST being an NFA item and how stupid laws prohibit them from owning VERY useful tools.

Then we could discuss hunting rifles, and let them shoot something like a 7mm Mag, almost dislocate their shoulder, then let them shoot an AR built for hunting (but not tell them it's an AR, like a Fightlight). So they can see both sides of the old-school bolt action vs a modern sporting rifle.

THEN introduce them to some American fighting iron like the M1 Garand.
And they'll probably say something like, "That thing is a beast...!"
And we can tell them about how it was a weapon of (war) WW2 and how it was sold directly to civilians through the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) and the importance/why the CMP was developed.
Then we could let them bang on some steel with an AR (possibly tacticool) and let them see which ones they prefer...

So on and so forth-
38 revolver vs 9mm semi-auto...maybe introduce them to a braced/stabilzed version...

What does everyone think...?
I think we could win over some people of we had some decent air-time, but it could also be a double-edged sword...
I wouldn't mind being the spokesman since I'm pitching this, but that could be discussed if someone else wanted to do it.
Mind you, I'm a 6ft, tattooed, semi-mohawk wearing, conservative/libertarian, machinist so I think I'd represent the NW fairly well ;)
What do you all think...?
 
I've got a sweet Stag lefty that I'll let them shoot if they're a south-paw. :cool:
Also...a sweet piece of art! ;)

20181110_213408.jpg
 
What we need is to find a media person that is pro-2A and get them to do a regular range day spot. The more the media shows responsible people having fun in a safe and friendly manner, the more people will see that guns aren't just for rednecks and criminals. But stuff like that is never shown. If they do show something it's always some bubba and all of his tacticool, never the dad teaching his daughter or the single mom practicing.
 
Need to have one of them fully automatic rifles you can get without a background check and make sure it has one of those thingies that goes up...

:s0140:

Ok, seriously, this is a great idea, but it needs to be a reporter that's actually got some level of credibility, otherwise it'll be buried so deep, even the wrapped fish won't find it...
 
Yeah, we need to win over the opposition so that when they go back to report on it they talk about how it was a positive experience and they learned a bunch.
When they're peers ask this if we we played banjo music and ask them to join a militia, they say "Nope. They were very respectful. And oddly enough, I do want to join a militia..." ;)
It doesnt need to be a big name, we can have other outlets spread word of our win! Nay...our victory!!!
 
Andy would be an excellent representative IMHO.
Thank you DB...:)

It would be a neato demonstration if :
The reporter shot a current made AR15 rifle....
Then have them shoot a working antique flintlock circa 1800 or so...

I could then toss out my line of :
You just shot two different rifles...one is a semi auto rifle and the other a antique flintlock...each made to put a projectile accurately on a target ...but both are just rifles.
Andy
 
Thank you DB...:)

It would be a neato demonstration if :
The reporter shot a current made AR15 rifle....
Then have them shoot a working antique flintlock circa 1800 or so...

I could then toss out my line of :
You just shot two different rifles...one is a semi auto rifle and the other a antique flintlock...each made to put a projectile accurately on a target ...but both are just rifles.
Andy
It'd be the perfect juxtaposition.
 
When talking to the media it is important to be :
Clear..
Concise..
And Complete...
With what you say and how you act.

Also something to keep in mind...you will not be in charge of the editing process ...much of what you say and do can be "cut out" or not used and what is left and used , may not be be accurate reflection of what you actually said and did....
Andy
 
Which is why you'd want to record the event yourself also.
That is always a great idea...
The last time I was filmed while giving a display...
I gave what I thought was an excellent demonstration of how to load and fire a flintlock...along with some history of the same...
Film crew and TV host all said they liked what they saw and heard...
The editor however...
liked a much more "picturesque" looking "Mountain Man" and used the footage of that fella...with only a few group shots of me and my display of firearms.

Why does that matter...?

The TV show was doing a documentary on the fur trade ...and I have actual items used in the fur trade and some guns as well...Plus my "outfit" is historically researched and looks the part of a fur trade post hunter circa 1840...which in real life was quite plain and practical.

The guy they showcased..looked like a Fredrick Remington model...big bushy bead...dead animal for a hat...beads , feathers and claws for "bling" , Plains style war shirt....His rifle was a tacked up 1970's era Thompson Center "Hawken"...

In other words ...he looked visually appealing....but historically all wrong...and this only re-enforces the wrong image of fur trade items , firearms and clothing...which , granted , doesn't bother most folks...but
for those folks who actually care...it means a lot.
Andy
 
I've had one or two news stories on myself (doing art for a popular running event in Spokane) and they usually get about half the story wrong. The only time the newspaper did good was a straight-up question and answer article in which they gave me an opportunity to read it prior to print and I was able to make a correction or clarification or two. That was in the business section, however, not the news section, where they would have run with whatever they had, right or wrong.

My impression of local TV news people is that they are, for the most part, very young, inexperienced in life outside their bubble, and usually seriously pressed for time. This is a perfect recipe for inaccuracy and bias.

If you have an angle or fact that you think is very important, you pretty much have to hit them over the head with it. They won't pick up on subtlety.
 

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