National Poll: Poll: What Argument Do You Use To Persuade Middle 20% Of Legislators To Support Gun Rights?

[arakboss]

We likely have at least 40% of legislators who are hard left or hard right in their posititions. What type of argument do you use for that middle 20%?

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[Stomper]

You left out the choice of: "there isn't enough security in the world to keep me from getting at you while you sleep".

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Lets try and keep the conversation civil here...
If one thinks that a thread is redundant or not having a "point"...Then often its best to say nothing at all.
Lets all remember Rule Number One please...Be excellent to each other.

To answer the OP...
I , Like Joe Friday , try to stick to "Just the facts"....
Ask the other person questions , like Why do you think / feel / know this to be true , type questions...
Try to understand their experience or lack thereof , with firearms...
When answering or debating , I try to attack the position , not the person...

And with that said...
Its important to remember :
"What we got here is failure to communicate ...Some men you just can't reach"....
Andy

 

[Stomper]

Lets try and keep the conversation civil here...
If one thinks that a thread is redundant or not having a "point"...Then often its best to say nothing at all.
Lets all remember Rule Number One please...Be excellent to each other.

To answer the OP...
I , Like Joe Friday , try to stick to "Just the facts"....
Ask the other person questions , like Why do you think / feel / know this to be true , type questions...
Try to understand their experience or lack thereof , with firearms...
When answering or debating , I try to attack the position , not the person...

And with that said...
Its important to remember :
"What we got here is failure to communicate ...Some men you just can't reach"....
Andy

Hence the choice I posited.... it's "universal terminology".

 

[arakboss]

It looks like a more fact based argument is leading the poll by 10 to 0 over a more emotional argument. It will be interesting to see if more fact based protest signs appear at the Defend The 2nd" rally on March 23rd. I've never been to a rally but I think I'll go to this one.

 

[NW Backpacker]

Is the inalienable right to keep and bear arms, our second right guaranteed by the Constitution, an "emotional argument"? Seems fairly "rational" to me.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Regarding post # 5
It is rational , the trouble is people's varied definitions of :
Arms...
Militia...
Regulated...
Infringed...
And that pesky comma ...
Andy

 

[E4mafia]

Why no poll option for "SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED"?

No but on the real I use reported incidents and hands on demos and explaining some of the laws we have. That usually clears it up for most.

 

[mrblond]

I did not vote as I honestly dont think we have enough voice to change matters. I think Politicians will do whatever their lord and masters tell them to do and that aint us anymore.
I dont think giving them fact and figures will help much when the other side screams and protests and causes disruptions.
I remember the old saying that the squeaky wheel gets the grease, well we need to squeak alot more.

 

[HuckleberryFun]

In today's climate you need both arguments. I typically will mix legal/philosophical arguments with appeals to emotion and the listener's (hopefully) innate sense of justice and fairness. A close reading of the Constitution and statistics are well and good and should make up a good part of the package.

Then I follow with appeal to emotion, such as:
"I'm gay so I know what it's like to be a target of hate but now I conceal carry every day and I never feel like a potential victim. Armed queers don't get bashed! Now some people are trying to turn me into a helpless victim again and I'm fighting them every step of the way."

The second part usually resonates more with fair-minded & open minded people than just abstract arguments alone. Seeing a "nice" non-threatening gun guy argue the point in person in a friendly, reasonable, and personal way goes much farther than either eye-glazing statistics or in-your-face angry protests, I think.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

I would welcome a chance to get a "Middle of the road " Legislator out to the range or to one of my displays.
I could then both "show and tell " using both facts and my love of guns and history ... to try and get some points across...
Andy

 

[arakboss]

Is the inalienable right to keep and bear arms, our second right guaranteed by the Constitution, an "emotional argument"? Seems fairly "rational" to me.

It's rational to me but I also believe there should be no restrictions on firearms. Selling that concept to others seems problematic these days. We have a sizeable percentage of the population who don't share the same belief. Convincing some might be better done with reasons why having the right to defend themselves and others would be advantageous.

 

[HuckleberryFun]

I would welcome a chance to get a "Middle of the road " Legislator out to the range or to one of my displays.
I could then both "show and tell " using both facts and my love of guns and history ... to try and get some points across...
Andy

We had that idea at LGC and asked.Word is some legislators would maybe go for it. It would have to be very well supervised and without potential political blowback. Low key and fun, ideally.
Not overtly political, just "guns are fun...and safe"

You doing something like that with your muskets would be even better!

 

[tkdguy]

I think alot of these dems are feeling oriented and not fact oriented.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

@HuckleberryFun ...Thanks...!

I try not to get too political when showing my display...but when I do , I mostly try and push these ideas :

That guns , by themselves , are very safe...is the operator that can be unsafe...

The History behind firearms in America...

That there is no difference between the oldest flintlock rifle that I have and the latest AR15 type rifle...both are rifles and subject to the same safety rules...

Firearms have been with us for a long time...maybe its time to stop looking at the gun as the problem and start looking at the people who misuse them , as the problem...

Muzzleoaders can be a work of art and a working firearm...
Andy

 

[ma96782]

True or false? The 2nd A of the US Constitution says...….

"A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed, unless I say it's reasonable."

Aloha, Mark

 

[DuneHopper]

The poll is a good one, and many are one of the three.
Which adds to the complications, of rational debates.

There is a saying tread lightly... all these great ideas, are awesome to see, even LGC getting involved is great to see.
But lets make sure we cross T's and dot those I's . I know I would capitalize on any weakness. Lets be sure
we look at this idea and others from all sides. Politics is a game to most politicians. I don't care how much they say they support your idea. Most will drop you like a hot rock if it benefited them, and would use all the nice information against us.

Been there, done that .....be careful, even a unicorn has a deadly horn.

 

[surevaliance]

I always try to use rational arguments when I speak with hoplophobes, but apparently they don't speak that language.

 

[arakboss]

True or false? The 2nd A of the US Constitution says...….

"A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed, unless I say it's reasonable."

Aloha, Mark

True. Now try to get a true or false answer as to which is the correct interpretation of those words. From judges to politicians to everyday Joes you will find varying degrees of what the 2nd means to them. In my mind it is pretty wide open, no infringement period. Many others will disagree. How to convince them otherwise is the goal. Or just ignore them for as long as you can.

 

[notazombie]

Honestly, I'm tired of debating and trying to reason. Guess I'm as bad as "they" are.