It’s been several days since the nightclub shooting in Orlando, FL. Since then, the gun control debate has tumbled into a whirling, flaming, screaming boulder roaring down a steep cliff. It feels reminiscent of the Sandy Hook hysteria that ensued for over a year (some could argue it never ended) after the event. Gun store shelves went empty. Ammunition was widely unavailable. Prices on all things gun-related skyrocketed. Insert face-palm here! Here we go again. Brace yourselves for more misinformed interviews and news broadcasts. Grab hold of something sturdy, because the typhoon of hysterical college students, feminists, crying mothers, politicians, and liberal weenies is on the horizon. And this time they mean business because the topic is already hot from the misfortune in San Bernardino, CA – and they’re calling for blood. As a gun owner, I feel blindsided by the madness. But I also feel critical of my own community. Here are just a few of my thoughts on what’s happening – and my take on what we should do:
Common sense is not a common virtue.
As gun owners, we are in desperate need of new ammunition (pun intended). The tactic of displaying spreadsheets showing crime data, FBI statistics, analysis of failed gun control in other countries, and interviews with criminals stating “I was afraid the homeowner had a gun” aren’t working. How many times are we going to continue attempting an intelligent debate with these anti-gun idiots? When I watch a broadcast between two people divided on gun control, I get flashes of the Wesboro Baptist Church protesting a military funeral. On one side you have a screaming fanatic, drenched in sweat, panicked to the gills, constantly interrupting the pro-gun guest attempting a civil discussion. Sound familiar? Remember “God Hates Fags?” Did one of those Patriot Guardsman ever lay a hand on the WBC members? The point I’m making here is that the people who think guns are evil are cut from the same cloth as those who spat on Vietnam soldiers returning home at the airports. These people don’t care how much data you present in front of them. Their mind is made up. Unfortunately for us [gun owners], our human shield strategy only goes so far. What we’re dealing with are guerrilla fighters taking small blows on our encampment while we continue to win the hearts and minds. Our approach has got to change.
Stop arguing irrelevant details.
Omar Mateen of the Orlando nightclub shooting used a Sig Sauer MCX rifle to shoot over one hundred people, not an AR-15. Who gives a shit? I own three AR-15 rifles. When I saw the picture of the MCX, I said to myself “that looks like an AR.” So what? Why is the gun community getting worked up over semantics here? It makes us not only look silly and trivial, but desperate. In fact we are desperate. Since if left alone, the gun community would do basically nothing. We’re not used to constantly having to fight for some political gain. The other side however is used to constantly fighting and toiling over getting their way. They have the will to continue this struggle until they’ve completely dismantled the 2nd Amendment. It is a waste of time for us gun owners to get bent up about definitions. California senator Kevin De Leon described an AR-15 as a “ghost gun” having a “30 caliber clip to disperse with 30 bullets in half a second.” His statement received millions of views and yielded unanimous laughter among gun owners. But it didn’t change a thing. Just two days ago, California introduced/approved more gun control which had already been planned for sometime since San Bernardino. Yes, I know that California is highly democratic. And I know that California has some of the most harsh gun control laws in the country. But what good did making fun of silly little Kevin De Leon do? Again, let’s rethink our tactics here.
Could it be a losing battle?
Let’s face it: we might not win this war. The gun community has the National Rifle Association to primarily defend the 2nd Amendment in Washington. That’s really all we have. Sure, there’s the National Association for Gun Rights, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, and Gun Owners of America… But due to their funding and clout we really only have the NRA. Gun owners are extremely good however, at assembling during times of need. After the movie theater shooting in Aurora, CO, many politicians including President Obama called for more gun control. Thanks to millions of responsible and informed Americans, Washington was met with a hailstorm of petitions, phone calls, and letters demanding a ceasefire (there’s another pun). We were successful in preventing more federal gun regulations from getting passed. The celebration was short-lived however, when only several months later Sandy Hook occurred. Now we’re right back to it with Orlando. Someone tell me what is the equivalent of a mass shooting that benefits our side, that’s both positive and nonviolent? Mass shootings seem to have a ton of political might when arguing for more gun control. What do gun owners have? Nothing. The good-ole’ BATFE already had measures in the works for sometime – with or without a mass shooting. We have always been/will always be on the defensive. For all we can really do is argue data, and hold up a “Don’t Tread on Me” flag. But there is hope. A Washington Post poll found millennials to be evenly divided on the issue of more gun control. Furthermore, millennials were overwhelmingly in support of addressing gun violence as a mental health issue – not a gun issue.
What to do now?
As the baby boomers slowly fade out of our country’s leadership, there may be an awakening in America’s stance on guns. Protecting our gun rights will be a constant uphill battle. It’s going to take a lot of debating infantile adults. It’s going to require petitioning Washington. It will demand that each and every American who values the 2nd Amendment not back down to liberal bullies with their fear-mongering. People will yell at you. People will call you “stupid” or “redneck.” But what we can’t allow to have happen is to stoop down to their level by panicking. I believe one of the biggest reasons America is having this debate is because of a very loud, very aggressive minority [of liberals]. We cannot let them corner us. Don’t waste time debating calibers or magazine capacities. Don’t get sucked into their semantics game of MCX vs. AR-15. That shit gets our cause nowhere. Most of these anti-gunners simply want to be heard. I say don’t give them the opportunity.
But if push comes to shove…
…Don’t be afraid to politely tell some beta asshole to “shut the fuck up!”
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