My boyfriend and I had dinner last night with a couple who voted for Obama and are anti-gun.
“Preposterous,” you say?
I know, I know…but they are hopefully soon to be my future in-laws, so I had to hear them out, right?
Jim’s mother told us a story about a man she knew who carried a concealed firearm. He is a father who I’m sure would do almost anything to protect his children. Unsure if he was a legal firearm carrier, she proceeded to ask Jim if he carried a firearm.
“If I’m awake, I’m carrying,” Jim said.
Well, his mother just couldn’t believe it!
If we were in a place that would have allowed Jim to unholster it and lay it on the table, his mother might have had a heart attack right there.
Now I must say, that I truly adore Jim’s mother. She might have voted for Obama (at least I think she did), as the night went on I realized that her experience with firearms has been limited to what is being portrayed in the media. All the negative attention that firearms are receiving has influenced Jim’s mom.
Isn’t this what most of the media is trying to achieve?
I realized after talking to Jim’s mom for a while on this topic, she’s has never heard a positive story about a firearm. Jim and I both shared stories with her on how firearms have positively affected our lives. Obviously for me, the shooting sports industry provided me a job for the past 11-1/2 years (up until a month ago when I switched to workers comp insurance). Jim is also employed in the shooting sports industry and has developed a wonderful career in it.
The lack of knowledge people have about what we do (and by we I mean the lawful citizens with CCW permits and sport shooters) is a great opportunity for our group of people to educate—Knowledge is POWER!
I’m sure you have all come across someone or several people who are afraid of firearms because they are unaware of all the positive things they can bring to our lives. I encourage you all to EDUCATE! You don’t have to drag them to a gun range with you, but you can share a story about how guns and shooting POSTIVELY affected your life or the life of someone else. Together we might bring more understanding to the world.
Good luck!
Beth
As a Quaker, pacifist, Obama supporter who has often truly enjoyed target shooting, I think education is tremendously important. Kneejerk reactions will not serve anyone’s cause.
For instance, firearms play an important role in the thriller novels, and screenplays I write. My book Deadrise would be an odd book indeed without them. Likewise, the next book in the series, Nitro Express, is even named after a big game hunting bore. But these are works of fiction, and I doubt they will ever cause someone to flip and kill.
Sure, total confiscation of all American firearms would drastically reduce gun deaths, but I think there would be utter anarchy before gun advocates and owners would allow that to happen.
Thank you Beth for continuing to reach out with patience to those of us who might not be familiar with shooting. Taking a noob shooter to the range might help create more understanding.
Thank you for the comment, Robert. I should also say that I know there are several Obama supporters who enjoy firearms (my Uncle is one of them), but most often I find the opposite.
~ Beth
Beth, what happened, why are you on workers comp?
I work IN workers comp now. I’m not on it.
OK, good I was concerned that you had been injured
Thank you for your concern!
) I’m perfectly ok!