[jofrdo]

My cable TV system does not carry the Outdoor Channel, so I miss out on a lot of great shooting shows, like Tom Gresham's Personal Defense TV and Michael Baine's Best Defense, so I buy the whole-season DVD sets of each of those shows. I was watching PDTV Season 3 and got a good laugh from Massad Ayoob demonstrating the carry of 25 concealed handguns all at once! I would have liked to see him try to run like that. He even had a subcompact in his empty soda cup. I thought it was so funny I showed it to my wife, who was also quite entertained.

I was telling a younger coworker about that scene today. We got a good laugh from it. He is interested in getting a home protection (and possibly CCW) gun, but his wife is anxious about a gun around their two preschool aged children. They're both midwesterners, most recently from Colorado, but now living in Tidewater, Virginia where there is water everywhere. She recently asked for a car escape tool that can break glass and cut seatbelts to assist her in a possible underwater escape. He said OK, but she is much more likely to be a victim of a car jacking, so shouldn't she have a tool for that emergency, too? All he got back was "no guns around the kids. It's too dangerous!" I offered to take both of them to the range, to maybe take some of the fear out of it for her. That really excited him. He thinks she would be open to that. Hopefully we'll convert her to our side and he'll be able to become a gunowner.

 

[gunthorp]

How about a sign in the front yard.

"NO PEDOPHILES OR CRIMINALS AROUND OUR KIDS"

 

[Oldskoolfan]

Its really hard to turn a sheeple into a sheepdog. People would rather be victims then having to defend themselves. Sad, but thank God that sheepdogs like us walk around and guard the flock.

 

[fireman836]

clip... All he got back was "no guns around the kids. It's too dangerous!" I offered to take both of them to the range, to maybe take some of the fear out of it for her. That really excited him. He thinks she would be open to that. Hopefully we'll convert her to our side and he'll be able to become a gunowner.

I wish him luck. My children and grandchildren have been around firearms since before they were born (momma at range while pregnant). 10 year old granddaughter handles 22 bolt action rifle like a pro. 13 y/o grandson prefers my 9 mm. When properly taught and supervised children can handle firearms safely.

 

[BearCat]

I recently turned my sister in-law from anti-gun to pro-gun with only one trip to the range. Most people who are so anti-gun have never handled a gun let alone shot one.

Anyways good luck.

 

[Divebum47]

When properly taught and supervised children can handle firearms safely.

Amen to that. I have 11 year olds to 19 year olds in my my 4-H Shooting Sports classes. I also have Junior Leader instructors ages 15 to 21 helping to teach the classes. It's amazing how well kids take to instruction. We teach rifle and pistol, and soon will be teaching shotgun. Our motive is not to turn the kids into Olympic marksmen, but to get them into an environment where we can teach life skills. One of the means is shooting. You are absolutely correct in what you say.

 

[varob]

I recently turned my sister in-law from anti-gun to pro-gun with only one trip to the range. Most people who are so anti-gun have never handled a gun let alone shot one.

Yep. Same thing with my wife. Never shot a gun in her life, But one trip to the range and now she's a gun owner. :yup:

 

[ajohn151]

My wife was a rabid anti-gun nut when we first started dating and well into our marriage. I told her up front I have a number of firearms and I enjoy hunting and going to the range. I explained that I had been doing it for years and had no intention of stopping. I also told her I keep a (Are you ready for this shocker???) LOADED .45 next to my bed. That was almost the deal breaker for her.
At any rate she decided a few months ago she might like to shoot at the indoor range which is just around the corner. After I woke up from shock I had my range bag in the car in .000024 seconds. Long story short she now has her own G17 and LCP and wants to obtain her CCh. Who would have ever guessed??
I honestly think its a large part, fear of the unknown and unfamiliarity. Television and the distorted "News" if it can be called that, fuel these wrongheaded beliefs about firearms and their owners.
just my 2c

 

[Madcap_Magician]

It's hard to convert a die-hard sheeple who believes in his or her bones that guns are evil and everyone who likes them is a murderer waiting for a chance. But it can be done.

People who are mildly opposed are actually fairly easy to convert. Rarely through arguing or debating, but frequently through relationships-close friendships with people who own guns have a tendency to break misperceptions.

 

[nfrangip]

It has been my experience that a session at the range frequently turns anti-s to pro-s. Maybe we should each identify an anti-gun friend and invite them to the range. Give them a gun safety lesson and allow them to shoot. Afterwards have a discussion about the session and see if their ideas have changed. Many who have never handled a firearm just do not understand why anyone would want one.

I bet many will enjoy it.

 

[Precision]

Not trying to brag. But I have converted more than a few semi-antis to pro-gun and swayed more than a few dedicated antis to gun tolerant.

I make it a habit of bringing anyone who is willing (will buckle under to coercion) to the range.

Last year (2008) I introduced something like 22 people to shooting. 4 of them were dedicated anti-gun (mostly out of ignorance). Of the 4, one of them now has a carry permit, another is a new a gun owner, another is saving up for a permit and a gun and the last one still is personally opposed to guns (for herself) but has been converted to opposing gun restrictions.

Many of the other 18 people have either purchased guns or ask to be informed when I am going to the range so they can shoot more.

I focus on Cooper's 4 rules before we go. Spend quite a bit of time with gun familiarization, range rules, safety and the like once we get there. Then start with a .22LR pistol and work up to a .22LR rifle, starting both at very easy target distances.

Once we move up to bigger calibers, the reactive targets come out. Water filled bottles, flour filled stuffed animals, clay pigeons. That seems to really up the excitement level.

I have only taken one person out in the last 4 years who refused to shoot. 21 year old girl - daughter of a (then current) girlfriend. But even she got over much of her hoplophobia and much to her younger sister's surprise, later stated that next time she comes down to visit she wants to actually shoot.

Too bad her mom and I aren't involved anymore.

 

[64zebra]

Tell your co-worker to not give up. Keep working on the wife through educating her but more importantly educating the kids about gun safety since thats what her main concern is centered around.

 

[64zebra]

Tell your co-worker to not give up. Keep working on the wife through educating her but more importantly educating the kids about gun safety since thats what her main concern is centered around.

Also, he can do his part by making sure he has gun safes in the house and car, and cover all aspects of where/how he stores weapons/ammo/etc to reassure her.

 

[theotherlis]

It's very easy to be some level of anti-gun, especially if you've never been exposed to somebody who can demonstrate to you that firearms can be handled safely and can be stored safely.

I'm trying to think of tv shows I've watched where the hero uses a gun and is not a LEO or some kind of renegade. The number is very small. If I think further through these and think of how many bad guys had a gun, or how many people died because of gun accidents (i.e. small child finding loaded gun), the number is much larger.

I was never particularly "anti-gun" but my opinion of them became much more positive after I had a couple of opportunities to properly handle them. I imagine this is the case for a lot of people.

Btw I wouldn't really suggest he push the idea that she is "more likely" to need a gun in the car than a crowbar. The idea of being prepared for *as much as possible* is a lot more reasonable than choosing one over the other (which she is doing at the moment, too).

 

[shooterX]

I firmly believe that most anti-gun people are this way either because they are misinformed or because they were taught to be so by a parent who was misinformed (my half-sister being one of these) and see the light once they are given correct information.

 

[Tom Gresham]

If you don't get PDTV on your local cable channel, check to see if you get Versus. That's the network which carries the Tour de France.

I have a new show on Versus, running now, called Guns & Gear. It's kind of a "Car & Driver" format, where we interview gun makers in the studio, show the guns, do some neat green screen stuff, then take the guns to the "test track" to give them a spin.

To see what it's about, you can actually watch the shows online after they run on Versus at www.gunsandgeartv.com.

Enjoy.

 

[Pikachu711]

My Mom has been anti-gun from as far back as I can remember. At 74 years old I doubt I'll ever convince her that guns can be used for good purposes. She's of the school of thought that the police & military are the only people who should have guns. Mom has no idea I have a carry permit & she'll never find out if I have any say in the matter.

When my Mom was a little girl her Dad (my late Grandfather) would go to bars and drink. He would come home and continue drinking while he had his loaded revolver nearby. This always scared my Mom. Ever since this experience as a child she has been anti-gun. I don't blame her under the circumstances.

 

[Majorlk]

But even she got over much of her hoplophobia ...

Forgive my ignorance, but what is hoplophobia? I have three different dictionaries and it's not in any of them.