Posted on 03/16/2009 9:15:46 AM PDT by JohnPierce
Something I’ve long noticed about shooters (including myself) is that they tend to be independent types and not given to joining groups and causes, even those in which they fervently believe. Another is that they are often hapless romantics who love passionate slogans and cliches’ like “from my cold dead hands.” I sometimes feel frustration at how so many seem to envision themselves on their front porches like Fess Parker at the Alamo, swinging their Rock Rivers at ski-masked human Rotweilers with American flags velcroed to their shoulders. I’m as guilty as the rest I suppose. I tend to be reclusive, and know relatively few other like minded shooters in my neighborhood and greater community. It seems to me that we stand our best chance if we can organize and communicate at that level. I’ve discussed with a few like-minded acquaintences, the formation of “Constitution Study Groups” and similar things that might perhaps bring together people like my shooting bretheren and lay a foundation of some kind. I think it’s important to establish a network and a movement, but it’s just something that many shooters (mea culpa) are reluctant to do.
It depends on which box is available for use. So far, soap and ballot have proven useless as more and more of the unproductive vote themselves largess from the productive. The politicians only look to maintain power, so they curry favor with groups that provide the most votes, which currently, is not the group that is the most productive.
Jury is shaky, at best, thanks to a dumbed-down public.
That leaves just one box.
But there is a more fundamental reason why most conservatives do not get involved in politics except in extremis: we do not believe in government and want it to leave us alone. Political liberals have a great natural advantage over us: they gravitate toward government and wish to ever expand its range and influence. They "get involved" because political involvement is their version of "industry". Our is private; theirs is public. The pursuit of freedom and success becomes anathema to those who seek power and political influence because those who do the former, do not require the latter.
Moreover, we conservatives simply lack a national party committed in any significant respect to the reduction of Federal power and a return to Constitutional government.
Regarding the right to keep and bear arms: the sort of statements to which you allude are common. I've made them myself in all honesty, as a form of shorthand expression. As for involvement (as opposed to apathy), I'm a member of GOA, have written numerous letters and posted on public web sites in support of the 2nd Amendment. Many, many others have done so as well. I think those contributions are valuable, at least I hope they are.
But I am not single or rootless, do not work for a union or the government, and do not live in a place given to instant participation in public demonstrations. Those are common advantages of Liberals, gained because they succeeded in expanding the power and reach of government through 75 years of continuous effort to subvert the Constitution and warp its meaning.
Let's drink our beer and watch the latest episode of Ow My Balls on the idiot tube.
“Fight them politically? That’s already done.”
I can’t answer for John, but he may be referring to gun owners who claim to be gung ho, but voted for BHO.
That is not fighting for your rights politically. That is like handing over your guns.
Yah, different districts and all that... *\;-)
Oh, I see. That is a different issue. I haven’t had any involvement at the state level since we moved from Oklahoma City, which was conveniently the state capital! Why that’s better than local action, I don’t know: my state rep and state senator represent me excellently, and I’ve worked on both their campaigns. And county commissioners have more impact on our daily life than any other government entity!
Unfortunately for Conservatives, it has fallen incumbent upon our mighty (but weary) shoulders to financially support the worthless losers who are either too INCOMPETENT or too LAZY to find/maintain gainful employment to have time to attend these rallies...it's a catch-22...
Agreed about the county commissioners!
To get people’s interest we need to make the participation fun and or/meaningful in some manner. Like gun rally! free beer and hot dogs, plus free rifle to one lucky attendee!
Otherwise it is really difficult to get lots of people to participate. It has to be a “happening” with good music perhaps, or attractive ladies, get the point. People are really busy, and overwhelmed in this world."
And don't forget there's a Steven Segal Movie Marathon on at the same time!
Because you can make a difference? Naaah.
My wife and I watch the state legislature on several issues. We write legislators in support or against bills (providing arguments as to why they are wrong). We've killed quite a number of bad bills -- once we persuaded the author to kill his own bill in his own committee. We put in the work, lots of folks benefit.
What you are describing is the typical gun owners stated “bottom line” and I don’t think that is it reasonable to impute that to a belief that it represents all gun owners status quo.
For the record I have repeated those lines, as well as “Molan Labe”, “FMCDH”, and “BITS” myself. I also write about 2nd Amendment rights and personal safety, belong to a couple of 2nd Amendment rights groups, and vote against gun banners.
If you choose to believe that this insults your intelligence, then so be it.
In my view, all of the gun owners I know sneered and scoffed at me for living in California, and did not lift a finger of protest when our gun rights were taken away here (some of the most restrictive were put in place by Reagan).
Many snivley comments such as “That’s what you get for living in California”, here on FR and elsewhere. So it is pretty damn hard to have a lot of sympathy, after being sold down the river by the NRA and many alleged ‘conservatives’ as the rest of the U.S. comes under the same restrictions we have here; I mean I can’t have an EBR with a detachable clip, a .50, etc, so I’m supposed to care that these restrictions are now nationwide?
It won’t make one damn bit of difference to me here in Santa Rosa if the right to concealed carry was completely eliminated (can’t get a permit here, no how no way), detachable clips more than 10 rounds made as illegal as crack and anyone having a .50 cal rifle treated like a potential terrorist (can’t have one). Did the NRA do squat? Did the Republican party cease their worship of Reagan?:
“Reagan last week declared his support for a bill requiring a seven-day waiting period for handgun purchases. He did so at a George Washington University ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of the shooting that almost killed him and permanently disabled his press secretary, James S. Brady.
“It is called the Brady Bill, and Reagan said Congress should enact it without delay. ‘It’s just plain common sense that there be a waiting period to allow local law enforcement officials to conduct background checks on those who wish to buy a handgun,’ the former president said.’”
“It was Governor Ronald Reagan of California who signed the Mulford Act in 1967, ‘prohibiting the carrying of firearms on one’s person or in a vehicle, in any public place or on any public street.’ The law was aimed at stopping the Black Panthers, but affected all gun owners.
“Twenty-four years later, Reagan was still pushing gun control. ‘I support the Brady Bill,’ he said in a March 28, 1991 speech, ‘and I urge the Congress to enact it without further delay.’”
“......All those magazines that can hold more than 10 rounds will be legal to manufacture again. It will once again be legal to import the group of shotguns administratively banned by Ronald Reagan and the group of semi-automatic rifles similarly banned by the first President Bush. (Both of these executive bans were codified in the 1994 law.)”
http://www.keepandbeararms.com/NewsArchives/XcNewsPlus.asp?cmd=view&articleid=2955
Remember, as goes California goes the rest of the nation. This saying is unfortunately true. You have been warned.
You call it idiocy. I call it what is. We support conservative politicians who are pro-right to keep and bear arms. And none of our guns, ammo or related supplies will be taken while we are alive. Resistance may be futile but we will do our best to take some of the bastards with us. You can discount my statement but then you don’t know us, either.
Ours cc’s are a bunch of crooked weasels, but we keep trying new ones, at least!
On reading the article, I think the author was referring to political involvement more generally, and just used state-level organization as an example. Anti-gun legislation often comes from city or county governments, and anti-gun activity from organizations like school boards and “social services” bureaucracies, which can go unobserved by the average citizen.
Or it could be, not wanting to draw fire to ourselves. I don’t have CCW. In Memphis, they published a list of everyone who does, along with a map of their addresses.
I am NOT on the list and I do not advertise.
This is exactly where we find ourselves at the present moment.
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