Reader Josh P. writes:
I know that sounds crazy, but I believe that they have brought a substantial amount of people into the world of guns that probably wouldn’t have ever fired one otherwise. As much as we love to hate these things as ridiculous and unrealistic, the fact is that, like it or not, they have swelled our ranks. Nothing but a vast amount of political pressure from not only organizations like the NRA, but from individuals as well, could have stopped the amendments in the Senate yesterday. The fight is obviously not over, but at least that particular battle was won. Time to give credit where it’s due?
and let’s not forget every new gun control law ends up taking much more of our rights away, but doing nothing about real crime… We no longer trust anything they say.. Look at all the record gun and ammo sales…We the people are talking back but no one cares, why? We will not forget come election time either!
I enjoyed this article. I shot my first IDPA about a week ago with a revolver. I learned quite a bit. I’m not even considering becoming a competitor. To me it’s a great opportunity to work on shooting on the move, multiple targets, and other things my range won’t tolerate.
I wish IDPA would outlaw the tacti-cool vests, though. Does anyone really wear those in public anymore?
I say this is at least a contributing factor. Not only do the games bring people into the gun world but they bring in tech savvy folks that connect on the web and bring their power to bear much quicker and more precisely than the old days.
I’ve never played video games, but i recognize their power.
Let’s not forget Andrew “confiscation is not off the table” Cuomo. That was another classic moment where they showed their hand again.
This sounds like the “Practical Pistol” I used to shoot over here, taken a step or three more tactical?
I miss shooting. I especially miss shooting Practical on Wednesdays, where I discovered similar lessons; first you shoot safe, then you shoot accurate, *then* you work on your speed and start taking seconds off your time. You can’t miss fast enough to get a decent score, and getting DQ’d is at best embarrassing and at worst will end your hobby if you drop a big enough bollock that you’re no longer welcomed.
I was never DQ’d, managed to get reasonably accurate, and my times were never brilliant but were at least going in the right direction… and then the ban came down and I had to hand my long-suffering Glock 21 (never let me down, never failed even fed with my indifferent handloads, shot far better than I could hold it) over for destruction. Bah humbug.
On the other hand, sounds like RF had a damn good day out and was kind enough to share it with us.
I think they all helped get people to stop being afraid of guns and interested in learning how to shoot them as well. Lets take the opportunity to teach them to do it safely and responsibility.
It also made me realize if I could put a bayonet on my 10/22 it would be the perfect zombie gun. ( for “Walking dead” type zombies not “zombieland” type zombies). Think about it…..fast, light, kind of quiet, easy to carry lots of ammo.
A doubtful maybe. You can make a case for Call of Duty but that is just the electronic version of boomers playing soldier with their toy Tommy Guns and M-14s, cowboys and indians or cops and robbers in parks and playgrounds in the 1950s and 1960s.
I agree with your skepticism. But I’d give it a little more credit; Video games take up the slack in a world where toy guns are shunned, playing “Colonialists vs Peaceful-Indigenous” is outlawed and local public ranges are being zoned out. But it’s a double edged sword at best.
For me, it was Sons of Guns. 2 years later, I watch an episode of it with my kid brother and realized how dumbed down (emphasis on the “dumb”) it is, but it got me interested in guns and caused me to buy my first one at the age of 22 (I had shot a round of skeet once when I was 17, only time I had ever shot a gun). 2 years and 3 more guns later, I’m hooked and I’m all for any media that gets people interested in shooting.
Not COD. COD is turning women against guns all across the land– it creates division between parents and children, boyfriends and girlfriends, etc. And I think one day we’ll find out that COD also sparked something in the mentally ill Lanza. I don’t ever want video games banned, but let’s not give them credit either.
Jay the only thing dividing kids and parents are parents who are to weak to say no or just dont care to.
Two weeks ago I was in McCallisters for lunch. A mother and two kids were at the table across from me, the kids were about 7 years old. All three of them were playing on smart phones, one kid had a phone AND tablet. There was no conversation or family time even when they ate.
Does anyone know where the “90% of Americans support background checks” stat comes from? It sounds like a bit of hyperbole snuck its way to assumed fact like a game of Telephone when I was a kid.
As the father of a son in his early 20’s, yeah, big difference. Several of his friends, from non gun homes, are into shooting sports. Yes, they think the zombie thing is cool. Everything hi tech. (My son picked up a Mossberg 464 spx last year). I even like shooting it, nice ergonomics for fit.
“Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor’s supporters will tell you the only thing more dangerous than backing gun control in Arkansas is backing Obama—on anything.”
Ahahahahahaha!
However you got here, so long as the path didn’t harm innocent people, welcome.
“Today’s vote is a damning indictment of the stranglehold that
SANE PEOPLE have on Washington.”
There, that’s better.
Maybe. When I was a craven yoot, I was initially drawn into the milieu by cowboy movies and war movies. It’s not unreasonable to believe that shooting games might stoke the same coals today.
The positive impact of Top Shot is difficult to overestimate, regardless of how bad a show it was.
I expect the popular “resistance” dramas on television may have also helped a bit such as the Walking Dead and Falling Skies. While I dont watch Revolution I remember from the pilot one of the plot devices was a governmental style warlord who disarmed the people for their own safety and made gun ownership punishable by death. Maybe that show is popular enough to be a factor though I know nothing about it save the pilot episode.
“Dem violent video games” got me here. And it might sound weird but zombies really got me into guns. More precisely, disaster preparedness.
So, what’s the procedure for over riding an EO?
Revolution!
Go home Biden, you’re drunk
Like we couldn’t see this coming? Gentlemen, prepare to defend yourselves.
Personally, I have never heard anyone claim that video games or television shows started them on the path to firearms ownership and activism.
Regardless, it seems like those “gateway” options can do nothing but help our cause.
Definitely has some contribution. Cant say the new group is the smartest though, but damn at least there helping.
Yeah, screw representation; our Dear Leader knows what’s best for us!
The last several years I’ve slowly progressed from ‘bemused’ to ‘concerned’ to ‘flabbergasted’ to ‘outraged’ to ‘fsking disgusted’ with this administration.
History should remember Obama’s administration as the “War on Rights”.
Jeeze, they got their effin vote. What is the problem? FBHO!
You know, if the Prez really wanted to play dirty pool, he could yank all staff from firearms related and unrelated programs. For example he could totally yank the staff that answers the NICS system and … POOF! … no more commercial gun sales. He could also yank all staff processing FFL applications/renewals as well as the staff that processes tax stamps for suppressors, short barreled rifles, full auto firearms, etc. And for dessert, he could triple the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives staff and audit the living $#!+ out of FFLs all across the country. (Of course while auditing the FFLs, the staff would photo copy or take digital photos of every single page of every FFL’s “bound book” and have the necessary data to compile a registry.) And the Prez could yank all staff from something totally unrelated to firearms — such as processing passports — and tell everyone that he will restaff (and resume processing passports) when Congress passes the civilian disarmament laws that he wants.
And since neither he nor the Justice Department care about Congress or being contempt of Congress, why shouldn’t he do all of the above?
W e are very lucky because we still have Cynthia Mckinney (spelling?)
“The liberal messiah moves heaven and earth to show his glory and power over the corrupt and heartless Senate…”
Naah. Get decked, Obammie.
Well, just look at the way he responded to the “Dream Act” failing. He effectively did what he wanted anyway by selectively ignoring enforcement duties. Any thus far, he’s gotten away with it. We will see, but if the left stay in character, they will be back with the same proposals at every opporunity, and will ignore the law to push forward their agenda whenever they can get away with it. The only thing that isn’t clear to me is how far America will tolerate it. Have enough people woken up to vote some clowns out in 2014 and 2016? Will Obama succeed in blaming republicans enough to actually make gains in 2014? This would all be splendid drama if our liberty were not at stake.
I believe they have. What got me interested in the AR platform, the driving factor in the popularity of guns in the last decade or more, was the fact that I was told in 1994 that I couldn’t have one. So I bought one. After the AWB was allowed to sunset, I modified it in a way I was previously told I couldn’t. Now I own multiple AR’s. I found out they are fun to shoot, and so did many others. The many television shows about guns and the proliferation of fun shooting events have affected the culture in a positive way. And if Andrew Breitbart taught us anything, it was that culture is key in winning political fights. And we are winning.
I’m looking to get into this after I move. I still need to buy a shotgun.
Since 1946, the USG using the US military or foreign proxies has mass murdered more innocent civilians with bombs than any other country.
Ok Question: How many cities over 25,000 have gun carry legislation on the books?
Also I would assume they would need to advertise if there were since obviously there would need to be some way of letting folks know rather than have entrapment.
No Doofus, emotion is not relevant to a debate. Thats why its called a debate, and not a counseling session. If you want emotion, how about the emotions of the victims families that didnt support your disarmament agenda. Are those emotions relevant? You twit.
I am breathing a little easier today. We have stopped their momentum, now we need to push back. Hopefully Illinois will be the next example with a concealed carry beat down on those corrupt hypocritical narcissists in Chicago.
I had an interest in guns before video games the zombies or TV Shows such as Topshot and Sons of Guns. However growing up as a city boy with no direct line going back to hunting and the such in my life I never shot a gun till I was in my Mid 20’s. I will say that as I started watching Topshot and Sons of Guns I did get more into guns untill I finally purchased my first one. So while it may not have been the intial spark that started my interest in guns, it has been a part of the fuel that kept that interest going.