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Question of the Day: What Will It Take to Wake-Up Gun Owners?

Robert Farago - comments No comments

Paul Revere (courtesy lharrisgeometry.files.wordpress.com)

It would be easy to believe that the majority of American gun owners are alert to plans for civilian disarmament at the local, state and federal level; and actively working against them. Especially if you hang around these parts. Truth be told, there are millions of gun owners who are paying scant attention to the gun ban bills wending their way through various legislatures (already passed in New York). They don’t consider these bills a threat to their life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. Ban assault weapons? Universal background checks? Mag cap limits? I can live with that. Better that than a total gun ban. So what’s it going to take for these centrist gun owners to realize that the S is H’ing TF? I’m thinking some kind of Ruby Ridge or WACO thing. Does it really have to come to that?

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Robert Farago

Robert Farago is the former publisher of The Truth About Guns (TTAG). He started the site to explore the ethics, morality, business, politics, culture, technology, practice, strategy, dangers and fun of guns.

0 thoughts on “Question of the Day: What Will It Take to Wake-Up Gun Owners?”

  1. Don’t stress over it RF. Everybody is subject to the occasional brain fart. I’ve taken my Makarov apart umpteen times. A couple of weeks ago I found myself struggling to field strip it until I realized i had forgotten to pull the trigger gaurd down. D’oh.

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  2. If gun owners partial to liberty are not awake now, haven’t joined national and state organizations now, then they will never wake up. Doesn’t matter if the feds murder 20 kids in another Waco, they’ll ignore/rationalize it. And besides, it’s March Madness!

    Sports are the downfall of the male in this country

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    • Sadly, these are the same people who voted for Barry, thinking he would never take their liberty (firearms, and the ability to defend the 2A with).
      Many (God, I hope) have awoken with this latest power grab (going after the guns while waving the bloody childrens shirts). If your still asleep, your dead, and I have no use for you. Masterbate, play a video game, check out the latest sports scores…..not understanding that the REAL game (which really isnt) is 0-0 shootout with Liberty vs gun (freedom) grabbers a game EVERYONE will lose if the grabbers slip one thru the net.

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  3. 11,000 PG-7 RPG’s
    3200 FIM-92 Stingers
    250k lake city 556
    100k wwb .40
    10k Hornaday TAP 556
    10k Critical Defense .40
    1.1mm Cci .22

    …because just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you…

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  4. How much of what would you buy?
    50k of each would probably last me a couple years so.

    .308 BTJHP
    50 bmg
    9mm

    “You can’t have enough ammo because……I lead you.”

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  5. It’s going to take several Wacos and Ruby ridges actually. The actual confiscation raids must commence. and deaths due to nothing more than ownership of a magazine to occur.

    They are going to have to see people fight back. People other than themselves.

    In short, good decent people are going to die because of these ostriches.

    Now I am going to tell you that these unmotivated types, I believe, are as fully informed, and fully aware as the rest of us. We have put the word out in every venues a gun owner might trad, and many they typically do not. I reject the notion they are uninformed. This ‘stay on the porch’ bunch won’t be moved until open warfare breaks out, and even then they won’t be reliable. I want to say just write em off, but we would be incorrect if we didn’t give them every chance, right up to the tipping point, to come to understand the true nature of the fight.

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    • > half of them were black.

      I don’t have my copy of No More Wacos with me, but according to this list of the Branch Davidians who died at Waco:

      06 were Asian
      28 were black (not “African-American”, because most were British)
      01 was Hawaiin
      06 were Mexian American
      01 was Samoan
      37 were white

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  6. I don’t think they can be woken up. the liberl agun owners witl always voice support for us , then vote streight democrat. I have heard it for decades. ” (whatever republican is on the ticket) is SUCH an idiot, I couldn’t vote for him,” ,
    ” my union said we would all be put thrown out of work if we didn’t vote for (democrat on the ticket)” , ” I could never support anyone who doesn’t support gay marriage” . and so on , and so on , and so on.
    when it comes right down to it we can win this political fight , but we will have to do it with the people we have.

    of course I could be wrong, but 35 years of political activism since I have been old enough to vote has confirmed this to me again and again.

    I am proudly a one issue voter. You should be too, because if the left can get your vote with global warming, the they don’t give a rats butt what you think of gun control.

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  7. In 1989 Canadians experienced our own mass shooting at École Polytechnique. The resulting nationwide outcry led to magazine restrictions and “no-knock” warrants in 1991. In an effort to appease the anti-gun movement at the time, black rifle owners were thrown under the bus (our current ban list makes the AWB look like a grocery list by comparison). 4 years later they came after everyone with a national long gun registry – and came within a hair of banning all handguns and black rifles in this country. It took 17 years just to repeal the registry. We’re stuck with everything else, and this is as good as it will ever get for us. The saying “if we knew then what we know now” holds true.

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    • Yes, We know what they did in the UK with “reasonable restrictions” also. We are on it, like feinswine on a spent shell casing, Randy

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  8. this is coming from higher up than the media; look to those who own both parties, the media, everything. a disarmed population suits their needs, especially as things get worse w/the economy & knowledge of some of what’s really happening slips thru the cracks. follow the money. qui bono?

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  9. The really sad thing is that this legislation got its start in a lawsuit brought to require the State to refund excess fees charges at transfer. For years, the DOJ had amassed a pot of millions of dollars in fees in excess of cost to maintain its background check system (which does not use NICS). ice the fee charged was only supposed to cover that cost, it should have been refunded and the fee reduced. But faced with having to refund tax dollars to gun owning citizens, the legislature authorized the DOJ to spend the money on another ;aw evforcement program altogether that has nothing to so with background checks or gun registration.

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  10. I am awake to what is going on all over this country in regards to gun laws and changes. But what do I do being awake? I speak out. I introduce people most every week to the life of a gun owner. They find me quite not so scary. Most want to invite me and mine to dinner. I support the NRA. We vote for issues we beleive in. We try and make guns as highly visible, yet non-threatening as possible in our community.

    What is it that you are actually thinking we should do, Robert? What do you suggest? Anyone?

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  11. I don’t see any gunowners waking up to fight back. Half the population is receiving some form of Govt. check/benefit…SS, VA benefits, Military retirement, TSP, whatever. The Govt. does not need to come and take our guns they just need to stop payments to those individuals until they turn in their guns. That is the reason the Govt. needs to start a registration. They dont know who to cut off till they know where the guns are! You could have 10 Waco’s back to back and still no one is gonna get off their collective asses and do anything! A movement to fight back will have to begin on a State level not an individual level.

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  12. Colorado’s “background check” and “mag bans”, which will probably pass the state Senate tomorrow, are — as far as I know — still ambigious about the burden of proof, both for the purposes of criminal conviction, and return of property if not charged or convicted.

    In the case of criminal conviction, the burden will probably be on The State to prove that a gun or magazine was possessed before July 1, 2013. But that does not mean that gun owners won’t be pressed to plea-bargain.

    However, the issue of returning confiscated property has not been settled. If I’m pulled over, and have my gun confiscated, will I have to prove that I possessed it before July 1, 2013 to have it returned to me?

    This is not a minor footnote. This issue was brought up several times in the committe hearings and the Donkeyrats were very cavilier about dismissing it. If they had good intentions, it would be a simple matter to add unambiguous language in the bills stating that guns and magazines will be returned to the owner within X days if the owner is not charged nor convicted.

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  13. I’m not for these new bills and don’t want our guards to go down, but …

    Even with horrible new legislation, most gun functionality can still be present; a pump and a 6 rd pistol are good for home def. and CC. I’m not saying it is “enough” and the slippery slope scares me, but it is better than some countries, for now.

    Another RR/Waco would not wake up everyone, but it would many. They were big PR problems for the state. Lots of people are now likely active against disarmament because of these events.

    I’m just trying to be hop

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  14. I see a simple and bloodless solution to this rags worries. The US government and the MSM support a return to respect for and adherrence to the Constitution and BOR. No more angry people gathering to protest. Problem solved. JWM should be in charge.

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  15. I’m not for weapons legislation and don’t want our guards to go down, but …

    Even with more legislation, most gun functionality is still present; a pump and revolver are ok for home def. and CC. I’m not saying it is “enough” and the slippery slope scares me, but it is better than some countries… for now.

    Another RR/Waco would not wake up everyone, but many. They are big PR problems for the state. Many are now likely active against disarmament because of these events.

    I’m just trying to be hopeful.

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  16. It’s ok for our troups to kill bad guys overseas its just when they come home its not ok to kill bad guys here. What ever could the difference be? Maybe we could get Sherlock Holmes on this, Randy

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  17. Who is surprised by this? Why do you think Democrats, and especially progressive ones want to put so many people on the government dole? Because when they want to get something unpopular done, they just have to threaten your livelihood to get you to back down. This is Alinsky at his finest.

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  18. Looks like a fairly basic custom long-range bolt, of course the suppressor if it’s real limits accuracy and distance. I shoot a Sako .338 so nothing in bolt actions really impress me anymore.

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  19. We are up against the irrational fear of people with limited self control. They can’t control their emotions around a handgun etc, so how could anyone else? What is a good motivator is deadly crime, tends to force a choice, Randy

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  20. It was raining and 39 degrees out and there were still 85 shooters there. With 10 new shooters at this match and 20 last month, it’s no wonder I can’t find any small pistol primers.

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  21. This is why they don’t call themselves “liberals” anymore. They ruined a good word by being anything but, and now they’ve revealed themselves as just plain nasty. Telling women to pee or vomit on rapists; and “too bad for you, you can’t use a gun to stop one.” Extortionists.

    There’s nothing on earth that scalds the Left’s hide more than a free citizen with a gun. Which more than anything shows what they think of freedom generally.

    One good thing about these gun debates: the Left’s pretty little mask has slipped.

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  22. Sounds trite but it’s true…..Liberalism is a mental disorder. How can any sane person feel these people are thinking clearly?

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  23. That’s still at least a third of Americans who own guns. If that were a skin color, we’d be the largest “minority” group in this country. We must be more vocal about our rights, and we have to share gun culture with anyone who is interested–regardless of political party, sexual orientation, religion, or any other factor that has nothing to do with the moral character of a person.

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  24. It’s not anywhere near accurate. Who here would answer the question about gun ownership if a stranger called your house and asked? Keep in mind they couldn’t tell you where they were calling from or who was backing the survey. Surveys can be severely skewed based on how the questing is asked. This is a junk study, period.

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  25. I think “extortion” is more accurate. Euphemistically called “protection.”

    “Mighty nice elected office you got there. Would be a shame if responding to the priorities of your constituents became financially untenable for you. You know, we can maybe help you out with that.”

    Blackmail is used more often like: “Stop advocating against this here gun bill we want or we’ll disclose something bad you did … like advocating against this here gun bill.”

    I like to think that some threats like these can be shut down just by letting your freak – or Gadsden – flag fly.

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  26. Unlimited ammo, unlimited budget?
    5000 rnds of 9mm Speer Gold Dot
    5000 rnds Corbon DPX 7.62×39
    15,000 rnds CCI mini mag .22

    At all times.

    You can never have enough ammo because…when it rains, it pours.

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  27. Illustrates difference between the social “sciences ” and hard sciences. Even in biology you would want all sorts of calibration data before trusting a sampling survey. Here they ask folks and that is it. According to Dick Morris Mitt Romney should be President. Enough said.

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  28. To be a good example unless you are camping in the ghetto, you don’t need to pack sidearms at a Cub, or Scout meeting. We have a parent of a member of our pack, who has been open carrying recently at Pack meetings. In a Church meeting room on a Sunday evening, no less. Clearly, a violation of Scouting rules. I feel, that one should at least show the courtesy of the old West and leave their firearms in their saddlebags, or at least the door pocket of their locked, parked, car. Sure, things can happen, anywhere. However, I was travelling in a certain South American country a few years ago, when I felt the hand of death could be nearby at anytime, and as it developed, it was probably safer there, than in some parts of our own country. LEAD, by example.

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  29. I have videoed all of my IDPA nad USPSA matches from last year and uploaded them all to youtube. It has been the single best thing to try and introduce new members to the sport.

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  30. .45
    9mm
    .22LR
    You can never have too much ammo because you can never have too much practice. If you are out of ammo after practicing, you’re then vulnerable to very dangers you practice for: things that go bump in the night, unprovoked assault, protecting your loved ones, but most of all, ZOMBIES! Braaaaains!

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  31. The NRA should be out there promoting safe and secure gun use and ownership. They should be promoting training and proficiency with media outreach and advertising to support visiting local local ranges to experience gun use and safe practices. Educate and involve the uninformed through MSM advertising. That may be the only means of getting our message and the truth out to the uninitiated public.

    Of course, I’m certain the MSM will charge through the nose for the ad time, if they are willing to aire it at all.

    What can we do; Donate to the NRA or your states 2A advocate organization such as the Cal Guns Foundation in Kalifornia.!! This 5h1t costs $$$.

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  32. I have to say, I am not against this specific legislation. We the people of the gun have always said that the law enforcement should enforce the laws we already have. This specific bill actually does this.
    Yes, California is unique. We can cross reference registered gun owners and also mental health records etc. We know there are about 20,000 people who for one reason or another are on the prohibited list for purchasing a firearm. While this doesn’t begin to deal with the illegal guns in the state, it is a step.
    I don’t agree that they should confiscate weapons from people who might only have a restraining order due to a divorce. This is somewhat of a common practice, even though there might not be any history of violence etc. I don’t know what the criteria will be, or how it will be carried out which is of great concern. I can however say that if it were a convicted felon for instance, their possession of a firearm is illegal and if they were stopped in possession of a firearm they would be arrested. It is a slippery slope I admit, but they are simply attempting to enforce our current laws.

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  33. Maybe I missed something… So they fear an inanimate object and does not take personal responsibility for owning one but feels that because of their own fears, no one else should be allowed to own firearms. So how much did NYTIMES paid for these first hand experiences? Excuse me, but buying a firearm is bit more daunting than buying an iPhone here in CA, so um yah, I call your bullshite and raise you with how easy it is for 16 year olds to get their driver’s license.

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  34. 300 blackout
    556
    40 SW
    45ACP
    22lr

    You can never have enough ammo because civilian disarmament advocates say you can have too much.

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  35. “It’s not a revolver, it’s a single action gun.”. Really? I’m pretty sure a handgun can be both single action AND a revolver.

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  36. This is a great chart but it looks like it has not been updated for a while. Can anyone who knows the original source of the charts encourage him to keep up the good work?

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  37. I’d prefer to have the option, thank you. If I encounter scum in the dark, I want to be able to see that my sights are lining up on said scum. Just try aiming in the dark: Your iron sights might as well not be there.

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  38. Ughhhhh the gleeful busybody mentality drives me up the WALL.
    I’m sorry the other kids had more fun than you while you were following the rules. I’m sorry you’ve never been lauded for how obedient you are and it’s given you a chip the size of Gibraltar on your shoulder. But leave well enough alone, man. It is neither your job nor your right to police the purchases of others, or to level legal action against things that frighten you.

    Also how the hell is there a gun buyback in Arizona? Is there a tractor buy back in Nebraska, too? A sad asshole buyback in New Jersey?

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  39. In Florida, six teens were killed in an accident in an SUV. I think we need to ban all sports cars. It’s for the children.

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  40. My thought was that information and resources needed to be organized by county and then by state all linked to a national jump page. That its not about controlling the state and local chapters under one banner but to facilitate networking, communication, and the organization of resources.

    There might be 10 small groups operating in one urban area all focused on different aspects of the issue and only one in a small rural county but I think they need to all be able to easily communicate and when the opportunity arises to network or support each others projects.

    The National Groups all have important roles to play but I think they try to control too much from the top down, and true grassroots efforts should come from the bottom up.

    Its like finding quotes that are vetted and correct to use in arguments, memes, or letters to the editor. There are a ton of quotes pages out there, some better than others, I would say that instead of 500 various pages that vetted quotes are organized under one special project linked to a National Jump off page.

    That would be one small thing in the scheme of things but the same idea can be used to develop sample letters to the editor, talking points, etc. Some people feel very strongly about the issue but they are more about actions than words, and writing comes hard, you don’t want to do all the work for someone but I think there are things that can be done to make it easier for people to be and to get involved,

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  41. Damn you! I read the e mail too fast and thought it was the mag limit ban. I was ready to send out for champagne. Then I click on the link just to get a face full of Jumbo haulin’ a Slurpee.
    .

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  42. Since you will be no longer needing your non FNH rifles, I will be more than glad to have them gifted to me. Please let me know where I can pick my things up..

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  43. Actually this article is very encouraging. They know they are losing. Badly.

    Feinstein and many of the dem gun-grabbers have been forced to backpedal furiously on their proposed initiatives. Schakowski and Feinstein have been forced into the “commie closet” and now they are trotting out Machine Gun Mark Kelly and Shotgun Joe to push their agenda. Machine Gun Kelly has been exposed for the flaming hypocrite he is and they are having to backpedal/spin the hell out of this one. They have tried to marginalize the NRA at every turn yet membership has never been higher. The recent fustercluck in CO with rep salazar over call boxes, safe zones, and rape whistles, etc. My fave was peeing on your attacker with use of ballpoint pens as a close second.

    The fight is far from over but as long as we remain united and willing to fight we will win.

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