My family dosen't agree with my 2nd Amendment right?? WTF?

[NYMetsFan86 9]

hahahaha I'll adjust the "whiney" factor in the first post to better define the thread and what we are lookin for here....good call............living life as we speak

 

the mets.....well what can you do right haha

[Malsua 1,422]

Liberals, specially NorthEast liberals are fed a steady diet of fear about guns.  It's emotionally driven hoplophobia.

 

You cannot argue someone out of a position using logic if they didn't come to that position from logic in the first place.

 

The only thing that works in that case is stronger emotion.   I.E. A liberal is a conservative who hasn't been mugged yet.

 

Sherri Sheppard from the view had her house broken into and now wants a gun.  I.E. the fear of getting a phone cord wrapped around her neck at 3am outweighs the irrational fear of an inanimate object.

 

Appealing to these same people with logical arguments: It's my right!  I just want it to protect myself!  It's fun to do!  fall on deaf ears because they don't trigger the fight or flight response in these people.  The fear of the gun outweighs all those reasons, right up until they are blacking out with a phone cord around their neck.

 

My advice is to just ignore the topic with those people.   They are emotionally incapable of understanding.  Respect that they are broken in this regard and move on.  

[djg0770 481]

Oh snap.. Your a mets fan that explains a lot....

 

However if you can be a mets fan you can do anything!

 

 

Hey Nick...  I'm going to go change my signature, JUST FOR YOU.

[djg0770 481]

Holy hell that's funny!

 

I'm good with it.  I'm a big boy and I don't need your approval.  The guy in the mirror in the morning still thinks I'm nuts but F him.  

[mikeyboyeee 66]

I'm in a similar situation. I'm coming up on my 1-year anniversary of being a gun owner and things are pretty good.

 

I come from a liberal family. I spent every night in high school watching Countdown with Kieth Olbermann and The Rachel Maddow Show (they still have a special place in my heart despite their obvious bias). I've never been to a Church service and my parents were afraid to let me play Pokemon. My mom is an activist vegetarian (as am I, minus the activist) and pseudo-pacifist. There are several Buddhist figures throughout my house.

 

I knew just going up to my mom and saying "Hey, I want to get a gun" wasn't going to cut it. What I ended up doing was writing a concise paper expressing my thoughts. Yeah it's a bit corny, but by my judgement, it was the best medium I had to convey what I wanted to convey without being interrupted or shot down immediately. Clearly it worked, and while my mom isn't looking to go out and get her FPID, she's tolerant of my ownership. At her request, I don't keep any firearms loaded (though I do keep several mags loaded in very close proximity). She also requested that I take a safety class, which is really something every prospective gun owner should do.

 

The approach that worked best for me was trying to normalize the activity and ask for tolerance. I've stated before that liberal-minded people tend to think of themselves as especially tolerant and open-minded. If you assert that they aren't one of those things, they tend to back-pedal immediately. I explained a lot of the misconceptions and even mentioned the forum here, making sure she understood that I'm looking to become part of a community of people and that I'm taking it seriously.

 

I also don't think mentioning it nonchalantly is a good idea. The concept and practice of gun ownership is very serious, and especially serious to those who are anti-gun. Make sure you're treating the idea with the level of respect and seriousness it deserves.

 

There is certainly a right and a wrong way to talk about guns with anti-gun people. Having been largely anti-gun myself for much of my life, I can attest to that. Be calm, have your facts in order, and encourage conversation. Explore their aversion to ownership and if you must agree to disagree, simply ask for their tolerance and respect. It's what worked for me.How old are you that y9ou need to write your mommy a letter on why youwanted to buy a gun?

 

Not trying to be a d!ck (well maybe a litttle , but seriously, a letter to your mommy?

[SgtToadette 59]

How old are you that y9ou need to write your mommy a letter on why youwanted to buy a gun?

Not trying to be a d!ck (well maybe a litttle , but seriously, a letter to your mommy?

Can you think of a better medium that would convey the message properly without being immediately shut down by a pseudo-pacifist, borderline hippie?

[mikeyboyeee 66]

 

Can you think of a better medium that would convey the message properly without being immediately shut down by a pseudo-pacifist, borderline hippie?

 

That describes my GF and my answer is tuff sh!t.  I am a big boy and my GF and Mommy don't tell me what to do.

 

Let those balls hang low son!

[NYMetsFan86 9]

hahahahah let those balls hang low, sounds like a plan ....love it lmfao

[SgtToadette 59]

That describes my GF and my answer is tuff sh!t.  I am a big boy and my GF and Mommy don't tell me what to do.

 

Let those balls hang low son!

 

Yeah because walking in the door with an AR15 would have gone over so well...

 

Preach about your feigned machismo to someone who cares. I'm trying to be productive and actually help.

[NYMetsFan86 9]

toadette, so you know, your posts HAVE seemed productive and helpful to the topic.. IMO

[djg0770 481]

Not trying to be a d!ck (well maybe a litttle , but seriously, a letter to your mommy?

 

Hey we all deal with things differently.  I tell my kids that it's my house and my rules and that's the way it's going to be whether they're 2 or 22. 

 

I think writing a letter, knowing that it would be read to the end sometimes conveys the message more clearly.  Use whatever medium you need to.

[NYMetsFan86 9]

djg btw nice sig..lets go mets

[djg0770 481]

Heh - eternal optimism for the Mets.  What can I say...

[AlDente67 563]

do you assume im not a man....,.....do you assume i am not a hard worker..........do you assume i have no mortgage...........do you assume im not married or engaged........

 

Dosen't seem like a great assumption.  I need no validation but thanks for bashing........very enjoyable to read all these awesome posts though

 

I think you did the right thing.  You can't always say "be a man and put your foot down".  If your family is firmly anti, that just leads to nightly arguments, which nobody really needs.  I'd rather relax and watch one of my favorite shows (and it isn't Sons of Guns, lol) then get into a screaming match with my wife.

 

As I mentioned though, many of the antis (I would bet) are so afraid because they actually do think a gun will grow legs and shoot people by themselves.  My wife picked up a snap cap that had fallen out of my jacket pocket and asked me to please hide it from the kids.  At 16 years old, I doubt my kid would insert the cap into her nostril.  I can't think of any other way to injure yourself with a snap cap.

[mikeyboyeee 66]

Hey we all deal with things differently.  I tell my kids that it's my house and my rules and that's the way it's going to be whether they're 2 or 22. 

 

I think writing a letter, knowing that it would be read to the end sometimes conveys the message more clearly.  Use whatever medium you need to.

I was just busting his balls a bit.

 

If living at home with parents you gotta do what you gotta do.

[Albanian 121]

MetsFan you already have gotten a lot of good suggestions so I will just share how my family is.

 

My mom is pro-gun however she does not want any in the house because her dad "committed suicide" before I was born. (Committed suicide is in quotes because he was in bad with the mafia and it was probably set up according to my late great grandmother).

 

My dad is pro-gun however he says there is no need for one, though from some slips from when he was drunk me and my brother surmised that he owns a ruger handgun and hides it.

 

I have anti-gun family members who possess handguns and pro-gun family members who don't own any. The part of my family I am close with (my dad's side) are Albanian and Albanians are generally pro-gun. Weddings over in Albania (and Kosovo and Montenegro) will probably cause Tinnitus because of all the shooting... if the music doesn't (my ENT said I probably got Tinnitus because of the constant loud music at Albanian parties since I was a kid).

 

My Uncle owns a gun and I had to argue with him about why the 2nd amendment is necessary and guns do not cause crime. Meanwhile my non-gun owning aunt is defending me.

 

If I was you I'd use stats and articles and examples from history to defend your pro-gun views.

[monmouth 19]

Wait till you start buying a rig, 6-12 months of food supply, gardening, water filtration, etc... That will distract from the gun ownership, hahaha

[Fawkesguy 57]

To the OP:  Your family sounds like the overwhelming majority of people in NJ.  Gun owners are a tiny minority of the population here.  Gun ownership is not normal at all in this state, and that is by design.  By law, it is illegal to possess any firearm in NJ, unless you are exempt from said law.  It's all backwards here.  NOBODY has any 2nd Amendment rights here.  That right is denied to everyone unless they have an FID.  So it isn't surprising that your family reacted the way they did, especially if their only exposure to firearms is via movies, TV shows, and the liberal media.

 

Congrats on waking up and doing the best you can within the unbelievably severe restrictions we live under in NJ. 

[45Doll 5,877]

When my best friend in high school (47 years ago) told me last year 'As an anti-gun liberal I wouldn't trust myself with a gun.', I let it go.

 

What I wanted to ask him was 'Do you trust yourself with a car and cellphone, or kitchen knife? If yes, why?'

 

Why did I let it go? Because I knew I could not have a rational debate with him, just as we can't have one with the NJ Legislature. They're not interested in a rational debate. They're only interested in controlling your conduct with their emotional guidance to alleviate their paranoia.

 

The interesting thing to me is that most really anti-gun people are the ones who can be demonstrably shown to be psychologically and/or emotionally wounded or impaired. (e.g. Newtown parents, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy) In many cases (like my former friend) they admit it. And it's these people we should look to for guidance?

 

Hardly. At least not until they overcome their fears.

[Wavecaster 22]

i think the most important thing is, if the subject comes up, to just keep hammering that its not a weapon. you didn't buy it so that you can point it at another person. it is a tool, or equipment in your new sport/hobby. its no different than a football, or a hockey stick, or a baseball bat. baseball bat is a real good one to compare it to because then you can show that just because it can be used for self defense and would be foolish not to if at your disposal and ever put in that situation, it still doesn't mean that is why you wanted it. Of course wanting a firearm for the single reason of protecting yourself is a valid reason for wanting one, but its not always the best one to discuss with someone afraid of them. i think a lot of these people believe the only thing a firearm is capable of is death and destruction and thats the root of the problem. getting them to see putting a hole in a piece of paper is innocent harmless fun is the key to open mindedness, imo anyway. of course some people aren't capable of seeing that but some resistance in the beginning doesn't mean a lost cause.

 

also to the other people its not as much about caring what other people think or seeking validation as much as its about trying to educate some of the ignorant, gun fearing, gun hating zombies who believe that an ar-15 is a bullet spraying death machine. it is never a bad thing to convert an anti-2a into being a little more reasonable, no matter what the other personal reasons might be. 

[SgtToadette 59]

i think the most important thing is, if the subject comes up, to just keep hammering that its not a weapon. you didn't buy it so that you can point it at another person. it is a tool, or equipment in your new sport/hobby. its no different than a football, or a hockey stick, or a baseball bat. baseball bat is a real good one to compare it to because then you can show that just because it can be used for self defense and would be foolish not to if at your disposal and ever put in that situation, it still doesn't mean that is why you wanted it. Of course wanting a firearm for the single reason of protecting yourself is a valid reason for wanting one, but its not always the best one to discuss with someone afraid of them. i think a lot of these people believe the only thing a firearm is capable of is death and destruction and thats the root of the problem. getting them to see putting a hole in a piece of paper is innocent harmless fun is the key to open mindedness, imo anyway. of course some people aren't capable of seeing that but some resistance in the beginning doesn't mean a lost cause.

 

also to the other people its not as much about caring what other people think or seeking validation as much as its about trying to educate some of the ignorant, gun fearing, gun hating zombies who believe that an ar-15 is a bullet spraying death machine. it is never a bad thing to convert an anti-2a into being a little more reasonable, no matter what the other personal reasons might be. 

 

I tend to disagree a bit with your first point. I understand the argument, but it seems largely disingenuous because as a community, we often specifically buy firearms for their defensive capability. We also talk about how all people have an inherent right to self-defense. In those roles, a firearm is indeed a weapon and is designed and employed as such. I see this argument fall apart often and it creates a steep slope to climb back up from.

 

Granted, if you can make it work for you then go for it. I simply caution the idea.

[reloaderguy 30]

I don't associate with any of my family or relatives that are anti 2nd ammendment! Period!

[silverado427 10,713]

I don't associate with any of my family or relatives that are anti 2nd ammendment! Period!

[Bear Arms 0]

I remember having similar Anti-Gun replies at a dinner table with relatives.  Over the past few years - I've collected a counter replies.   

 

I ask the older ones at the table - "where were you during the summers of 1967 & 1968. Where were you during the riots?"  Most people have forgotten.  I ask each of them to Google-search "1967 Riots" and "1968 Riots"   Each search will provide lots of details of race riots all over the country - but esp in Newark and Plainfield - if you want to keep it local in NJ.  

 

Long story - short - the police were swamped to the point that the State & National Guards were called in w early versions of SWAT teams and Riot Gear - even tanks.  I remember those times because I was a Peace-nik student at Rutgers in New Brunswick and felt that those places were not of interest to me because they were not in my neighborhood.  Well - they were only 20 miles away and I was too stupid to understand that they could have been around the block from me and I would have come up with another stupid excuse to avoid understanding that I also could have been a victim.  Later I met people from Newark & Plainfield who described their cities before and after 

the riots and they all said it was not pretty bad - horrible.  The looting in retail areas was legendary and the riots and fires consumed many residential areas.   Most of the people that were directly in those towns left and never returned to live there.   Not a scientific survey - but a great majority of them - explained to me that that time was the first time they started looking at self defense more seriously and those people

have become very serious about protecting their homes, family and property - using guns.    Nobody said that the police were negligent in their work but all agreed that the police were simply overwhelmed.    If the 911 system were in place then (it wasn't) it would have had a few % of calls w proper responses and 90+% w NO response.   Which do you want to be?  I've chosen to be more self-reliant and self-preserving, esp when I was raising a family.

 

So where is this going?    I ask the same people - In what form do you need information presented - to take it seriously?  Do you need to be hit over the head before you defend yourself or do you look around and see what your situation is really like?   Ask yourself - do you lock the doors in your house when you go to sleep?  Why?  Because you heard there are bad guys out there looking for easy targets.   Well - If your locked  door gets kicked in - what are you planning to do w the bad guys?      Somewhere along the line - everyone will admit that life is too fragile and too easily broken if you don't take care of yourself.  

 

Remember - NO one is born loving guns.  As we grow up - we acquire a tolerance for guns if we bother to learn that a gun doesn't kill anyone if it's handled properly.   Ask your family if that bit of education is too bothersome.  

 

Anyway - I've used this angle and now I have 100% compliance in my near and extended family. It took years - but many now say - that they now wonder why they were so Anti-Gun before.    

 

I have to leave now but I'll leave you with this lesson - Someone wise (maybe Confucius) once said ->

Tell Me and I'll Forget,  

Show Me and I'll Remember,

Involve Me and I'll Understand

 

So here w Guns - you need to quit talking those standard lines and come up w individual stories for each of your family members that hit home.  Ask your Mom or GrandMom if she would want to see her kids beat up or worse by outsiders / gangs -- roaming the streets of your quiet neighborhood.   Tell her - that Bad guys leave neighborhoods alone that are protected w guns.  A S&W decal or NRA decal in a window is better that a couple dogs barking in the backyard.

 

Let me know how it goes.