I found this article pretty informative, although it does speak to an urgent need for obama to use executive orders if necessary to implement gun control due to a changing demographic that shows more people opposing gun control.

 

http://www.topix.net/guns/2013/02/advanced-age-of-gun-rights-opponents-consistent-with-demographic-shift

Love it!

 

Frank Lautenberg, 89!

Gun control is a movement of old white people

Gun control is a movement of old white people

 

No way man. Lots of young democratic types are too, lots and lots of females too

There have been two very signifcant changes since the 50's

 

1. We trusted our government back then.

 

2. We were a much more civilized society back then. We didn't have the gang violence, the home invasions, the lunatics released from the asylums, the drugs both legal and illegal......... I was a kid then; we played cops and robbers, war, all had BB guns, my 12 gauge was in the corner of my room with my .22, we took our guns to school to go hunting afterward or to work on them.

This confirms my personal experiences with who I see at the range.

You really have to love it. At ages were most people tend to spend time knitting and bird watching, or being placed in retirement homes, we instead have some of these people dictating (or trying to) our laws and future.

You really have to love it. At ages were most people tend to spend time knitting and bird watching, or being placed in retirement homes, we instead have some of these people dictating (or trying to) our laws and future.

 

The operative word is "some". I can't knit, only like clay birds, and spent Friday in the cold and wet at Trenton. I am 71

Btw, this is why it is stupid of the NRA to talk about video games and movies.

The operative word is "some". I can't knit, only like clay birds, and spent Friday in the cold and wet at Trenton. I am 71

 

I wasn't intending it to be anything negative toward older folks, only pointing out most older folks tend to spend time enjoying retirement, family, and other nice activities...as opposed to trying to dictate the future of strangers and generations they won't be alive for.

 

I mentioned knitting and bird watching specifically because those are 2 things my grandparents do, so seemed appropriate.

I wasn't intending it to be anything negative toward older folks, only pointing out most older folks tend to spend time enjoying retirement, family, and other nice activities...as opposed to trying to dictate the future of strangers and generations they won't be alive for.

 

I mentioned knitting and bird watching specifically because those are 2 things my grandparents do, so seemed appropriate.

 

No offense taken. Some of us old codgers practice sarcasm to a fault.

Hell, I'm 20, never raised around guns, and I've always said it's my parent's generation that hates them. People my age are fascinated, and really want to go out and shoot.

 

Glad to see this, it shows that hopefully all is not lost for the future.

I wasn't intending it to be anything negative toward older folks, only pointing out most older folks tend to spend time enjoying retirement, family, and other nice activities...as opposed to trying to dictate the future of strangers and generations they won't be alive for.

 

I mentioned knitting and bird watching specifically because those are 2 things my grandparents do, so seemed appropriate.

 

I am 64 and retired and I would like to dictate the future of some Politicians who are getting stranger every time I visit the Statehouse.......

I am 64 and retired and I would like to dictate the future of some Politicians who are getting stranger every time I visit the Statehouse.......

 

 

Point taken!

Btw, this is why it is stupid of the NRA to talk about video games and movies.

 

Agreed 200%.

Since I was young my pops has been saying that the demise of America rests squarely on the shoulders of socialists and hippies. He also claimed the ratchet wrench made people lazy and filter cigarettes were for women. Everyone just went here goes dad again and waited for the 5 - 15 minute lecture to end. We are all opinionated and that’s a great thing. Maybe after serving 33 years on AD he had it figured out. Now that I’ve clicked off 19 years in I find myself going he might have been on to something.

I have to tell you that my father, uncles, grandfathers, and great uncles would roll over laughing at some of that so-called data (i.e., Gallup polls) based on their life and community experience. First, research Gallup polls and you will find many studies showing their bias due to their polling basis so the historic data is going to be skewed. Second, it all depended upon where you lived in the country. Third, handguns have become unbelieveably numerous in the last 20 years. Fourth, consider the post-Korea and Vietnam sentiment in the nation, and, well, the hippies.

 

I can tell you my Sunday mornings as a young boy growing up in S.Jersey consisted of going to church with the family with rifles in the trunk and then heading over to USANA in Sunday best to compete in rifle and this was the norm. Guns were not hidden or taboo topics in my family. We were all taught at an early age to respect them and learn how to use them. As data, my parents were born in the late-30s, and my father a Marine gunny. I was the youngest with almost 20 years between myself and oldest sibling.

JW - why link a website full of spam/ads that links to another site?

 

Real link:

http://www.examiner.com/article/advanced-age-of-gun-rights-opponents-consistent-with-demographic-shift?cid=rss

2. We were a much more civilized society back then.

 

Yes, if you weren't Black or Jewish, it was great...

 

It wasn't that long ago that my mother parents couldn't sleep in certain hotels because her last name was Resnick... I wouldn't exactly call that civilized.

There have been two very signifcant changes since the 50's

 

1. We trusted our government back then.

 

2. We were a much more civilized society back then. We didn't have the gang violence, the home invasions, the lunatics released from the asylums, the drugs both legal and illegal......... I was a kid then; we played cops and robbers, war, all had BB guns, my 12 gauge was in the corner of my room with my .22, we took our guns to school to go hunting afterward or to work on them.

 

So what happened? I'll tell you what happened. The secular left is what happened. There have been efforts over the last 60 years to undermine the Judeo-Christian principles under which our founders created this nation. The demoralization of the people is what happened. As many like to post the founder's thoughts in support of gun rights here are some of their quotes regarding a "moral and religious people".

 

John Adams - "We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion . . . Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."

 

Benjamin Rush - "The only foundation for a useful education in a republic is to be aid in religion. Without this there can be no virtue, and without virtue there can be no liberty, and liberty is the object and life of all republican governments. Without religion, I believe that learning does real mischief to the morals and principles of mankind."

 

Noah Webster - "The Christian religion, in its purity, is the basis, or rather the source of all genuine freedom in government. . . . and I am persuaded that no civil government of a republican form can exist and be durable in which the principles of that religion have not a controlling influence."

 

Gouverneur Morris - "For avoiding the extremes of despotism or anarchy . . . the only ground of hope must be on the morals of the people. I believe that religion is the only solid base of morals and that morals are the only possible support of free governments. Therefore education should teach the precepts of religion and the duties of man towards God."

 

George Washington - "Religion and morality are the essential pillars of civil society."

 

Benjamin Franklin - "Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters."

 

Continental Congress, 1778 - "Whereas true religion and good morals are the only solid foundations of public liberty and happiness . . . it is hereby earnestly recommended to the several States to take the most effectual measures for the encouragement thereof."

Yes, if you weren't Black or Jewish, it was great...

 

It wasn't that long ago that my mother parents couldn't sleep in certain hotels because her last name was Resnick... I wouldn't exactly call that civilized.

 

Some things have gotten a lot better. My step-father was a bigot and anti-semite. I am neither.

 

But those attitudes breaking down did not add to our present lack of civility, they only served to improve it. The breakdown in society needs to be placed on other factors.

 

Edit: Some of those reasons were added as I typed.

Great article!!! I'm sure that the administration is pretty concerned about these facts and is trying to push through as much gun control legislation as they can before it's too late.

Some things have gotten a lot better. My step-father was a bigot and anti-semite. I am neither.

 

But those attitudes breaking down did not add to our present lack of civility, they only served to improve it. The breakdown in society needs to be placed on other factors.

 

Edit: Some of those reasons were added as I typed.

 

Yeah today you just don't want to be a Christian, black or female conservative or a gun owner. All brought to you by the enlightened and tolerant liberal horde.

Since I was young my pops has been saying that the demise of America rests squarely on the shoulders of socialists and hippies. He also claimed the ratchet wrench made people lazy and filter cigarettes were for women. Everyone just went here goes dad again and waited for the 5 - 15 minute lecture to end. We are all opinionated and that’s a great thing. Maybe after serving 33 years on AD he had it figured out. Now that I’ve clicked off 19 years in I find myself going he might have been on to something.

 

My buddy's uncle always claimed that one day the Chinese would be canoeing up the river with rifles on their back.

 

Sounds crazy but china is working on taking this country over

Yes, if you weren't Black or Jewish, it was great...

 

It wasn't that long ago that my mother parents couldn't sleep in certain hotels because her last name was Resnick... I wouldn't exactly call that civilized.

 

Never would have thought "Resnick" was Jewish. I would have never known.

 

Then again, my family there's a lot of questioning about our heritage, we're from Germany, but "Freidel" is considered by many to be a Jewish last name. While googling it, I came across some skinhead website that had my last name amongst a list of "Those not to be trusted."

 

But, as far as I know, my dad's family was Catholic until my grandfather married my Anglican grandmother, before that we don't know anything, we could be German-Jewish.

 

I think that if we can keep the traditional values upon which the nation was founded, and embrace the bill of rights, while not discriminating upon others, then we will be as close to a Christian, and Free, nation as our forefathers intended.

 

To expound upon my own personal philosophy, just as a subject of discussion, I believe that as a Christian, I am working against the teachings of Christ when I discriminate against anyone. To me, the Westboro Baptist church are not only causing anti-Christian sentiment among the moderates of society, portraying the Christian religion as one of hatred and judgement. If one wants to call themselves Christian, then they cannot call themselves anti-gay, racist, or anything else where they judge or are hostile towards other people, as this is in direct contrast with the teachings of universal love of neighbor that Christ spoke about.

 

On a practical level, their actions has caused all Christians to be viewed as hateful. In my opinion, pretty much all religions have something good for the practitioners, and society as a whole. In particular the Judeo Christian teachings of Charity, love, and respect should appeal to everyone regardless of political affiliation or belief. The problem is that any belief or ideology can, and likely will, be twisted to suit one's own agenda, or to justify their beliefs as being correct and righteous.

 

While I believe there are definite "good" and "evil", the lines are not always so clear. Generally when one does something, they believe it to be good, exceptions come in when they knowingly promote their own well-being at the cost of others, though, in the mind of such a person, the "good" they're doing for themselves justifies the "evil" they are acting upon others.

 

But back to guns, this is how our rights will be saved, and why it is so important to take young people shooting, if they shoot and see that firearms are not the evil things that the media and schools portray them as. In particular concern, with such a large democratic voting block stating they wish to own firearms, it becomes an even greater political liability to support gun control. The article says that 1993 was a "low-point" for civilian firearm ownership, and even then there was immense political blow-back for the politicians who supported the AWB. That's why advocates of gun control would have to hope that Executive Orders, or a ban were rammed through congress now, because if current trends continue, then there would be no chance in the future.

 

Hell, I'm sitting next to a friend of mine from class, and like myself, he never grew up around firearms, but he and his father, neither of whom have ever owned guns, want to apply for their FIDs. In fact, I know more people who WANT to own guns than who are vehemently opposed to them. The hardcore anti-gunners really are few and far between, and most anti-gunners are nowhere near as motivated as gun-owners are since they have nothing to lose. These people are typically social liberals, and are more concerned with other issues, such as wealth redistribution, marijuana legalization, or other traditional "liberal" views. Firearm ownership isn't a huge deal to them, at least not enough to motivate them to do anything, and is more or less just used to patronize more conservative individuals.

 

Hell, the NRA is stupid to blame movies and videogames. I think the AR15's surge in popularity (as well as other sporting rifles) is linked to other forms of media. If a guy picks of Call of Duty, and thinks a particular gun is pretty cool, he'll be more apt to want to go to a range and fire it. It's similar to how I got into firearms, I really liked the look and history behind military firearms, and other iconic guns. That's why when I look at firearms, I generally am not attracted to sporting guns or hobby guns, I generally want things that are military inspired, or were used in famous historical periods.

 

As we've seen with the label "Assault Weapon" which is thrown around, those who do not have experience with firearms generally don't know crap about them. But, if a person gets interested in them, they will likely learn more. I refuse to use the term Assault Weapon, unless referring to political discussions, since it's a fake term (Though I could see the case being made for any select-fire weapon, though already being illegal, the point for discussion is moot, and there are better descriptive terms, IE- submachine gun to apply.)