[Cut and paste from a Facebook post of mine. We truly are two countries, separated only by a common language.]
This article is both interesting and sad. I will always be proud of being instrumental in teaching and fostering an interest in firearms to at least six of my nephews and nieces as young as 10. It’s not hard to read a note of concern from the author that the gun bigots are not having the success they had hoped on the positive, patriotic gun culture.
It’s also full of wishful thinking. Sure hunting had been on the decline as a *percentage*, until recently, but given that the total population increased by about 50%, a drop in percentage of hunters from 7% to 5% ain’t half bad, especially when you consider — as, to be fair, the article notes — that that is now turning around. Also consider that *other* shooting supports have actually been on the rise for some time, hence the attempt (I don’t remember whether or not it succeeded) in modifying the Pittman-Robertson Act to redirect some of the funds from Conservation efforts to building shooting ranges, etc.
The thing the article completely misses, but can be forgiven only in the sense that it is typical NY Slimes ‘journalism’, is that no matter how hard I try, I *still* can’t find the Hunting and Target Shooting clause in the 2nd Amendment. They keep on telling me that any proposed infringements on the 2nd Amendment won’t, in fact, infringe on my 2nd Amendment rights, and then go on to talk about hunting and target shooting. They think I’m stupid. Or they’re stupid. Or both. It’s pretty disgusting that it even has to be pointed out that the 2nd Amendment is not about hunting or target shooting. Yup, sure, our forefathers risked their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor, and then debated extensively about an Amendment to the highest law of the land to make sure our new government could not encroach on … a SPORT? Dummy me.
Many years ago when I was living in MA, but down here in NC on a contract, a fellow employee warned me about the anti-smoking hysteria. He warned that they would come after guns, using the same methods, once they were done stomping the tobacco industry. Yeah, I saw “The Insider”, too, and bought it’s one-sided story without question. I’m not so sure, now. Though I do not smoke, never have, and don’t allow smoking inside my house, I will defend a person’s right to smoke if he wants. I don’t have any irrational fear of second hand smoke. I just don’t like the smell when it gets into my clothes, and the curtains, and the bedspreads, and everything else. I won’t kick someone out for having an inanimate cigarette in my house.
No two issues are identical, but at their core the tobacco issue and the gun issue boil down to individual and parental choice. I would never attempt to force a parent to stop allowing their kids to start smoking, as much as I don’t think it’s a good idea. I would also expect that (if I had kids, but it can be applied to my nephews and nieces with their parents consent) you stay out of my life and don’t attempt to force me to not encourage my kids in the fun, sporting, and historically accurate, liberating effect of firearms.
We *will win* the culture war, here. Ever, single time I go to the range, there are new shooters there, and often they are kids as young as 7 or 8. And it’s infectious. I don’t often find people who shoot for the first time go away unsurprised at how many myths they believed get demolished. Most come way from the experience passionate about it. And better informed.
Marxism may have succeeded in it’s openly stated goal of it’s “long march through the institutions,” but we have set up new institutions that it cannot touch. Between the Appleseed Project, Junior Shooters, NSSF, Hunting Heritage Trust, and many, many others, we are teaching a new generation OUTSIDE of your damn institutions. Marx purported also once wrote, “we have your children.” We’ll, we’re taking them back from the brink.
Game on. But it’s not a game. We know that this is the battle of our lives. And we will give no quarter. No compromise, as every single time we have compromised, it has only meant further loss of our rights. NFA, GCA, Brady Bill, FOPA, so-called AWB, etc., etc. No more. Not one more inch. Civil disobedience in New York is only the beginning. Pass anymore restrictions, and you will be de-legitimized. To paraphrase Brody from the 1975 film, “Jaws,”: You’re gonna need a bigger prison.
h/t: Mike for the NYT article link.