Changed the mind of an anti

[LucasMcCain]

So I thought y'all might like to hear about this. One of my coworkers has always been super anti-gun. She's very liberal in her views, and has therefore believed the liberal lies on guns. We're both people who can talk about things we disagree about without getting angry or mean, so we talk about politics and guns sometimes, and have been doing so for years. She knows I'm an outspoken advocate for gun rights, and I've been working to convince her, because I know her to be a relatively open-minded person. Well it finally paid off.

A couple weeks ago we got on the subject and she said she was afraid to even be in the room with a gun. I told her my wife was the same way until we took a "Handgun 101" course at the local range. The guy teaching it did a really good job, and by the end of it my wife wasn't afraid of guns anymore. She learned how they worked, how to tell if they're loaded, and got to shoot some. My coworker said maybe she should do something like that, so I offered to give her a similar class after hours at work (minus the shooting part). She took me up on it! I brought a couple revolvers and a couple autos with me and went over the 4 rules and taught her about proper handling and how to tell if they were unloaded, etc. All the basics. She was super interested and felt a lot better by the end. So naturally I offered to take her out to the range to shoot, and she took me up on that too!

We went to the range the next day after work, and everything went smoothly. She had a great time. I took pictures and sent them to her phone. She shared them with friends and family and took one of her targets home and was super excited. She thanked me profusely and kept saying that she had so much fun. The other thing she said that really stuck with me was "It wasn't what I thought it was going to be." Her ideas about guns had been formed by movies and television. She thought if she dropped a gun, it would just go off. She thought silencers actually made the gun silent. She thought anyone could easily get assault rifles.

She used to argue that nobody should be allowed to have guns except the military and police. Now she's thinking about getting a handgun. I just wanted to share this to let y'all know that it can be done. A hardcore liberal Obama/Hillary supporter has changed her mind about guns. It took patience and effort, but it was worth it to see her shoot a gun and turn around with a big ole grin on her face.

[Pawpaw]

You're a good man!

[Lynyrd]

That's awesome!

The few people I know who are antis have no knowledge about guns at all, zero. I work with a 43 year old man who has never fired a gun in his life. It is human nature to fear the unknown, especially when you know it can be dangerous. Knowledge can, and usually does, displace fear.

[imkopaka]

Good work!

[Soccerdad1995]

I've had similar experiences with anti-gun people that I have taken to the range.

But the anti-gun propaganda runs deep. My BIL was one of those who believed that only police and military should have guns. Then I took him to the range. He enjoyed himself a lot and posted some pics to his Facebook page. All of his "friends" proceeded to launch insults and attack him. I actually felt bad for the guy. Now he just keeps quiet about his newfound appreciation for firearms. Needless to say, he and his group of FB friends are all members of the most "open minded" and "tolerant" political party.

[Jusme]

Great Job!!

I have always held the opinion, that any fear is usually based on ignorance. This is especially true with those who fear guns, and those who carry them. Their fears, are constantly being reinforced by media hype, outright lies by leftist politicians, and the entertainment industry.

I'm glad your coworker, was open minded enough, to at least learn about the things she was afraid of. Once educated on any subject, fear dissipates.

[RPBrown]

[bblhd672]

Always good to change the ignorance of an open-minded person. Far too many on the other side have no interest in open mindedness or considering an opinion other than their own or what's been indoctrinated into them.

Thanks for sharing!

[RossA]

[jb2012]

I'm impressed! I don't think I've ever changed the mind of a clear cut anti. Maybe someone who was on the fence that would give me their time and an open mind. The straight up anti's almost always just lock up and go into a fit of rage when I have a very valid argument with stats/evidence to support my responses.

[Vol Texan]

Excellent story LucasMcCain, and thank you for being a good ambassador for the 2nd Amendment.

One down, and only 3,867,815 to go! (Or 62,523,125 more if we shoot for the big prize)

I have had a few opportunities in the past to do similar transformations, but I admit, I only shifted people from the 'slightly curious, but not really an anti' end of the spectrum. I've not yet had the joy of bringing a full-fledged hoplophobe into the light.

I think your story is a testament to how we should ALL be on a daily basis: gently bringing the positive message of the 2A into the world. It's has a slower effect than the in-your-face open-carry tactics used by other organizations who shall remain nameless, but I think it is more effective, and longer-lasting.

Well done!

[Abraham]

I've taught a number of people (free of charge of course and I provided the guns and ammo) to shoot, but only two had been anti's.

The first anti was a gorgeous, professional dancer who quickly became a good shot. She was a very good listener and a very quick learner.

The second was a surgeon. Not nearly as a good a student as the dancer, wanted to rest the trigger finger on the trigger when not shooting. It took all my patience to break that unsafe habit, but eventually even the surgeon became a decent, safe shot.

Now, they both own guns, though I don't think either has gotten their LTC as I've lost touch with both.

P.S. The dancer is so beautiful I would've paid to teach her and as is so often 'not the case' with exceptionally beautiful women, she's just as beautiful inside as out. She's a very sweet and kind person. Can you tell I was smitten? Of course, I acted all grown up and provided good instruction while never evidencing my school boy crush. I acted like I would with my Daughter or Granddaughters. Mr. grownup with a good sense of humor.

But man, it doesn't matter how old a guy gets, a beautiful woman is a joy to behold.

[Sport Coach]

Fantastic! Patience and education do wonders for rational thought processes ... when people are open to discussion.

[chasfm11]

Great job. I'm glad you were able have success with her. I think the key was that you found someone who had more curiosity and willingness to try than ideology. Those that I've spoken with who were true antis were so steeped in ideology and drinking the Liberal Koolaide that they were unwilling to discuss anything about guns. They were unabashed in saying that they would confiscate every gun if they had the power to do so.

I've found some of the same sentiment in the topic of snakes. To those that fear them, there is no such thing as a good snake or entertaining the thought of co-existing with snakes. I have no idea how to go about dealing with that level of hysteria.

[RicoTX]

Great job! Thanks for taking the time to further our cause.