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I think that gun owners and those who have been thinking of buying a gun for the first time see the writing on the wall. We can all point out issues with the ban during the Clinton administration such as bayonet lugs, detachable magazines, pistol grips on shotguns, etc. I'm hoping that we can avert another ban altogether through education of lawmakers.

My question is how are we going to approach this issue? It would seem to me that the best path for us would be to educate law makers on how various guns operate and that just because one may look scarier to them than the other, they really aren't any different.

Does anyone have ideas on going about this? How is the NRA preparing? Will the liberals really sit down to listen to the NRA?

Education, influence and persuasion is the job of our well funded professional lobby...The NRA. We can all do our part by making sure our Federal, State and Local reps know their job performance will be judged based on their ability to protect our rights and accurately represent the wants of their districts.

Listen to Tom Gresham's Gun Talk on his website or live on AM 660. His idea - which I agree with is to double or triple NRA membership in the near term. He doesn't specifically define "near term", but my idea is that if we double or triple membership by 1/20/09, "The One" may take pause in his course of action if there are 6-12 Million card carrying NRA members on his inauguration day

Maybe - maybe not. If everyone signs up 2 new members, it's going to triple our membership. I myself have signed up 3 and am planning on having 10 more new members before 1/20/09.

I now make it a requirement for me teaching any NRA or CHL courses, as well as just taking someone to the range.

Regards,
James

Good question; however, you can't help those who won't/can't accept help nor can you educate those unwilling to learn.

That said, a good question is still on the table.

I agree with educating our lawmakers. Like reminding them what happened to all their predecessors who voted for the Clinton ban. We voted them out of office and replaced them with republicans.

Well, 10mmilli beat me to it. I strongly recommend that we educate the legislators about the problems with the previous ban, including the CDC finding that it had no effect whatsoever on crime. Then point out that since the Second is now recognized by the courts as an individual right, they would have to prove some reason for the law or it will be overturned (even without strict scrutiny, I think we could convince courts of this, especially if it started in the Fifth Circuit's jurisdiction).

And remind them of the previous bans results on the Congress, along with a promise to start working actively against anyone of either party that votes yes for the bill. I do believe that this reminder and promise will be one of our best strategies, especially when we follow through even if the ban FAILS.

What we have done in the past is write our elected servants and the media anytime a Second Amendment issue came up. We also make an effort to talk to every person we can about the truth concerning guns and that civil right. I look on myself as the representative of the 2A. I smile and proudly talk about what our rights are. I encourage whoever I engage to do their own research. Look for the truth themselves. I give “testimony” about how I was in the same position they were at one time. I didn’t see the value in it and believed the lies the media and others told about guns and our rights. But then I did start checking the reports and found they were half-truths and outright lies. I tell them about why I am a proud member of many pro-self defense and Second Amendment organization like the NRA.

Keeping the rights we have and recovering the rights we have lost isn’t done by simply joining the NRA. That is the first step. Then we do the writing of letters and e-mails. We make the phone calls to the media and our elected servants every time the issue comes up. We talk to those we can about why it is so important to fight to keep this right even if they don’t choose to exercise it. I made up my mind in 1993 to fight and I have. I do and will continue because it means something to me. I will not be lied to and believe that our rights being taken is going to happen. That is a tactic that they use to deceive us into inaction. We have gained what we have because those like me have been working for a very long time to make it so. Take the time to do what is necessary and we will stop those who want to lie and steal our rights. I have seen it done time and again. I am ready for a fight. I am sick of the lies and deception and I am ready to kick some tail.

shootthesheet wrote:What we have done in the past is write our elected servants and the media anytime a Second Amendment issue came up. We also make an effort to talk to every person we can about the truth concerning guns and that civil right. I look on myself as the representative of the 2A. I smile and proudly talk about what our rights are. I encourage whoever I engage to do their own research. Look for the truth themselves. I give “testimony” about how I was in the same position they were at one time. I didn’t see the value in it and believed the lies the media and others told about guns and our rights. But then I did start checking the reports and found they were half-truths and outright lies. I tell them about why I am a proud member of many pro-self defense and Second Amendment organization like the NRA.

Keeping the rights we have and recovering the rights we have lost isn’t done by simply joining the NRA. That is the first step. Then we do the writing of letters and e-mails. We make the phone calls to the media and our elected servants every time the issue comes up. We talk to those we can about why it is so important to fight to keep this right even if they don’t choose to exercise it. I made up my mind in 1993 to fight and I have. I do and will continue because it means something to me. I will not be lied to and believe that our rights being taken is going to happen. That is a tactic that they use to deceive us into inaction. We have gained what we have because those like me have been working for a very long time to make it so. Take the time to do what is necessary and we will stop those who want to lie and steal our rights. I have seen it done time and again. I am ready for a fight. I am sick of the lies and deception and I am ready to kick some tail.

Excellent insight - I too have become more open about discussing guns in general with people recently as I see it as an issue that has become too taboo in society. I have always participated in mailing the NRA post cards, but hope that I will take on a more active role in writing to our media and lawmakers on my own. My main concern is actually getting through to them - I know the NRA and TSRA lobby on our behalf, but I feel like we're just dismissed by the left wingers.

My family is getting them for stocking suffers 6 new members.

I'm working on something for an anti ammo-id resolution for my county's republican party. No it won't do anything in of itself but I hope to just get it officially adopted by the party anyway so it's on the books and hoping to educate those involved of the issue.

What we should do and what we are going to do are two different things.

What we SHOULD do is already outlined here:
1) Educate lawmakers
2) outreach to antis and fence sitters
3) Empower the NRA with more membership dollars
4) don't expect the NRA to do everything, back them up with your own voice

What too many of us will do:

1) Talk about how much they hate communism/socialism/obama
2) drink another beer (or soda)
3) Post angry/hateful diatribes on the internet about Liberals and Obama
4) give $$ to the NRA and think they are done.

nitrogen wrote:What we should do and what we are going to do are two different things.

What we SHOULD do is already outlined here:
1) Educate lawmakers
2) outreach to antis and fence sitters
3) Empower the NRA with more membership dollars
4) don't expect the NRA to do everything, back them up with your own voice

What too many of us will do:

1) Talk about how much they hate communism/socialism/obama
2) drink another beer (or soda)
3) Post angry/hateful diatribes on the internet about Liberals and Obama
4) give $$ to the NRA and think they are done.

Here, here! I offer this forum posting to everyone reading as the motivation you need to do something. Write letters to national, get involved locally where you definitely can have a more effective impact. Even at the county level. You are not wasting your time. Think of it this way, at least then you'll have something you can say you did when ranting about Obama :)

atxgun, et al:

Even more importantly: become a missionary.

What we REALLY need are "gun missionaries" to go out to the unwashed masses, deep in enemy territory (Norcal, Socal, NY/NJ, etc..) and work to get undecideds on our side.

Sometimes I feel like a smoker in a public venue or a radical militia member from Montana by the response I get when I mention being a member of the NRA. Of course, I am here in Austin, the liberial nesting and breeding ground of our great state, I feel my political opinions are predetermined and automatically dismissed with the mention of the NRA. We need to work on "getting" a positive media image instead of the image of gun waving gun nuts. Granted, given the bias of all the major news reporters, that might be the larger battle.

........ it's not about hunting is the message. Wish all of our representatives had this understanding;
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 0r=goog-sl

RiverRat wrote:Sometimes I feel like a smoker in a public venue or a radical militia member from Montana by the response I get when I mention being a member of the NRA. Of course, I am here in Austin, the liberial nesting and breeding ground of our great state, I feel my political opinions are predetermined and automatically dismissed with the mention of the NRA. We need to work on "getting" a positive media image instead of the image of gun waving gun nuts. Granted, given the bias of all the major news reporters, that might be the larger battle.

........ it's not about hunting is the message. Wish all of our representatives had this understanding;
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 0r=goog-sl

If our public face was "nicer" per se, they wouldn't be able to be biased. It's a wonderful feedback loop.

They need to get someone like Tom Selleck, Bruce Willis, Candice Cameron, Erik Estrada, Erin Gray, even Sarah Michelle Geller.

We need to avoid echo chamber celebs like Charlton Heston was, and like Ted Nugent is. Someone who most people consider nonthreatening, and would listen to.