Friends & Foes

[Dennis]

Experts on firearms may soon have their "career field" become obsolete! Who is advocating "gun control" and who is fighting it?

For "The Enemy Within", http:\\psr.org

For some real, fighting folk on our side,
http:\\jpfo.org
(and it doesn't matter whether or not you're Jewish. Do you want to keep your guns?


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[Dennis]

It's fine to debate Glock v. Sigma; 30.06 v. .270; etc.; but those arguments, like our "gun rights" are becoming "history".
PSR (Physicians for Social Responsibility), on their web page, outline their strategy and tactics to infringe our rights out of existence. HCI and countless other organizations (many of them HCI spin-offs) fight as a unit against gun ownership.
I'm a life member of NRA and LEAA. I have joined countless "guns-rights" organizations - each of whom takes credit for "forcing compromise" on those who ask for total bans but "settle" (temporarily) for bans on "ugly" guns, "junk" guns, "hig-capacity" guns, etc., etc.... We are being "salami-sliced" out of existence!
Our foes consider "guns" to be "guns" - all guns! To them, your neat little IWB gun is the same as a howitzer. Their goal is a total ban on ALL firearms.
Eventually "firearms" will be extended to include all "weapons" (e.g. air guns, spring-powered guns, slingshots, chemical sprays, stun guns, clubs, knives, etc.).
There is NO compromise with people who believe weapons cause violence and that peace will prevail only when we have no means of personal defense.
If we, as gun owners, continue to fragment ourselves by defending only the guns or gun sports we like, we minimize our effectiveness. We can belong to many organizations, but we must unite under one banner - the original intent of the Second Amendment.
I don't have much money, time, or eloquence to give to the fight. I must donate my meager resources to the most effective defenders of my rights.
The organizations I have supported have proven to be UNequal to the task of defending my rights as a gun owner. I have found only one organization which has, as its sole reason for existence, the goal of eliminating gun control. That organization is Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership.
I am not Jewish or a Jew (I'm told there is a difference but let's not become distracted. I'm not sure I'm even a Gentile!) If JFPO is the only organization I can find that is fighting for my uncompromised right to own firearms, I must then believe that only JFPO has earned my support.
Please share on this thread any information you have about JFPO or ANY organization that is as uncompromising as our foes (HCI, PSR, et al).

Which organization(s) should we support?




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[This message has been edited by Dennis (edited 12-09-98).]

 

[Rob Pincus]

Think Locally, Act Logically.

That is my advice. Don't think about what you can do to beat HCI, think about what you can do to encourage your neighbors to shoot. I don't mean the people you are friends with, I literally mean your neighbors.

Unfortunately, we have had a lot of new homes built within a few miles of our house in the last year or so. I've personally invited almost everyone one of the new neighbors to come over and shoot. I've asked them if they own firearms and I've told them that they can expect ot hear a good bit of shooting from my home. I told them whenever they hear the shooting, they should feel free to come over and shoot, their guns or mine. I've had two (of ten or so) homes take me up on the offer and only one "negative" episode. I am helping one of the new neighbors pick out a first handgun later this week.

This is just one meaningful way in which you can fight the battle.

This industry is not just going to have a big group hug one day and decide to work together. Although the NSSF firearms summits are doing a lot to increase overall team strategy for the betterment of the industry as a whole.

BTW- I really admire the tenets of the JPOF, unfortunately they are not very active around my area and I personally have not had any success recuiting their assistance the few times I have tried to get them involved in shooting events (including at least one national one). I have gathered that they must use their money not to encourage shooting, but specificaly to lobby. I actually had one organization I was working with tell me that they would rather not be associated with a "jewish group." I told them that if they were even kinda-a-little-sorta-serious then they could count me out of the planning of their shooting event. In the end I sent a letter to JPOF inviting them to get involved, but they did not respond.

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-Essayons

 

[Daren Thompson]

Rob is 110% right. most of us do not have the money to fight organizations like HCI. The answer is join the NRA or whoever. then take as many people shooting as posible. This gets interest in shooting at the grassroots level. and is fun. I personally try to take anyone shooting who shows any interest at all. This succeded in one fellow liking my Maddi AK so much that he bought his own at Knob Creek Machine gun shoot.

 

[Kodiac]

Joining the NRA should be the first step for anyone and every one. But that can't be the last. Writting letters to the newspapers. Writting letters to politicians... That doesn't cost too much... a few minutes and a stamp. Local level politics will win. HCI can't do anything to us unless we let them.

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Kodiac
Kenetic Defense Institute
kodiac@hotbot.com

 

[Daren Thompson]

U are right Kodiak I do send letters to lawmakers. just forgot to mention it.
Later
Daren


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[4V50 Gary]

Rob's technique of swaying over people is one of the most effective ways to convert a person to our cause. If they can get a few bullseye the first time they shoot, you may have made a believer out of them. I use to take my classmates out shooting and a couple of them bought their own guns.

 

[Ed]

I am a little disillusioned with the N.R.A. but I will stick with them far a while longer. They have more experience dealing with the pols than the other groups, but it seems they are too ready to compromise. BTW, don't forget to sign up your family members with whatever group(s) you belong to, it doesn't cost much and the numbers game is important to the pols. The more members, the more they take notice.

I got a call some time back from my kid's old pediatrician wanting me to advise him which gun to buy for home defence. He remembered I had talked to him about shooting many years ago when my kids were small, and I was the only person he knew who was familiar with guns. I ended up taking him to the range for a morning of instruction and shooting. He liked my plain-jane S&W model 10, so I advised him to get one. I figured that was probably as good a choice as any for someone who isn't an enthusiast and probably wouldn't practice much anyway.

I felt pretty good about the whole thing. Here was a guy who had no experience with firearms, but when he felt the need of home protection he remembered that I had talked to him about guns and shooting. I doubt that he will ever be a gun rights activist, but at least he probably won't be on the side of the gun banners.

Since I moved to the north GA mountains I don't have anyone to convert. All my neighbors are gun owners, and it sometimes sounds like a range around here on weekends. If only the rest of the country was like this we wouldn't have to worry about the gun-grabbers.

 

[Rob Pincus]

Hey Ed,

I've done a lot of climbing near Dahlonega. Great part of the country.

I remember hearing a story from those parts about a guy who went squirrel hunting with a 30-06. He would shoot the tree just next to the sqirrel's head and "bark" the critter out of the tree, stomping its dazed head when it hit the ground. Said it was easier on the meat.
Is that your technique?

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-Essayons

 

[Dennis]

I'm not the expert you folks are - so I sincerely appreciate your comments. So far, it looks like I'm close to being on track.
It's interesting to me that the NRA seems to be the universally supported organization. For a while I tried to belong to six (or so) organizations but, frankly, became somewhat disenchanted/disappointed with the results.
Only recently (2-3 yrs) have I been able to "go shooting" with any regularity. Although I consider myself a novice, it is surprising (somewhat frightening) how many people come to me for help in choosing a weapon, and help with basic safety/handling procedures.
I've become a CHL instructor (in Texas) under the tutelage of a retired Texas Trooper (36+ yrs LEO, most of it also a firearms instructor). He lives the motto, "If we can't do it right, then we aren't going to do it." I help him instruct the basics and try to learn the more advanced concepts as he shares them with me.
In CHL classes, I'm amazed how many men pick out "a little gun for the little lady". All too often, the little gun is too small to easily grip the slide, too light to dampen recoil, too short a sight radius, and so small that a two-hand grip requires precision placement of the supporting hand (to keep free of the slide & trigger).
I usually try to get the lady to shoot my G34 and, virtually 100% of the time, they prefer the larger, easily gripped Glock to their PPK, Lorcin, Davis, or whatever.
My two daughters were shooting .22 rifles and revolvers when they were so little they had to rest the gun on a box. I think they were 3 & 4 y/o. Neither is "gun shy". Neither believes guns are "bad" (or "good"). (It's the shooter, dummy!)
The rangemaster (as I call him) and I have tried to get the Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, American Legion, etc. to sponsor shooting classes or leagues. Lots of "Oh, yeah, great!" but no shooting. We hope to wear them down and get them involved.
Thanks again for the responses. If anyone hears of worthy organizations to support, in addition to writing letters and introducing "newbies" to a great sport, please advise! I'll be reading "The Firing Line" religiously (even though I may not make many entries).
Thanks again.

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[Ed]

Rob- I haven't tried that on the local rodentia yet. With a little luck I just might be able to hit the tree somewhere, but barking the squirrel is a little beyond my skill level I'm afraid. I just might run into that guy one of these days since there are loads of the furry rodents around my property just waiting to be "barked".

Actually, I'm about 40 miles north of Dahlonega, right on the N.C. line. Good place for a shooter to live, except there aren't any reloading supplies available around here. Have to drive down to Georgia Arms occasionally and load up on the stuff. Can't stand to pay UPS those #*&@% haz-mat charges.

 

[Rob Pincus]

Actually, that guy now lives in Vermont. He used to be Gerald Bull's body gaurd. (he retired before Bull was "retired.")

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-Essayons

 

[Spectre]

Uh...I know this is off-topic, but I hit a squirrel with Spartacus' Browning .22 two weeks ago! (okay-I missed one shot, as well)

 

[Rob Pincus]

This is off topic too:

Spectre, you had a perfectly good opportunity to post in the Hunting forum..and you wasted it!

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-Essayons

 

[Ed]

Spectre,



Don't blame you for wanting to report your shot. When I hunted with handguns I aways felt like crowing about it whenever I managed to bag a rabbit or other small critter. Nailing a little bitty varmint with a handgun is a whole other ballgame than making holes in paper.

Believe it or not, there was a time many decades ago when I was out of work and so hard up that I had to hunt small game for our meat supply. To top it off, the only gun I had was a H&R 9 shot .22 revolver. That little plinker put a lot of rabbits on the table,(rabbits were not considered game animals in FL back then, so they could be taken year round) but I would have been very happy to have had a 50% average like you have.