Support for stricter gun laws has declined significantly over the years, while the desire for more relaxed laws has grown. In 1990, a substantial 78% of Americans favored stricter gun control, with only 2% wanting more lenient regulations.
By 2010, support for stricter laws had dropped to less than half (44%). However, it rebounded in 2020, rising to 57%.
In 2023, opposition to gun control reached a two-decade high, with 15% of Americans wanting less strict regulations.
The support of the courts for the right to keep and bear arms is not enough. We must also change the culture. The trend is in the right direction, but we are far from where we need to be yet. We need a solid majority in opposition.
Here are some ways you can do that:
Come out of the closet as a gun owner and Second Amendment advocate.
Be active on social media and make sure the comments to anti-gun advocates are politely and factually ratioed.
Gun ownership is a civil right. Be a civil rights advocate.
Consider shaming those opposed to civil rights.
Take a new shooter to the range.
Introduce people virtually and/or physically to Boomershoot. The KING5 Evening Magazine video is the most effective introduction to the shooting sports I know of. It is a completely different reality from the world of gun ownership the mainstream media feeds them.
Attend town hall type meetings of your politicians and politely confront those who want to infringe upon our rights.
7 thoughts on “Change Our Culture One Person at a Time”
If I may….
If you belong to a gun club, does it have a “Community Outreach Coordinator” ? If not, there needs to be a discussion about creating such a position. If created, what would that person do?
1) Be a focal point for media contact to represent the club and the shooting sports in a positive manner and be the public face of the club. This means simple, very polite phone calls and letters to media, both reporters, editors, program and news directors. This person wll also become the contact point for media who have questions and/or are looking to do a story.
2) Be an advocate for extending an invitation to the public to come to the club and try shooting and the shooting sports. Those sports and events must exist before the invitation(s) is made, which means planning, funding and allocation of the necessary resources.
3) Represent the club and the shooting sports at public events. This may require expenditure of funds for a booth or table, costs for printed materials to hand out (much of which is already available from organizations like the NRA and FSSF). It’s common for shooting and shooting sports to be represented at camping and outdoor shows, but they are non-existent at more widespread public events such as garden shows, home improvement shows, etc. Many, if not most, of the people attending such shows will have had no contact with, or even awareness of, what goes on in the shooting sports; their opinion has been formed by the 6 o’clock news. This offers an opportunity to start changing their outlook and opinion on guns, shooting and the shooting sports.
Pro Tip: Guns, even blue guns, should not be on the table at such events. Pictures of benign events (junior smallbore, skeet, trap, black powder rifle, etc.), brochures, all good. Your table or booth will be “invading enemy territory” so do it gently to earn a good welcome.
3b) It may also require committment of club facilities and qualified personnel on those occasions when hands-on experience or demonstrations may be beneficial. Key point is: “what is beneficial?” and that goes back to presenting a calm, competent, friendly and positive image.
An important point: The person selected must be well schooled in public relations, able to think on their feet, and present a positive image; a fresh flannel shirt and recently laundered blue jeans is not the proper uniform, an ironed shirt, tie, slacks and sport coat is. Alternatively, shirt, tie, slacks and a vest with the club name and logo. This is not a job for Cletus J. Hammerbanger, regardless of Cletus’ committment to shooting, how many matches he competes in, how many gun company stickers he has on his truck, or that the club president is his cousin. If your club does not have a PR-based and oriented person, do not attempt any of this; you will do more harm than good no matter how good the club’s or Cletus’ intentions. Because…..this person must also be very aware of media subterfuge; there are some in the media who are honest and forthright, but that does not describe the majority. Being able to control the narrative is mandatory, as is recognizing that media pre-writes most of its stories and just wants statements or video to reinforce its pre-determined opinion. If a reporter wants video, junior smallbore shooters or shotgun trap and skeet present a more positive image, and less opportunity for manipulation and misrepresentation, than three overweight guys with beards running ARs in a 3-Gun stage.
Even if a club decides not to do community outreach, having a well-schooled PR person available to represent the club, shooting, and the shooting sports in a positive manner, available to be a public face is a good idea should queries from individuals, public organizations, or the media, arise.
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Awesome suggestions. Thank you.
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I concur with the premise but disagree with the stats.
Ain’t no way in hell 78% of the population wanted gun control in 1990.
Clinton’s assault weapons ban got him the Republican revolution that lost the democrats both the house and senate for the first time in 40 years by 1994.
Smith & Wesson tried to play nice with government/Clintons in 2000 and lost 40% of its business in a year. And had to sale out or go out of business. (And sorry, that wasn’t the NRA that did that to them. It was Joe-six pack. Think budlight for a modern example.)
American have always been big on their gun freedoms.
What is in evidence today is how thick-headed communists are, and have been for a century now. And how deprived they are when it comes to what they will do for money.
They been at this crap since Woodrow Wilson. And are still getting stonewalled to this day.
What we see today is not a new phenomenon. When tyrants push a free people. They get pushed back on, harder.
Unlike the ancients. Now we have guns. And the internet to watch them with. And government is losing in a way it can never recover from.
We the people never wanted gun control, ever.
Everything else is lies, damn lies, and statistics.
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Oh, and Merry Christmas ya’all!
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And less we forget the real American spirit toward gun control. And Christmas.
Last night George Washington and his band of militia crossed the Delaware river in the middle of the night to kill and capture king George’s mercenary army.
No matter what they say. We Americans ain’t never been big on gun control.
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Also- marry and have kids, teach them well to follow in your footsteps. Do not allow them to be recruited and corrupted by public school leftist indoctrination. Call out said indoctrination when you hear of it. Prevent the public spaces from being a fertile ground for leftie scum to add to their cult. Being a genetic dead end because kids are “too much work” is ceding the next generation to them. Stop letting the lefties immigrate and start popping out more leftie kids to replace you with people who think socialism is grand, because they get free-bees.
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Lies, damn lies and statistics. Stop buying into the statistics BS. It’s a RIGHT. Not a privilege that they can give or take based on fabricated “statistics” that will always seem to support the gun grabbers agenda.
If I may….
If you belong to a gun club, does it have a “Community Outreach Coordinator” ? If not, there needs to be a discussion about creating such a position. If created, what would that person do?
1) Be a focal point for media contact to represent the club and the shooting sports in a positive manner and be the public face of the club. This means simple, very polite phone calls and letters to media, both reporters, editors, program and news directors. This person wll also become the contact point for media who have questions and/or are looking to do a story.
2) Be an advocate for extending an invitation to the public to come to the club and try shooting and the shooting sports. Those sports and events must exist before the invitation(s) is made, which means planning, funding and allocation of the necessary resources.
3) Represent the club and the shooting sports at public events. This may require expenditure of funds for a booth or table, costs for printed materials to hand out (much of which is already available from organizations like the NRA and FSSF). It’s common for shooting and shooting sports to be represented at camping and outdoor shows, but they are non-existent at more widespread public events such as garden shows, home improvement shows, etc. Many, if not most, of the people attending such shows will have had no contact with, or even awareness of, what goes on in the shooting sports; their opinion has been formed by the 6 o’clock news. This offers an opportunity to start changing their outlook and opinion on guns, shooting and the shooting sports.
Pro Tip: Guns, even blue guns, should not be on the table at such events. Pictures of benign events (junior smallbore, skeet, trap, black powder rifle, etc.), brochures, all good. Your table or booth will be “invading enemy territory” so do it gently to earn a good welcome.
3b) It may also require committment of club facilities and qualified personnel on those occasions when hands-on experience or demonstrations may be beneficial. Key point is: “what is beneficial?” and that goes back to presenting a calm, competent, friendly and positive image.
An important point: The person selected must be well schooled in public relations, able to think on their feet, and present a positive image; a fresh flannel shirt and recently laundered blue jeans is not the proper uniform, an ironed shirt, tie, slacks and sport coat is. Alternatively, shirt, tie, slacks and a vest with the club name and logo. This is not a job for Cletus J. Hammerbanger, regardless of Cletus’ committment to shooting, how many matches he competes in, how many gun company stickers he has on his truck, or that the club president is his cousin. If your club does not have a PR-based and oriented person, do not attempt any of this; you will do more harm than good no matter how good the club’s or Cletus’ intentions. Because…..this person must also be very aware of media subterfuge; there are some in the media who are honest and forthright, but that does not describe the majority. Being able to control the narrative is mandatory, as is recognizing that media pre-writes most of its stories and just wants statements or video to reinforce its pre-determined opinion. If a reporter wants video, junior smallbore shooters or shotgun trap and skeet present a more positive image, and less opportunity for manipulation and misrepresentation, than three overweight guys with beards running ARs in a 3-Gun stage.
Even if a club decides not to do community outreach, having a well-schooled PR person available to represent the club, shooting, and the shooting sports in a positive manner, available to be a public face is a good idea should queries from individuals, public organizations, or the media, arise.
Awesome suggestions. Thank you.
I concur with the premise but disagree with the stats.
Ain’t no way in hell 78% of the population wanted gun control in 1990.
Clinton’s assault weapons ban got him the Republican revolution that lost the democrats both the house and senate for the first time in 40 years by 1994.
Smith & Wesson tried to play nice with government/Clintons in 2000 and lost 40% of its business in a year. And had to sale out or go out of business. (And sorry, that wasn’t the NRA that did that to them. It was Joe-six pack. Think budlight for a modern example.)
American have always been big on their gun freedoms.
What is in evidence today is how thick-headed communists are, and have been for a century now. And how deprived they are when it comes to what they will do for money.
They been at this crap since Woodrow Wilson. And are still getting stonewalled to this day.
What we see today is not a new phenomenon. When tyrants push a free people. They get pushed back on, harder.
Unlike the ancients. Now we have guns. And the internet to watch them with. And government is losing in a way it can never recover from.
We the people never wanted gun control, ever.
Everything else is lies, damn lies, and statistics.
Oh, and Merry Christmas ya’all!
And less we forget the real American spirit toward gun control. And Christmas.
Last night George Washington and his band of militia crossed the Delaware river in the middle of the night to kill and capture king George’s mercenary army.
No matter what they say. We Americans ain’t never been big on gun control.
Also- marry and have kids, teach them well to follow in your footsteps. Do not allow them to be recruited and corrupted by public school leftist indoctrination. Call out said indoctrination when you hear of it. Prevent the public spaces from being a fertile ground for leftie scum to add to their cult. Being a genetic dead end because kids are “too much work” is ceding the next generation to them. Stop letting the lefties immigrate and start popping out more leftie kids to replace you with people who think socialism is grand, because they get free-bees.
Lies, damn lies and statistics. Stop buying into the statistics BS. It’s a RIGHT. Not a privilege that they can give or take based on fabricated “statistics” that will always seem to support the gun grabbers agenda.