Gun Owners' Image.

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Trent

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In another thread, I put forward the case that the gun rights issue has progressed to a new stage of intensity. Truly, a new front has opened on this fight for our rights. The days of debating emotional arguments vs. logical ones in public, to sway undecideds and moderates, is waning. As lines of division are drawn and continue to deepen, those folks are choosing sides. As fewer people remain to sway, the chasm between the left and right deepens, and replacing that old dialog is the next evolution of this struggle.

We talk about Activism being, quite literally, a "call to action." Organizing like-minded folks to do something so that the combined efforts of the individuals exceeds what any individual could do on their own. Or, put another way, defining points where we can exert pressure for maximum effect. Instead of a thousand men all hitting the side of a mountain randomly with hammers (which bounce off and do nothing substantial), we work together, pick a likely fault, and target that one weak spot so that we can cause the maximum effect for our (collectively limited) time and energy.

Thus, a bunch of folks who work for a living, raise kids, have all of life's merry distractions, can actually effect a little change, with our individually limited time and resources.

This thread will be dedicated to the discussion of social behavior - image, if you will. What image we project as individuals, and collectively. But first, let me explain why this is necessary, and why "now" is the correct time to have this discussion.

Just as we exert combined influence on key political figures through activism, to try to hold our ground on various issues relating to firearms and the right to keep and bear arms, the other side also has their activists and tries to exert influence in much the same fashion as we do. They are also adapting strategies over time, and lately, have been very effectively doing so. Some of this is due to them having mass media on their side, but moreover, they are successfully leveraging social media and networking platforms in profoundly successful ways; most notably, through isolation tactics (de-friending campaigns) and vilification of gun owners as a whole.

Bottom line is we're starting to get our behind's kicked in the Court of Public Appeal, and if we don't get ahead of this, and soon, we're going to find ourselves in an untenable position. (As a side note, this is reminiscent in a way to the last time ultra-conservatives lost their britches in a public perception battle, back in the mid to late 90's, as the Militia movement which was then in full stride, crumbled and faltered in a very short time span, under a public relations nightmare)

While circumstances are different today, the fact remains the same; once a side in any social argument is effectively vilified, there is effectively zero chance of recovery.

Why should we "refine" who we are and what we say and how we act?

Here are two images, side by side. Both are of me, taken in fun, some time ago; but should illustrate what I'm referring to when it comes to "refining our image" in the public eye.

XKEJY9k.jpg

On the left (placed there as this is the "Left's Perspective"), we have what people would refer to as an over-enthusiastic classic Gun Nut, loaded for bear, to the point he can barely move (literally, it was heavy) with weapons and ammunition. The left would see a man clearly bristling for the opportunity to die a quick and ignoble death, in the coming revolution against superior government forces. This beer & peanuts "Hold Mah Beer Martha, Got Guvment Tyrants To Choot!" is what the left wants to convince everyone who we are.

On the right, you have an interpretation of a Modern Country Gentleman. A more refined, sophisticated version of the classic American Rifleman, modernized and equipped for 21st century problems.

The problem is, sometimes we see ourselves as that refined, cultured, gentlemanly type... and come across as the .... "other guy."

Gun Nuts and Ridiculing Others.

The over-exuberance shown by the more hardcore gun owners is telling. Zealots love preaching to the choir, but are not as effective at swaying the undecideds or representing the whole. Take, for example, the nit-picking about semantics, or the ridicule our side tosses out to the other side about "the shoulder thing that goes up" or "ghost gun that shoots 30 caliber magazine clips" or going on paragraphs long rants about why an Assault Weapon isn't really a "real" thing.

Do you think they actually... care?

Ask yourself, if someone who never owned a gun before sees your post; are they going to rally to your self-righteous, indignant "smarter than thou" cause just because you can .. ridicule someone? Or are they going to say "Good grief, these gun owner types, they creep me out with their 'smarter than everyone' crap, or 'you should shut up because you don't know what you are talking about' rants that I see every time I turn around."

Great way to bring folks who don't know anything about guns, in to the fold. Seriously. Make them afraid to even TALK to a gun owner because they know the moment we find out they don't know the difference between a magazine or clip, or they use the wrong special terminology, we're going to think they're an idiot!

Yeah, some icebreaker, that.

Ridiculing others might be satisfying on some personal, sadistic level. Education is good, but can be done without the ridicule.

Try to keep your arguments positive and when you teach, TEACH. But don't take every opportunity to point out ignorance just for the sake of feeling superior. That is ... not gentlemanly.

Moving along...

God Given Rights.

I'm going to push the sheer boundaries of what is allowed on The High Road with this segment, but I'm only doing so because religion does not, and should not, ever be the foundation of a discussion about unalienable, natural rights.

There's plenty of folks out there who do not ascribe to A Higher Power who, as all humans do, have the right to defend themselves from attack or oppression. If you feel that God gives you the right to carry a firearm, great, more power to you. But it does not serve the greater purpose of establishing self-defense of life as a fundamental right of every living creature, even those who do not ascribe to a particular religion.

When you link the two issues, you commit the most basic of logical fallacies; "appeal to authority,", which (in terms of logic) is an indefensible position. It only works on like-minded individuals; while the world is a very diverse place. It also invokes images, which the other side is quick to jump on, of religious totalitarianism; something our founding fathers took great steps to prevent, as this country was founded on the heels of some rather major and bloody in-fighting between various Christian sects in Europe. Many of our earliest colonial immigrants were in fact fleeing religious persecution in Europe; and in large part, why Article Six of the US constitution was drafted as such.

A decade or two ago, nearly 90% of America identified as Christians.

That number has declined to below 70% at this point in time. (citations available here; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_the_United_States)

So when you link Guns and God, not only do you feed the Other Side ammunition about our side clinging to tradition over, say, public safety, but you are alienating over 30% of the population of the United States.

Case in point?

I'm Buddhist. And there's others on here who are .. gasp... Muslim. And others who are.. double gasp... athiest or agnostic.

All of whom are gun owners.

All on your side in this battle.

So quit speaking on our behalf. You want to spread your religion, fine. You want to promote the Good Word, great! More power to you! You can still achieve that goal independent of the gun rights movement. (Just be mindful, once you have publicly identified yourself as a gun owner, ALL of your other public statements are now linked to "gun owners" - because that's just the way things work these days; so keep things civil.)

A Gentleman can posit his arguments with logic and does not need an appeal to authority (divine or otherwise), if his argument is sound.

If you STILL do not get what I'm saying... just ask yourself how an undecided, on the fence, moderate agnostic feels about these series of pictures which circulated recently.

LzH4Ysy.png


Moving along...

Do you have any IDEA what they are putting in your drinking water?

Oh, my. All of the conspiracy theories.

Our current latest fad is folks discrediting the kid who changed schools from Cali to Florida and happened to be hand-picked by The Powers That Be to be their spokesperson. (The fact he was a crisis actor, by the way, was completely and totally debunked.)

But the same thing seems to happen every time. "Oh that had to be a false flag!" or "Oh they brought in a team of crisis actors" or .. my personal all time favorite lunacy "Sandy Hook never happened! It was all faked!" (brought to you by the same folks who think there was a government plot at Nevada, or that the CIA took down the World Trade Centers.)

I'm not going to sugar coat this one. When you self-identify as a gun owner in public, and then start spouting and spreading hokey conspiracy theories, you do a tremendous amount of damage to the credibility and respectability of ALL other gun owners. Who is going to take you seriously, or any of us seriously, for that matter, when you immediately go off subject on to some fringe theory and make it your main argument?

Look, I'm not telling anyone they can't believe whatever the heck they want to believe. I respect your freedom to latch on to and parrot any and all crazy ideas you want to believe in. That's your right, and your freedom.

But what I'm asking, is that you de-link all of of that noise from the gun rights issue. Because - as I mentioned - everything you say after you've been identified as a "gun owner" or "gun rights activist" suddenly becomes relevant. Every portion of your publicly put-forth persona is aggregated in to the general public consensus about issues. Cross referencing them and linking those together is a natural, expected phenomenon - people amalgamate pieces of information in to feelings, and later, those feelings decide how they react on a bigger scale.

When there's a small, but measurable percentage of gun owners falling in to the tin-foil hat crowd, the Other Side begins using that against OUR side. Because you've self identified as a gun owner in public, when you serve as a propaganda machine for fringe conspiracy theory stuff, folks inevitably start linking gun owners with the idea that "these guys don't really have a firm footing on reality, here."

Which brings me to...

Stay On Track.

The same thing holds true when gun owners go on random tirades during arguments in public (such as Facebook, whatever) where they will randomly jump from one topic to another. I've seen gun owners go on about guns in a discussion then randomly jump The Other Side about a completely unrelated issue; such as immigration (They're Gonna Bring Shariah Law Here!), or whatever.

When you are having a dialog about gun rights, stay focused on gun rights. Even if the other side starts throwing in little tidbits or attacks you about other issues, stay the course! It is a very common tactic when dealing with the Other Side that when you are beating the crap out of them logically, they will begin rapidly throwing unrelated information at you in an effort to unsettle you or get you to make a statement which will alienate their intended targets (the readers of the conversation; the silent undecideds.)

Don't fall for it. Stay on track. Stay logical. Resist any and all emotions - even and especially anger. Remain professional, do not fall in to the trap of becoming insolent or haughty at the other person. If you start getting emotional, take a step back for a few minutes. Imagine you're Mr. Rogers or something; you know, your kind, mellow mannered, friendly sweater-vest wearing guidance counselor type. Come back down to planet Earth off of the Rocketship Revenge, and be respectful of the other person.

They have ideas, feelings, and concerns just as you do. If you're debating someone about gun rights, you've taken on the responsibility of being their guide to a logical basis of thought. (Or at the very minimum, you're guiding any popcorn eating silent observers there.) You WILL NOT change this persons' mind today. So don't be too pushy, or too overbearing.

Use things like "That is a great idea, however... if you think about this other thing, maybe there's a different approach that could be taken." Or "I appreciate your insightful comments. Have you ever considered..."

Walk them through a middle ground before you try to drag them kicking and screaming over to the other side. Folks don't change their minds overnight. And when they do change their minds, it's not a leap-across-a-chasm day-and-night change. It is a subtle, nearly imperceptible shift that happens over a longer period of time. It ebbs and flows with each interaction or new idea that comes in to play. And over time, those things get digested and aggregated so that over some months, or years, or even a lifetime, perspective shifts to look at the world a different way.

If you are TOO pushy, you'll push them away, I guarantee you.

If you get ONE good point across (and allow them to score a point as well, this is a give and take thing), you can get them to start seeing from a bit of a wider, or new, perspective. But it takes time, and you aren't going to accomplish it in one conversation..

Which brings me to...

Don't unfriend folks.

Seriously, don't do it. It's the primary goal of the other side at this point - to drive a wedge between people, to get them so angry at each other they quit speaking to one another. This serves their purpose because it begins to insulate the previously-undecideds on the other side from any further influence that might drag them away.

In the culture war, every time someone blocks someone, or denounces their friendship, the string pullers win another major victory. They want us to be divided. They want the agenda to come before all else. Do you realize how huge of a victory it is for them, when their political agenda suddenly became more important than a friendship that has lasted, say, 20 years or more? Or when one member of a FAMILY stops talking to another over gun rights issues?

It's the sort of thing you'd expect to see the Powers that Be manipulating in World War II. Getting the Goebbels-like propaganda machine so spun up and churning folks out, that they turn on their own families and friends.

We're already a minority, as gun owners. If we fall for this tactic we lose. Period. Might as well just wad up the Second Amendment, and toss it away folks.

Do NOT let them divide us. Do NOT let arguments get to the point it costs friendships or family. Every time you let that happen, you are letting the other side claim a MAJOR victory, because you are now effectively silenced as a point of future influence to their followers.

Anyway, that's lengthy enough for one day.

What I want folks to take away from this, if you skipped to the bottom, is summarized in the following key points;

* Be good to one another.
* Be mindful that you are an ambassador to ALL gun owners when you identify as one in public.
* Project a positive image which focuses on gun rights when you are on that subject
* De-link unrelated issues when you are talking about gun rights
* Be aware that ~30% of the country is not Christian, and present your arguments accordingly.
* Try to project the image of a Gentleman, and not an overbearing zealot.
* Be courteous to your opposition, show them the same respect you expect in return.
* Be wary parroting fringe conspiracy theories, they undermine your more pointed arguments.
* Do not fall for the trap of isolating yourself from The Other Side, if you do, we will lose, as we are a minority.

We need to win the public relations war. Right now, we're losing.

It will take everyone's individual effort to change this.

Thanks for reading, and have a great day.
 
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We want people to see us as the "good neighbor" that they can trust and depend upon to do the right thing. We want them to know that we as the good neighbor is trustworthy and that we are gun owners and support the right to keep and bear arms. We want them to associate these.

We need to extend that idea of the trustworthy good neighbor to the internet and social media as a living example to everyone that the Anti depiction of us is a lie intended to manipulate the people who don't know guns, but know plenty of people like us. We do not want to be seen as threatening, insulting or dismissive. We don't want to engage in ad hominem attacks on the appearance or the age, race, sex or nationality of the person advocating to take our rights away, but instead counter their attack on us with sound and sane arguments against the basis for theirs.

Our behavior online, in social media and with friends and family is a clear way every single day that we can remind people that the vast majority of gun owners are good honest trustworthy people in spite of the few criminals that use guns to commit crimes against others. We shouldn't tolerate bombast or threatening language. We shouldn't tolerate personal attacks, but counter them with facts (that not only include the DOJ and CDC results showing murder is down and gun restrictions have no clear benefit in reducing murder, but that Anti gun "grassroots" efforts aren't funded by bake sales, but by anti RKBA millionaires and billionaires).

That's our daily responsibility as RKBA advocates, to make it clear that we're good neighbors to not only be trusted, but depended upon.

For politicians we need to make it clear we're watching and making note of their votes in Congress or the State Legislature or the Council Chamber and that we will work to remove any of them that would deny our right to keep and bear arms...as good trustworthy neighbors.
 
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Does anyone remember the I’m the NRA” ads they used used to run? They portrayed “regular” people as gun owners and NRA members. I thought it was a very effective campaign.

We need to be the people in those ads. Perhaps engage people you work with in conversations about your shooting hobby.

In 1994 my wife and I attended the NRA members banquet at the annual meetings in Nashville. When we went back to her room she told me it was really an eye opener for her. Prior to that she thought the NRA was composed of people like me and my friends, soldiers and cops.

In this time where we are being demonized again it’s time to show the non gun owning public who we really are. Good men and women from all walks of life.
 
This isn’t about converting antis. That’s just an exercise in futility. This is about stripping the fence sitters, the people who don’t care about guns either way away from the anti camp.

The vast majority of the people in this country are not anti and they aren’t pro gun. They simply don’t care much about gun ownership. It’s not something that affects their day to day life.

The antis are demonizing us as part of their plan to ban gun ownership for everyone but them.

If we humanize ourselves and our cause in the eyes of the fence sitters then they won’t be so quick to jump into the anti camp.

I hate to use these words but what we need to do is very similar to how we should act if taken hostage. We need to show the fence sitters that we are just like them. Just like it’s harder for a kidnapper or hostage taker to murder someone they see as a fellow human being, it will be harder for the fence sitters to step into the anti camp if it means harming people they see as being just like them.
 
I would add political parties to the list of topics to delink. Not all Democrats are anti 2A. The NRA endorses many Democrats in my home state based on their voting record in supporting gun rights.

Conor Lamb, the Democrat who won the Pennsylvania special election, is pro 2A.

Bashing Democrats wholesale only falls into the anti’s strategy of dividing our ranks.

Yes, we should conduct ourselves as ladies and gentlemen. We shouldn’t need a crisis to behave properly, but sometimes we all need to be reminded.
 
The vast majority of the people in this country are not anti and they aren’t pro gun. They simply don’t care much about gun ownership. It’s not something that affects their day to day life.

Very true and something that a lot of people on gun forums miss completely. I have no data to back it up but I would guess that MAYBE 15-20% of the population feels strongly about guns one way or the he other. Even many gun owners are only tangentially involved with guns.

The pro-gun argument that makes me cringe the most is: “We need guns so we can overthrow the US government if they go too far”. It instantly marks the speaker as nut plotting revolution and makes people think of militias and standoff’s.
 
Neither picture will look good to an anti. They will only marginally see the person, they will mostly see gun, and project the evil lurking in their own hearts onto it.

Yep. In Trent's photos above, the photo on the right will make the antis think of John Wick or Timothy Oliphant in Hitman. To those antis, as soon as a gun is slung, holstered, or held it doesn't matter how you are dressed.

The only way I can talk to fence sitters or antis about guns at all is if I am not seen with a gun. I have to look like a disarmed regular friendly guy to even have a discussion.

Trent, that's not against you or your photos as your post is on the money, IMO.
 
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When we conduct ourselves in a fashion that shows we are trustworthy with firearms, it removes the antis’ ability to vilify. Counter vilification with facts, and uncommon sense. Carry on, law abiding, firearms owners.

Geno
 
Here is another one as long as we are identifying our faults and what we can do better. Referring to the millions of hunters who are gun owners but not NRA members as "Fudds". I'm not sure what we think we are accomplishing by alienating that rather large group of gun owners. We should be working to bring these folks in not pushing them away.
 
Yep. In Trent's photos above, the photo on the right will make the antis think of John Wick or Timothy Oliphant in Hitman. To those antis, as soon as a gun is slung, holstered, or held it doesn't matter how you are dressed.

The only way I can talk to fence sitters or antis about guns at all is if I am not seen with a gun. I have to look like a disarmed regular friendly guy to even have a discussion.

Trent, that's not against you or your photos as your post is on the money, IMO.

Well, it was more about "mindset" than the pictures themselves. The pictures were just illustrative of a mindset shift. Trying to provide something visual to extend the difference between a "gung ho gun nut who is right about everything!" and a more refined approach. The same goals can still be worked for, but .. how's that old phrase go.. something about honey being sweeter than salt..? My memory is a bit foggy on that one.

It's also the best I could come up with that somewhat fit the bill, on short notice. :)

In public, you'd never see me with a gun. I don't talk about carrying, well, unless I'm teaching a concealed carry class. Then it's pretty much all I talk about. I don't show that I'm carrying, and short of a few friends and family, no one knows I carry a gun. There's no reason to "flaunt" it. Don't even show gun friends if they ask. It only comes out of the holster to clean and practice. If they want to see my concealed carry piece, they can go shooting with me!

However, I intentionally steered clear of open vs. concealed carry in this discussion. That's a very personal decision, and if we REALLY opened that can of worms right here, right now, that would detract from the point of the discussion; which is our overall image. Plenty of other threads talking about chest-thumpers with AR-15's on parade "just because they can."
 
Take a noob shooting. Use the 22LRs, let them try the 9mms or 380s, just let them have fun on the first time to the range.
The antis will have a hard time talking their way around THAT. This is a great way to swing that "undecided" group. Create positive awareness about firearms.
 
Zogby Polls are considered to be accurate measures of public opinion and have predicted elections right when other polls called them wrong.
A recent Zogby Poll (1 Mar 2018) surveyed a national sample of voting age Americans.

56% of the general population support the 2nd Amendment, 28% oppose, 16% no opinion.
65% of millennials (age 18-29) support, 23% oppose, 12% no opinion.

So the younger generation ("millennials" who reached maturity after the turn of the century) support 2A more than the general population do.
As for other groups:
Ethnicity:
54% of Hispanics support, 29% oppose.
46% of African Americans support, 36% oppose.
59% of white voters support, 25% oppose.
Politics:
47% of Democrats support, 37% oppose.
47% of Independents support, 27% oppose.
86% of Republicans support, 18% oppose.

And the Gallup polls have shown a decline in public support for (a) banning handguns since 1960, and (b) since 2004, reinstating the assualt weapon ban since the sunset of the 1994 AWB in 2004.

I think we are facing a loud minority. We need to understand their tactics first to counter them.

I remember about 1960 when Tennessee actually considered banning handguns; my father and my uncle acquired handguns just in case. That was in the middle of local option alcohol prohibition 1953-1968, which had the effect of making bootlegging a thriving uncontrollable underground business. As H.L. Mencken pointed out in his 1924 article "The Uplifters Are At It Again", after their success with the Prohibition amendment, the progressive crusaders turned their attention to banning guns with the same rhetoric used for gun prohibition as was used for alcohol prohibition. The prohibitionist rhetorical tactic is to assume the moral high ground, demonize the targeted thing and shame anyone who dares defend the targeted thing. They orchestrate moral panick against the target (absinth, alcohol, guns, comic books) and fire up a righteously indignant lynch mob., but they never say how their policy will actually control bad behavior by bad people and what the unintended consequences can turn out to be. Their intentions are good so that makes whatever they want right, and that is all that they care about. If we don't accept that and surrender unconditionally, we are the enemy of all that is right and good.

I am tempted to presume that (a) majority opinion is against the Bloomberg Everytown and Soros IANSA program, and (b) the extremism of Everytown and IANSA rhetoric will work against their own cause.

We should not panic. And hairy chest thumping is exactly what they want to see from us.
 
As I posted in another thread, read Noam Chomsky. It is their blueprint for the anti-gun movement. It's time to use it against them, and hey, WE don't even have to lie; we have truth on our side.
 
Here is another one as long as we are identifying our faults and what we can do better. Referring to the millions of hunters who are gun owners but not NRA members as "Fudds". I'm not sure what we think we are accomplishing by alienating that rather large group of gun owners. We should be working to bring these folks in not pushing them away.
I was actually going to post up asking what that term was about. Yes, that isn't a way we want to divide among ourselves. I haven't joined yet because all my disposable income is currently going towards covering my bases and getting enough ammo on hand to be comfortable, I'm tired of buying just one box of ammo at the range and leaving when I've shot through it.

I digress. My question is HOW do you guys let others know you are gun owners/enthusiasts? This is all great to be better people and become the pillars of the community but how does that help us, in regards to 2A activism, if we don't let others know who we are? Let's not bring up the open/concealed carry debate on this thread as I've seen that devolve too many times to ruin our momentum.

So besides that do we wear SIG/Glock/S&W hats or shirts?
Do we have stickers on our cars?
How about shirts that aren't branded but say some pro-gun message?

I don't really want to be the guy who does any of those things if I'm being honest. I try to take a new guy or gal to the range at least once a month and so far have been doing alright. I live in one of those urban areas that seem less accessible to some of this community and want to maximize my impact.

Maybe I'll get a sexy .22 pistol to go with my .22 rifle so new shooters have something fun and cheap to shoot in both platforms. PPK/S? Make them feel like Bond.

Sorry for the wall of text but I haven't had a chance to sit down at my computer in a few days and these thoughts have been stewing and I was not going to try and get this all down on my phone.
 
Took four noobs out shooting today. One of them was 12. He had the time of his life. Doubt the antis will get much traction with
that gang...
 
Trent, just wanted to say I appreciate your efforts here. You've effectively articulated the message I've been preaching to my work and social circles for some time. Hopefully, you've inspired some introspection on the part of some of those within our movement who haven't yet been able to engage their critical thinking and tactical persuasion skills ...
 
So besides that do we wear SIG/Glock/S&W hats or shirts?
Do we have stickers on our cars?
How about shirts that aren't branded but say some pro-gun message?
Some do; I usually don't except at gun shows and the range. the only sticker on my truck is a Sure-Fire one that was on it went I got it. It's unobtrusive, and not obviously gun related.
I feel putting gun related stickers on a vehicle is an invitation for would-be thieves to rummage through your vehicle. In time, you get to recognize the signs. Situational awareness is one, certain clothing that doesn't overtly scream "GUN!" to the masses, but we usually notice, etc.
 
In time, you get to recognize the signs. Situational awareness is one, certain clothing that doesn't overtly scream "GUN!" to the masses, but we usually notice, etc.
This is all great but isn't the whole point of this thread to engage people who aren't "gun guys" already? My question is how do we bridge that gap of being the reliable neighbor to being that same neighbor but also a gun owner? I would like a better plan of action than my neighbors happening to see me loading up for a range trip and the social environment doesn't lend itself well to randomly announcing an interest in firearms and supporting the constitution.
 
When we conduct ourselves in a fashion that shows we are trustworthy with firearms, it removes the antis’ ability to vilify.
Really?

I have a feeling that you don't understand the motivation of the anti-freedom crowd. It wouldn't matter if every gun owner in the country were polite, well dressed, and erudite. They hate that they can't establish their "worker's paradise" and the possession of guns in the hands of the populace stands in their way. They are going to vilify, marginalize, and eventually enslave you.

It has never been about guns, it has always been about control.
 
This is all great but isn't the whole point of this thread to engage people who aren't "gun guys" already? My question is how do we bridge that gap of being the reliable neighbor to being that same neighbor but also a gun owner? I would like a better plan of action than my neighbors happening to see me loading up for a range trip and the social environment doesn't lend itself well to randomly announcing an interest in firearms and supporting the constitution.
There are reasons not to 'advertise' that you are a 'gun guy'; that is the point I was making. I find that being that reliable neighbor long before they find out you own guns is the best way to approach it. Unless they are already an anti zealot, it usually doesn't change their view of you. And if they are, you're not going to change it anyway.
The best way to engage those who are not rabidly anti is to be truthful, well-spoken, concise, and considerate of their views.
 
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