A radical progression: the birth of gun nut

[perch]

While I don't think that getting into guns will always produce or require a radical change in your beliefs, it happened to me. Perhaps it was something just waiting to happen, partly coincidental, and guns were just the little push.

It's funny because I never suspected that something as simple as enjoying firing guns could turn into such a substantial lifestyle change.

 

[FriedRice]

While I don't think that getting into guns will always produce or require a radical change in your beliefs, it happened to me. Perhaps it was something just waiting to happen, partly coincidental, and guns were just the little push.

It's funny because I never suspected that something as simple as enjoying firing guns could turn into such a substantial lifestyle change.

Yeah, me neither. I'm right in the middle of Atlas Shrugged and my belief system has been turned upside down. Welcome, fellow traveler.

 

[awgrizzly]

I don't understand why owning and enjoying weapons requires the kind of radical mental and political change you describe. My small collection of firearms includes pistols and long iron (including a Mosin-Nagant). I hunt deer and rabbits. And I possess and use a concealed carry permit. That hasn't caused me to change my liberal political views, though. Some Democrats support gun control, but that doesn't define all Democrats and it doesn't bother me. Some Democrats probably think it's immoral to eat meat, but that doesn't mean they'll ever be able to outlaw cheeseburgers. Disagreement over a single issue doesn't need to overthrow an entire belief system.

I don't think it's really a Democrat (or any party) thing, googol. There's millions of gun toting and shooting enthusiast Democrats. It's an attitude thing where some folks feel the need to make others live up to their ideas of what's proper. It's the same thing as what drives the PC stuff... busybodies. Hope I'm not getting too close to politics mods.

 

[perch]

Yeah, me neither. I'm right in the middle of Atlas Shrugged and my belief system has been turned upside down. Welcome, fellow traveler.

That's what did it for me. I spent about 6 solid days reading it straight through.

Even more fun is thinking about all of the ideas in the book when you are finished and reconciling them with the world that we live in, an enlightening task.

 

[RimfireChris]

Guess I'm goin to the library.

 

[skwab]

Perch - thanks for sharing that story and welcome. I'm sorry about your mother's boyfriend but I'm glad that during that time of transition for you, his choice didn't deter you from yours.

In this thread there was the question posed why does changing your stance on guns have to change your entire political philosophy. In the OP it did, but it doesn't necessarily have to - our congressman is a pro-gun dem. In texas if you are an elected dem you pretty much have to be pro gun these days! But I know for me, the more I've learned about the constant attacks (and their reasoning behind such attacks) on an inherent right that I hold dear, and has very far reaching consequences if ever taken away, the harder it is to believe and trust those who so vehemently try to remove that right.

 

[googol]

To awgrizzly-
Agreed that it really isn't a Democrat/Republican thing. I don't like being boxed in by such narrow labels and hesitated before using the word in my comment. But because some whacko Democrats hate and fear guns, some people lump everyone who is left of center with those whackos.