Christmas with my anti-gun family

[Redneck with a 40]

Well its Christmas weekend and my immediate family is coming up to the house. My brother, his wife, his kids, and my cousin. My dad is very pro-gun and a life long hunter, he taught me how to shoot when I was 8 years old, its my brother that I am primarily concerned about. My brother is the most vehemently anti-gun, he's an emotional extremist on the issue. A few months back when we got together, he noticed a Shooting Times magazine laying on the living room table and just about went ballistic. He started tearing into me about how guns kill and that by owning guns, I was just a "ticking time-bomb". Funny thing is, I didn't do anything to provoke any of this, just an innocent magazine for crying out loud! My brother's wife is a school teacher, she has bought into the media bullsh** hook, line and sinker. I even offered to teach her son how to shoot, he's 10. I figured he was old enough to learn on my Ruger 22/45, but she will have none of it. She won't let him get anywhere near a gun, talk about guns, he'll probably never get to experience the wonderful hobby of shooting, its a real shame.

I think one factor in all of this is that my brother is a "social progressive". He believes in all of the social utopia garbage and people should rely on the social network for protection...i.e the police. I strongly disagree with this position and I consider myself a "cultural traditionalist" with strong conservative belief's.

I really hope I can have a nice, friendly Christmas weekend with my family, as I enjoy this holiday and time spent with family. I just hope my brother will leave the topic of guns alone, I hope he does not bring it up! If he leaves the subject alone, it should be an ok weekend. It'll be interesting to see if he reacts to the sight of my reloading bench in the basement, as he is sure to go down there to see our new sauna. I've got bullets, primers, brass, and powder all in plain sight and I'm not going to hide it, just because he is coming to the house.

I think its a real travesty that some people will try to criminalize honest, hard working, good citizens because they own guns. This pisses me off. As an example, this weekend I'm under orders from my dad to hide all of my gun magazines, make sure my guns are hidden and un-loaded, just to avoid a confrontation. Personally, I could give a sh** what he thinks about my guns or my shooting hobby, he's totally brainwashed with mass media bull-sh**. It really bothers me that my brother is trying to make me feel ashamed because I own guns, on the contrary, I'm damn proud of it. I think its really sad that we have reached this stage in America, I'm sure I'm not alone in this either.

Ok, end of rant!

 

[Old Fuff]

I might compromise and hide the gun magazines just to keep the peace for your Dad's sake...

But if he sees the reloading set-up... Oh well ...

 

[MikeWSC]

Hey Redneck,

Have you turned the tables on your brother? Start in on him about not supporting
our Second Ammendment rights. How doctors kill more people than guns.
How guns protect people from those looking to hurt them or someone they
care about.
and on and on...
OR how 'bout that you respect his decision not to own firearms and if he should respect yours.
If he can't respect your RIGHT to own them, to keep
his mouth shut while he's in YOUR HOME (nicely )!!

All this, you may have tried :banghead: , it ticks me off just knowing you have to deal with
this on a holiday with your family . Hope it works out somehow.

One thing I have noticed that my family does that I have stopped doing.
They would not hold their gound on some things.
If we are with other people and my love of hunting/guns comes up and an
"anti" starts up, I firmly hold my ground, have more knowledge on the truths
about hunting and firearms. I don't get loud, I stay calm but will not budge
on my beliefs and rights. ESPECIALLY in my own home!!!!

Best Wishes ........ Mike

 

[zastros]

I've had this one too. When it was important to keep the peace I said to the offending party, "Look, I'll debate you on the issue some other time if it's really important to you, but I don't want to break up a nice get together by fighting about this. Do you?"
This put him in the position of being the jerk if he kept trying to fight about it. I looked like the the nice guy, and he looked like an a$$. It was sweet.

If that doesn't work, go the route of 'Do you have a fire extinguisher in your house?' That keeps him on the defensive. Stay calm, make him the jerk.


zastros

 

[miconoakisland]

Be bigger

De-gun mag your home for the sake of familial harmony. Throw a sheet over your reloading equipment.

This is the time of year for family togetherness.
Swallow your gunsmanship for the sake of your mother.
If pinned up against a wall in a firearm discussion, then let loose! But don't start it!
Invite the anti relatives to your home in January alone. Don't hide anything, but don't go out of your way to flaunt firearms. If he sees your reloading equipment on his way to the sauna and goes "ballistic" then ask him to leave.

Christmas family get togethers is not the appropiate time to expose differences of opinion. Be the bigger person and anti-anti-gun your home for the broader family's sake. Don't give the ignorant ammo to ruin a family Christmas.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Even though it's your home and you can do what you want in it keeping the holiday a happy one is very important too. I agree with the above posts, offer to debate him at another time because the holidays are no time to fight.

It's too bad that progressives advocate free speech and freedom of choice unless you don't agree with them. When that happens, the only freedoms that seem to matter to them are their freedoms and everyone else is wrong and has no right to use their freedom of speech or choice.

I’m betting if something really bad happened in this country (God forbid) your house would be the first place he would think to go to.

Bottom line, keep the peace and "Take The High Road"

Merry Christmas

 

[yongxingfreesty]

hey, my family is like that too. we ve had our house broken into three times and they still dont see it......

 

[Mot45acp]

What about

Buying him a subscripsion to Shotgun News without telling him?

 

[cassandrasdaddy]

my sis was like that

then she got mugged changed her though 6 years as a public defender helped too

 

[RevolvingCylinder]

Sounds like your brother has no respect for you. He had no right to treat you like that in your own home. You don't treat him like crap because he's a socialist. The least he can do is respect you and your lifestyle and not tell you what you can and can't have in your home. If all he does is look for an excuse to verbally abuse you then why does he come to your home? This isn't about Amendment II or civil rights. This is about the relationship you have with your brother. And it doesn't sound like a very good one to me.

 

[Limeyfellow]

It's too bad that progressives advocate free speech and freedom of choice unless you don't agree with them. When that happens, the only freedoms that seem to matter to them are their freedoms and everyone else is wrong and has no right to use their freedom of speech or choice.

Just remember many progressives are extremely progun too for example the founding fathers of the US, who see firearms as a mean of protection hard fought rights and privilages from a government who wanted to keep the old traditions alive which usually meant in most places a big crack down on arming the peasents for they might revolt and want things progressed and not treated like serfs.

Many progressives get rather annoyed when they instantly seen as gunhating losers who don't want to hear anything. Remember there are weirdos on any side of the issue who are so vehemently oppose things. An example would be the guy who believes in the value of live and shows it by blowing up an abortion clinic and killing people. You can't get rid of all the dicks in the world unfortantly and most people are not so extreme.

 

[LarryS.]

There's always Motel 6........

 

[Travis Lee]

I don't care how much you try to hide your hobby like it's a dirty little secret, and make nice with him..... your brother is going to start up with you because he is imbued with the superiority of the annointed.

Strap a pistol on your belt, and tell him to be civil or not come at all.

If my family can't respect my house or me, they are no family at all.

Just my .02.

--Travis--

 

[TIMC]

Just tell him "Hey my guns live here and you are just visiting so shut up!"

 

[TheGrouch]

My father-in-law is anti private ownership. He's a decorated Vietnam war vet and believes that anything beyond a single-shot shotgun is reserved for military/police. He even offered to shoot me, "to show me how it felt" (not kidding in any way,shape, or form).


He was informed in a warm, fuzzy and cordial manner not to bring up the subject again.

 

[crashresidue]

Cheers,

TL - RIGHT ON!

Had my sister-in-law blow up at X-Mas dinner, took her plate away from her, opened the front door and invited her to "un-ass my house".

Haven't seen her or my brother since - no LOSS.

Life is a b@tch.
cr

 

[fireandforget]

Political differences and gun control views are no reason for a family to fight or argue over. The replies about not upsetting your parents is right on target. That being said, as long as your house doesn't resemble a bunker or unsafe firearm practice is occuring, particularily with children present he should be respectful. A "ticking time bomb" is an extreme overreaction. I'm not a family counselor by any means, I would ignore such comments or just smile and walk away. Later, address him and tell him "we're family I respect your opinion(even if u don't)" or "that you respect his right to his own opinion". And that "we can have this talk, but a family get together is not the place for such a discussion." If that doesn't work try rebuffing his comments, with humor. Invite him to a gun show and laugh. If he insists on causing family turmoil at least u took the "high road"

 

[telomerase]

Yeah, just concentrate on being more courteous than he is. It's the most effective technique. If he gets annoying on the subject, just say that everyone has to make the decisions about how to defend their family. If he chooses not to defend them, there's nothing you can do about it.

 

[Clipper]

Don't wimp out...

...If any of my family ever attempted to dictate to me how I conduct my life, or how I run my home, they can feel free to boycott it. If your brother wants to go to war over your gun ownership, and chooses to do it at your house, invite him to leave forthwith. If your dad tries to dictate what is or isn't visible, invite him to host the get together at his house. You can choose who you hang out with, but dumb luck decides who you're related to...

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Opinions of the Ignorant

The opinions of the ignorant have no standing.

Your brother has evidently been well and truly whipped by his wife. Too bad she wears the trousers.

I will happily discuss most topics, and when I'm the ignorant one, I mostly listen.

When someone tries to grab the moral high ground on a subject where they have no experience, I offer the reminder that, while anyone may have an opinion, an informed opinion is preferred, and that is achieved through experience.

It's hard to enlighten someone who already knows everything, so I don't try.

The "social progressives" have had their way with the US school system for more than 40 years, and they've pretty much botched it. Our schools suck worse with each succeeding generation. They demand more money and authority, they are given both, and the result is academic incompetence.

Anyone associated with a long-duration failure of this magnitude is simply not equipped to instruct you in morality. Or much of anything else.

Feel free to remind them that the system they try so hard to dismantle was designed by men whose shoes they aren't fit to polish. The founders were among the best educated, most literate, morally brave men that ever walked. The "progressives" have been trying to second-guess them since Marx. And all they've done is move us so far down the world's academic standings that we're a global scholastic joke.

So, rather than taking a hammer to the constitution, which clearly isn't working as a strategy for social health, how about something more constructive than hysteria over the 2nd amendment?

I must say, if I found myself hosting a family member whose spouse had neutralized his ability for rational discourse, I wouldn't keep testing my ability to cope with committed ignorance and unwanted stress.

Love you, bro, but y'all have parked your powers of reasoning. You'll be welcome here when you can get past the emotional bias and deal in real facts.

Also note, anyone -- ANYONE -- who believes he can tell you what you think and feel, or pretend he knows more about you than you do ("you're a ticking time bomb") is acting with arrogance.

Some day you should come to my house and try "evaluating" my thoughts and feelings and my hidden motives for me. You'll be met, as has everyone else that's tried that, with a stern and quiet response: "Don't ever presume to know what's going on in my head or heart. You don't know, and your opinion has no standing."

My best to you and your family.

Stand strong. The principle is worth it.

 

[1911 guy]

Tough one.

Your two priorities are 1) getting along for the sake of the rest of the family and 2) telling your brother and sister-in-law that it's your house and they're welcome to leave anytime.

Personally, I'd go along to get along as much as possible that time. If they step out of line to the extent you are afraid they might, a phone call afterward will let them know to not come back until they plan on being polite.

Or, you could go to their house and pitch a fit that there's nothing in the house suitable for protecting your family while you're there. Go on to point out that only a spineless coward gives in to irrational fears to the detriment of his family's safety. Tell you S-I-L that if she'd get off the broom she'd have a better view of reality and may be able to salvage the young man she's working so hard to mentally and emotionally screw up for life.

 

[Manedwolf]

I think one factor in all of this is that my brother is a "social progressive". He believes in all of the social utopia garbage and people should rely on the social network for protection...i.e the police. I strongly disagree with this position and I consider myself a "cultural traditionalist" with strong conservative belief's.

As it's said, a conservative is a leftist who's just been mugged.

It really seems to be all that convinces them. A lot of idealists "converted" and realized they needed at least a handgun or shotgun and training after Katrina, if they were in the affected area.

Just words won't undo a lifetime of school system and media training to be anti-gun. Unfortunately, it takes shock therapy.

 

[Gun Geezer]

Get out the video camera

Sure, set the the video to montior you guns for a whole week. The when you able to proof that they have not killed anyone during that time, you give your brother the video as a Christmas present! He will love the thought you made this gift yourself instead of buying it!

In his stocking, give him a 1-year membership to the NRA! Give your nephew a membership, too! They will get 2 magazines each month so they can learn the truth. How much fun is that!??!

 

[Kaylee]

I've had this one too. When it was important to keep the peace I said to the offending party, "Look, I'll debate you on the issue some other time if it's really important to you, but I don't want to break up a nice get together by fighting about this. Do you?"

Excellent approach.

 

[bumm]

I agree with those advising you to stay above the fight. Your brother sounds like a condescending liberal asshat. Let him be his own bad example. Do as your father asks, and stash the gun magazines somewhere. That's just being a good host, and not wimping out. However, this is YOUR HOUSE and YOUR LIFE. Don't cover up your reloading bench, and if the interior decoration involves an old gun over the mantle, it should stay. If your brother picks a fight, do as others have said, and offer to debate him some other time, but now it's Christmas. If he persists, let him rant. If there are any fence sitters in your family, they will see the situation for what it is.
Rosie O'Donnell (spelling?) has done a lot for our second amendment rights by being an obnoxious, strident, bitch.
Marty