People who used to like guns who are now haters.

[mcdonl]

I think the real problem is his third wife, she is a total political hack and hates even the word "gun". She also thinks everyone in the service is a killer wannabee. She is weird.

Perhaps she should fight her own wars if she does not appreciate the fine young men and women such as yourself who put their lives on the line for her, and me.

Thank you, and sorry you are going through all of this. Just keep the communications open as you do not want to live with regret later. He may, and he will have to deal with that.

 

[Sniper X]

Chicharone wrote: SniperX, has something gun related has happened to your father or a close friend of his in the last few years? Like a robbery, death, or something?

No, not that I know of. I am sure that he (my dad) would have been more than happy to tell me about it and rub it in my proverbial face so to speak since he also tried that when I started racing motorcycles when I was 10. He couldn't stop telling me made up stories about "buddies" who wrecked their bikes and were vegetables or parapaligiecs or dead....so I am sure if anything happened gun related he would have told me in a nanosecond. I think it all comes back to his wife, as she is sooooo far rabid left she is even hard to be around. Everything said that even sounds remotely right she has a textbook comebac k for and even drops the gun related ones when I am around like the compensation one and the one about all gun owners being rednecks who have relations with their cousins and all want to shoot everyone non white and so on. She even made a comment once that was unbeleivable, she was telling a story about her visit to Arizona and said she loved it accept she felt like she wanted to run away because it wasn't "diverse" enough for her. I asked what she meant, and she said "There were far too many white people there" BTW she is white, and she was trying to be progressive I guess and in that superior in her thinking. As I said, she is totally weird and wacked out. Even my black buddy who was there when she said that later told me it made him feel totally weird and asked if she was on medication....I had to laugh at that!

 

[IdahoLT1]

I'd put money on it that the cause is the wife. It sounds like he's been drinking her kool aid for a while. That's the thing about the human psyche, if a person doesn't educate themselves and continually hears something fictitious, it will eventually become fact or true to them. He probably distanced himself from the hobby/sport and after years of her telling him how evil they are, he accepts it as truth.

 

[BaltimoreBoy]

H.L. Mencken said "A man can no more ignore his wife than he can ignore a toothache or the insane asylum next door."

 

[Sniper X]

Not to mention he has been around no one but her and her totally dysfunctional family for twenty years. Here's the lite story of her family, and get this, she thinks THEY are superior to me and my buddy's who have guns. Her son is 40 and never had a job other than fast food, he lives in Hawaii and gets money from three of his parents, my dads wife, her ex husband, and his wifes father to subsist every month because he wants to stay in Hawaii. Her daughter and other son are both druggies and drinks and very liberal, and her ex husband is a drunk. BUT she thinks I am weird and nuts. Get this, before she knew I was into guns, she use to always promote me and my photographic talent to all her family and friends. She use to love to see my photos when I did see them. After she saw my email address she told my dad I was a wacko conservative gun toting redneck.

 

[welldoya]

Sniper, sounds like your Dad needs to get a pair and stand up to his wife.
He probably has issues with running out on you and your Mom and is trying to justify it by putting it off on you.
You sound like you have your head on straight. I would move on.

 

[Sniper X]

I haven't worried about what he thinks in well forever so moved on like 30 years ago. I was just wondering what would make him completely change and do this 180 solely by seeing my email address. It struck me as weird and was kinda worrisome.

 

[Mr.Davis]

It could be projection. Sometimes people think "Here's what I would do (or might do) in a given situation" and assume that everyone else feels the same way. Someone who has seen the horrors of war might well connect firearms ownership with the chaos experienced on the battlefield, which makes them feel uncomfortable.

 

[longdayjake]

My dad has done his share of killing and though he isn't anti, he really isn't into guns anymore. He will shoot them when I make him, but he seems to be more into talking about them than shooting them. I think after a while one who has done plenty of killing or seen plenty of it just kind of wants to avoid anything that makes them think of it. That said, he would sure blast a hole in you faster than you could blink if you were inside his house to do harm.

 

[Tinpig]

SniperX-

For some reason your Dad doesn't respect what you have chosen to do in the military. But to be fair, it doesn't sound like you have much respect for what he did.

...he was a pilot in the Army and flew command choppers, and then went on to fly Mohawks they were recon aircraft so he never saw any ground combat.

Command choppers were shot at and shot down, same with OV-1 Mohawks. He may not have been in "ground" combat, but he was in combat and a target, and he put his life on the line every day.

I wish you could find some mutual ground with him...forget about the gun issue, forget about the wicked stepmother. He's your only father and I can tell you first-hand that when he's gone it will be too late for regrets about your relationship

My Dad was in the Navy in WWII, I was in the Army in Vietnam, my son is in the Coast Guard in Iraq. Different wars, different services, different jobs, different times. Obviously some good-natured ribbing and service rivalry always goes on, but there should also be a mutual respect for shared experiences and a shared pride in having served your country.

I hope you can find it in your heart to find a way to get through to him.

Best,
Tinpig

 

[Manco]

I'd put money on it that the cause is the wife. It sounds like he's been drinking her kool aid for a while.

Maybe it's something like Stockholm syndrome.

 

[Browns Fan]

SniperX,
HAM radio operator? How come you didn't go 18E?

 

[19&41]

It's good to see that you have achieved good things in your life and continue to do so. The military can be a positive, life enhancing experience that gives one tools to live a good and satisfying life. There are far too many people who allow their lives to be clouded by differences between them and their parent(s) and are inhibited from having the life they should be able to live. If your father is comfortable with the life he has staked out for himself, it is good you have contentment in yours. It's a win for someone who has given for our nation's benefit. Thank you for your service and may you continue to have good come of it.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

I am a child of divorce, my old man walked out me when I was 6-he ran off with his girlfriend, started a new family with her, I didn't see him again till I was 10 and that was only because my grandmother wanted to see us again. She passed away shortly thereafter, that severed all ties between us. I can personally count on the fingers of one hand the divorced children I've known who had a proper relationship with their fathers. I think as far as he's concerned, you're an EX-son. I wouldn't bother with him.
I've have yet to know anyone who went from pro to anti-gun, rather I have known lots of liberals who were closet gun owners.
People change of course, usually not for the better. I have had several friendships just fade away, dry up and disappear. You cannot force a relationship with someone, and my philosophy these days is that if someone doesn't value my friendship theirs is worth even less to me.
I went through Special Forces training in 1969 after I got back from Vietnam, it was a bad experience, the training left a lot to be desired. It sounds like you received quality training from real professionals who took it seriously. Bully for you.

 

[gym]

I agree with the medical diagnosis. It makes the most sense. I had a conversation with a man in his 80's whose son is married to my wifes daughter. And he absolutelly hated any mention of guns or anyone who might have one. An hour later I found out he was a former Marine. Go figure that one out. The more I spoke with him the more I noticed how "out of touch" he was. I think he also may have had a stroke. Sometimes it can be a combination of old age and fear, along with medical problems. It's hard to tell, having my 90 yr old mother live with my wife and I for a year, opened my eyes to what old age can do to people. Someday they will figure it all out, why some regress and some stay sharp as a younger person. People are living longer, but with some of them, their mental health isn't lasting as long as the rest of them. Hopefully they can solve that in the near future.