Pro-Gun to Anti?

[zminer]

Just curious - does anyone here know (or know of) someone who went from being pro-gun to becoming an anti? From my experience it's almost always in the other direction. I guess I can see someone being apathetic to the whole debate, and then changing their mind, but I have a harder time imagining someone starting from a point where they own firearms, understand how they work, and actively enjoy using them, to a point where they go gung-ho for gun control. I guess it could happen, though.

Anyone have family / friends / coworkers like this? And, if so, was there any particular reason for the change?

 

[MisterMike]

I don't know anyone by that description, but it wouldn't surprise me if a person who had lost a loved one to a gun crime had that sort of change of heart. Not saying it's logical, but it would be understandable.

 

[colorado_handgunner]

Or someone injured severely by a firearm malfunction not of their own fault, but due to negligence of an ammo or firearm manufacturer.

 

[Hoxviii]

I had a friend that went anti temporarily after his father was killed with a gun. However, after a couple months he realized it made no sense to blame the gun for the action and he came back around; in fact we're hitting the range tomorrow after work.

 

[larry_minn]

AS said rather rare. Also I agree when it has happened the person normally realizes its emotion not logic/facts/common sense.
Of course there are a few who have done stupid things and refuse to accept they (or thier loved one) was to blame so they follow the path of least resistance and blame the object. Heck society ACCEPTS it. Anyone who dares tell them the truth is looked at badly. If it was a car accident where the loved one was going 50mph over speed limit (on ice) and got killed you could confront family member after a couple days when they blabber on that "it was the cars fault" .

 

[WardenWolf]

Anti to pro-gun or at least accepting of guns? Enlightenment. Pro-gun to anti-gun? Full frontal lobotomy. Effectively it's someone with a firm grip on reality becoming seriously out of touch with reality. Medical science has a term for that. It's called "mental illness."

 

[mordechaianiliewicz]

I have never known a person who was really pro-gun who became anti. I have known a few who simply became apathetic though.

 

[jakemccoy]

I've never known a pro-Second Amendment person to become anti-gun.

Some people mistake being a gun owner with being pro-Second Amendment. Those two things are not the same. For example, I can show you photos of a cop who's quite proud of his special training he's recently receiving with his special gear, but he also thinks most other people should not be allowed to own guns.

 

[Dysfunctional Individual]

Yes. He is (or claims to be) an accomplished marksman, but says that guns in the hands of typical US gun owners aren't safe, owing to the fact that nearly anyone can use guns without training or learning much about them. He also dislikes the supposedly arrogant, chest-beating attitude commonly seen.

 

[LightningJoe]

Yes. He is (or claims to be) an accomplished marksman, but says that guns in the hands of typical US gun owners aren't safe, owing to the fact that nearly anyone can use guns without training or learning much about them. He also dislikes the supposedly arrogant, chest-beating attitude commonly seen.

Elitist, evidently.

 

[heron]

I've heard of at least one war veteran who never wanted to see or touch a firearm again after the war, but I think that may be an unusual case.

I could understand how a fence-sitter or a gun-curious noob may have or see an ND his first time shooting and say, "I'm staying away from this stuff." But I strongly believe that those of us who know safety protocols and understand the function, use, and importance of firearms are very unlikely to change our position on use and ownership.

 

[CoRoMo]

I recall the media parading the few 'pro>anti' they could find, but I don't know of anyone that has made that conversion.

 

[DHJenkins]

Being anti-gun for most people is simply their default position.

It's like someone's opinion on food. Everyone knows people who say "I don't like that" to something they've never tried. Just like guns, the majority of people find they like whatever it is they thought they didn't.

This is why I don't get all the vitriol. Sure, they have their nuts (just like we have ours) - but the majority of people in the middle just need to 'take a bite' and that'll be that.