Pro turned anti???

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hayseed

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We hear often of anti-gun folks eventually seeing the light and coming over to our side.

I've been wondering, has this ever happened in reverse? I'm not talking losing interest in the hobby, I mean doing a 180 from pro-gun to rabid anti. I've never heard of such a case. Just curious if anyone else has.
 
I once knew a woman who was a staunch pro.

She married my uncle and became my anti.

:D
 
I've never observed this, and would expect it to be extremely rare. While many folks have never learned to think, reason, or apply logic to their decision-making process, those who do seldom abandon the practice. ;)
 
One of my short term coworkers, although not as extreme as your post suggests.

He wasnt pro-gun to the point of writing letters to his congresscritters (I think he was an NRA member though), and he didnt turn anti to the point of writing letters or donating to the brady bunch. Guns were bad in his opinion, but he normally kept his opinion to himself so we got along for the week or so we worked together. We got into a civilized gun control debate once, and never again.

His son died in a firearms accident, involving alcohol. Although it seemed he felt responsable for it, he blamed the gun.
 
I have read a few stories of people who said 'those damn guns' only after something bad happened or almost happened.

Usually their fault, but in this wonderful blameless society we live in, they take no responsibility.
 
It's rare, but it happens. IIRC, there was a lobbyist who turned to the dark side and started working for the Bradys. Bob Ricker was his name, I think.

It's much more common for people to convert from a state of ignorance to knowledge rather than the other way around, and accordingly, many more folks convert to our side than the opposite.
 
His son died in a firearms accident, involving alcohol. Although it seemed he felt responsable for it, he blamed the gun.
Click to expand...
People under the influence do more stupid things than people with guns.

Ban alcohol.
 
Generally if you know or learn a truth, that's backed up by common sense and facts, it's not likely you will go back to believing a lie.

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His son died in a firearms accident, involving alcohol. Although it seemed he felt responsable for it, he blamed the gun.
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This Father chooses to believe a lie, rather than blame his son or himself.


When I was young, my Father shot himself.
I can not imagine being so stupid or dishonest as to blame the gun for his death.
 
It's rare, but it happens. IIRC, there was a lobbyist who turned to the dark side and started working for the Bradys. Bob Ricker was his name, I think.
Click to expand...

Yup. Connecticut Yankee just mentioned him in the thread about the wolf-in-sheep's-clothing American Hunters and Shooters Association, a gun control group in drag.

Connecticut Yankee wrote:

The most telling thing about AHSA is its leadership. A quick look at the website shows that Bob Ricker is listed as AHSA Executive Director. Hunters will remember that Ricker is a former NRA employee who switched sides and has actively worked for gun control groups for many years now. Most recently Ricker was paid by a Virginia based anti-gun group, where he lobbied to shut down gun shows and put further restrictions on gun owners.​

There is a very interesting interview with him on the fair and unbiased PBS show "NOW With Bill Moyers."
 
I am not personally aware of any other example, but I could see how someone who was a lukewarm supporter (e.g., hunter, sportsman) might be so mentally tramatized my the death or crippleing disfigurement of a close loved one that they became anti in their misdirected grief/anger.
 
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I don't know of any such people personally, but believe it or not, Al Gore was a staunch pro-gun advocate, in fact he voted against the bill that was passed in 1988, which banned the ownership of fully automatic weapons, and required a permit to own such a weapon.
 
The best known is probably Tom Diaz, the senior policy analyst for the Violence Policy Center, an extreme anti-gun group. He had been pro gun, but turned to the other side.

Changeover by politicians really doesn't count, since most politicians change opinions more often than their underwear - it depends on who pays the most, in money or in votes.

Jim
 
National Geographic did a hatchet job on hunting a year or so ago. One of the people they interviewed was a guy that used to an avid hunter. He probably killed dozens of deer and who knows what else from the time he a young teen until his late 20's/30's (maybe even 40's - can't remember that well). Then he "realized" how "wrong" it was to kill those tasty animals and became a hard-core PETA/ALF type. He didn't just give up hunting. He didn't just become philisophically oppesed to hunting. He activly tried to disrupt hunters in the field to keep them from being able to be successful in their hunt. He used something like a powered parasail to spook the animals if hunters were nearby. Even after being jailed for such activities he persisted because he thought it was the "right" thing to do for those poor animals.
 
I agree that politicians tend to go where they think the votes are. Whenever I hear a "regular guy" suddenly start spouting "libberish"(liberal gibberish), I ask to meet his new girlfriend. Invariably there is one.
 
My older sister used to go shooting, but probably did not think about it as an issue all that much.

As soon as she became a public school teacher she veered hard-left and now thinks guns are inherently bad.

I htink the teachers union puts a chip in your head the day you join.
 
Quote:
"I am not personally aware of any other example, but I could see how someone who was a lukewarm supporter (e.g., hunter, sportsman) might be so mentally tramatized my the death or crippleing disfigurement of a close loved one that they became anti in their misdirected grief/anger."

I agree, I would think this would be the most common cause of pro-gunners turning to anti-gun people.

If my Mom or Son or Wife killed themselves (accidently or on purpose) with one of my guns it would pretty much end my gun hobby. I would keep a few for personal protection but I don't think I could obsess about them like I do now. I wouldn't become an anti-gun person just my enjoyment that I gather from ownership would be hampered greatly.
 
I've known a couple of people who where pro gun but turned anti ... and in both cases its because they hooked up with anti women ... stopped thinking with the big head and started thinking with the little head.

I imagine there is a woman behind most defections to the anti side :scrutiny:
 
A young lady that I went out with a few times tried to turn me to the "Dark side",she asked me why I had so many guns and I then asked her why she had so many paint brushes,she gave me the old "It's the guns or me" speech.

I replied by telling her the guns were with me before she ever was and they would be with me after she left. It has now been a year and six months.
 
tough one

I'd say Jim Brady, but I think its more his wife.

Once you take a slug in your head, I'm pretty much gonna give you a pass if you go weak.
 
I don't know about you, but if someone shoots me I am not going to turn anti-gun, I will become more anti-criminal.
 
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