{"id":930,"date":"2015-09-29T12:17:22","date_gmt":"2015-09-29T18:17:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.conservativelefty.com\/wp\/?p=930"},"modified":"2015-09-29T12:17:22","modified_gmt":"2015-09-29T18:17:22","slug":"ttag-grassroots-gun-rights-biggest-fear-bloomberg","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.conservativelefty.com\/wp\/?p=930","title":{"rendered":"TTAG – Grassroots Gun Rights\u2019 Biggest Fear: Bloomberg"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"TTAG<\/a>The Truth About Guns – one of the top firearms websites on the planet recently posted this article regarding the fight to keep American gun rights:<\/p>\n

Grassroots Gun Rights\u2019 Biggest Fear: Bloomberg<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In this article they talk about the national and media fight over gun control.\u00a0 While you cannot ignore the national front, that is not where the real battle is being fought. The Anti-2A people have learned that they cannot win in that arena and have largely conceded it except for the chest beating to fuel their real front and to drain our resources. The real battle is being fought in 2 areas.<\/p>\n

1. Local level <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Since they cannot win in the big battle, they have shifted to what is essentially trench warfare and attacking targets of opportunity. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to look at the State and local laws passed in the last couple years and see this shift. The local laws are particularly dangerous because that provides a toe-hold in what might otherwise be a fairly pro-gun State or county. If nothing else they get a press release that let’s them tout “reasonable restrictions.”<\/p>\n

It doesn’t matter whether the law is constitutional. It doesn’t matter if it will be struct down when challenged. Strategically, the Anti-2A are quite willing to get a law passed that they know<\/em>\u00a0will be struck down. They have still gotten the press message out and you can expect the media to be selective about what it reports. The legal challenge will take years and fortunes to litigate.<\/p>\n

\"political-correctness3-300x211\"<\/a>In this kind of a war of attrition, Bloomberg is a serious threat. Money is the primary weapon and Bloomberg has both the quantity and willingness to use it. Considering the extent to which public sentiment is on our side, such fights will cost him much more money than it will cost us, but we cannot fail to commit or we will\u00a0<\/em>lose the battle, as we saw in Washington state initiative in the 2014 election. The result of this loss is what will be an even more expensive battle to try and get it thrown out with no certainty of victory.<\/p>\n

This Washington law shows another aspect of this type of warfare of which we need to be aware. Bloomberg and the like are watching for the next tragedy and stand ready to pounce. They know there is only a narrow window in which they can progress while people are still in an emotional mode of thought. \u00a0The emotional argument has failed miserably at the national level because nation reason is sufficient to overcome local grief. \u00a0However, they have had much better success at a local level where they can capitalize on that grief.<\/p>\n

This window and the fact that Bloomberg has to outspend by orders of magnitude make this a winnable fight for us. \u00a0But we can only win if we do fight. \u00a0NRA ignoring such battles because it wants to focus on “big things” is a losing strategy.<\/p>\n

2. Education<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The second front where the real battle is being fought is not exactly new but it is growing in importance. \u00a0As with so much of Progressivism, much of the war is fought within the school system. \u00a0Certainly, Bloomberg and his money has been very active here, as well. \u00a0In my opinion, this is by far the most important front in the entire gun rights battle. \u00a0Even if we win every one of the national, state and local fights, if we don’t win here will will ultimately lose the war.<\/p>\n

The tactic here is quite simple. \u00a0Do anything necessary to equate guns with something bad for the children. \u00a0It doesn’t matter if it’s a matter of actual class work, policy or parental interaction, that association of guns with something bad happening is paramount. \u00a0This is nothing less than social programming. \u00a0The younger this programming occurs, the more ingrained into the child’s worldview it becomes and the more difficult it is subsequently to counter. \u00a0It doesn’t matter if it’s a trip to the principal for a pointed finger with a “pew” sound, or a suspension for chewing a Pop Tart into the wrong shape or “Mom and Dad don’t really love you if they keep dangerous guns in the home.” \u00a0The message has been delivered by someone the child has been taught to trust.<\/p>\n

The most insidious aspect of this strategy is that the Anti-2A wins even when they (commonly) lose. \u00a0The typical response when confronted is that the school backs down. \u00a0Usually this is after a bit of sabre rattling by the parent, but as soon the district gets the idea that the parents are serious the school abandons it’s position. \u00a0The dirty little secret is that the school can doesn’t need to fight and can afford to back away. \u00a0They have implanted\u00a0the “guns are bad” message successfully. \u00a0All they need to do to win is build the association.<\/p>\n

It won’t happen with my generation. \u00a0It probably won’t happen in my son’s. \u00a0I do think, however, that we are only two generations away from having enough citizens thinking guns are bad that there is a real possibility of repealing the Second Amendment. \u00a0So it’s something that could well happen within the lifetime of almost everyone reading this.<\/p>\n

The good news is that this is the easier of the two to counter. \u00a0The bad news is that it requires the will to counter. \u00a0Stopping this means visibility. \u00a0Visibility in opposition to the Anti-2A activist demands demonization. \u00a0They really don’t have a choice. \u00a0Their position is so weak their only hope of success is to shut you up.<\/p>\n

The first and most important thing is to not only make the school back down on their “guns equal bad” message, but that there are negative consequences for taking that position. \u00a0Currently, as soon as the district backs off or clears the child’s record, we go home.<\/p>\n

That is\u00a0not<\/strong> enough any more.<\/em><\/p>\n

Instead, we need to keep up the push until we get public restitution that at the very least includes an admission that they were wrong. \u00a0Ideally, we need to work towards getting actual disciplinary action taken against the teacher, school or district. \u00a0Even better would be if there were a financial penalty – cost incurred by the parents, if nothing else. \u00a0In short, we are using the “bad things will happen” message ourselves. \u00a0What matters in this part of the battle is that the message is neutralized.<\/p>\n

History and social studies are another important area for efforts. \u00a0Take an interest in your\"Jefferson<\/a> child’s curriculum. \u00a0More important, don’t be afraid to speak up and make waves. \u00a0Watch for revisions in history, especially where the philosophies of the Founding Fathers is concerned. \u00a0The good news here, is that the push back against Common Core is already providing a momentum for this. \u00a0More than anything, I think what matters most here is keeping the momentum going and finishing the fight.<\/p>\n

The other part of opposing the education system assault on guns is not only the most effective, but it’s actually quite fun:<\/p>\n

Get kids shooting.<\/em><\/p>\n

On every gun blog, it’s reported that the single best way to convert an “Anti” is to take them to the range and put a gun in their hands. \u00a0Why wait until they are adults? \u00a0The impact on a child in learning to shoot safely is going to be\u00a0very<\/em> hard to undermine. \u00a0It is also far, far easier than you can possibly imagine.<\/p>\n

The obvious track for this are Jr. High and High School shooting teams. \u00a0Even here in Illinois, trap and rifle teams are increasing in popularity. \u00a0Look into this. \u00a0Offer to coach. \u00a0Try to get you gun club or range to support a team. \u00a0Participate in fund raisers or volunteer for events. \u00a0Once a team is established, look for ways for it to creep downward. \u00a0For example, let’s say that the high school has a trap team. \u00a0Once it’s established and successful, why not start pushing for a 3 gun team. \u00a0Another possibility would be a .22LR \u00a0or BB rifle team for the grade or middle schoolers. \u00a0Don’t just focus on guns, either. \u00a0Does you school have an archery team or have archery in PE? \u00a0Let’s support the entirety of shooting sports.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_0105\"<\/a>There is also an oft forgotten organisation where shooting sports are a core activity: \u00a0Scouting. \u00a0Cub and Boy Scouts have been under assault by progressive forces for years, but in spite of some recent National Council wins, they are extremely far from victory. \u00a0There is an adage in Scouting that states “All Scouting is local,” and it’s very true. \u00a0That’s an op-ed\u00a0for another time. \u00a0The point is that Scouting is one of the best friends gun rights has.<\/p>\n

There are still merit badges for the Boy Scouts and belt loops for the Cubbies for shooting. \u00a0This isn’t going away anytime soon. \u00a0If a Boy Scout\u00a0has gone to resident camp, it is almost a certainty he learned to shoot a rifle or shotgun. \u00a0At age 14, pistol and center fire can be added. \u00a0The same is true if a Cub Scout goes to any sort of day or overnight camp event.<\/p>\n

Working with Cub Scouts in BB gun shooting has been a primary influence\u00a0of my thoughts on this subject. \u00a0Of first time campers, it seems that perhaps a third have shot before with their parents, another third are just excited to get to learn and the last third are in that “all guns bad” programmed group. \u00a0In some cases there is clearly real<\/em> fear in even touching a BB gun. \u00a0This last group is by far my favorite to teach just because of the invariable outcome.<\/p>\n

Remember first, that I teach that BB guns real guns, not toys. \u00a0The boys are also taught the NRA style 3-rule gun safety rules. \u00a0The amount of time that can be spent on technique depends a lot on whether this is a multiple or single day camp. \u00a0By the time they actually pick up the gun and go through the motions, there is typically skepticism. \u00a0Coach them into exploding a saltine cracker or pinging a soda can and the proverbial light-bulb goes off. \u00a0The boy from the Anti-gun family is likely to prove your best and most avid shooter. \u00a0More important, the\u00a0actual experience<\/em> – especially when repeated each trip to camp – is something that is going to be hard to overcome.<\/p>\n

The bottom line is that (local) Scouting still supports and teaches traditional American values – including and exceeding Second Amendment rights – regardless of what the media would lead one to believe. \u00a0It’s effectiveness in this regard – again, including guns – is why we’re under such attack by progressives. \u00a0While I would not ask you to support the National Council, I\u00a0would<\/em>\u00a0encourage you to support the local troops, packs and districts.<\/p>\n

Gun Rights advocacy is in the best position it has seen in decades. \u00a0We have made incredible progress against those who would abridge or even eliminate our rights. \u00a0However, we cannot ignore the change in the fight against their goals. \u00a0Yes, Bloomberg and his money is a threat that cannot be underestimated but it is\u00a0he<\/em><\/strong> not\u00a0we<\/em> that face the uphill battle. \u00a0I’ve shown where the fight lies. \u00a0Now is the time to bring the battle to him.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Truth About Guns – one of the top firearms websites on the planet recently posted this article regarding the fight to keep American gun rights: Grassroots Gun Rights\u2019 Biggest Fear: Bloomberg. In this article they talk about the national … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"My thoughts on TTAG - Grassroots Gun Rights\u2019 Biggest Fear: Bloomberg. I point out where the REAL gun rights fight is at.","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2,10],"tags":[18,21,22,27,38,46,48,49,50,55,211,69,70,71,224,99,106,226,111,112,225],"class_list":["post-930","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-culture","category-second-amendment","tag-mda","tag-scouts","tag-tcot","tag-2a","tag-boy-scouts","tag-constitution","tag-cub-scouts","tag-culture-2","tag-culture-war","tag-education-2","tag-gun-control","tag-gun-rights","tag-gun-violence","tag-guns","tag-nra","tag-political-correctness","tag-progressives","tag-scouting","tag-second-amendment","tag-shooting","tag-shooting-sports"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5yCHs-f0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.conservativelefty.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/930","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.conservativelefty.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.conservativelefty.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.conservativelefty.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.conservativelefty.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=930"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/www.conservativelefty.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/930\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":936,"href":"http:\/\/www.conservativelefty.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/930\/revisions\/936"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.conservativelefty.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=930"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.conservativelefty.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=930"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.conservativelefty.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=930"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}