To what extent do you engage antis in your personal life?

[JTScribe]

Been going back and forth with an acquaintance. He's very hung up on the whole "well-regulated" thing and he's been throwing it in my face at every opportunity in support of gun laws. I finally summed it up like this:

"Two hundred years ago, well-regulated meant 'in good working order'. Two hundred years ago, a f****t was a bundle of sticks. Today if I said I was going to burn a f****t I'd be turned into the police, but you can't fathom that the meaning of well-regulated hasn't changed in some form during the same time frame?"

"You're wrong, that's totally different."

I mean, it's obviously no use even debating him, right?

 

[KLB]

Depends upon how close you are to him.

Have you tried showing him resources backing up your position?

 

[JTScribe]

Sure. All sorts of articles, which are then declared to be biased and out of the proper context. It's frustrating as all get out.

 

[pudly]

Not really. You could also use the Supreme Court's decisions backing up your point, but I really doubt it would have any affect.

 

[rhino]

It's useless if he's either that ignorant or purposely intellectually dishonest.

Furthermore, the entire clause about the well regulated militia is a subordinate clause. Its function in the sentence is to provide an example why the right is necessary, not an all inclusive requirement or restriction on the right. The key part of the sentence was, is, and always will be "the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."

Amendment II

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

 

[shibumiseeker]

I don't debate politics with people. I try to live my life by example. At the most I might say something like "I disagree" and walk away. Because the kinds of people who like to debate politics are virtually never the kinds of people whose minds can be changed. But the people who may have a little more of an open mind are far more likely to see me setting a positive example and be swayed by that.

One tactic I use is whenever someone in my FB friends list, which is moderately large because of the classes I teach, posts something anti gun, I make it a point sometime a little later to post about some shooting I did that day and how I enjoyed it, or how relaxing reloading was that evening, or the new person I taught gun safety to, or the like. So for every slobbering diatribe that's out there, I'm posting a calm and rational example of a positive gun owner and shooter.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Offer to take him shooting. You can argue all you want and if doesn't want to hear it, he won't. Get him interested in shooting and he'll convince himself.

 

[Hopper]

It's useless if he's either that ignorant or purposely intellectually dishonest.

I think Rhino nailed it here. One of my company's owners prides himself on being a liberal to the point he quickly becomes argumentative when anyone challenges his parroting of the latest progressive thought of the week. People like this want validation. I suppose to some degree, most people like to have their points of views validated, not challenged. But when someone is committed to being a bed wetter, no amount of preaching the virtues of rubber sheets is likely to make a difference.

In the case of the owner I'm referencing, we now keep politics and religion off the table, as our discussions have at times become very uncivilized. I too have had any statistical evidence I've provided thrown out with the "that's not a reliable source", "the report is obviously biased", yubba yubba yubba nonesense. If it's not from MSNBC, he refuses to believe it. You can't reason with a person dedicated to being unreasonable.

 

[ModernGunner]

They're libtards. "Ya can't fix stupid" applies. Apply as necessary.

BTW, a "well-regulated militia" has NOTHING to do with a standing army such as the U.S. military.

 

[spec4]

On 2A I point out it says "right of the people", not "right of the police" or "right of the National Guard", etc. My standard rule is to avoid libs.

 

[JTScribe]

They're libtards. "Ya can't fix stupid" applies. Apply as necessary.

BTW, a "well-regulated militia" has NOTHING to do with a standing army such as the U.S. military.

Well-regulated apparently means magazine bans are peachy-keen in his world.

 

[ModernGunner]

^^ You're probably right, JT. ^^

People such as you described, with the "Don't confuse ME with the facts, my mind's made up!" aren't worth the time and effort wasted in trying to educate them.

What's that old quotation? Something like "None are so blind as those who will not see".

 

[eldirector]

I have a friend who holds very, very, (did I say "very"?), very different views than I do. On most things. As different as we are, she often quips that she get's along better with me than most other folks that SHARE her views, as I am much better at articulating WHY I feel this way. Most of her friends just stomp their feet and hold their breath until they get their way.

 

[ModernGunner]

I have a friend who holds very, very, (did I say "very"?), very different views than I do. On most things. As different as we are, she often quips that she get's along better with me than most other folks that SHARE her views, as I am much better at articulating WHY I feel this way. Most of her friends just stomp their feet and hold their breath until they get their way.

Well, tell her to tell them that maybe they should hold their breath just a bit longer...

 

[LockStocksAndBarrel]

Give him this. Assuming he can read and comprehend. Keep in mind there are none so blind as those who won't see.

J. Neil Schulman: The Unabridged Second Amendment

 

[churchmouse]

The people I call friends are of a like mind. They may not run in lock step with my views but they do think very closely as I do.
Life is far to short to spend energy/time on idiots that enjoy being idiots.
Surround your self with like minded people. Life becomes so much more pleasant.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

There have been plenty of successful "conversion" stories on INGO. Almost all have started with taking the person shooting. Once the person sees how much fun they can have and starts getting interested in firearms, they'll do their own mental gymnastics to justify their new opinion.

Feeling the recoil and the fun of getting a successful hit is a much more persuasive argument than "well, these words mean this".

 

[Leadeye]

I'll listen to other points of view out of politeness and engage in civilized debate. To the militant I just wave my hand and say "Bah". I love the way it combines condescension and disengagement at the same time while diminishing neither.

 

[Bennettjh]

The people I call friends are of a like mind. They may not run in lock step with my views but they do think very closely as I do.
Life is far to short to spend energy/time on idiots that enjoy being idiots.
Surround your self with like minded people. Life becomes so much more pleasant.

 

[churchmouse]

In that statement I should mention the many many people we have gotten to the range and all but one are now avid shooters. The one we failed to convert is just an ass any way.