There’s no lack of conflict in the world today. We live in a country where we’re nearly divided in half – yes with some deviation from that at times, a little left or a little right. Gun culture or the gun community, as it might be called, is no different. With the rise of “Gun Culture 2.0,” new gun owners and the new guard need to be aware of the Fudd behind the keyboard. Don’t reward them by saluting them – call them out instead.
Firearm ownership has exploded in the last half a decade. Going back further still, since the 1990’s, the number of firearm owners has gone up, while crime has gone down. From 2020 to the present time, many across cultural divides have quickly observed the need for the Second Amendment. Gun owners today don’t necessarily look like the gun owners from yesterday. And, they don’t think or act the same way either.
If you took a sampling of new gun owners, it’d look like a United Nations meeting. Everyone from all walks of life in the U.S. have decided to exercise their rights and see value in being armed. That includes the quickest-growing demographic, women.
With the influx of new gun owners comes an influx of opinion. And that opinion is not the opinion of the neophyte Second Amendment celebrant, but the opinions of some of the “old guard” we need to check. Tired old Fudds should take their emeritus positions, smile, wave their hats, and just keep their mouths shut.
There are a handful of dynamics this description holds true to. We’ll call them the Fudd behind the keyboard, but they’re not just “Fudds” and they’re not just behind keyboards.
Some of my favorite archetypes include; I’ve spent 50 years behind the trigger, I’m former military/police, I learned everything I ever needed to know from my uncle and grew up with guns in every corner, and the grand mal of them, the Second Amendment is for hunting crowd.
If you spend any time lurking in some of the 2A online spaces, you’ll see the incredible amount of vicious ways these Fudds respond to people asking simple 101-level questions.
I’ve seen so-called “leaders” in the Second Amendment community tear down people in both in-person or in online commentary. There’s nothing that says, “Welcome to the club,” like an upper-aged, overweight, white guy with bad hygiene calling a woman “girlie” to her face, saying someone is a “jew boy,” or replying to a simple question with a 300-word essay about how qualified they are to answer their questions.
The misogynistic, sexist, antisemitic, and megalomaniac “advocate” should not only not be rewarded by patting them on the back, but we need to call out this bad behavior when it pops up.
And then there’s the downright anti-Second Amendment Second Amendment “supporter.”
“Overlooking training as a prerequisite to carrying a firearm you are likely at odds with most, if not all, law enforcement professionals,” is a statement an alleged former police chief said in a comment on a thread about permits.
It’s best summed up by the following statement that he made:
So you’re eligible to purchase a firearm. No arrest record or history of mental illness. You purchased a firearm and carry it. Have you proven you are proficient and qualified to carry the weapon. Have you received training on use of force and deadly force? If not you are not in anyway qualified to carry.
This is nothing new. A former police officer that’s more qualified than the rest of the people. Mind you, this is in New Jersey, where we now have about 50,000 post-Bruen civilian carry permits. Honestly, the individual does not care about what’s Constitutional. And clearly knows nothing about SCOTUS precedent dating back to Heller and through Bruen.
When discussing a piece from the other day, “Top 10 Worst Towns in N.J. on Permit to Carry Issuance Delays,” the former LEO started the conversation by exposing his ignorance. “As a former Police Chief, I can tell you it is almost impossible for average citizens to get a carry permit in this state,” is what he said. Highly qualified former chief must be living under a rock.
Is getting a permit to carry in N.J. as easy as it should be? No. But it’s no longer “almost impossible.”
I’m an advocate for folks taking non-compulsory training. Training as a requirement is an infringement. People should train because they want to train and know that they need to.
Some officers – the leadership that is – in gun clubs or advocacy groups are not much better. People, we should be able to turn to for sage advice and a helping hand have turned into crotchety jerks. Every time I see an officer from groups I’m a member of say something dumb online – or in person – to anyone, it makes me want to shrink.
Call them out? Heh, they get feisty.
But call them out, we must!
No, I’m not some sort of a snowflake. I’m just an advocate/activist who’s tired of having to apologize for idiots in our community. We shouldn’t reward bad behavior.
The point is, Gun Culture 2.0, wherever we are now, and whatever is beyond, has a tough burden to carry. It’s time that the new Second Amendment advocates take the reins and say, “Okay boomer,” to the guy that has his pants jacked up like Pappy O’Daniel. Invite them to hang out, but implore them to just keep their archaic opinions and holier-than-thou attitudes under control. Have a slice of pizza and relax.
There are going to be new people at the range who might not look like you and have no experience. The best way to be an ambassador to them is not to tell them how great you are through your “I’m a former cop” or “I’ve been behind the trigger for over 50 years” preambles. Shooting a rifle off your chin isn’t going to impress anyone, either.
Through actions, by not being an insulting embarrassment while communicating or trying to educate others on shooting and this civil liberty – online too – is how to win for the Second Amendment. If you’re not working for the Second Amendment, who are you working for? Forget about and surrender that fragile ego.
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