Read the previous posts on the changes in the gun culture, then, if you get a chance, listen to the Wednesday podcast, then I'd like to ask you all a favor...tell me what you think we need to do to make these changes happen.
On the way to the airport this afternoon I had a long conversation with a very good friend of mine. He challenged me to take this to the next level. It's not enough, he said, to be a gadfly. Fair enough, but I am basically a gadfly with a big audience. I worked for 5 years within the firearms establishment and, frankly, was unable to get beyond running a program, no matter how successful that program was. And I pushed hard. I'm good at media...of course, it helps to have a wizard like Marshal Halloway as a partner and top-end producers like Tim Cremin, Mike Long and John Carter...team is everything...and I have the platform.
So I'm throwing this one open for comment...there's a lot of brainpower out there, including other gun bloggers like my friends Sebastian, Uncle, Bitter, Tam, Joe H., Frank J., Steve, Mr. Completely, etc., plus our great crew of regular commenters (and the comments on these posts have been just superb).
At 3PM on April 19th in D.C. I'm going to walk into the stage at the Second Amendment March...what do I need to say? If I'm going to call for action, what action should I be calling for?
Inquiring minds want to know...
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who are the lawmakers that set the budgets of where the excise tax goes (I'm sure it is some committee or another)?
Who has the lobbying power to get to those people (NRA, SAF, NSSF)?
Who do you know in those organizations that can push the buttons (do you have lunch with Goetlab, La Pierre, etc)?
Ask the bloggers to all push it, the ones you mentioned plus others like, breda, xavier, tam, say uncle, mad ogre, labrats, ayoob, etc.
A few editorials by the gun rags could help too. Roy Hunington, Kathy Jackson, etc.
Above all don't let up, some of those people might require a few proddings.
Call for resistance.
The Irish in the early 1900's had pretty good luck with simple noncooperation.
If we plan to rely solely oin the Ballot box they will simply amnesty 20 million new Democrats.
We NEED to make the point that if the communist one worlder's of the current regime want to use Saul Alinsky's rule book then we can pull out a couple books of our own.
I know not what course others may chose, but as for me,
GIVE ME LIBERTY OR (try to ) GIVE ME DEATH .
Tom Bogan
For what it's worth, I feel the industry has to focus on the fact we have fewer and fewer places to shoot! It doesn't matter what the disclipline is, the number of places where you can shoot in major metropolitan areas is dwindling and this one area where the 'antis' are winning.
It is the hidden iceberg that threatens our ship of state.
For example the Los Angeles basin is approximately 17 million people, but how many places are there for ANYONE (handgun, rifle, shotgun) to enjoy a shooting sport?
I know of only two for handgun shooting open to the public on a commercial basis 7 days a week.
How about the Chicago area? They all come to the Willow-slough or Jasper Pulaski game perserves and shoot on their public ranges. Where are they? IN INDIANA!!!
The first place to start is with the funding created by the Robertson-Patman Act and start a national program of building shooting ranges for handguns, rifles and shotguns with that money ALL OF US are providing.
Yeah, it's great the funds are used for game animal and habitat conservation, but this need is simply greater and more important.
Pure and simple it's a safety issue and ultimately deals with access to exercising our 2nd Amendment Rights.
All The Best,
Frank W. James
you're right on, there are very few places to shoot in my area and the few ranges that are still here are slowly shutting their doors due to pressure from lawmakers and the community. i agree that helping new ranges start up is vital. i'll admit to not knowing to much information about this but i also would like to know what is currently being done to help those ranges that are already in business to remain that way since they not only have all of the normal challenges of running a business but many of their communities fighting their right to be there.
Add me to the list of people who say we need more places to shoot (both long gun and handgun). I live on the east side of Dallas. There is only one range within 2 hours drive that I can shoot to 200 yards. And, I know of no ranges within that distance that will allow me to shoot pistol on anything but a lane at paper targets (most of them requiring you to make less than 1 shot/second). The only time I can get defensive practice is at IDPA matches.
I agree with the previous comments but to me the answer would be to encourage more people to shoot, places to shoot are great and pro gun legislation is awesome but I think if we could get more people to enjoy guns and shooting sports those things would follow. I think we need more gun people to plan activities in their communities that introduce people to guns who might not have ever had the opportunity. For instance start a shooting night in association with your church, many gun owners have children, ask if their friends would like to go to the range with you one time, take your coworkers and friends. There is something like 80 million gun owners in America (not sure how accurate the statistics are) if each of those people just gets 4 people to enjoy shooting that more than covers the entirety of the us population and when gun owners are the majority in America policy makers with have to listen.
hope to see you at the march mike.
I think your recent revelations on industry trends should give you your direction. Self defense is the market now and is likely to remain the market.
We are a strong people. We are a democratic people. We make our own choices. We choose to protect ourselves.
The ultimate grassroots firearm movement is going on right now as more people vote with their cash to exercise their 2nd Amendment rights. This is not a Republican thing, not a Tea Party thing, not a racial thing, it's a power to the people thing.
To take away that power from the people usurps our rights as a free and democratic people.
Any regulation that impedes the rights of the people to their self defense and defense of country flies into the face of the Founding Fathers wishes and the present will of the people. Whether a politician bases their judgment of law on strict Constitutional principles or has to wet a finger to see which way the political winds are blowing, they should understand that neither will allow more regulation and both urge less.
Sorry about the deleted comments. One edit and a seeming endless loop with blogger.
Talk about the need: to rebuild our shooting tradition; for places to shoot; and for grandfather laws to protect existing ranges. Living in rural Iowa I didn't realize all city folks (even Texas!?) had such a problem finding a place to shoot - we need to fix that. And don't any of you think about moving to Iowa! No jobs, no culture, nothing to do, weather sucks.
I don't know that increased gov't funding is really the answer. I think lobbying for law changes that would enourage/protect ranges would be a better choice.
Perhaps if we arranged to fund municipal ranges, but again, I usually think the less .fed activity, the better.
I agree that it sounds like a great idea to use Pittman-Reobertson funds to support local ranges. Long distance ranges are hard to find, and many pistol ranges prohibit anything other than NRA Bullseye-style shooting. The ranges in my area are packed every weekend, even though many are an hour or more away from the population centers.
The challenge, however, will be from within our own community as well as from outside. Hunters and greens will claim that this is a raid on "their" funds. They'll throw all sorts of stuff on the wall to see what sticks: Noise and lead pollution, taking vital funds from endangered species and habitat, funding militias, destroying our national hunting and fishing heritage, etc.
I'd suggest quietly talking with the hunting and fishing groups first. See what Bourjaily at Field and Stream thinks. See what SCI thinks. Maybe I'm wrong and there wouldn't be a fight, but do your due diligence before pushing the topic publicly.
Education....
We ned to get all shooters to take at least 1 person each month to a range and create new shooters (or at least get them to experience shooting in order to overcome the misinformation put forth by the Antis and disseminated by the MSM.
Only with knowlege will we overcome fear caused by ignorance.
Knowledge is power
Agreed, education, a working knowledge, is a key that goes hand in hand with having a place to shoot. There are far too many gun owners that, honestly, do know what they do not know. In some cases, all some gun owners know about firearms they learned from watching a Hollywood movie.
There are some programs aimed at addressing the working knowledge aspect. First Shots being one and the NRA's training up lots of instructors. Locally, there are NRA based classes available almost weekly. While not always filled to capacity, the classes are attended fairly well. I think that demonstrates the desire to learn that is out there.
Mr. Bane I would like to be able to pen a nice, clean, 4 point plan that you could articulate. A plan that would save in short order our 2A rights. That everyone would nod and agree with and walk away with. I can't.
As I read the news over the last couple of weeks particularly, I am coming more and more to a very depressing conclusion. It has little to do with the 2A amendment, shooting IDPA, or SASS. I am trying hard not to be a wise guy about this. Honest. I do have that big city sarcastic side to me. But I found myself almost in tears the other day watching the news. Bluntly, the reality is that America is heading off the cliff. Today the Presidents administration is going to remove all references to "Islamic radicalism" from our national security strategy. The official report on the Ft. Hood massacre of our soldiers and an unborn child has no mention of "Islamic radicalism". Michelle Obama the other day said that her husbands "home country" is Kenya. We are abandoning use of our military nuclear capability. We have broken our promise to protect Europe from attack. We have openly disrespected our only friend in the middle east, Israel. Literally abandoning the PM in a room in the White House. We had the Dalai Lama (a serious man of peace if ever there was one), use the garbage entrance to the White House. We have had profligate spending which will essentially bankrupt the country. We now have a monstrosity of a health care regime in place which will destroy that sector of the economy. We have had the financial, auto, insurance and healthcare industries nearly or actually nationalized. (I am getting very tired writing all this ....)
If we focus solely on the second amendment it will be like the Jews of Germany in 1936 arguing over the zoning regulations for synagogues. America as a nation is being "fundamentally transformed" just as promised. If we bore in on the 2A issue without understanding that much more is at risk we will have failed. I am not entirely convinced that this country is capable of saving itself. I am not entirely convinced that enough folks have realized that EVERYTHING is at stake. I am praying hard. Praying for ALL my fellow citizens. Praying you can find the right words in Washington.
I don't know how else to end this post other than to say God Bless America.
Middle man:
You misunderstand me.
What I am taking about is the exposure of your social friends, and possibly working colleagues to firearms. Have a range day. Take someone who has never fired a firearm to the range on a Saturday or a Sunday, and (with proper instruction and supervision) hand them a firearm and let them expereience shooting. Be it a pistol or a rifle, a .22 at a short range can be fun. Once they see that the firearm is just a machine, they tend to lose all fear, and find that the sport is fun for all.
This is the ignorance that I referred to in my previous post. Those attending classes are, for the most part, already converted. Classes are, to a large extent, preaching to the choir. I am talking about getting the uninitiated into church for the first time.
Then, if interested, they can choose to take classes.
All it costs us as shooters is a box or two of .22LR and a box of centerfire. Exposure to firearms will, generally, remove the fear caused by disinformation from anti-gun groups and the MSM.
Each shooter needs to do his or her part to expose people to our sport in a safe manner. Classes may or may not follow, but that is the individuals choice.
Frank has the right idea. Places to shoot is critical. Look at Switzerland for comparison. Because of universal military service, every little town and village (and larger) has range capacity (w/electronic targets?) for all their citizen-soldiers to annually qualify and get some practice time in too.
RSR
While I agree with the need for new ranges , I have to point out that getting Govt to QUIT spending money on things that are none of it's business is the first step in getting our country back.
Expecting the Feds to pay for your new range is no different than the liberal who expects Nanny Gov to pay for her abortion.
Tom Bogan
My $0.02
Talking points
Shooters and gun owners come in all shapes and sizes, genders and races. We need to market that to the non shooting public. Gun owners are your neighbors, your kids’ teacher, your minister and the local librarian. They are the IT person at work, and the salesperson that calls on you. Gun owners are the farmer you buy produce from at the farmers market, the shop owner you buy furniture from and the guy who plows the snow off your street. I always like the “I am the NRA” campaign approach to counter act the negative press from the media.
Any shooting activities are good for all of us. Trap shooting is not better than IDPA, SASA is not better than bird hunting, plinking is not better than DCM. The elitism has to stop and right stop now. The enemies should never be other gun owners.
As stated by many others, as shooters we need a place to shoot. We can’t afford to lose federal land to autocratic regulations or local ranges to development. We need more places to shoot. Can we leverage excise taxes to enhance local police ranges and gain access to using them? Can we build new multiple use ranges in conjunction wildlife agencies without removing hunting acreage?
We need to encourage participation in the shooting sports across the board. Open all the gun clubs and shooting facilities and let people get a taste for many different opportunities. The reach needs to be broader in scope than National Hunting and Fishing Day.
Ratcatcher 55
I agree that we need more places to shoot. Part of this is IMHO, hunting is an important incubator for future shooters and gun enthusiasts. A kid with a .22 or shotgun roaming the woods will be a lifetime shooter. A kid with a .22 that sits in the closet might not be.
Preparing for possible assaults on gun rights by Obama is probably important. He is feeling his wheaties now and might try it.
I think this will be especially so after the fall elections, unless we kick the Democrats rears bad, like and think and hope we will.
Gun rights and the expansion of "Homeland Security" scrutiny of so called radical home grown groups will be big. I expect "Homeland Security" to attack conservative groups in the name of "Homeland Security" I think what Bush started Obama will expand on and take even more freedom away.
I would like to Echo Blake's concern about attempting to go after the Pittman-Roberts revenues to support range development. Those that equate their gun rights with hunting will surely take offense. Just as the NSSF, through their AR-15 education campaign is attempting to bring all gun owners together, this would drive a wedge between us.
I agree with your video podcast sentiment, "taxation without representation", but I don't think this will solve the problem.
Personally, I would like to see the excise tax go away all together in support of a wildlife management/land use model espoused by the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences winner last year, Elinor Ostrom. We should not rely on government to solve our conservation or range access issues.
We do need continued leadership from organizations like the NRA that can provide legal guidance for concerned land owners. And we need more involvement at the local level. Just last week I attended our range's annual board meeting. I was one of two members of the public that attended. If you're reading this, you're already involved, but we need to encourage our friends to get involved too.
It seems to me that the place to do this is to start with your local congresscritter: They're the ones who (in theory) control what is done with Pittman-Robertson money. Senators, Governors, state reps are also a part of this: If it's a priority for them, it'll be a priority (in theory) for the BLM, Forest Service, etc.
We've won (or have almost won) the battle for concealed carry, and we can win this one as well.
It's a 2nd amendment march, talk about why we have the right to keep arms. The 2nd isn't about self defense, target shooting or hunting, it's about making your voice heard when they don't want to understand we give them the power to govern. If they don't want to hear us when we use the 1st amendment just wait till we start using the 2nd!
Play it safe and base the speech on quotes from the founders, of course they are terrorists in the eyes of todays administration so maybe that won't be so safe after all. See why we have the 2nd now?
See you there! Mark R in Ohio
Just finished listening to your podcast. Amen brother... If you want people to defend themselves then practice ranges are a must. Just think of all the CCW people who don't have a place to practice properly. They get the permit and train as required for the permit then that's it. Fortunately I'm a police officer and have access to the police range to practice my draw from concealment as well as a security holster but what of the others. The local ranges do not allow drawing from the holster. In fact our local gun range does not allow cowboy action shooting or IDPA because they feel any type of movement is unsafe. They only want bullseye shooting.
As regards to your question in the blog.. people need to be aware and educated that they are responsible for their own safety. We need to get away from being politically correct and make the hard decisions. I don't know of any LEO's outside the city who favors gun control yet almost all the chiefs do. Maybe people need to be educated to the real world so they don't act like sheep.
It's time to hold the MSM's feet to the fire, keep them accountable for doing their jobs- we need to send them a very unmistakable message.
Shy III
I think you say something akin to:
1) Our peaceful 2nd Ammendment right exists in cooperation with and is symbiotic to our complete way of life.
2) Without "The American Way" which has provided political security for our firearm rights these 200+ years we would go the way of Austrailia, Canada, England and others.
3) The time has come to consider the importance of supporting candidates that not only support our 2nd Ammendment, but those also who support the "The American Way" of life.
4) We should aid those politicians who support the full range of American freedoms. Our support should not be exclusivly tied to only 2nd Ammendment performance rankings. We need to make certain that protecting the 2nd Ammendment does not come at the expense of those rights that may be outside of our focus.
5) It is time to acknowledge that the long term peaceful protection of the 2nd Ammendment cannot be achieved by supporting politicians who in the short term work to destroy in those foundations of "The American Way" that are inextricably linked to the 2nd Ammendment.
6) We have won great battles on the state and local levels for gun rights. We have increased our numbers and the public has shown by voting with their pocketbooks and purchasers that guns are part of "The American Way".
7)When one considers Harry Reid it is evident that we are at a period in our Nation's history where we must consider voting for the lesser 2nd Ammendment candidate in order to save the 2nd Ammendment.
Some wordsmithing is called for, but this says it for me.
Well, let's see....
I got into firearms because of the self-defense/2nd Amendment issues.
I do plinking and a little bit of small-scale competition at the local level.
--
Get this - I WANT TO HUNT!!!
But don't know how. I even tried to find a Pennsylvania hunter class a year ago but none were in my area.
That said, even if I do take the course. In no way am I ready for hunting....I figure I could kill a deer or a duck. But then what? I wouldn't even know what to do with the bloody carcus.
So I tried to get involved with some of the local rifle clubs. But got no where. Emails never returned. Even going in person I was ignored for 45 minutes so that one council member could ream out another.
--
You want to know what to do? Tell these fat old farts to move over. Yup...sounds harsh.
But tell them the rifle clubs are not just for themselves. You see, I think many clubs don't want new members. Then there'll be them there crowds and such. They won't be able to come whenever they want and have the range to themselves.
And that's WRONG. The clubs do not belong to them. The legacy is to be passed on from generation to generation.
And if the old farts aren't willing to do that. Then it's time they move on. Because such selfishness will merely destroy our shooting heritage. As the membership of age old gun clubs dwindle and die off. It'll leave ranges in disrepair. With too few members to fend off developers suing over noise issues as suburbs encroach.
When young people are trying to join your club. (ie: young being 40 and under).
Here I am a fairly strong 2nd Amendment advocate who is interesting in learning the heritage of hunting, never having had the opportunity as a youth. And yet, I find barrier at ever turn.
And I blame it on fat dying old men. So that's what I think you should speak on Michael. Fat dying old men.
LOL
Hope to see you at the rally.
In my area a new shooter can take a class from an NRA certified instructor. The problem is, how many new shooters can afford $180 for a 4 hour class? You want new shooters - make it affordable. And I agree with Saj that some of the old timers need to open up and share their knowledge and experience, without being grumpy know-it-alls. We also have a problem with Trap and Archery not willing to share resources with the shooters in our club.
I think there is a faction of the firearms community that feels they must make excuses for firearm ownership. "Hunting" is often a term used as a politically correct justification for us exercising our freedoms. I believe this thinking is not only outdated but also ultimately destructive to our rights in the long term.
This self-categorization is what has driven the "sporting use" terminology used when determining what the government will ban. Two examples are the features restricted by the 1994 AWB and the GCA importation point system introduced in 1968. I really think the idea of "good guns" and "bad guns" came from within the firearms community directly. One only needs to look at some of the restrictions in sanctioned shooting competitions which favor older and more traditional, rifles, shotguns, and pistols.
I think many of the newer gun owners immediately understand that our rights are non-negotiable. It's obvious that there is no give-and-take occurring in our laws. The gun control lobby seeks a total ban. We must seek total freedom. The concept of sacrificing rights here and there has failed and is no longer acceptable to the upcoming generation. Many have learned from the failures of previous generation to maintain the Second Amendment in totality.
If this sounds harsh; that’s because it is.
As far as the tax: Removing the tax entirely would lower the price of firearms and ammunition. That would almost certainly increase gun ownership by removing a price barrier for entry.
When I posted earlier I was not aware of the Excise tax.
That should not be touched by the Govt. look how trustworthy they were with SS.
Tom Bogan
I learned some time ago that if'n somethin' don't make sense then there must be a $ buck $ in it.
There are so many places to look under, true; but as a lowly peon from my prospective it really is an issue of NO place to shoot. Specifically however it’s no place AFFORDABLE to shoot. Having said this in my area (NE Florida) there are a few “hoity-toity” clay clubs, a few outdoor ranges that require steep membership initiation fees and then yearly fees thereafter. There are two indoor ranges that charge a $15 - $20 use fee that is ok, however for us budget conscience po’folks (I speak as a rich american of course) for me to be able to invite my “anti” friends I CAN afford to bring the firearms . . . . . with some saving involved I CAN afford the ammo, paper plates & incidentals (for their use); I can’t afford to pay their way – most of the time I’m hard pressed to pay my own. For many of you fine folks - guns are a great expensive hobby. I don’t begrudge you of that; you earned it and more power to ya! But still for many of your fellow “amerikans” it’s not a hobby, it’s not hunting, it’s about self preservation. Whether it be from the criminal element or the 2nd amendment posit - a criminal government.
Or as nj_larry said I don't know how else to end this post other than to say God Bless America.
But taint likely since we’ve pretty much damned God from our societal conscience which is another issue altogether. . . . . . . . or is it?
Mr Bane I know whatever you speak about it will be relevant - as to getting "the industry" to pay attention. . . well we shall see but I'm not gonna hold my breath.
I (we) do hold you in high regards sir.
Your podcast makes the point that shooting ranges are needed. Add me to the list of people that agree.
We need safe, clean, upscale shooting ranges in every city, town and suburb.
We need outdoor and indoor ranges that welcome new and established shooters, provide training, provide gun rentals and to host shooting sports.
Don't get me wrong, I am a hunter and I don't begrudge money going towards supporting wildlife habitat etc. But for every shot I shoot on the hunt I shoot thousands on the range.
And I'd shoot more if I had a range closer to me!
Gun sports and games are critical to the development of the gun culture. Take Cowboy Action Shooting for example. I've seen people who didn't own many guns previously jump in and learn to enjoy shooting in a positive social environment. We need more gun "games" like this that make shooting a fun and acceptable social activity.
Go get them Michael!
You personally? Get Rampart Range reopened AND a backup. Set an example of successful activism and report on it.
The movement - more places for the public to shoot - folks who have a place to shoot themselves aren't doing enough for the future.
Mike Venturino did a piece a long time ago for IIRC Guns in which he said an eastern boy who loved guns couldn't move west and do what he did - the access is gone.
The enthusiasts in the movement - FREE NRA courses and FREE hunter safety and FREE sight-in days - tactical trainers are entitled to make their living at it but current mandatory training for a CCW is too expensive - long ago I was involved in formal Hunter Safety Training and that was open and pretty much free or cheap enough - CCW qualifying needs to be a lot cheaper as opposed to real tactical training which can come later and cost more.
To go along with greatly expanded low cost merchandising days at the range in combination with manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers - expos to try and to shoot a variety of firearms and buy a hot dog and soda. These exist now but are often targeted at folks who are likely to buy and should be offered to more folks who are just curious tire kickers - it's a numbers game.
We need more places to shoot and the the gun culture or at least all my friends buy guns for home protection, concealed carry, the fun of shooting at the range, and hunting twice a year.Mostly we buy and shoot guns for the fun of it.
As for places to shoot, an example is there is a Gander Mountain in Lake Mary, FL that wanted to put a gun range in the building when they opened or shortly after. The store has been open now for a year or 2 and still no range. When I talk to the staff they say the red tape has been delaying the range. Between City, county and state regs. They said they still want to open a range someday, they just don't know when it will be.
I've listened to the podcast and read most of the comments.
Ranges and places to shoot are what is needed for both old and new shooters whether they be interested in hunting or personal defense. I think one of the reasons that bow hunting has expanded (other than longer seasons) is because you can practice in your back yard and nobody cares.
Push to have police and sheriffs department ranges opened to the general public as it is our money that paid for them in the first place. I have a police pistol range a quarter mile from home that I can't access even though it is rarely used.
The other thing we need to do is make sure "game laws" don't supercede our right to self-defense. In North Carolina, if I am hiking in a National Forest outside of hunting season, I am restricted to carrying a .22 pistol as the National Forests are also state game lands. State game laws restrict the carrying of a pistol on "game lands" out of season. So if I run into a meth lab or a pot patch while hiking, I must use a mouse gun to protect myself from the miscreants or I'm breaking the law. Yet, I could walk the Appalachian Trail or be in the depths of the Smokies NP and carry my SR-9 without any problems.
In terms of money, game departments get both monies from the Pitman-Robinson Fund AND hunting license fees. I haven't hunted in years but still buy a license every year just to support the Wildlife Resources Commission. As you note, most of the P-T monies are generated by non-hunters. Unless they want this money cut out entirely - and no one really wants that other than PETA - the game depts need to understand how it is in their best interest to support use of part of the fund for more ranges.
Job Numero Uno: Win the culture war.
If the NSSF wants to make itself useful perhaps they should open a dialogue with Cable TV and Satellite Dish TV etc.
It is ridiculous the lowest tier of any cable package includes any flavor of MTV and CNN and in some cases IFC (serious nudity)and maybe even LOGO while the Outdoor Channel is exiled or uptiered not just by a few levels but to the highest premium package. You either buy the Big Kahuna or you just do not see many hunting or shooting shows.
Currently CNN has viewership as low as 25,000 for some shows.
Outdoor Channel has to be able to beat that.
Advertising-in both directions.
As the economy crashes can local stations really continue to refuse ads from rifle and pistol and ammo companies?
Can advertisers -clothing stores etc really continue to ignore the outdoor channel market?
To go mainstream, you must be perceived as mainstream as in:
"You bet I wear a Glock when I pick my kids up from school, and I drink Coca Cola (Pepsi)(Lipton Tea)
(Maxwell House Coffee et.al)
All else will follow.
In Liberty,
JJH
1)Tell everyone to quit being afraid of what the anti-gunners or the mainstream media, or what anyone not on our side thinks. Come out of the closet. Come into the light. You own guns, and shoot, and are proud of it all.
2) Everyone who shoots has the absolute responsibility to properly and responsibly introduce at least one newbie to shooting.
3) Everyone, no matter how they feel about the NRA, needs to join the NRA. Don't like what the NRA does? Then join it and change it. But join.
4) Register to vote and vote with gun rights as your guide.
You know, all that stuff we're supposed to be doing anyway?
5) Find some way, any way, to get young people invovled shooting. Become a certified coach. Seek out a local jr. team or college team or high school ROTC team or 4-H team, or CMP team, and give them five bucks, or volunteer to work as a RSO for an afternoon, or donate a box of ammo, or babysite somebody else's kdis so that person can coach, or RSO, but do SOMETHING to help, assist, promote, or otherwise build up any and all junior shooting programs in your area. If there's not a jr. shooting team or program or activity, start one.
As to what you say at the march, I’d stay inspirational, but out of the tall grass – you’re on late and people probably won’t be up for a lot of detail. A shortened version of Podcast #155 would be PLENTY inspirational – but without necessarily including the "specific recommended allocation percentage modifications under the range construction provisions of the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act."
As to where to go from here in the "more ranges" aspect of new-shooter retention - you said Mark Udall was flayed for trying to revise P-R (HR 6767). But the idea must not be dead, as Betsy Markey reintroduced the bill this session (HR 3781). It got pigeon-holed of course, but not killed.
To hear what the Powers-That-Be have to say, perhaps a seminar at SHOT 2011 - something on the order of "Pittman-Robertson: Challenges in a Changing Gun Culture" Get Markey or Udall to speak. Specifically invite and market it to each state agency responsible for administering P-R. Some (particularly younger administrators) may not even realize the range issue. (Yea, I know, and unicorns poo Skittle rainbows) For instance, in my state, NC, the administrators say of P-R: "The overall mission is for state wildlife agencies to provide instruction in firearm operations and safety, wildlife management, nature conservation, ethics, game laws, outdoor survival and wilderness first aid. The goal is to teach students to be safe, responsible, conservation-minded hunters."
The word "range" is not even hinted at. But given the new NSSF/Harris numbers, the wildlife people can get as upset as they want, but they no longer have Task Force 20/20 data to say to you "Are you crazy!?"
And I suspect that as more and more of the bloggers and writers begin to expound on the new data, by the time 2011 rolls around, it will pretty easy to say to those who want to maintain the P-R status quo "Er...Are you crazy!?"
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