{"id":55011,"date":"2020-05-19T05:00:40","date_gmt":"2020-05-19T10:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/?p=55011"},"modified":"2020-05-19T05:00:40","modified_gmt":"2020-05-19T10:00:40","slug":"55011","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/?p=55011","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"

THE 2A ACID TEST<\/a>
\nHOW TO MAKE A FOOL OUT OF A \u201cGUN SAFETY ADVOCATE\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Earlier this year, there were two occasions when this correspondent wound up in broadcast discussions with gun prohibitionists trying to pass themselves off as \u201cgun safety advocates.\u201d<\/p>\n

In one of those encounters, it seemed necessary to remind the listening audience there was one certified firearms instructor in the room and it wasn\u2019t the other person who was representing a Seattle-based gun prohibition lobbying group.
\nTake this as a learning experience because the elections are on the horizon, you\u2019re a voter with an opportunity to question candidates and you might wind up in a debate with some gun grabber who claims to be an authority on gun safety or a member of some so-called \u201cgun safety\u201d organization. This is when you can put them on the spot and they will unintentionally help you do it.<\/p>\n

NRA Certified firearms instructors have a card identifying them as such. Mine has been protected with a laminated plastic cover. A friend who used to be a lobbyist was also an instructor and he habitually pulled out his instructor\u2019s card to ask opponents, \u201cDo you have one of these? If you don\u2019t, you probably shouldn\u2019t be here talking about gun safety.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you can\u2019t say you\u2019re a certified instructor, the next best thing is to challenge these anti-gunners to recite the four rules of gun safety as set down by the late Col. Jeff Cooper, the \u201cFather of the Modern Technique.\u201d The founder of the American Pistol Institute, now known as the Gunsite Academy, Cooper kept it simple and his rules have withstood the test of time:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Treat all guns as if they are always loaded.
\n\u2022 Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.
\n\u2022 Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on target and you have made the decision to shoot.
\n\u2022 Be sure of your target and what lies beyond it.<\/p>\n

There may be a moment of silence, possibly a blank stare as your opponent\u2019s try to figure out who Cooper was and maybe offer a remark about \u201cnot being the point\u201d before they scramble to change the subject. This is when you\u2019ve got them. They can\u2019t answer directly since they don\u2019t know. Whatever else is said after this point, just keep reminding your opponent \u2014 and anyone else listening \u2014 your question wasn\u2019t answered.<\/p>\n

These self-appointed arbiters of firearms etiquette don\u2019t really know anything about guns or safety, other than they don\u2019t like them and don\u2019t want anyone to have them. It\u2019s up to you to set it in concrete so people remember it. You\u2019re the expert, not them.<\/p>\n

If or when one of these people claims to be a gun owner, it\u2019s easy to make them stammer by asking, \u201cOh, how many guns do you own?\u201d Or better still, \u201cHow many guns have you owned? If you sold one or two to someone else, did you require the buyer to go through a background check?\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not unfair to ask when was the last time they went to the range to practice? Have you taken a gun safety course? The same questions apply to anyone running for local public office.<\/p>\n

\u2018Oh, Where Do You Offer Classes?\u2019<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re in a discussion with somebody who says he or she is a member of a \u201cgun safety\u201d group, stop them cold by asking, \u201cOh, where do you hold classes on gun safety?\u201d<\/p>\n

When they respond, \u201cWe don\u2019t really hold classes,\u201d (and they will) this is the moment to remind them they\u2019ve got no business preaching gun safety if they\u2019re not teaching gun safety.<\/p>\n

This same strategy applies to meeting candidates because the next eight weeks should provide plenty of opportunities to attend at least one of these sessions. Any candidate who claims to support \u201cgun safety\u201d legislation should be challenged to recite Cooper\u2019s Four Rules.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s another way to make these people look foolish: Offer to take them shooting. If they\u2019ve claimed to be gun owners, invite them to bring their own firearms.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
Earlier this year, there were two occasions when this correspondent wound up in broadcast discussions with gun prohibitionists trying to pass themselves off as \u201cgun safety advocates.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/form>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/header>\n
\n
\n
\n

In one of those encounters, it seemed necessary to remind the listening audience there was one certified firearms instructor in the room and it wasn\u2019t the other person who was representing a Seattle-based gun prohibition lobbying group.
\nTake this as a learning experience because the elections are on the horizon, you\u2019re a voter with an opportunity to question candidates and you might wind up in a debate with some gun grabber who claims to be an authority on gun safety or a member of some so-called \u201cgun safety\u201d organization. This is when you can put them on the spot and they will unintentionally help you do it.<\/p>\n

NRA Certified firearms instructors have a card identifying them as such. Mine has been protected with a laminated plastic cover. A friend who used to be a lobbyist was also an instructor and he habitually pulled out his instructor\u2019s card to ask opponents, \u201cDo you have one of these? If you don\u2019t, you probably shouldn\u2019t be here talking about gun safety.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you can\u2019t say you\u2019re a certified instructor, the next best thing is to challenge these anti-gunners to recite the four rules of gun safety as set down by the late Col. Jeff Cooper, the \u201cFather of the Modern Technique.\u201d The founder of the American Pistol Institute, now known as the Gunsite Academy, Cooper kept it simple and his rules have withstood the test of time:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Treat all guns as if they are always loaded.
\n\u2022 Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.
\n\u2022 Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on target and you have made the decision to shoot.
\n\u2022 Be sure of your target and what lies beyond it.<\/p>\n

There may be a moment of silence, possibly a blank stare as your opponent\u2019s try to figure out who Cooper was and maybe offer a remark about \u201cnot being the point\u201d before they scramble to change the subject. This is when you\u2019ve got them. They can\u2019t answer directly since they don\u2019t know. Whatever else is said after this point, just keep reminding your opponent \u2014 and anyone else listening \u2014 your question wasn\u2019t answered.<\/p>\n

These self-appointed arbiters of firearms etiquette don\u2019t really know anything about guns or safety, other than they don\u2019t like them and don\u2019t want anyone to have them. It\u2019s up to you to set it in concrete so people remember it. You\u2019re the expert, not them.<\/p>\n

If or when one of these people claims to be a gun owner, it\u2019s easy to make them stammer by asking, \u201cOh, how many guns do you own?\u201d Or better still, \u201cHow many guns have you owned? If you sold one or two to someone else, did you require the buyer to go through a background check?\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not unfair to ask when was the last time they went to the range to practice? Have you taken a gun safety course? The same questions apply to anyone running for local public office.<\/p>\n

\u2018Oh, Where Do You Offer Classes?\u2019<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re in a discussion with somebody who says he or she is a member of a \u201cgun safety\u201d group, stop them cold by asking, \u201cOh, where do you hold classes on gun safety?\u201d<\/p>\n

When they respond, \u201cWe don\u2019t really hold classes,\u201d (and they will) this is the moment to remind them they\u2019ve got no business preaching gun safety if they\u2019re not teaching gun safety.<\/p>\n

This same strategy applies to meeting candidates because the next eight weeks should provide plenty of opportunities to attend at least one of these sessions. Any candidate who claims to support \u201cgun safety\u201d legislation should be challenged to recite Cooper\u2019s Four Rules.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s another way to make these people look foolish: Offer to take them shooting. If they\u2019ve claimed to be gun owners, invite them to bring their own firearms.<\/p>\n

\u2018Do You Take Money From \u2026?\u2019<\/h3>\n

A couple of years ago, as a private citizen and constituent, I attended a public forum with three local legislators. A woman in the audience demanded to know if the Republican state representative had taken money from the National Rifle Association.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a fair question, but the savvy activist should immediately counter by asking whether the politician or candidate has accepted contributions from Everytown for Gun Safety or a regional or local gun control group. We discussed this last month………<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

THE 2A ACID TEST HOW TO MAKE A FOOL OUT OF A \u201cGUN SAFETY ADVOCATE\u201d Earlier this year, there were two occasions when this correspondent wound up in broadcast discussions with gun prohibitionists trying to pass themselves off as \u201cgun safety advocates.\u201d In one of those encounters, it seemed necessary to remind the listening audience … 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":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-55011","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-rkba","category-safety"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55011","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=55011"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55011\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":55012,"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55011\/revisions\/55012"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=55011"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=55011"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=55011"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}