How Quiet Gun Owners Become Former Gun Owners

TheGunBlog.ca — Gun owners believe keeping a low profile will guarantee our survival. It’s more likely to guarantee our extinction.

Individuals

Keeping quiet makes sense for a lot of people in a lot of cases.

“My guns are nobody’s business.”

“I don’t want to attract thieves.”

“My [girlfriend, spouse, boss, …] hates guns and I don’t want them to dump me.”

“I don’t want a potential attacker to know how I might respond.”

Secrecy has consequences. If we don’t share, our family, friends and colleagues won’t ask us to take them shooting. If they don’t experience the reality of firearms and firearm culture, they’ll believe what they see in movies or on the news.

This is how we will lose our guns.

Clubs, Stores, Ranges, Trainers

Gun clubs, stores, ranges and instructors have told me why they lie low.

They won’t invite elected officials for a visit, a range day or a fundraiser. They refuse to answer questions from the media, or to invite the media to try shooting. They don’t hold open houses for the community. They won’t even inform their members or clients that the government plans new restrictions or prohibitions.

“We don’t want to get political.”

“We don’t want to get burned.”

“We don’t want to get shut down.”

“If we keep quiet, maybe they’ll leave us alone.”

This is how we will lose our guns.