In many ways I live in a bubble. Living here in DC the topics on most minds mirror the headlines, because this is the stadium in which the game is played, and everyone here, in some way, shape or form, is part of the game. For instance I went to the vet's office the other day, and had to listen to no fewer than 4 people whining about how badly persecuted FedGov workers are - because each of the 4 people was either a FedGov employee or had a spouse on the tit. And there were only about 8 people in the office.
But what about "the real world"? DC is not the real world. Reality is skewed here.
Where you work, is gun control the topic of choice among people who don't usually spend much time considering politics? Is the American Idol crowd marching in your town and demanding 2A legislation? Is the topic even a topic on Main Street? Are people in your daily lives talking about civil war? Are you over-hearing the old blue-hairs at the next booth in the diner talking about Bingo or gun shows?
Or is it merely those of us who pay attention to the game?
What I see is a purely manufactured news cycle to push the political agenda. I see all the usual suspects have simply decided it is time for the 2A fight, and not much interest on Main Street. I haven't seen a single Million Moron March or even candlelight vigil of weeping civilians demanding 2A. I see the usual suspects: Politicians, Lobbyists, Leftists.
I see no grassroots push. Well, I do see a grassroots push - at gun shows and gun stores.
I also see a few of us who get it remaining calm - because we knew this fight was inevitable, and now seems imminent.
But I am curious what you are seeing from "regular people" in your life.
Kerodin
III
I see a lot of anger and bluster from gun owners. Everybody is angry and nobody seems to know what to do. A lot of conversations go on about this that are fairly loud at first and then get too quiet to hear from the next table, as people look around. Could be nothing, but a whole hell of a lot of non-gun owners seem to be pissed, because they are seeing friends and family getting blood libeled by the liberal press.
ReplyDeleteOf course, the gun-grabbing true believers are louder and more obnoxious than ever (and trying to tell us that we should be "civil" with them). My daughter's doctor (well, former doctor shortly), was spouting off on facebook about the NRA having blood on their hands. It's pretty much the rich, trendy, urbanite white kids versus everybody else. I've even heard some blacks with very thick (to my ears, anyway) inner city accents who are pretty unhappy. Of course, I don't go to the swanky joints if I can help it, so it may be different where the beautiful people go. But the people that can get themselves into a mental state to break stuff are not happy with the administration. The elite and wealthy are still content to slobber all over Obama, but then, that's nothing new.
So, the system is running like it was before, but with more energy.
WIII
I'm in MN. I spent 20 minutes at the grocery store talking guns and gun-ban-results type things with another customer and a couple employees. Nobody was real happy about the prospect of a ban, one guy was "never owned or shot a gun, until now" type. He went and bought because he sees a ban coming. Nobody there was planning on registering or turning anything in either. Not a lot positive to say about the way the current regime seems to be trying to stamp out an enumerated civil right.
ReplyDeleteIn Minnesota... not exactly a hotbed 2A support, and people are not happy.
K,
ReplyDeleteHere in Carolina, there is a lot of talk. Some of it is just plain public bluster from the usual fair-weathers, but a lot more of it now is private conversations, in calm and measured words and tones, not about "if?" but about "how?" These are good, level-headed men with families and careers, speaking frankly amongst themselves about what to do *when* the grab comes. Consensus is that there will be little compliance with any registration mandate in these parts. The issue isn't saing NO to registration...it's what people are going to do when FED.GOV comes to the door with copies of 4473s bearing your name, and demands to "inspect" your premises. "From my cold dead hands" seems to be a phrase only the newbies use at this point... the thoughts of sesoned patriots around here are more along the lines of "they aren't getting mine unless they know where to dig..."
Warmest regards always,
LT
I'm on the left coast - socal. The sand is deep here and 99% still have their heads in it. You would think that on this site; http://www.calguns.net/ you would see more people thinking like us. There are a few, but they are way outnumbered by non-believers and knee benders. It doesn't look great for my local area, I hope I'm wrong.
ReplyDeleteChuck Myhre
I think the 1st amendment failed us and we are now just waiting for the moment to erupt!
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I were in Post Falls recently and we were in a little corner cafe having breakfast and I could hear a group of guys at the table kitty cornered to us talking about the prices of ARs and talking about more reasonably priced alternatives.
ReplyDeleteI talked to my kids godparents and mentioned it and both of them said nothing...which surprised me as they have always been rabid (I mean that in a good way)gun owners and 2A supporters. But they are both in their 70's and I took their silence as resignation. Which bothers me, his family escaped out of Russia ahead of the cleansing. I never thought I would see the day he was silent about this.
My brother and I talk about it with each other, mostly giving moral support because we both know all we can do is just make our decision now as to what we will do- go obediently/hand over the guns or decide it's a good day to die. Which beats being led to a boxcar or to the edge of a ditch. We always have a choice, don't we?
Miss Violet
I see a lot of pissed off people at work and on the streets - pissed off at the government and their push to completely control their lives. They weren't bitching and whining about it before this gun control thing took off so I'm assuming that's what opened their eyes.
ReplyDeleteSo yeah, that's what I'm hearing out here in Kalifornia - but then I also heard tonight on the news that Sacramento is selling the Kings basketball team so the gov't thing will probably get pushed aside - gotta focus on what's important, ya know?
I'm a fed.gov worker in a small office in West Virginia. None of the baby boomer leftist weenies in my office have said a word about it. The pro-gun folks in my office, though, are pissed. I'm talking about, in an federal government office of 19 people, six combat veterans openly discussing blood in the streets. Another three or four veterans and several non-vets agreeing that bad things could be coming.
ReplyDeleteHardly a day goes by around here (sunny Florida)that we don't hear people who are mad as hell about it all. We've overheard folks in restaurants and ended up joining their discussion. It's like the masses are getting ready for a big shoot-out.
ReplyDeleteA certain prominent family in our area "invested" in over $60K of AMMO recently. That's a lot of shooting, folks!
The public shooting range looks more like an AR convention. (Such a pretty sight to see....)
Good folks, getting ready!
I can't hear anything BUT this topic and I'm still trying to figure out what the "issue" is! MSM about civility, conservatives about civility, even many "Patriots" about civility. The regular folk I've heard, say they ain't turning them in, no matter what.
ReplyDeleteIf it weren't illegal to make book--indicative of the real problem BTW--I'd lay strong odds that nothing is going to happen. At least nothing will be passed...I don't think those CongressCritters have half the nerve to live not knowing if they can trust their own guards.
If they do, or if yo-yo just tries to declare it and they actually try to enforce it, I do think huge majorities will comply. But I don't think that'll matter either, since the ones that don't will be more than sufficient to make mince-meat of the attempt.
It would be a rotten shame, but that's their specialty after all. Either way, this "issue" figures to be settled in short order--one way or another, and won by the Good Guys either way--and won't be coming back for many generations.
Meanwhile I'm still dumbstuck trying to figure out what the "issue" is. I only speak for myself and if somebody's gonna try to physically deny me my defense, AS I SEE FIT, then one of us ain't makin' it through. Same thing if someone tries to deny me water, or air. I can't imagine why anyone would want to do that...I'm just a regular stiff who worked his ass off, all his life. I'm no threat to anyone. But if they do, am I really supposed to ponder the alternatives? Maybe I'm foolish for admitting it publicly, but I just can't see any realistic alternatives there.
Am I so crazy with this position? I mean, really...would someone deny themselves WATER because of a LAW?!? Is defense of one's life so much different than needing water? Doesn't a person need both, to live? WHAT THE HELL AM I MISSING?
What really amazes me is that there are so many people who believe there's something to seriously think about here. I keep sayin' over and over...I just can't figure that part out.
More than anything, anger & worry. I would wager more form uncertainty than anything else.
ReplyDeleteI have heard many people say, "Well, bought my first gun this weekend...". Not because they think they might get banned and they want to make a buck. More along the Bob Owens track of, "This is a people who are arming themselves...".
A few of my coworkers are vocally worried about it. Another gets it and stated plainly that an EO contradicting 2A would be illegal.
ReplyDeleteI had a bagger at United raise the subject to me. He said he wasn't worried because "This is Texas".
It also came up at a party on "Doomsday". Some folks said they would move. My wife did us proud by saying "They're not getting my guns"
There are also some raging Statists in my town. The letters to the editor and guest columns have gone back and forth between "You can't pass that law" and "You don't need that gun"
Here in California we're ruled by L.A. and Sodom Francisco but the rest of the state if you look at it county by county are conservative minded folks who get up every morning put on their boots and go to work. In my tribe all I hear is last min preps going on. On the job my coworkers are angry and seemed to have resigned themselves to the fact that this may be their cross to bear. Most of these men are vet's as am I and have no desire to be involved in combat again let alone a dirty civil war. The Gun stores locally are cleaned out as are the large retailers. Sadly I would have to agree with the idea that this may be a nation preparing for war. May the lord be with us as we step foot on the green.
ReplyDeleteI'm a federal employee. I just completed 32 years serving with the USAF (both active duty and civil service). Please don't think all federal employees are opposed to freedom and support the current administration. Anyway, I work in an office of higher-ranking USAF officers and higher-grade civil service employees, most with prior military service. All of us are very concerned about the direction our country is heading, and most own firearms and are preparing for whatever may come. The administration's looming gun grab is a topic of much discussion, but we're careful what we say while at work. I believe many of my co-workers who own firearms will resist any gun control.
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