So, I was talking with a neighbor, a conservative if you ever encountered one, and he began to regail me with his gun knowledge and extensive gun collection. Somewhere between my eyes glazing over and a heartfelt sigh, he expressed his horror at me not owning a gun. Now, I do not easily fall into a category (and in truth, I do not believe most people are absolutely defined by Liberal or conservative tags) but I really detest guns.

So, to prove how much of a rush firing a gun is he takes me down to the gun range. He is careful to explain all the inner workings of the pistol and which end the boom-boom comes out of, real patronizing stuff. He pulls off a few shots with a (IMO) sloppy grouping of 6 inches at 25 yards. He starts to move it in closer, I stop him and precede to shoot the same target with a one inch grouping. He is astonished and declares it to be beginners luck. I politely inform him that he does not know me, my history with guns or anything about where I learned to shoot.

So, why is it that so many gun enthusiasts I meet are hard core conservatives? Is it just me? I am fully ready to admit that.

Follow up question: Why do gun enthusiast assume you must be either blood thirsty or capable of quoting all the statistics of a firearm model in order to ge a great shot? I am not talking being enthusiastic about your hobby, I mean, they really seem shocked that you can shoot without dedicating your heart and soul to guns.

Now, before someone brings it up, I am not saying all conservatives are gun nuts. I am sure there are plenty of conservatives who want nothing to do with guns. I am guessing that there are non-conservative gun enthusiasts. This is just my experience.

Thanks,
Bill

Quote from: HinterWelt ;216805So, why is it that so many gun enthusiasts I meet are hard core conservatives?

I don't think there's a single reason; few statistical correlations are simple enough to provide "a reason" for a thing. You're about to get 20 answers, some more strongly worded than others, and some or all of them may be true.

One question: is it possible the correlation is not between conservative and gun nut, but between conservative and rural? There's another correlation between rural and gun nut which may at least be a portion of your answer.

Quote from: HinterWelt ;216805Follow up question: Why do gun enthusiast assume you must be either blood thirsty or capable of quoting all the statistics of a firearm model in order to ge a great shot?

I don't think they do. I think that may be an artifact of your personal experiences.

Good luck, by the way, getting reasonable answers; I'm not sure your opening post was a particularly good way of getting good answers out of, say, firearm enthusiasts, who may find your apocryphal experience to be offensive. I'm not saying that experience isn't valid, I'm just saying that perhaps sharing that experience was not the best way to get rational responses, when it pretty much sounds like, "Why are so many of you absolute dicks?"

SHORT Reply?: Guns in some parts of America are associated with tradition, old time values, home defense, and "History!". Things that conservatives tend to like (or love).

My Grandfather owned guns, so did my father. I currently DO NOT own any guns. * Of course I also have 3 swords not that far from where I sleep and my walking stick - so I can improvise weapons pretty fast If I have to .

 Truth is, I live in a prettty safe neighborhood.


- Ed C.





* My Father tells me that was a pretty damn good shot with a gun back when I was 11 or 12 yrs old - better than my Grandpa when we went to the shooting range.

Quote from: HinterWelt ;216805I politely inform him that he does not know me, my history with guns or anything about where I learned to shoot.

Politely would have been to do that before he took you to the range.

As is you were doing your typical pissing contest, something that IME you're very prone to doing. You were hoping he was all talk and no go, and you got your ego boost when it went down that way and then came here to brag and ask "why are conservatives jerks and gun nuts".

Give me a break.

There are jerks everywhere and in everything. No other answer needs be made.

Quote from: Engine ;216814I don't think there's a single reason; few statistical correlations are simple enough to provide "a reason" for a thing. You're about to get 20 answers, some more strongly worded than others, and some or all of them may be true.

One question: is it possible the correlation is not between conservative and gun nut, but between conservative and rural? There's another correlation between rural and gun nut which may at least be a portion of your answer.

First, let me stress, I am NOT using the term "Gun Nut". I used it once to say that I am specifically not equating gun nuts and gun enthusiasts. They are different.

As to the question, no, I do not think so. I am in a suburb of Chicago. The neighbor in question is a construction worker on many areas down town. Several other shooters were similarly conservative in their political and social views and some more "urban" than me. So, no, I do not think it is a rural issue.

Quote from: Engine ;216814I don't think they do. I think that may be an artifact of your personal experiences.

Good luck, by the way, getting reasonable answers; I'm not sure your opening post was a particularly good way of getting good answers out of, say, firearm enthusiasts, who may find your apocryphal experience to be offensive. I'm not saying that experience isn't valid, I'm just saying that perhaps sharing that experience was not the best way to get rational responses, when it pretty much sounds like, "Why are so many of you absolute dicks?"

Well, I found the experience somewhat insulting and upsetting. I do not assume that conservative equals dick but you might. One part of the above encounter was that the guy was just stupid enthusiastic about his hobby. This is o.k. I can get the same way with RPGs. I think Koltar is on to something with his "Tradition and guns" angle. I never thought of that but I really don't think about guns much.

Bill

Quote from: gleichman ;216828Politely would have been to do that before he took you to the range.

As is you were doing your typical pissing contest, something that IME you're very prone to doing. You were hoping he was all talk and no go, and you got your ego boost when it went down that way and then came here to brag and ask "why are conservatives jerks and gun nuts".

Give me a break.

There are jerks everywhere and in everything. No other answer needs be made.

Are you a "Gun Nut"? It would support my theory.

And again...aren't I on your ignore list?

Bill

By-the-way , Some Gun owners, hunters, and Gun collecters use the term "Gun Nut" for themselves and each other all the time  - they just don't like it when non gun owners call them that.

I'm not one of them, but I grew up with a father who was part of that subculture. He also grew up in the Chicago area suburbs and farms - small world - huh?

- Ed C.
(who was born in DuPage County Hospital in '64)

Liberals tend to entrust "authority" to protect them and provide for them, while conservatives tend to be more self-reliant. Average police response times are somewhere around 2-5 minutes in most places, I believe - usually just fast enough to get there before your blood begins to dry. Assuming you even get to call them first.

In regards to guns, conservatives like to know that if need be they can defend their home and family, whereas liberals generally hope the submission route will prevent them from coming to harm. Not to put too fine a point on it, one is an attack mentality, on is a submission mentality.

Problem is, when you're being attacked, submission is generally regarded as a sign of weakness, especially by those inclined to invade your home looking for loot. And if you can't defend yourself.... well, you do the math.

YMMV and all that.

Quote from: Werekoala ;216858In regards to guns, conservatives like to know that if need be they can defend their home and family, whereas liberals generally hope the submission route will prevent them from coming to harm. Not to put too fine a point on it, one is an attack mentality, on is a submission mentality.

Problem is, when you're being attacked, submission is generally regarded as a sign of weakness, especially by those inclined to invade your home looking for loot. And if you can't defend yourself.... well, you do the math.

Conservatives vastly overestimate the odds of needing to defend yourself in your in your home in the first place. You chance of being attacked by an intruder in your home (unless you live in a hellish ghetto) are a tiny fraction of the odds of being in a serious auto collision. And yet, folks who put so much thought and effort into protecting themselves from the one, rarely seem to be especially careful about the later. So it isn't about rational threat assessment.

IMHO, conservatives love the idea of violently defending their home from intruders.

I consider myself to be a fiscal conservative, and social liberal, and I love guns. Absolutely love them. I don't happen to own any at the moment, but I will again own weapons. And since it seems you're not into them I'll just not discuss weapons with you.

Not all of us are nuts.

Quote from: HinterWelt ;216836Are you a "Gun Nut"? It would support my theory.

I like guns. I own guns. I know a little about them.

But no, I'm not a gun nut as you define it (using your loaded example). I would never talk about guns or take someone to the range who expressed no interest or was an ass like yourself.

Quote from: HinterWelt ;216836And again...aren't I on your ignore list?

Why are you so fucking stupid that you can't remember that I've told you "No" a number of times before?

Quote from: Haffrung ;216865IMHO, conservatives love the idea of violently defending their home from intruders.

Does this come from the same play book that states soldiers love war? Because the Left loves both those lies.

I'm not a gun nut. But I have not shot at anything in a depressingly long time. I think I might try and fix that.

Quote from: Serious Paul ;216868I consider myself to be a fiscal conservative, and social liberal, and I love guns. Absolutely love them. I don't happen to own any at the moment, but I will again own weapons. And since it seems you're not into them I'll just not discuss weapons with you.

Not all of us are nuts.

Like Serious Paul, I'm pretty Libertarian in my outlook on things. Unlike him, I'm merely indifferent about guns. I don't own one myself and don't see the need for one yet.

However, this painting of conservatives as gun nuts is definitely the broad brush approach - with all of its attendant failings. I guess the consequent of this thread would be a thread in which one person was accosted by a twentysomething hipster who bored him to death with tirades on social collectavism entitled, "Why Are Liberals All Lost Hippies?" It would be just as wrong in its assumptions.

In my current situation I have no real need for a weapon, which is why I don't own one. Purchasing a weapon would be like purchasing any other luxury item for me-something I'll do when and if I have the extra money.

I enjoy shooting-I do so on a regular basis for work, and even sometimes on my own. However shooting is expensive and currently I'd rather spend my disposable income on other things.

I hunt, although as I get older that gets rarer to be honest. Generally I find someone who likes to hunt, and have them fill a tag for me-I pay for the tag, and processing.

But yeah if I were filthy stinking stupid rich I'd own a lot of weapons, and spend a lot of time playing with them. Conversely if I were desperately poor I'd purchase a weapon and supplement our food with food I'd hunt. (It really is cheap as hell, and healthy. I should do more of it.)

I do think people should regulated as little as possible, and that we should be able to purchase weapons. However I come from the school of thought that does not believe in "Accidental Discharges" or "Accidents" with weapons. I see no reason to mitigate circumstances because a weapon or alcohol, or even drug were involved. In fact I'd consider those things to be aggravating circumstances in most cases.