The Great Debate

The Great Debate
"...what should you do when you encounter someone who just doesn't share your belief in the right of all Americans to keep and bear arms?..."
by Robert Childers
Because humans have the ability to reason, we're unique in being aware of our own mortality. It's why we worry so much about the future, our personal security and spend vast amounts of time, money and energy planning for both. Yet despite this, the unexpected does happen and it usually happens when we are least prepared.

Though individual reasons vary, a common thread through all of this is protection against the unexpected. That's why the insurance business is the mega-billion-dollar, worldwide industry it is today. With the attacks of 9/11 and the ensuing war on terrorism, a large number of police departments are being stretched thin due to new homeland defense responsibilities. Add to this fact that many experienced LEO's are being recalled for service in the military, and the result is fewer officers are available to protect us from the normal crimes we encounter every day here at home.

In New Orleans, Hurricane Katrina showed us another sobering fact; there will be times when our government either can not or will not be there when we need them most, leaving us to fend for ourselves. Along with other events, this should be a wake up call to all Americans that we must take responsibly for our own safety and well-being. For many of us, that responsibility includes the owning and carrying of a firearm. If asked why we own and carry a concealed weapon, most would likely respond that we consider it our BEST form of personal protection "insurance."

Despite the above facts and the current nationwide interest in passing concealed carry and right to carry legislation, what should you do when you encounter someone who just doesn't share your belief in the right of all Americans to keep and bear arms? There are still tens of millions of Americans who have never seen a real gun unless it was carried by law enforcement officers. Even more have never seen a gun fired except in movies or on TV. Due to this unfamiliarity and the constant barrage of negative information put out by anti-gun groups and the media, many people are afraid of guns and see them not as a tool in defending us against crime, but a cause of it.

We should all begin by educating non-gun owners about the true purpose of firearms. Like an automobile, a gun is no more dangerous than the person using it. My favorite analogy is comparing a firearm to my home's smoke detectors; I hope they will never be needed, but they can and do save lives when used as intended. You can also point out countries like Australia and Great Britain, or American cities like Washington, DC. where gun ownership has been banned in for most citizens for at least a decade now. In all of them, crime rates have consistently risen yearly since gun control laws were passed, not dropped compared to the United States on general!

Still, we must remember while there are a vast number of positive reasons to support firearm ownership, you must first get a 'non-believer' to hear them. We're all entitled to an opinion in America. Unfortunately, the expressing of that opinion can lead to arguments. Though it may sometimes be tempting, arguing with someone and saying he has no idea what he's talking about won't win you much support. All too often, one (or both) of the participants enters a discussion with the assumption, "My opinion is right. Since you don't agree, yours must be wrong". After that, things usually go down hill faster than water rolling off the side of Mount Rushmore. Participant "A" begins to push his view while participant "B" begins to defend his and soon, nobody is listening anymore. On the other hand, most people are willing to listen if you try talking WITH them instead of at them.

Listening to an opinion contrary to your own with an open mind can be very difficult at times. However, you'd be surprised at how often you can effect a change in opinion by letting the other person have his say without becoming too defensive of your own. By stating your side of the discussion, listening to the other person's perspective and saying; "Think about what I've said and decide for yourself," most people will at least consider what you have to say. The WORST thing you can do is tell someone that they're wrong, they're stupid, blind or a fool because they don't agree with you. It's a part of human nature that nobody wants to admit that they may be wrong, especially on issues they feel are important to them -- Even if I had been willing to consider your opinion before, if you've just insulted me, I'll probably no longer listen to anything you have to say.

I consider arguments just another version of leading a horse to water; you can talk until your jaw hurts, but you can't force the other guy to listen if he doesn't want to. After many years of trial and error, I discovered that the other guy is usually more open to your side of a discussion if you state your point using facts instead of opinion, if you listen to your opponent without being argumentative or judgmental, and can offer a logical rebuttal or alternative to their opinion. If I still can't persuade him to change his opinion and he can't persuade me to change mine, we'll just have to "agree to disagree." While I may not have changed his mind, I'm more likely than not to at least get a positive response because I was willing to listen to his viewpoint, even if I didn't agree with it.

If you find yourself engaged in the great debate over the pros and cons of firearms, just remember the old saying, "You catch more flies with sugar than with vinegar".
Bob Childers has a Degree in Theology and retired from the United States Navy in 1994. He's a member of the NRA, Texas State Rifle Association, the East Texas Rifle and Pistol Club and holds a Texas CCL. You can find out more about him at his website: http://vchilder.home.netcom.com