Gun Culture in MD/NJ/IL/NY etc...An outsiders Prospective

I am not sure how many members of MD shooters grew up in MD or any of the liberal gun control laden states, but I have started talking to more people about the gun control issue and guns in general. I find that many of the people I talk to have either NEVER shot a firearm or been exposed to the Joy of hunting, plinking, or the confidence gained by being to defend themselves.

I moved from Illinois to MD in 2005 . I was warned by family members that gun laws here were just as bad as IL (FYI I grew up in a Pro 2A family as well as enjoyed the freedom in while living Arizona & Tennessee growing up).

My assumption was that MOST of the people here were anti-gun, hence why the state laws were allowed to get so bad. However when I bring up 2A issues Over the course of the conversation I debunk myths, explain recent lawsuits, and typically ends with me asking if I could take them and their kids (in some cases) shooting.

In my opinion there is a mitigated gun culture in Maryland/IL etc especially in suburban and city area's especially with states that have longstanding & strict gun control.

My opinion: Don't be afraid to bring up gun control and the recent legislation. Don't be afraid to ask if someone has ever shot a gun or if the person ever have any "Gun Culture" growing up. If you have the means, share your gun culture. However I would refrain from being to "preachy" with the 2a talk. Many people will come around, they are just afraid of what they don't know or are hesitant because they don't know where to start. Also, start them young!

Cheers and enjoy your Independence Day fireworks (the lead or festive kind)!

I keep the NRA safety course materials at home and offer impromptu safety courses and range time every chance I get. Even if you don't have a backyard range all you need is a blanket and you have a soft air range.

There's often a misunderstanding that Maryland (or at least all parts of it) has always been anti-gun. Fact is, if you talk to any of us who were born here and are old enough, you'll often hear a different story.

When I was in school there were many full rifle racks found in trucks parked in the student parking lot. Plenty of firearms and ammo to be found, most households had at least one gun, a lot of hunters, nobody got scared or butt hurt when 3-4 teenage boys toted shotguns through the neighborhood on their way to the woods to hunt squirrels, etc...

HiballHiside said:

My assumption was that MOST of the people here were anti-gun, hence why the state laws were allowed to get so bad.

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Unfortunately most people here are not "from" here.

When I was growing up hardware stores, department stores (not just Walleye world), sold firearms and even reloading supplies. If you look around here you'll find people who shot on their high school rifle team and kept their firearm in their locker.

Yep, I remember bringing my bb gun, and a civil war era cutlass to "show and tell" in elementary school in the 70s. This was in montgomery county.

I dunno where the OP lives, but maybe most of the people in HIS neighbor aren't anti-gun. But as long as we have Baltimore city, Prince George's county, and Montgomery county are part of MD, this will always be an anti-gun state because the takers outnumber the makers.

Sling Blade said:

I dunno where the OP lives, but maybe most of the people in HIS neighbor aren't anti-gun. But as long as we have Baltimore city, Prince George's county, and Montgomery county are part of MD, this will always be an anti-gun state because the takers outnumber the makers.

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Beware...massive longwindedness below:

I pretty much agree to a point. I've watched the changes over the years. I lived in PG until '85 then our family moved to Charles. I lived in the most southern part of PG (started out as Oxon Hill then the zip changed to Ft. Washington.) At that time it was still pretty much rural and the culture reflected that. Just north of there was the DC line and that's where things changed because of the crime and such from drugs and poverty of SE. That area is still pretty rural in comparison to the rest of the county but as folks from the north migrate down, the climate changed. That same thing is true with Charles. Over the last 10 or so years we've seen a migration of those from DC and points north. Their liberal mindset has infected the area and we no longer have that small town good old boy feel anymore. We have a growing nanny sector that bleeds the resources and the housing bubble brought about an even bigger problem....foreclosures. Yet, the commissioners allow for new home growth and we're left with all these empty run down homes that get turned into section 8 stuff in addition to the 'projects' that already exists. This brings crime due to the nanny culture. Rather than seeing things objectively, the community reacts emotionally and subjectively by blaming the gun rather than the user or the gun and if you're a gun owner you're lumped in with that crowd by default and blamed for all the thug on thug crap. Charles isn't quite as bad as the northern counties but it has still changed quite a bit because of the folks that our new residents keep voting in. Liberal subjectivity is a disease and it's spreading. We can no longer claim to be a conservative area of MD now.

Apart from one year that I lived in NC, I have lived here my whole life. I was raised around guns because my dad used to love hunting. I have always respected the right to own a gun even when I didn't own a gun. I was raised well enough to know that it's the person behind the weapon and not the weapon. I have also always been painfully aware that evil exists so we must be able to fight fire with fire. A hug will never overpower a thug that wants your goodies.

I'm sure others will see things far differently than I do. This is just the way I've seen the changes and how it has affected the gun culture in my corner of the world. I am very vocal about the fact that I'm pro-gun and jump at the chance to educate others. If you're in the Tri-County area, you've probably read at least one of my letters to the editor in the local paper and there should be 2 more coming this week lol. In other words, I don't hide the fact that I own and love guns. If the liberal gunophobes don't like it, they can suck it for all I care. My rights are my rights and I wont compromise them to give them a false sense of security. It's not my fault that they live in a utopian bubble and fail to see that evil exists.

Sling Blade said:

I dunno where the OP lives, but maybe most of the people in HIS neighbor aren't anti-gun. But as long as we have Baltimore city, Prince George's county, and Montgomery county are part of MD, this will always be an anti-gun state because the takers outnumber the makers.

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Just curious about your signature, why submit an app for a HBAR? What happened to C&C?

Abacab said:

Just curious about your signature, why submit an app for a HBAR? What happened to C&C?

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Because the place where it's at is also holding 3 regulated rifles for me.

So I'll just take them all at once.

Had to put something there so I did that in the interest of uniformity.

I'm from NY; used to buy 22LR from a local sporting goods shop when I was in high school. 50 cents a box, no one cared that I was 14 yrs old.

That's all gone now, of course.

I now live in Takoma Park; been there since early 1970s. Next door neighbor used to go deer hunting, had a bow target in the back yard, sometimes a fresh hide draped over the front porch railing. They're all gone now, of course.

Used to be a fair assortment of interesting people in TP; mixed bag of hippies, 7th-Day Adventists, rednecks and a few nondescripts. They're all gone now, of course.

The wife wants out of TP; doesn't much care for most of the newcomers. If we leave, I can't see sticking around MD; used to be a nice place to live. That's pretty much over now, of course.

ADR said:

There's often a misunderstanding that Maryland (or at least all parts of it) has always been anti-gun. Fact is, if you talk to any of us who were born here and are old enough, you'll often hear a different story.

When I was in school there were many full rifle racks found in trucks parked in the student parking lot. Plenty of firearms and ammo to be found, most households had at least one gun, a lot of hunters, nobody got scared or butt hurt when 3-4 teenage boys toted shotguns through the neighborhood on their way to the woods to hunt squirrels, etc...

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This.
Got my first shotgun at 10, first handgun for my 12th Bday (already had a .22). Kids rode their bikes with long guns across the handlebars.
Kids would HITCHHIKE carrying .22s or shotguns and get rides!!

Hunted before/after school many days, so guns were in cars.

Heck, you could chew a damned Poptart into the shape of a hand grenade if you wanted to back then, and nobody's panties would get bunched up, you wouldn't get expelled, and the kids next to you at lunch didn't even need consueling afterwards! It's amazing ANY of us survived!

Of course, that was a few years ago. But my kids got their guns at an even earlier age, LOL!

DaveP said:

This.
Got my first shotgun at 10, first handgun for my 12th Bday (already had a .22). Kids rode their bikes with long guns across the handlebars.
Kids would HITCHHIKE carrying .22s or shotguns and get rides!!

Hunted before/after school many days, so guns were in cars.

Heck, you could chew a damned Poptart into the shape of a hand grenade if you wanted to back then, and nobody's panties would get bunched up, you wouldn't get expelled, and the kids next to you at lunch didn't even need consueling afterwards! It's amazing ANY of us survived!

Of course, that was a few years ago. But my kids got their guns at an even earlier age, LOL!

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I remember those days, good times, different world.

1975-1980, Some areas were fine growing up. Gun racks in trucks. Archery in schools. My high school history project was a black powder derringer kit with a slide presentation. Actually got to take the gun to school. Coon hunting with .22's and spot lights. Though I found shooting large Carp from a bridge, using an 8mm Turkish Mauser, was frowned upon.

Fast forward to 1997. My youngest Son got in trouble for taking an 8 inch, metal Civil War (Gettyburg Trip) musket to school for show and tell. The pointed bayonet could be used as a weapon.

Fast forward to 2013. Now it's Pop-Tart Guns, Pancakes cut into dangerous shapes and we can't leave out good old SB 281.

Seems to be happening in 15 year increments. Any ideas on 2028?

I graduated from high school in 1994, so I'm still on the younger side of things. But when I was a freshman in high school, we had archery in phys. ed.


That slowly changed during my high school years. Liberalism started back in the early 90's and has only gotten worse.

Do not try to figure out my age

However, when I attended Montgomery Blair High School (Silver Spring), there was an indoor range in the basement of "C" Building. Classes were above, in the next three levels. .22lr only, but still.........................! And, no A/C, so the windows remained open in hot weather. No one cared. Fast forward to today. Ouch.

That taps into somthing I have seen

There are plenty of liberals who own guns, we just don't advertise it. On the upside it means the general public is more likely reachable if approached correctly. I keep finding others in Montgomery who are gun owners. There just isn't much advertizing. I am also starting to think that the sensationalization of the media about anything gun related is most of the problem. Perhaps one good project at various ranges is to have a media day?

DavidMS said:

I am also starting to think that the sensationalization of the media about anything gun related is most of the problem. Perhaps one good project at various ranges is to have a media day?

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Don't forget the turds you vote for. They might be part of the problem, too.

mterry said:

Don't forget the turds you vote for. They might be part of the problem, too.

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YUP! Until the voting changes, nothing will change.

People just can't get their heads wrapped around that idea though. Maybe the rain tax has finally gotten people's attention, but I will not be holding my breath.

To continue the theme , Md didn't always have an anti-gun culture. Compared to farther South or out West ( or Pennsyltucky) is was a bit watered down , but was still there. Almost half of hardware store at least sold ammunition. Dept stores had gun depts. Before and after school hunting took place, and walking the roads with guns was only mildly worth of note ( at least during squirell season ) . And this was in PG Co . Md is only recently descending into where the other listed states have been for 4 generations.

And by all means do outreach as sugguested by the OP . *sometimes* the "non-preachy" introduction works. But also *sometimes* a pure Civil Rights and Equal Protection works also. Both have their place.

frdfandc said:

I graduated from high school in 1994, so I'm still on the younger side of things. But when I was a freshman in high school, we had archery in phys. ed.

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Actually, many MD schools currently have archery programs.