Outreach - get more people in

[bpSchoch]

My idea is to get more people to have firearms. i.e. have free simple classes/meetings etc. I've also started to look at using meetup.com to do this.

When I was looking I found this group Beltway Knife and Gun Club http://www.meetup.com/Beltway-Knife-and-Gun-Club/. Their next meeting is on Monday.

Also Target Masters: http://www.meetup.com/Target-Masters/

She can shoot: http://www.meetup.com/lockedandloadedladiesofmd/

Meetup.com is a site where you can advertise meetings that seems to be used by the younger generation.

 

[Uncle Duke]

Outreach - get more people in

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My idea is to get more people to have firearms. i.e. have free simple classes/meetings etc. I've also started to look at using meetup.com to do this.

When I was looking I found this group Beltway Knife and Gun Club http://www.meetup.com/Beltway-Knife-and-Gun-Club/. Their next meeting is on Monday.

Also Target Masters: http://www.meetup.com/Target-Masters/

She can shoot: http://www.meetup.com/lockedandloadedladiesofmd/

Meetup.com is a site where you can advertise meetings that seems to be used by the younger generation.



It would be impossible for me to agree with you more! I don't know what the answer is to bringing common sense back to this state. I wish I had an answer to bringing back an awareness and a resolve to fight the constant erosion of constitutionally protected rights that this state's socialist politicians keep stripping away. Our forefathers foresaw a need for 2A protections. They remarkably foresaw (well over 200 years ago) scenarios that look EXACTLY like what we're seeing take place in this state!

Hard to fathom the lunacy of yesterday's vote, where logic and common sense fly out the window. But I do believe that a LARGE part of the answer rests with exactly the sorts of outreach you mention. The die hard liberal wing nut in Annapolis isn't going to have an epiphany. We can't waste our time there. Part of the answer involves getting today's elected socialists the hell out of there. There's no polishing a turd. But another part (and I believe a larger part ultimately) has to involve all of us in outreach toward creating more 2A minded individuals. Hundreds of thousands of Americans have died for this country in the only nation on earth where there exists a 2nd Amendment right that was correctly incorporated as the one right to protect all others. These rights are sacred, and the left wing nuts be damned. Leave Maryland? I was born here. I'll die here too. I'm not going anywhere! But many in this state don't have a clue in hell what happened yesterday. Many more haven't thought about it far enough to think it matters one way or the other. Sad? Sure it's sad. It's also fact.

On a macro level, we need to be better organized, better funded, and better directed to target and remove politicians who think that Constitutional rights can be dismissed to promote their socialist agendas. But on the day to day level, there's the kid who's tomorrow's voter, or the adult person who votes today. There's the neighbor who thinks emotionally and not logically, the young man or woman who never shot a .22 in Scouts and who never learned from a father or an uncle or a relative or trusted family friend to respect rather than fear a gun. There's the woman who is terrified of guns because the only exposure she's had or known with either guns or the people she perceives to use them is negative. Education and outreach MUST be part of the solution! Every chance we get. There are many thousands of otherwise decent people for whom apathy toward government, and a lack of exposure and awareness with firearms generally, is creating misperceptions that are translating to votes (or lack of votes from a corresponding lack of resolve) that are digging us a hole. We'd do well to better recognize that in my opinion. And we need a cohesive and a well thought out and implemented plan to combat it. Each and every one of us drives that.

Just one man's thoughts.

 

[LiberalClassic]

Liberals will not accept gun ownership if it is a package deal including conservatism, they will outright reject it. I understand why many here are politically opposed to O'Malley and his helpers in the legislature, but don't fall into the trap of making guns and party politics a single choice.

Democrats, the left wing, or whatever you want to call them, can understand our arguments against SB281 on the grounds that its restrictions are arbitrary, and will be completely ineffectual in stopping violence or school shootings. That much is hard enough to get them to accept, when political views are added to the mix it becomes impossible.

 

[md123]

Liberals will not accept gun ownership if it is a package deal including conservatism, they will outright reject it. I understand why many here are politically opposed to O'Malley and his helpers in the legislature, but don't fall into the trap of making guns and party politics a single choice.

Democrats, the left wing, or whatever you want to call them, can understand our arguments against SB281 on the grounds that its restrictions are arbitrary, and will be completely ineffectual in stopping violence or school shootings. That much is hard enough to get them to accept, when political views are added to the mix it becomes impossible.

Anyone can enjoy sending lead down range. Left, right and center. And what's more universally sought after than the means to defend one's family?

That's what makes our "lobby" strong and feared by politicians. Look around, "conservatism" isn't as politically intimidating as it was when Reagan was president. I want everyone in the fold. If someone had taken Frosh to a range in 1978 he might be scuttling SB281 for us.


.

 

[bpSchoch]

Agreed, this outreach is only about being able to defend yourself and having fun. This is why I would 'take advantage' of a home invasion situation and offer meetings/information right after on how you can protect yourself against a home invader. We should be offering/teaching all sorts of selfdefense with pros/cons etc.

 

[Biggfoot44]

The strength of the 2A Movement is its focus on ONLY 2A . We can and do argue about everything else. Everyone is welcomed regardless of their views on anyother issues.

 

[nedsurf]

The strength of the 2A Movement is its focus on ONLY 2A . We can and do argue about everything else. Everyone is welcomed regardless of their views on anyother issues.

+1

 

[plinkerton]

I don't mention politics, 2A, or defense, I sell fun hitting paper, then give 'em 4 yard can't miss silhouette targets and an M&P .22 to shoot with. Then move to zombies, then bigger handguns, 9mm & .40, then a bullseye target they can take home.

 

[danb]

i agree 100%. my goal is to get 5 newbies to the range over the next year. If everyone does that and just one votes with us we have doubled our forces.


Everyone thinks they have the right to defend themselves. Even most liberals think they have the right to own a gun. education is our best friend against the bloody shirt brigade.

 

[plinkerton]

i agree 100%. my goal is to get 5 newbies to the range over the next year. If everyone does that and just one votes with us we have doubled our forces.


Everyone thinks they have the right to defend themselves. Even most liberals think they have the right to own a gun. education is our best friend against the bloody shirt brigade.

I've had 5 newbies buy guns over the last month, aim high, for for 5 newbies per month. Sales to newbies will probably drop off after the license requirement starts, so get all you can now. The more owners we have the more DINO's we can get, the more incumbents get voted out, the more real pressure we can put on Annapolis.

One thing I love is if there are some .22 AR's at the range when I take newbies. I let them shoot my Marlin 795, then if I know the person with the AR looking .22 let them shoot that. Then we tell them "see no difference", and let them know it applies to the .223 as well. It's just a scary looking rifle, nothing special.

 

[bpSchoch]

We should seriously start doing this outreach.

 

[MadCat0911]

Liberals will not accept gun ownership if it is a package deal including conservatism, they will outright reject it. I understand why many here are politically opposed to O'Malley and his helpers in the legislature, but don't fall into the trap of making guns and party politics a single choice.

Democrats, the left wing, or whatever you want to call them, can understand our arguments against SB281 on the grounds that its restrictions are arbitrary, and will be completely ineffectual in stopping violence or school shootings. That much is hard enough to get them to accept, when political views are added to the mix it becomes impossible.

Exactly, I've known too many of my fellow liberals who just stop listening the second they hear conservative/republican stances on other things or think you might be associated with the "evil NRA" (which technically if you sound pro-gun and spout facts, you're somehow NRA).

We need methods of taking in liberals to go shooting (that's what really got me into picking up my first "Assault Weapon"). We also need ways to get kids used to it so it's not some great evil that gets you suspended for even mentioning them at schools. Even better if we can get them target shooting.

 

[bpSchoch]

Exactly, I've known too many of my fellow liberals who just stop listening the second they hear conservative/republican stances on other things or think you might be associated with the "evil NRA" (which technically if you sound pro-gun and spout facts, you're somehow NRA).

We need methods of taking in liberals to go shooting (that's what really got me into picking up my first "Assault Weapon"). We also need ways to get kids used to it so it's not some great evil that gets you suspended for even mentioning them at schools. Even better if we can get them target shooting.

Yes agree. This is why I posted some of the 'meetup' groups that are out there. We should be joining them. The alternative is to create our own groups but I would keep a distance from that group and anything that sound conservative e.g. I wouldn't directly connected is mdshooters or MSI.

I chose Meetup.com because a lot of young people are using this to find interesting meetings and activities to do.

In addition to the fun part, you need to capitalize on the self defense parts especially after a public incident occurs where having a firearm would have helped.

 

[Mr H]

The strength of the 2A Movement is its focus on ONLY 2A . We can and do argue about everything else. Everyone is welcomed regardless of their views on anyother issues.

This is an important point, and one which MSI is strong on...

A large part of the groundswell this session is because of groups (including AGC, and others) who are doing exactly this.

My hope (and plan, to some degree) is to build on this.

In the meantime, there is nothing wrong with spreading the good word about what our right SHOULD be, and getting others aware!