Historically, both law and facts are on the gun owners’ side of the “gun control” debate, and the Other Side had relied largely on emotion. I respectfully submit that emotion is something our side should play to, as well. I made that point recently at the 2024 Gun Rights Policy Conference in San Diego last month. If you can spare fifteen minutes, you can see it and listen to it yourself, here:
You’ve doubtless noticed that the Other Side wails, “We have a right to feel safe.” They’re right about that – they just don’t understand how safety works in a country with 330 million people and only about 800,000 cops to protect them 24/7 from predators who make a point of preying on victims when cops aren’t around.
Our Side needs to reply, “We have a right to safety, too, and you need to realize that defensive firearms are emergency life-saving rescue equipment.”
Logic and law and caselaw are by and large on our side, as is common sense, and we should keep using those winning arguments. But, I respectfully submit again, we should supplement with the emotional argument.
For every time the Other Side puts up a death and a grieving loved one, we can show – and probably outnumber – not only people saved by guns, but generations of people who wouldn’t be alive today if their ancestors hadn’t had guns with which to save their lives.
Whenever I postulate this, someone comments, “Never mind that! The Second Amendment is all we need!”
Sadly, no, it apparently isn’t. If the Second Amendment was enough in real world 2024 America, we’d have fully automatic M16s or M4s in every home, and would be able to legally carry discreetly concealed handguns to protect ourselves and our loved ones everywhere in the United States.
While school shootings are a statistical blip, they have high emotional value for obvious reasons. John Lott has done some good work on mass shootings in gun-free zones, of which schools are a prominent example. He has also done work on mass shootings prevented by armed citizens in the face of FBI attempts to cover that up. Put the two together and you get armed school staff. I always say staff instead of just teachers because administrators and custodians have exhibited heroism in these incidents and sometimes died for it.
LIke that 61 year old gent who was a custodian and security guy (though unarmed) when tht nutjob gender-confused creature decided to go shoot up her former school. He ried to prevent her entering the school, but, bring unarmed against the armed threat, all he could do was get shot and die. Window glass with chicken wire embedded in it is NOT security glass when the putative intruder is armed with a rifle.
Just as with the near identical situation at Sandy Hook Elementary school a few years previous, I have imagined how differently those two incidents WOULD have played out had the “security” personnel been armed and skilled. Both died, neither stopped the intrusion nor the deaths.
For a far better pathway forward, investigate the programme put together in Ohio after Sandy Hook. ALL adult staff have the option of getting the week long intensive training then are allowed, at their option, to carry their own personally selected defensive handgun (the one they carried during their training) whilst at their schools. In the period of time since this programme has been instituted in Ohio, there has not been one attempt or incident involving any firearm anywhere in the state at any school. Oh, I need toadd an unusual feature of this programme: NOT ONE DIME of taxpayer money has been spent to develop and/or implement this programme.
Luckily, our county has armed staff and have had since Parkland. A neighboring, which has larger population, still refuses to allow it. They think metal detectors are the answer.
Neighboring County….
I would love to see a series of commercials made by someone with means and played during the Super Bowl like the Jesus “He gets me” commercials last year.
Think of an emotionally based commercial where someone who was preyed upon recounts their story and how a gun saved their life.
Think of a commercial dramatizing a home invasion ending with “A gun saved my life.”
Another of a young daughter or a mother who was targeted to be the next rape victim ending with “A gun saved my life”.
An attempted mall shooting where a defender used his CCW to stop the attack – “A gun saved my life”.
An attempted school shooting where the resource officer stopped it – “A gun saved my life”.
End it with a half a dozen people, all victim categories, saying one at a time, “A gun saved my life”.
This could have a huge impact on people’s perception.
The NFL being the left wing organization it has become, would never accept such a commercial.
Deacon Bob,
I concur. Remember Jon Benet Ramsey? Her tragic end captivated people. Imagine the emotional impact on the public if Oprah, or Michael Jackson, was pro-self defense, and had a successful pro-defense story of their own to tell. Most victims are unknown. Paul Pelosi, a rich guy, got a little bit of sympathy because people know his wife, Nancy.
We have one very powerful and mortal enemy of our right to keep and bear arms – The Mainstream Media. We could right books and post videos, but as long as the bias continues we have little voice.
Private money can produce effecgive cintent, and more private momey can buy the air time, and/or use the net to get the stories “outt there” This election ending right now has blown the lid right off the “traditional” media pathways.
I suspect there will be quite a few media types running for cover (and of course their old favorite, finger pointing) after last night’s results.
Mas is absolutely right here.
The more I work on my own psychology the more convinced I am that humans make decisions by how their feelings/emotions drive them. Logic is an afterthought at best; a rationalization for the conclusion they first reached because of their feelings/emotions.
By refusing to come to the emotional playing field we are losing the battle by default. That is the worst form of mistake. A strategic mistake.
Emotion rules. That explains why people can walk around with super computers, connected to all the world’s knowledge, in their pockets, and yet they still believe so many falsehoods. People follow their hearts more than they follow their heads, and their heads can be deluded anyway.
Excellent presentation Mas. Packed. Your quote “when the other side lies, do not despair. Rejoice. They have given you the tools to defeat them. All that you have to do is prove the lie”.
Rightfully so, I believe the Self Defense community is trained to minimize and overcome emotion (Amygdala) in the event of facing a Monster. What you conveyed is right on. We can use that emotion funneled through our hearts to want to live and have life for us and others. The truth that life is precious is eternal. Life is a precious gift that we must protect and then gift to others.
Thanks Mas. I’ve shared this a week ago with the local CCW group and personally keep these talking points in mind when a check mate is needed to end a far left rant.
Agreed, logic and facts will not overcome any emotional argument. I recommend we take a page from the enemy’s book and change the language we use, for example; when they say-
gun control (common sense etc) use civilian disarmament
Victims of gun violence use defenseless victims
Be relentless
Fight, fight, fight!
Absolutely! To add to your argument, many folks are like my wife. She is a brilliant mathematician but simply cannot stay awake to analyize most of life’s questions. To convince her, do not come at her with data or philosophy. Instead honestly appeal to her emotions! As long as she does not detect any congnitive dissonance or deception you will win her over.
Uvalde
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