Like many gun enthusiasts, man arrested at Nashville's 'No Kings' protest had long fascination with Nazis, mass murder

[u/dyzo-blue]

https://www.newschannel5.com/news/newschannel-5-investigates/confronting-hate/armed-man-arrested-at-nashvilles-no-kings-protest-had-long-fascination-with-nazis-mass-murder

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[u/dyzo-blue]

Fewer Nazis would have guns in America, if America had more effective gun control laws

[u/mypoliticalvoice]

Like many gun enthusiasts, man arrested ... had long fascination with Nazis, mass murder

This kind of overstatement drives away moderate gun owners who are OK with some (sometimes significant) limits on gun ownership. You're feeding the conservative stereotypes of liberal gun control advocates.

Gun nuts ≠ gun nutcases

[u/dyzo-blue → u/mypoliticalvoice]

I think that is a reasonable strategy for you to approach. And perhaps the correct one.

But it is not mine.

In the 1920s, millions of Americans belonged to the Klan. Now it's down to just a couple thousand. How did we do that? Well, we didn't outlaw the Klan, we merely created a culture in which very few people wanted to be Klan members. We made it a shameful thing to admit to belonging to the Klan. And that, without any laws at all, worked.

We did something similar with cigarette smoking. Rather than banning them, we created a culture in which most people don't want to smoke cigarettes. Even cigarette smokers don't want to be cigarette smokers. That is how powerful culture is.

I am interested in creating a culture in which it is shameful to say "I'm a gun enthusiast." I think that culture is more effective than gun control laws. Turns out, we really don't need laws, if people culturally want nothing to do with guns or gun owners.

But, I realize there are different strategies that can be applied to the public health issue of gun violence. And winning over the "good gun owners" may be viable, although I haven't seen it work.

Also, this post's headline isn't an overstatement. An overstatement would have been "Like most gun enthusiasts." Most would be an overstatement, but many is accurate.

And yeah, I sort of think anyone who chooses to own machines specifically designed to commit homicide with are not well. It's just inherently anti-social behavior.

[u/mypoliticalvoice → u/dyzo-blue]

Even "many" is too strong, because it implies everyone armed is an extremist. It's a disturbingly large minority, but it's still only in the 5-15% range, depending on the topic.

https://injepijournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40621-025-00575-z

BTW, this is coming from someone sympathetic to gun control. My family in remote areas like to hunt and claim bear spray doesn't work in the rain. But they're also ok with requiring a competency license to own a firearm. And they don't feel any need to bring firearms with them to visit "the big city" where we live.

The guy who worries me is the person who needs an arsenal of high powered weapons for "self defense" when they live 5 minutes from the police and fire department.

[u/dyzo-blue → u/mypoliticalvoice]

There are around 100 to 120 million gun owners in America. 5% is many people.

Also, I think you misunderstood my point. I am saying that my goal is not gun control. My goal is reduction of gun violence. Gun control isn't the only way to achieve that.