Not sure this is the right place... but do you ever feel uncomfortable....

[Adrahil]

around other shooters/gun owners, say at the range, or on enthusiast sites?

I like to shoot, and I like to collect antique guns (mostly form the Victorian period). But I find that the political leaning of many of my fellow enthusiasts makes me feel uncomfortable. Among the antiques shooters, it's not as bad as, say, at the range, where every slack jawed redneck has something awful to say about Obama while flagging you with his muzzle while his booger hook is on the bang switch. But even so, I sometimes find I need to restrain myself from making a comment because I know it will do no good trying to counter their ignorance about the ACA, or correct their terrible climate science.


Anyone else sometimes feel uncomfortable?

[GGJohn]

1. No, not really, but then, I don't shoot at ranges

and my hunting buddies and I all agree not to discuss politics when we hang out or hunt.

[Ed Suspicious]

2. I usually hate reading this group, but ". . . while his booger hook is on the bang switch" is

amazing. Hats off to you.

[Control-Z]

7. I don't even know what that means

but also found it amazing. Lol.

[Ed Suspicious]

8. I took it as a poetic way to say "finger on the trigger."

[Control-Z]

9. Hahaha!

I get it. Makes perfect sense!!

Hey, thanks!

[Ed Suspicious]

10. You're welcome.

[3catwoman3]

11. Eeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!!

Funny, but disgusting.

[safeinOhio]

3. Got so bad

I gave up guns for fishing and found a better crowd.

[Duckhunter935]

4. No but I shoot with my buddies

and we are all politically democratic.

[Adrahil]

13. The guy (and girls) I go to the range with...

... are all politically compatible. This is Indiana.... even a lot of Democrats enjoy shooting.

It's the bubbas I meet there, or the knuckle-draggers online that get me down.

[hack89]

5. I mainly shoot with Dems so it is not a problem. Nt

[ManiacJoe]

6. No, not uncomfortable.

If I see any inappropriate behavior, I work to correct it for my safety and everyone else's safety.

At the range we talk about guns, shooting, and hunting. Politics do not usually come up until afterwards at the restaurant where you can actually hold a conversation.

[Lurks Often]

12. Almost never

If it is a safety issue, I raise my voice (I can be rather loud) and tell them to correct whatever it is they are doing wrong.

When you come right down to it, they are equally entitled to believe what they wish as I am, so as long as they aren't committing crimes to further their political viewpoint.

[Adrahil]

14. I don't mean to suggest that they don't have the right to their opinion...

... what makes me uncomfortable is the assumptions that many other shooters have that I am a Tea-party Republican who hates the "Halfrican in the White House."

Actually confronting them about that will do no good... and besides, I came to shoot! But silence implies consent, and I feel bad for NOT saying something.

Anyway, I seem to be Lonely Bonely Jones on this one.

[Lurks Often]

16. Didn't mean to imply you felt otherwise, as to the rest,

I have a fairly thick skin and rarely care what most people think of me.

[Adrahil]

17. I need a thicker one. :) n/t

[GGJohn]

19. My shooting and hunting buddies were at first surprised at my

political affiliation, they figured that if I own firearms, shoot, hunt, was in the Army for over 40 years, then I must be a conservative republican, now they just accept me for what I am, a moderate to liberal Democrat, and I accept them for who they are, conservative republicans, the trick is that we don't talk politics, works out great and we're all great friends.

[Adrahil]

20. I have a hard time being close friends with conservatives...

... especially social conservatives. I know a lot of gay people, and two trans people. It's hard to be friends with someone who I know want to deny my other friends their basic human rights.

I do manage to maintain a casual "friendship" with some, but I limit exposure, because I know my self-righteousness would get the best of me.

[DonP]

15. Never had a problem at public ranges

But most of the ranges I use are pretty diverse.

Don't know about elsewhere, but the stereotype of all white male "Bubba's" doesn't hold true at the ranges in the Northern Illinois/Indiana area.

As for the "Booger Hook" (My 11 year old grandson's favorite safety rule) issue, I'm a RSO and an Instructor so if I see something dangerous, I'll walk over and politely mention it, usually in combination with a suggestion about a way to tighten their groups.

In over 30 years I've only had one group that I had to ask to leave the range. Most folks are pretty friendly at the range.

[Adrahil]

18. Yeah, here is East-Central Indiana....

... we have plenty of Bubbas. But I want to emphasize that the folks that I have issues with are in the vast minority. Most folks I meet are cordial, love to talk about guns, and never mention politics beyond the casual mention. Because I shoot a lot of antiques, I tend to attract some attention at the range as well. The billowing clouds of black powder smoke tends to get noticed!

I see safety violations all the time. Once, some dude actually started shooting with several folks (me included) downrange changing targets. It took the ranger about 10 shots before he got to the dude. He's lucky he did.... more than a couple guys were anxious to make sure he understood the error of his ways!

[DonP]

21. I use the Willow Slough and Jasper Pulaski ranges

A lot of African American and Hispanic folks from Gary and the Hammond area shoot there too so it's a pretty eclectic mix.

In fact the coolest day I've ever had shooting at a range was at Willow Slough. A lane or two over from my lane was an African American family; older gentleman, and what I took for his son or son in law and a grandson shooting a black powder Hawken.

I was shooting one of my Garands and the grandfather was watching me and came over and asked about it. Turned out he served in an all black armor unit in WW II and hadn't seen or touched a Garand since he came home in 1945.

I let him shoot the Garand and after his first clip he had this huge smile on his face and started to laugh out loud. I offered him a few more clips, so his son and grandson could shoot it too. At 100 yards "Grandpa" was still pretty good.

While the son and grandson were shooting it, he showed them how not to get their thumbs smashed and gave us an excellent history lesson on what the "black tankers" did and how they used their Garands and Carbines.

I passed along the info on the CMP and told him he could buy one for himself and have it shipped straight to his house if he wanted to. I hope he did, even if it just hangs on the wall as a reminder if what he did in WWII.

[Adrahil]

22. Great story!

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

26. Cool! Your story made me smile

[mwrguy]

23. lay down with dogs

get up with fleas

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

25. excellent!

A very lucid articulation for posting here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1172
...rather than here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1262

[ileus]

24. Nope...