A Component

The following is not a response to Weer'd's response to my Angry post.  I'm venting steam out the safety valve here, stream of consciousness style.  There may be more chaff that wheat.

I think part of the problem we've made for ourselves is the differentiation of different types of guns legally.

Handguns are often treated differently than long guns.  This is especially true of carrying them.

Rifles with a barrel shorter than a legally defined length are treated differently from pistols, regardless of the pistol's barrel length or even overall dimensions.

I know I don't care what kind of gun someone has as long as they're not being threatening with it.

The mere presence of a gun doesn't make me feel threatened.  If that were so I'd never be able to go to a gun show!

Open carry cannot be the actual problem with many people because the vapors are completely absent when it's a policeman carrying the gun.

I'm of the opinion that arm means any arm and bear means in any manner.

It's a delicate task.  People who are unused to seeing arms in the hands of everyday citizens will not become accustomed to seeing them until they ARE seeing them.  It's like not getting into the pool until you've mastered swimming.  There are people who will never get used to seeing them.

At some point a foot must be put down and it needs to be said that rights trump comfort.

As I indicated earlier.  I've been at this a rather long time.  It's been a great deal of work for nearly no gain; with the threat of loss ever present.

It can lead to a sense of desperation.

Desperate people do foolish things.  Even if what they do is legal, within their rights and caused no real harm.

Something I mock about the gun-grabber side is their ever pointing out the potential of things to cause harm.  Especially in places where there has been no harm done.  Or of the potential to do great harm where little harm has occurred.

Sadly I am seeing that emerging on our side.

Some more history is required.

When The Wall came down in Berlin and the Soviet Union collapsed in on itself, one of the main factors was the people finally comparing notes and realizing that they were not alone in their conclusions and dissatisfaction.  They certainly did not learn they were the majority by waiting for Pravda to publish an article about the phenomenon.

As I keep saying:  The people who hate us will never be convinced to not hate us.

They are a tiny group, but they run the media.  They've no control over what you say to your co-workers and friends.  They don't control the blogs.  They don't even do a good job of manipulating Wikipedia.

We can win because we really are the majority.  We are merely frightened and convinced we're alone out there.  We must find the courage to stand up and connect with each other.

We must take some risks because like the swimmer cannot learn until there's a risk of drowning; we cannot move forward if we delay until it's the right day, the planets are in line and the entrails are favorable.  That day will never come.

But we will never move an inch while we worry about the comfort of people who hate our mere existence.  They are uncomfortable that we exist at all.  No accommodation will ease their discomfort and their game is the elimination of us.  Worrying about how they feel about the issue is playing their game.