hugh jarmis
Centurion
imported post
Just a couple thoughts after watching and reading various interviews and media coverage of our cause/events/etc.
And I don't say this in a critical way, but rather a suggestion as to how we could improve our communication as we speak to the media and even our frame of reference and how we make assumptions about what people think.
I have become convinced as I open carry around Milwaukee and Waukesha county that MOST people DO NOT assume someone with a gun is a threat and MOST people do not think its a danger.
I think we should not think so negatively about the general public and their perceptions regarding firearms.When theWI state constitutional amendment supporting our right to keep and bear arms for self defense, security, etc was put to a vote in 1998it was approved OVERWHELMINGLY by the people of wisconsin with some rediculously high margin like 75% or something. PEOPLE SUPPORT this right. We are unecessarily painting ourselves in a poor light when we make comments and statements where WE assume people think we are a danger or a threat. They don't. News media, politicians, and perhaps a few law enforcement officials have those negative perceptions. MOST of the general public DOES NOT!
I think we should be careful when we use phraseology like "we are demonstrating this is not a danger".
"Danger, Threat" very negative connotations.
We should use terminology like "safe, law-abiding, legal" when we describe what we are doing, why we are doing it.
Rather than saying what we are doing is "not dangerous" we should say "its safe"
My suggestion is that we'd be better off not saying: The open carrypicnic in La Crosse demontrates that the general public carry guns is "not adanger"
And instead we should say: This picnic demonstrates how SAFE the general public carrying guns is.
People don't "assume" that someone with an openly carriedgun is a criminal. In fact, people ASSUME someone with a gun is a cop!
When MOST people see you openly carrying a gun, they will assume you are a "good guy"
MOST people know that guns in the hands of law abiding people are SAFE.
What people DIDN'T know until recently was that this was LEGAL and that is what we should focus on when we speak.
The La Crosse picnic was a great opportunity to educate other law-abiding citizens ON THE RIGHTS THEY HAVE.And I'm sure it did!What a fantastic turnout!
When we talk about this issue lets remember that MOST (not all) but MOST of the general public supports these rights. 3 out of 4 voted for them!
If you go to an open carry event and media asks you I think better responses are along the following lines:
"for so long in wisconsin we were being denied the right that our state constitution guarentees law abiding citizens and I wanted to celebrate being able exercise those rights again"
"to educate the general public that law-abiding citizens have the right to carry a firearm for self defense outside of their home and property"
"because firearms in the hands of law-abiding citizens makes us safer from criminals"
"like most wisconsin residents I want to have the right to protect myself if god-forbid I ever needed to"
"I wanted to socialize with other law-abiding citizens of wisconsin who enjoy their freedoms and their rights."
"For too long in Wisconsin criminals have done what they want while law-abiding citizens were defenseless. Now law-abiding people are empowered for a change."
"Every other state in the country besides Illinois allows law-abiding citizens to carry firearms, its good that we in wisconsin now have that opportunity"
Again, this is just a suggestion that I've wanted to bring up for discussion here for some time after watching some media interviews and things. If anyone disagrees I welcome the debate. I just hope we can drop "danger and threat" from our vocabulary when we talk about ourselves and also not play into the misperception or place upon ourselves frame the debate from the negative perception that I do not think MOST people (a few rogue police chiefs, and controlling politicians aside) have.
Just a couple thoughts after watching and reading various interviews and media coverage of our cause/events/etc.
And I don't say this in a critical way, but rather a suggestion as to how we could improve our communication as we speak to the media and even our frame of reference and how we make assumptions about what people think.
I have become convinced as I open carry around Milwaukee and Waukesha county that MOST people DO NOT assume someone with a gun is a threat and MOST people do not think its a danger.
I think we should not think so negatively about the general public and their perceptions regarding firearms.When theWI state constitutional amendment supporting our right to keep and bear arms for self defense, security, etc was put to a vote in 1998it was approved OVERWHELMINGLY by the people of wisconsin with some rediculously high margin like 75% or something. PEOPLE SUPPORT this right. We are unecessarily painting ourselves in a poor light when we make comments and statements where WE assume people think we are a danger or a threat. They don't. News media, politicians, and perhaps a few law enforcement officials have those negative perceptions. MOST of the general public DOES NOT!
I think we should be careful when we use phraseology like "we are demonstrating this is not a danger".
"Danger, Threat" very negative connotations.
We should use terminology like "safe, law-abiding, legal" when we describe what we are doing, why we are doing it.
Rather than saying what we are doing is "not dangerous" we should say "its safe"
My suggestion is that we'd be better off not saying: The open carrypicnic in La Crosse demontrates that the general public carry guns is "not adanger"
And instead we should say: This picnic demonstrates how SAFE the general public carrying guns is.
People don't "assume" that someone with an openly carriedgun is a criminal. In fact, people ASSUME someone with a gun is a cop!
When MOST people see you openly carrying a gun, they will assume you are a "good guy"
MOST people know that guns in the hands of law abiding people are SAFE.
What people DIDN'T know until recently was that this was LEGAL and that is what we should focus on when we speak.
The La Crosse picnic was a great opportunity to educate other law-abiding citizens ON THE RIGHTS THEY HAVE.And I'm sure it did!What a fantastic turnout!
When we talk about this issue lets remember that MOST (not all) but MOST of the general public supports these rights. 3 out of 4 voted for them!
If you go to an open carry event and media asks you I think better responses are along the following lines:
"for so long in wisconsin we were being denied the right that our state constitution guarentees law abiding citizens and I wanted to celebrate being able exercise those rights again"
"to educate the general public that law-abiding citizens have the right to carry a firearm for self defense outside of their home and property"
"because firearms in the hands of law-abiding citizens makes us safer from criminals"
"like most wisconsin residents I want to have the right to protect myself if god-forbid I ever needed to"
"I wanted to socialize with other law-abiding citizens of wisconsin who enjoy their freedoms and their rights."
"For too long in Wisconsin criminals have done what they want while law-abiding citizens were defenseless. Now law-abiding people are empowered for a change."
"Every other state in the country besides Illinois allows law-abiding citizens to carry firearms, its good that we in wisconsin now have that opportunity"
Again, this is just a suggestion that I've wanted to bring up for discussion here for some time after watching some media interviews and things. If anyone disagrees I welcome the debate. I just hope we can drop "danger and threat" from our vocabulary when we talk about ourselves and also not play into the misperception or place upon ourselves frame the debate from the negative perception that I do not think MOST people (a few rogue police chiefs, and controlling politicians aside) have.