Xeni wrote:
Not to disuade people from joining; because I understand and agree with the efforts but the one thing that irks me about both the NRA and VCDL is when they catagorize all anti's as liberals.
VCDL's alerts do not, or at least should not, categorize anti-gunners as liberals. From VA-ALERT: VCDL UPDATE 11/20/2007:
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18. Reminder: Right to self-protection crosses party lines
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Member Eric Smith sent this thoughtful discussion of how the issue of
self protection crosses party lines. I urge all of us to be mindful
of this. I do, from time to time, mention this issue in an update or
alert. We have members who are Democrat, very liberal Democrats, who
believe strongly in our right to keep and bear arms. We don't want
to alienate any of our fellow gun owners and activists.
Heck, I have met many "conservative" Republicans who don't like the
Second Amendment.
That is why it is important to use the term "anti-gunner" to describe
the opposition.
Eric Smith wrote:
--
I've noticed that often times in LTE's, statements, conversations,
etc. that 2nd Amendment defenders tend to use phrases like
"Bleeding-heart" "Left-wing" or even just "Liberal" with enough oomph
behind it to sound like a 4 letter word.
I understand those feelings and have said those things myself.
However, if we're going to be debating the issue publicly, I can say
from personal experience, that if you aren't solidly republican,
those phrases tend to make you less inclined to listen to the rest of
the debate, or even the issue at hand.
Once simple slurs come out, a lot of non-right wing people, who are
otherwise enamored with their 2nd amendment rights, get the "Gun Nut"
impression. I know we aren't "Gun Nuts" holed up waiting for the FBI,
and so do you, but to a lot of less involved people, that's how it
comes across.
I think, in an effort to defeat those who would take away our rights,
we should follow the tradition of VCDL's membership, in being polite,
civil, and levelheaded in our conversations/debates/public forums.
Let the other side keep up the hail of insults and derogatory terms.
This includes not resorting to "Liberal" slinging. Many of our
supporters are otherwise "Liberal" and may either not feel welcome,
or like they're the odd one out.
We need all the over 21 non-felon bodies we can get. No sense in
accidentally alienating any of them, especially if they do agree with
us and would otherwise join. [PVC: No need for me to say it, as Eric
has said it quite well.]