Son doesn't believe in guns - help!

Glock513 · #1 10-19-2009, 02:08 PM

I have three sons, 15, 18 and 21. I recently bought a gun and acquired my CCW. Since then I have tried to have them see me handle the weapon carefully when cleaning it and handle it themselves while I do so. I have taken all three of them shooting on a couple of occasions and have offered many more times but schedules didn't permit it. The youngest is the most interested then the oldest. Yesterday I asked them if they all wanted to go shooting since the middle son just returned from college for a visit. I thought it would be a good night out with the guys. To my surprise the middle son said he didn't want to go shooting anymore because he doesn't want to use guns. He said he is OK with people owning and using guns but he isn't interested.

Is this a phase? Should I convince him otherwise or just let him make his own decisions and back off? I'd love some input on this.

AZSATT · #2 10-19-2009, 02:21 PM

Could easily be a "phase" or it could simply be his personal perspective. Guns, shooting and especially CCing are not every citizen's cup of tea.

I'm glad to hear he's not against others' right to keep and bear arms.

What college does he attend? The 1st year of college is famous for changing and even attacking the beliefs and values of young, shapeable minds and hearts. If the college is the typical haven for "enlightened thinkers" with highly liberal and anti-gun perspectives... he could be processing what he used to believe verses what he's now being fed.

JJFlash · #3 10-19-2009, 02:32 PM

My oldest son has basically the same viewpoint: personally, he's not much interested in guns, but he has no problem with gun owners. My youngest son is an avid hunter but has displayed no interest in carrying a handgun (he does carry my .357 when bowhunting cause of mountain lions). So I'm the "gun-toting fool" in our family.

I don't believe you can "argue" him into agreement. It's good that he has no animosity toward guns; maybe eventually he'll come around to your perspective. Not everyone does.

HK4U · #4 10-19-2009, 03:25 PM

I agree with AZSATT and JJFlash. You can not force someone to believe something. Set a good example. Who knows he may change his mind some day. Heck when I was his age I did not care that much about guns and was pretty much a liberal. Now I am about as right wing as you can get. The change came for me as I got older but also after I became a Christian.

Wolfling68 · #5 10-19-2009, 05:19 PM

1st year of college? He's drinking the cool aid. Time for an intervention, get him around real people, and away from the academic nut jobs. Actually, they aren't nuts, just completely isolated from reality.

Explain it is the duty of every American to own and know how to use a gun. In spite of what many of our elected officials (I cannot use the word representative, as none of mine represent me in the least) might plan, it is our RIGHT, as a member of the ruling class, to own weapons; our RESPONSIBILITY to know how to use them; and, when called upon, our DUTY to be able to use them to defend that which is most precious to us, our liberty and lives.

Some of our representatives, with the approval, if not assistance, of the left, are attempting to establish a privilaged class in our country. They are demanding, and getting, more and more privilages, paid for by taxpayers. Have your seen the pics and costs of our Speaker of the House's airplane, which her husband uses for vacations at our expense? When the Republicans ran Congress, the Speaker flew commercial. They feel the only ones who should be armed are themselves and those they choose to allow.

The only ones throughout history guaranteed the right to bear arms has been the ruling class, that is us. It imparts upon each one us the rights, privilages and RESPONSIBILITIES of rulership. We are all responsible for creating the society we live in, we need to assume the mantle of responsibility and take charge once again. We need to create our society the way we want it to be, not the way ACORN thinks it should be.

end rant.

ClearSightTactical · #6 10-19-2009, 05:35 PM

With all due respect everyone, I think if he likes the idea of an armed population and doesn't feel that the government should "outlaw" guns he should be left alone. If he's not interested, well...he's not interested in using them, so long as he doesn't want everyone not to own them..

I'm not in the least bit interested in getting married to another guy, but I think those who want to should be able to...(oh crap, i'm going to get flamed)..

netentity · #7 10-19-2009, 05:39 PM

Back off. He's not telling you what to do or preaching gun control propaganda. We live in a free society well at least for now.

Boomboy007 · #8 10-19-2009, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClearSightTactical

With all due respect everyone, I think if he likes the idea of an armed population and doesn't feel that the government should "outlaw" guns he should be left alone. If he's not interested, well...he's not interested in using them, so long as he doesn't want everyone not to own them..

I'm not in the least bit interested in getting married to another guy, but I think those who want to should be able to...(oh crap, i'm going to get flamed)..

I'm with you on this one..... no compulsion. Plus, the feds don't belong in ANY marriage, straight or otherwise.

Scarecrow · #9 10-20-2009, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HK4U

I agree with AZSATT and JJFlash. You can not force someone to believe something. Set a good example. Who knows he may change his mind some day. Heck when I was his age I did not care that much about guns and was pretty much a liberal. Now I am about as right wing as you can get. The change came for me as I got older but also after I became a Christian.

HK you used to be liberal? wow that's a hard one to imagine... glad you saw the light:)

when I was a teenager I used to not care for guns so much either. I was hearing everywhere how guns cause crime and if we got rid of the guns then the crime would be gone. around age 20 or so I figured it out for myself that guns are not the problem, it's whose hands they are in. so in an important way I saw the light too. but glad to hear he is not against others owning and carrying guns. hopefully at least that will not change. and sometime in the future he might do some thinking and realize that he is in charge of protecting himself and his future family. good luck!

HK4U · #10 10-20-2009, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scarecrow

HK you used to be liberal? wow that's a hard one to imagine... glad you saw the light:)

when I was a teenager I used to not care for guns so much either. I was hearing everywhere how guns cause crime and if we got rid of the guns then the crime would be gone. around age 20 or so I figured it out for myself that guns are not the problem, it's whose hands they are in. so in an important way I saw the light too. but glad to hear he is not against others owning and carrying guns. hopefully at least that will not change. and sometime in the future he might do some thinking and realize that he is in charge of protecting himself and his future family. good luck!

Me too. I blame it on the ignorance of youth.