How to get the pro-gun facts out?

[YBNORMAL]

It has occured to me that, while I feel we have very solid footing from which to promote firearm ownership and carry. We dont really have a good way of getting the information out there(maybe I'm just new so thats why I'm asking). The PAFOA is a great resource, but I have noticed that many of the gun owners I know havent even heard of us. (I have tried to steer them here)

We obviously cant count on the MSM to help spread the good word on "why guns arent the problem", so where does that leave us if we want larger exposure? Thus far as a long time gun owner, albiet relatively new member of the PAFOA, I have tried to promote the education of people in my daily life about ownership and carry. As well as any new posters to this forum that have a question I feel qualified to answer.

With the exception of the people in my life, this mode of education seems be an inward looking policy. As I type this I wonder if I'm just being impatient, or is there a better way to get our message out there? We deal with people that come here asking "why carry a gun". Some are looking for honest debate, and I feel that they come away from here with a better understanding of our position. Some do not, they simply troll and cant back up opinions with fact.

Are there places we can go, (anti-gun?) forums that advocate gun control, etc? In order to have honest debate on a large scale with those that oppose us. Gun owners going to a place like that with facts, will surely never convice everyone, but the "thread" and logic will also be seen by many more than when one poster over on PAFOA gets educated by all of us.

Am I just asking to beat my head against a wall if I go to such places? Or am I being nieve to think that this (spreading the good word) process will be anything other than a slow, methodical culture change?

What say you PAFOA

[kevindsingleton]

Are there places we can go, (anti-gun?) forums that advocate gun control, etc? In order to have honest debate on a large scale with those that oppose us.

There are, in my experience, no confirmed anti-firearms freedom forums that will tolerate honest debate.

[PennsyPlinker]

I promote responsible gun ownership everywhere I go. Everyone who meets me knows I am a gun owner. They see me as a responsible gun owner all the time because they see me living the life of a good citizen, not breaking laws, not being rowdy or obnoxious. This is all accomplished through the medium of open carry.

Open carry is not for everyone. It takes some stones (figuratively speaking of course), and it takes a willingness to deal with people, regular people and people in authority, who do not understand what it is all about. But this is precisely how people who do not know are educated. Some on this board make a big thing of being short with those who accost them. Fine, that is their right. But, it is the person who takes the time to explain, even to those who aren't interested in thinking about it. Often there are others observing who are thinking about it.

And the best part is, I am not necessarily promoting open carry specifically. I am promoting gun ownership. People who observe me often start up conversations on gun ownership, only to find that they are not the only one in their circle of acquaintances who is a gun owner!

Unfortunately there are enemies out there. I am not talking about the antis. They are well defined and easily identified most of the time. No, I am talking about other gun owners. These people are the ones who think we are ruining it for everyone. They think guns are somehow dirty, or wrong on some level, and need to be hidden away, taken out only in very restricted settings, and only for brief periods of time. They need to be hidden so that the antis won't think of them and more reasons to ban them.

This "strategy", if one can call it that, has not worked in the past, and will not work in the future. For me and for others on this board, carrying a gun openly is the best and fastest way to reach as many people as possible on a daily basis, showing the general population that gun owners are normal, regular people who are their neighbors, co workers, family, and friends. And that is how it gets done.

[son of the revolution]

It has occured to me that, while I feel we have very solid footing from which to promote firearm ownership and carry. We dont really have a good way of getting the information out there(maybe I'm just new so thats why I'm asking). The PAFOA is a great resource, but I have noticed that many of the gun owners I know havent even heard of us. (I have tried to steer them here)

We obviously cant count on the MSM to help spread the good word on "why guns arent the problem", so where does that leave us if we want larger exposure? Thus far as a long time gun owner, albiet relatively new member of the PAFOA, I have tried to promote the education of people in my daily life about ownership and carry. As well as any new posters to this forum that have a question I feel qualified to answer.

With the exception of the people in my life, this mode of education seems be an inward looking policy. As I type this I wonder if I'm just being impatient, or is there a better way to get our message out there? We deal with people that come here asking "why carry a gun". Some are looking for honest debate, and I feel that they come away from here with a better understanding of our position. Some do not, they simply troll and cant back up opinions with fact.

Are there places we can go, (anti-gun?) forums that advocate gun control, etc? In order to have honest debate on a large scale with those that oppose us. Gun owners going to a place like that with facts, will surely never convice everyone, but the "thread" and logic will also be seen by many more than when one poster over on PAFOA gets educated by all of us.

Am I just asking to beat my head against a wall if I go to such places? Or am I being nieve to think that this (spreading the good word) process will be anything other than a slow, methodical culture change?

What say you PAFOA

As was just pointed out , 99.9 % of dedicated " Anti Gun " sites or forums, or even just leftist sites will reject anything resembling honest debate and facts as a threat to their belief systems and it is very much akin to beating one's head against a wall. That said , I also have your attitude, in that I dont give a damn so much about winning over a " True Believer " as I do about getting my shots in and preserved for posterity on teh interwebs. Lots of times on other sites I've endured the usual petty and childish bashing, only to flat out tell those responsible that I couldnt care less about their feelings, as tons of other people would be reading the threads without posting one way or the other, and it was those people I was trying to reach.

I've posted extensively on The Huffington Post ( believe it or not , when guns are the topic , the Pro Gun folks ALWAYS outnumber and eviscerate the Kool Aid drinkers by wide margins) and over here in South Jersey at the local large newspaper ( The Courier Post).

As to your question about what we can do about getting our message out without the help of the MSM ? Thats another issue I've thought long and hard over. The only two viable things I've come up with as far as reaching large numbers of people are You Tube Public Service Annoucement type of " infomercials" and trying to hold free presentations/Q&A sessions for the public at hotel conference centers/community centers/college lecture halls , etc . I think a well designed and presented Power Point presentation, with a Q&A session , all running about an hour or so would do wonders.

Many places will allow free or highly reduced cost use of their rooms for " Civic " related activities. Its all about how you pitch it to the building owner and the advertising that you use. Even if you couldnt get a discount on a room rental, most of the ones that would accomodate 100 or so people arent that expensive and the costs could be recouped by a $5 per person door charge for attendance or some kind of raffle or something.

I dont really like public speaking, but on this topic Im in my element and quite comfortable. I KNOW I could give knock out presentation of the facts, I just suck at building Power Point presentations and dont have a projector to link to the laptop.

Just some thoughts ..................................

[Kimba]

I have been thinking that setting a booth or table to hand out flyers at local venues (Community days, fairs, festivals) might be an option.

If handouts contained the PAFOA logo or info to this site, Dan might have to approve.

[WhiteFeather]

Want to make a difference and do you part to protect your Constitutional rights?

Been working a un paid volunteer, setting up information tables at local gun shows for Firearms Owners Against Crime (FOAC) trying to educate gun owners and trying get them personally involved for about 15 years. Taken many an election day off and just passed out Pro-Gun FOAC Voters guides at voting locations to get the word out and help gun owners support & elected pro-gun people to office. Also walked many a mile dropping pro gun information in local districts races to help elect a pro-gun rep to replace dedicated anti-gun rep that voted to take our rights away and violated their oath to support and defend the constitution in my opinion.

Someone is going to hold an elected office position, it can be either a anti-gunner or a pro-gun person that will support your Constitutional rights, which do you want to hold those positions?

FOAC is based in western PA and probably why there are so many pro gun democrats and republicans from this area that vocally support and protect our firearm rights in Harrisburg. Over the years FOAC has expanded its influence across the state, it’s the many dedicated volunteers that having been doing this for many years all across PA.

WE are the special forces and on the front lines of firearm activist movement in PA, I don’t care what big name group you belong to the elected reps both friend and foe know who FOAC is because of our direct involvement in the political process of helping to elect people to office. We don’t get it done by stuffing cash in their pockets like other groups do tryto buy (bribe) influence. We do it by putting un paid volunteer boots on the ground, something that most politicians have to raise lots of cash to pay mercenaries to perform these same functions we do at no cost to help pro gun people get elected.

Why do you think we get some of the biggest names in PA politics come to FOAC meeting to look for our support?

FOAC has the detailed firearm questionnaire that has raised the bar for everyone’s else’s. FOAC endorses candidates based on these answers and by follow personal interviews and past voting / public statements. FOAC doesn’t just hand them out like cracker jack prizes like other groups do for political reasons, they get them the hard way by commitment to the constitution. In some key firearm votes if we are betrayed by a sellout politician (usually voted PG) we hold them accountable, many over the years have regretted their sell out of our rights after they were unelected by gun owners and FOAC. Others weak on the 2nd politicians have actually worked with FOAC and with education they have been strong supporters and vocal defender of our rights.

Kim Stolfer is the current chairman of FOAC and is one of the founding members. Most people have no idea of the valuable service and hundreds of hours every year people like Kim and Others have been quietly been doing behind the scenes to protect your firearms rights for many, many years in PA.

Why do you think that we have been able to have the 2nd amendment Harrisburg rallies and legislator interactive lobbying events and be able to fill the steps with so many pro gun reps from both parties?

Other firearm organizations are taking our lead and combining a rally and directly lobbying the reps events after seeing the results we have gotten in PA. This session and past we have more pro-gun bills pending because of gun owners supporting our cause and elected Reps that gun owners helped elect to office.

One big difference about FOAC every member has a say in the direction and can give their input in which direction FOAC goes. How many organizations ever offer that?

IF you want to do something in your area you could organize a local FOAC chapter, setup informational tables at gun shows etc

WE all can as individuals can make a difference if we work toward a common cause to protect all of our constitutional rights. All we have to do is to decide to get involved and work together.

http://www.foac-pac.org/

FOAC membership is 10 bucks a year.

If given a choice of giving 10 bucks to FOAC or donating 8 hours of your time a year to the cause fighting for keeping our firearm rights. Give us your time we will show you how dedicated activist volunteers can beat high paid lobbyist with pockets full of cash that are the tools of rich people behind the scenes that are trying to disarm all of US.

Please learn how to protect your rights by being directly involved in the process whether you work with FOAC or some other group that you like what they do, just don't sit idle by on the side lines as a spectator, educate - inform yourself and get in the fight to protect our republican form of government is under attack every where. Don't just let them take our freedoms on our watch without a fight.

WE are having a political lobbying day in the Fall 2009 if you are interested in seeing how FOACtivist protect and enhance our firearm rights its open to all in PAFOA details here.

http://forum.pafoa.org/pennsylvania-...all-pafoa.html

[CerealKiller]

Advertise on cable. During prime time.

[PennsyPlinker]

Advertise on cable. During prime time.

Are you buying?

[son of the revolution]

Are you buying?

TBH its not really all that expensive to buy ad spots on cable channels. I used to think it was prohibitive also , till I ran for election last year. We ran 30 and 60 second ads every hour on major cable networks , TNT , USA , Lifetime , CNN , Fox , etc and it wasnt much at all. I think actually producing the add costs more then the air time. And I would imagine running an ad on the cable " Community Channel " is even less.