3 Ways To Do Pro-Second Amendment Activism Wrong

The gun control vs. gun rights debate isn’t going away anytime soon, and it’s true that it can be frustrating to hear some of the things the anti-gunners say about the moral character of gun owners. Nobody likes being falsely accused of being mentally unstable, callous, dumb or violent. That said, if you’ve ever done any of the below in an effort to advance gun rights, the rest of us would like to respectfully request that you please…pretty please, with a brick of .22 LR and Hoppe’s #9 on top…stop helping.

If you’ve never heard of SWATting, it’s a “prank” in which some complete and utter ringmeat takes it upon himself to phone in a false hostage or bomb threat in order to get a SWAT team sent to someone’s home. Because there’s nothing that will make you think, “Ah-hah! I’ve been a fool! Henceforth I shall change my ways!” like having your door kicked down at 2 a.m. by a fully armed SWAT team under the impression that they’re entering a life-and-death scenario. (And yes, some balloon knot tried to do that to David Hogg a few weeks ago.)

If you’re one of the wise few who have managed to stay off Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and whatever new platform people are using to spread their ignorance far and wee, congratulations! If not, then here are some things that we can promise you will absolutely not change any hearts and minds. (Unless the hearts and minds you’re trying to change currently believe pro-2A people are rational and reasonable, that is.)

This article isn’t going to cover the great open carry vs. concealed carry debate; there are valid points on both sides. However, if you have chosen to carry your firearm openly in accordance with the laws in your jurisdiction, might we make a teensy suggestion? Perhaps descending on your local taco or coffee shop with 10 of your nearest and dearest while wearing your AR-15s slung at the low ready position—meaning, rifle in front of you with the buttstock pointing up and the muzzle down and to the side—might not be the best way to convince others that people who OC are just regular folks exercising their rights. (It is a great way to get some “special sauce” in your burrito, however!)