For decades, the image of gun ownership in America was white, rural and Republican, but that’s been changing, according to gun clubs, trainers, Second Amendment advocates and academic researchers.
They say more liberals, people of color and LGBTQ folks have been buying guns for years and particularly since Trump’s reelection in 2024. This story was based on more than 30 interviews. David Phillips is on the training team of the Liberal Gun Club, which has chapters in more than 30 states and provides a haven for liberals to train and learn about guns. He says club membership has grown from 2,700 in November to 4,500 today. Requests for training, he says, have quintupled.
“The concern is about the supporters of the right-wing who feel that they have been given permission to run roughshod at least, if not commit outright violence against people they don’t like,” Phillips says.
this is just utter horseshit
eye for an eye makes everyone blind well in this case maimed or dead
fuck this timeline
No one said anything about an eye for the eye. This is about defending against people who have been emboldened to break the law and commit acts of violence.
But i agree, fuck this timeline
The chances of really anybody being able to successfully defend themselves against an organized armed threat targeting them individually is nil. More guns in circulation and money to gun manufacturers just perpetuates this reality.
What do the radicalized people who tune into the far-right media pipeline think when they see this headline? They likely see the “radical left” arming - the very people they have been propagandized to see as violent terrorists. It doesn’t calm anything down, it only further inflames the situation - while the people who make and sell guns rejoice.
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You’re right. We should look to history, to see how one should deal with existential threats.
Last century, the world defeated Nazi Germany with complaining and hand wringing.
Chamberlain’s appeasement strategy was famously effective.
And forgiveness for an eye destroys society as we know it. Arming against the armed and dangerous is the only way. Except of course, enacting sensible weapon laws, but this is America we’re talking about. It’s only 500 years old, still very feudal.
There are alternative systems to facilitate justice just waiting to be explored that don’t involve blame or forgiveness on a societal level.
Blame and forgiveness are personal matters, but societally we can hold people who e.g. commit violent acts to account and allow them the chance to rehabilitate and participate in society when they are deemed capable of doing so.
Punitive measures are not an effective deterrent to disincentivize crime.
Right when my door is getting nocked down I’m worried about revenge and not, ya know, self defense
Bullies, maga, and facists dont stop on thier own. they take and take until they are forced to stop. you arent going to reason your way out of this one. If you ask politely, they will see it as weakness and will take everything from you.
You are a MASSIVE part of the problem.
And the money train continues to flow to these crooked gun manufacturers, meanwhile your gun is more likely to be stolen and used in a crime than used for personal protection at any time.