Every time we have a mass shooting, both sides of the gun debate follow the same script. The anti-gunners come out in full force, waving the latest bloody shirt and blaming the tragedy on the NRA, the second amendment, guns, and gun owners everywhere. They’re not grasping at straws or flailing about looking for targets of opportunity; they know exactly what they want. They have a list of specific enemies that they use the tragedy to smear, and they have a specific list of legislative proposals on file that they immediately begin introducing in state legislatures.

What do gun owners, and especially the NRA’s current leadership, do? First we lay low, waiting for the (self-)righteous outrage to die down a bit. Then a few brave souls poke their heads up from the foxhole and try to go on the defensive, asserting our constitutional rights, talking about how nothing could’ve been done to prevent this tragedy, and lamely pointing to various statistics that bolster our cause.

So in response to the anti-gunners’ emotionally charged rhetoric and powerful images of grieving parents, dead children, and candlelight vigils, we offer the public a few charts showing the decades-long decline in gun violence, some tired bromides, various hypotheticals about a possible future need for armed revolution, and some talk about our rights.

And how’s that working out for us? Not so well, at least from where we’re sitting here at AllOutdoor.com.

- See more at: http://www.alloutdoor.com/2015/10/07/editorial-after-every-massacre-gun-owners-must-stand-up-and-fight/#sthash.QZM7ANXi.dpuf

That Second Amendment is for EVERY American. That’s a true story, regardless of your personal opinion on any LGBT issue. Pro-gun individuals come in every shape, size, background, sexual orientation, faith, creed,  political affiliation…you get the point.

Our God-given (well, I consider them God-given), constitutionally guaranteed rights apply to every American, not just to the ones whose lifestyle or even perceived moral code we understand and/or approve of. This video, which features three very atypical gun-owners, reflects that truth. I particularly enjoyed listening to the self-described vegan democratic-socialist discuss firearms, unnecessary violence and how the obligation to defend his family correlates to his spiritual beliefs. Kristin Beck spent 2 decades risking her life for her country, a career that more the demands respect, and I’ve written before about my friend Chris Cheng. He likened coming out of the gun closet to coming out of the gay closet.
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It’s an interesting video, and one worth watching. Hopefully we can enjoy civil discourse on the matter without seeing any of the feculent outrage that makes all gun owners look small minded or stupid (which is, of course, far different than intelligent, dissenting discourse).