Certain words hurt you when you talk about your rights and liberties. People who would deny your rights have done a good job of manipulating the language so far. Without even realizing it, you’re probably using terms that actually help the people who want to disarm you.
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To preserve, protect and defend your rights in the critical debate on where power should reside in America, you need effective word choices. Try out some of the ideas in this chart the next time you deal with this subject. Then just give it a rest and watch where it goes. You’ll hear the litany, replete with flaws. Don’t rebut. Seize the moment, listen hard and learn—then just raise an eyebrow and think, “How ’bout that. Feller doesn’t even own a gun. It takes all kinds.” Then talk about something else. And boy, does the disjoint hang in their craw.
Winning The Gun Control Argument
| They Win If You Say | You Win If You Say |
|---|---|
| Pro gun | Pro rights |
| Gun control | Crime control |
| Reasonable gun control laws | Illegal infringement laws |
| Anti-gun movement | Anti-self-defense movement |
| Semi-automatic handgun | Sidearm |
| Concealed carry | Discreet carry or right to carry |
| Assault or lethal weapon | Household firearms |
| Junk guns | The affordability issue |
| High-capacity magazines | Full-capacity magazines |
| Second Amendment | Bill of Rights |
| Gun rights | Civil rights or human rights |
| The powerful gun lobby | Civil rights organizations |
| Common-sense legislation | Dangerous utopian ideas |
| Anti-gun | Anti-gun bigotry |
| Anti-gun | Anti-gun prejudice |
| Anti-gun | Anti-rights |
| When They Say | You Say |
|---|---|
| Guns kill | Guns save lives |
| Guns cause crime | Guns stop crime |
| Guns are bad | Guns are why America is still free |
| Assault weapons are bad | Assault is a type of behavior |
| Guns are so dangerous | Guns are supposed to be dangerous |
| Guns are too dangerous to own | Take a safety class |
| People shouldn’t have guns | Maybe you shouldn’t have one |
| People don’t need guns | Only good people need guns |
| Guns should be totally outlawed | Let’s try that with drugs first |
| Guns should just go away | And dangerous people, too |
| They should take away all the guns | Bad guys first |
| They should take away all the guns because they’re so dangerous | Who exactly is “they” you would give the guns to? |
| Gun owners should be registered | Bad guys first |
| Gun owners should be registered to help stop crime | How would writing my name on a list help stop crime? |
| The purpose of a gun is to kill | The purpose of a gun is to protect |
| We need more gun laws | Criminal activity is already banned |
| I’m not against people having guns, and I support the Second Amendment | What sort of guns should people have, and why? |
| Do you really have a gun? | Of course, don’t you? Let’s go to the range for an hour |
This article was originally published in “Combat Handguns” July/August 2018. To order a copy and subscribe, visit outdoorgroupstore.com.
