Levels

In the midst of one of his posts, David Codrea hits on a point I've held for a while:

Until gun owners get it in their heads that there is a war on guns in this country, and it actually requires them to do something, apathy and laziness will continue being our greatest impediment. By not making this a priority while things are easy, they're increasing the odds that things will get hard.

Until gun owners get it in their heads ..... indeed.

Over my fair number of years, I've deduced that there are more than one level of firearms owner out there, and the ramifications, to me, are one of the reasons that gun control is allowed to happen. Here are the levels as I see them.

Level 1 - I own a firearm. I've never shot it, I don't know if it's loaded, my (insert family member here) gave it to me, I'd never use it.

These owners are the absolute minimum of what's required to be a 'firearms owner' - they simply own a firearm.

There is also the possibility that this owner is actually anti-gun, and ownership give him some sort of 'street cred'.

Level 2 - I have bought a firearm for self defense in the home. These owners have at least made a decision to own, even though they may not practice with their firearm. Note that they probably think (and rightly so) that the Level 1 owner should trade their weapon for a $50 gift card at the next buy-back, but otherwise will defend their right to own.

Level 3 - I shoot firearms for sporting/ hunting purposes. These individuals are generally more 'into' friearms than the Level 1 or 2, and they take their rights to own a firearm seriously - as far as they need them to go (hunt). They will defend their rights, and those of Level 1 and 2.

Level 4 - These firearms owners take a fairly literal view of the 2nd amendment, and are likely to carry a firearm (openly or concealed) for personal self-protection. They will defend their right to own firearms, as well as those in Levels 1, 2 and 3.

Level 5 - These are the absolutists, and if they can afford them, likely NFA item owners. Such individuals believe that the individual should be allowed to own weapons of most any kind, as long as they behave and don't commit crime with said weapon. These individuals will also defend everyones' right to own a firearm, at all levels.

Note that the Level 5 owners already know that there is a 'war' on over firearms; it's the other levels that may or may not need to be convinced.

Also note that each successive level will advocate their rights, and the rights of the levels below them, but it's less likely that they'll advocate for levels above their own.

So why then, are the Level 5 owners the targets of all the arrows?

pm