Reasons for SA citizens being anti - gun

**gwj DICKDEKOCK** · 27-04-2012, 00:48

I know this has been discussed directly/indirectly on this site...but would like to have a better understanding of the reasons causing so many persons to be opposed to citizens carrying FAs...Sure organisations like GFSA are partially responsible,but they certainly coudn't have single handedly caused the current situation where FA owners are considered dangerous cowboys by most....I guess movies are also responsible,since guns are mostly shown in the hands of bad guys/murders/suicides....what/who else causes the current situation where most are opposed to FA's?

**JS4** · 27-04-2012, 05:20

Who says most are opposed to firearms?

I don't think that is the case. Every time a firearm-related poll is run by the media the results are decidedly pro-gun.

IMO the anti-gun lobby is by far in the minority, but they are disproportionately loud and influential. They also get to be radical and rabid because they are unarmed while we, those who are armed, are as a rule polite and calm. That is why they mostly seem to be shouting the loudest.

**romeopappa** · 27-04-2012, 05:42

What utter nonsense. Most people are actually pro-gun. Speak to people out there then you will find out. Oh and by the way, if you visited something like Huntex, you would have experienced it first hand.

**Pivo** · 27-04-2012, 08:21

People I know are agaist gunst in the hands of criminals. Legal ownership of hard to get hardware is sort of admired.

**Logan Bruwer** · 27-04-2012, 08:44

I may be in the minority here or maybe its just the culture down here in the Cape. Since I have moved down here I have been ridiculed or scoffed at for owning and carrying. Most of the people I meet socially consider it taboo to even talk about. I personally blame the FCA when they removed the rifles from schools. All the schools I went to had .22 rifles and it was a legitimate sport, organised and safe. It was not anything strange/right wing/survivalist about it. Even if you didn't participate you were exposed to it in a constructive manner. I think the designers behind the FCA were more strategic then we give them credit for when they destroyed those rifles, they are in it for the long haul.

**30.06** · 27-04-2012, 08:48

Some citizens are anti-gun because of ignorance and ill informed reporting in the media.I am not sure of exact statistics but gun owners number over a million.

**JS4** · 27-04-2012, 08:51

Not everyone that is pro-gun owns firearms. I know many people who don't own guns themselves but still support the right to own them.

**miklin** · 27-04-2012, 09:03

There are certainly those that oppose FA. There are also those who are scared of them because of ignorance. They are the ones that think the weapon is the problem, and not the operator behind it. They expect the weapon to discharge spontaneously etc.

**Antlion** · 27-04-2012, 09:32

I personally came across lots of people that are progun,but don't carry,but they have no issue with it and even encourage others. They don't carry for variouspersonal reasons.However,I did come across people who are anti gun,due to ignorance more than anything else. One person even told me by carrying,you painting a target on your back. That is really ignorance,and not being educated about firearms,concealed carry etc.

**ady** · 27-04-2012, 09:48

Originally Posted by Logan Bruwer

I may be in the minority here or maybe its just the culture down here in the Cape. Since I have moved down here I have been ridiculed or scoffed at for owning and carrying. Most of the people I meet socially consider it taboo to even talk about. I personally blame the FCA when they removed the rifles from schools. All the schools I went to had .22 rifles and it was a legitimate sport, organised and safe. It was not anything strange/right wing/survivalist about it. Even if you didn't participate you were exposed to it in a constructive manner. I think the designers behind the FCA were more strategic then we give them credit for when they destroyed those rifles, they are in it for the long haul.

I never thaught about the FCA like that before, i think you are rite they are in it for the long haul. I spoke to my old teacher a couple of weeks ago at our school reunion about the 22 rifles we had at school. They were pristine. He said they arrived at the school, he had to open the strong room and they just took the rifles (he was anal about the condition and cleaning of them, rightly so) and threw them onto the back of a bakkie and drove away to have them destroyed. One of the sadest days in his life, he says it broke his heart. I think it was also a way for them to boost the number of guns destroyed to show what a good job is being done of taking guns out of society.