Feedback from the National Firearms Summit

[abhm]

Dear all,

As you are aware I attended the recent National Firearms Summit representing the interests of all gun owners in South Africa through GOSA. Our mandate was eloquently set out by my colleague Johan Schoeman to include the interests of all 1,8 million firearm owners, the most law abiding segment of South African society.


I don’t want to rehash the technical discussions we had or the data we introduced, nor do I want to revisit the arguments we had regarding the introduction of that data. No matter which way you cut it we win the data argument B.U.T and that but is bigger than…..well you get the picture, also I will get back to this BUT in a bit  .

Let me highlight what I believe we gun owners got out of this summit.

We on the pro-gun side are far more united now than before the summit, we have proven that we have some serious skills on our side and I believe we grew in respect for each other, this is a keenly important step to have made.

I believe our presence and our conduct at the summit positioned each of our organizations as serious role players in this debate.

The summit allowed for some battle lines to be drawn, my view of this are as follows.

GFSA has partnered with SAFA not due to their credentials in the gun control debate but rather for their mass market appeal and more importantly because the SAPS seems to be significantly disenchanted with GFSA. GFSA needs a “big brother supporter” from their perspective of being a victims advocate. Aligning with SAFA provides them with that.

With that in mind I believe the SAPS stretched out a hand of friendship to gun owners. Their rhetoric from the perspective of the General explaining to GFSA and the committee that causal factors of crimes was not a gun issue, the National Commissioners confirmation that the SAPS sought to create a gun FRIENDLY society up to the Deputy Minister’s stance that there was no intent to disarm the law abiding, these statements may well be interpreted as a qualified and considered olive branch. They certainly caused a great lengthening of faces and pouting of lips over on the GFSA side of the aisle. This dynamic is of huge benefit to ourselves as gun owners and we would be foolish not to grasp that extended hand of friendship. Caveat emptor, I am NOT advocating the Chamberlain doctrine here, by no means. What I am saying is that this is a golden opportunity to distance ourselves from the hysterical rhetoric amidst our own ranks and to start our own campaign for the perceptorial battle which will be where this fight is won or last.

See I promised you all I would return to that big BUT, The single biggest enemy we as gun owners have is ourselves, we consistently reinforce the caricature of ourselves that the anti’s have created. We like to believe that we are perceived as law abiding reasonable people who wish to take ownership of our right to self-defense, practice our sport in peace or put food on our tables yet that is not how we are painted by the anti’s. We are painted as hysterical, anti police, anti authority, anti government self-claimed gun nuts. Accusations of racism, financial privilege and being unpatriotic are easily made and the fact that this is completely untrue is looked past with the antics and utterings of a small vocal minority are held up as representative of gun owners.

We as gun owners need to break down the silo’s that we have created, not only the obvious ones which divide black and white, sportsman and hunters, defensive firearm owners and the collectors, but those caricatures that have underscored the antis hoplophobic accusations. I am not saying be pro-government or heaven forbid believe every uttering made by a politician but start analyzing what you say and how you behave. Realize that only you can sit down to talk to a child, wear your absolute reasonableness and your protective values on your sleeve. The antis have not painted us as sheepdogs but as wolves, and no matter how much we lament that sheep don’t understand sheepdogs we need to realize that in this case, sheepdogs need to understand that the sheep fear the teeth and that we need to account for that fear and disarm the hysteria that is bred by that fear.

We also need to realize that the SAPS specifically is a huge organizations and has many faults but we should stop leveling undue criticism at it and its members, by all means when it gives you a reason to , then critique away however avoid blanket statements when none are justified. The police are natural partners to law abiding firearm owners and it only the clash of ego’s that can get in the way. Don’t perpetuate it from your side.


All of your representatives and delegates achieved a HUGE deal at this summit and have paved the way for additional engagements but we as gun owners absolutely need to realize this is a battle we are all in and can all lose.

As always, be safe, be awesome and be the man or woman whom you would want your children to be 

Best regards to All

Bryan

[JS4]

Thank you very much for the write-up and the time taken. I echo every sentiment.

Thanks to all for your support and suggestions, it was an honour to be able to represent you all.

Now to keep at it, while the iron is hot...

[Psychosis]

Thanks.

Some food for thought, indeed.

[StefanM]

Thank you for this.

[pdh]

Thanks for all your efforts and the feedback

[Fishaman]

We also need to realize that the SAPS specifically is a huge organizations and has many faults but we should stop leveling undue criticism at it and its members, by all means when it gives you a reason to , then critique away however avoid blanket statements when none are justified. The police are natural partners to law abiding firearm owners and it only the clash of ego’s that can get in the way. Don’t perpetuate it from your side.

Hear Hear!

Sometime I cringe at the crap that gets posted on the GOSA Facebook page!

[StefanM]

Not just there.

[SeanG]

Thank you for the feedback Bryan, and for representing us.

[Peter Wells]

Thanks for this Bryan.
One thing I would like to add to your post is the absolute need for each one of us to think before speaking about/critisizing/commenting on other peoples' firearm and related activities (especially publicly). We have to have each other's backs and we have to be seen by the antis to be one large and formidable force, not a divided bunch of special interest groups.
Sermon over.

[JS4]

Thanks for this Bryan.
One thing I would like to add to your post is the absolute need for each one of us to think before speaking about/critisizing/commenting on other peoples' firearm and related activities (especially publicly). We have to have each other's backs and we have to be seen by the antis to be one large and formidable force, not a divided bunch of special interest groups.
Sermon over.