By comparison, NYS laws suck across the board, too, but not enough to make gun ownership anywhere near as rare upstate as it is in and around NYC. Focus on “and around,” as not all NYC suburbs have the same horrendous gun laws that NYC itself does. Ditto for Chicago – a few suburbs copied their bans until a month or two ago, but the vast majority never did. I’d also be willing to wager that a similarly percentage of NOVA residents are comfortable with guns, despite enjoying (or not enjoying, as it were) the same gun-friendly policies that the rest of Virginia takes for granted.

To the extent that horrendous local gun laws and low gun ownerships correlate, the causal arrow is mostly in the direction of low gun ownership rates causing crappy laws, not vice-versa. Though it does work the other way, too. I am living proof, having complied with Evanston, IL’s handgun ban upon learning of it by … getting the hell out of Evanston.

Outright bans or severe and heavy restrictions in several of America’s largest major metropolitan areas have so severely depressed gun ownership in these areas that no one has any familiarity with guns, or their responsible use.

I’m not sure I buy that. Chicago, NYC and DC have onerous gun ordinances, sure, but preemption laws take that issue off the table almost everywhere else. Los Angeles, San Francisco, etc. can’t regulate firearm ownership at all, but that doesn’t change the fact that few denizens of these cities own or appreciate firearms.

Drip by drop. I have been told that my distribution of these print-outs had an effect on some recent very important legislative events in my home state. I’d like to think that’s true and that we can all play.

That’s why so many of us “prags” are trying to avoid direct conflicts as much as reasonably possible. We don’t have the clout for a sustained political battle, or perhaps even for certain individual battles. If we can tear down the unearned clout of the anti-RKBA folks, increase NRA membership (or at least RKBA support), and educate those around us about guns then our odds of winning in future battles stand a better chance.

If the NRA is seen as constantly fighting losing battles its support will dry up. If it’s seen as winning when it chooses to act then people will be more confident about giving money in the future.

Both