Megan McArdle has a must read post that reflects a lot of the things I’ve been trying to say here in regards to gun rights. She uses a different context, but it applies to what we do:
First, most grassroots action never achieves anything, because most grassroots action is at odds with what the majority wants. You can wave your polls about the environment until you’re blue in the face, but I maintain that the public gets a lot angrier about rising gas prices than about climate change, which tells me where their actual priorities lie. People look at the civil rights movement and think “Yeah! That’s the way to do it!” but it was preceeded by decades of slow, painful work preparing for it. Likewise, it took decades to get women the vote. Most major political change occurs at a glacial pace.
Bold text emphasis mine. I think gun folks are often in need of understanding this; we’re not getting rid of most gun control laws any time soon, and the reason is because the majority of the population doesn’t want to get rid of them. Whether it’s because they support them, or just don’t care, isn’t really material. If we are to roll this back, it will take great care, and a lot of time. The no-compromise groups are selling a snake oil solution, that promises a quick cure. As much as I wish it were true, it’s not going to work. We must be no-compromise in spirit, but in the political process, it’s pragmatism that wins. She goes on:
The other thing I would emphasize is that protesting minorities generally succeed when their letters, marches, etc. emphasize their role as part of a larger culture. This is why the breast cancer lobby is overwhelmingly more successful than, say, the antiwar movement.
But on a lot of issues, the grassroots culture really emphasizes alienation rather than connection. Antiwar protests might not have stopped the war no matter what, but it’s a safe bet they’d have garnered more sympathy and respect for their views had more of the protesters shown up dressed for the Elks Lodge Annual Dinner Dance rather than Sunday afternoon in the Village. Undoubtedly, in an ideal world conformity to restrictive social norms would not be a prerequisite for activist success, but you’re stuck with the primate tribe you got born into, where it largely is. The boomers got away with it because they were the largest generation in American history, and had recently been given the vote. No one else will get to repeat that feat.
This gets back to what SayUncle says about not scaring the white folk, and why I’m such an advocate about keeping this movement in the main stream, and advocate using language and tactics that ordinary Americans, many of whom own guns, but few of whom are gun nuts, can relate to. There’s no surer way to failure than for the gun rights movement to become a lunatic fringe.
So there, Megan McArdle agrees with me :)Â So if you didn’t believe me, maybe you’ll believe her :)
