Yes, there is, and that ignorance doesn't necessarily apply to NEW or non- gun owners either. I have been a gun owner for most of my life, and used guns well before that, having grown up in a "gun-friendly" family where venison, turkey and dove graced our table most every season.Boma wrote:I totally agree with you. I didn't realize how much the government limited our right to defend ourself until I shot and owned my first gun a couple of months ago.
There is a lot of Gun Ignorance in the world.
However, when I met my wife of 18+ years about 20 years ago, who does not hunt (she doesn't object to hunting, and loves venison and wild game, but would rather fish any day), my hobby and interest in rifles and handguns subsided greatly (constant relocations throughout the Midwest with a previous company didn't help matters any), along with my knowledge of what was happening with regards to guns and gun ownership politics.
It wasn't until just a few months ago, when I inherited several of my Dad's guns after his passing that my hobby and interest was rejuvenated and I started paying more attention to the current state of things. I had "slept through" the Clinton ban (it's boring to keep track of what someone you don't like and didn't vote for is doing... BIG mistake), and was more or less completely ignorant as to what was going on with gun and self-defense laws, or noticing our 2A rights being slowly taken away.
I'm glad I eventually received my "wake up call," and although I had always sided with the NRA, was never a member. It wasn't until my interest in getting a CHL (due in part that we suspect with good reason a house next-door to us are drug dealers
... good thing we're only renting and will eventually move!) that I became "enlightened" to what's really going on out there with respect to our nation's gun laws.I'm now an NRA member (as well as my wife, at her choice), and as of just this week also became a member of TSRA. The CHL is still in the works, as my wife is wanting hers as well and would like to take her CHL class when I take mine, so we've put off taking the class until she's become more comfortable at the range with a handgun of larger caliber than .22 (I’d also like to find a good self-defense semi that will fit this 4'11" person’s tiny hands!
).Although she'll never be a hunter, she loves to target shoot but has yet never shot anything other than a .22 or pellet gun, but has always said she wouldn't hesitate to use anything I have in a self-defense situation (hopefully that will never happen). In hindsight I just wish I hadn't let my hobby subside in the past, as we would have had a lot of fun and she would already be experienced in handling larger calibers by now. There had been several times she mentioned an interest in learning to shoot my shotgun at clays, and wish I had taken her up on that, but all is not lost as after we get our CHLs I plan to get her a .410 and take her out for a bit of trap/skeet fun.
Anyway, my apologies for rambling off-topic. I concur that there is an awful lot of "Gun Ignorance" amongst our nation's population, which is a pity, but also means that there's still a lot of work to do, with gun and non-gun owners alike.
Oh, BTW, congratulations on your first gun! I'm sure it won't be long before you have another!
