What I Learned While Trying To Become A Canadian Gun Lover
BY Herschel Smith
8 years ago
What I learned, through the process of becoming a firearms license holder, trying out several types of shooting sports, and—for the sake of comparison—joining the National Rifle Association in the US, is that Canadian gun culture is quieter and far more anal than American gun culture. And most Canadian gun owners seem to be just fine with that.
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The Americans I spoke with generally consider having to get a license an affront to their personal liberty, but on a practical level, unless you have a criminal record or something to hide, I don’t see the issue.
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Not long after, I shot a long-range rifle—a beast of a gun, that I’m told is used by snipers in the military. I hated it. It felt like a literal bomb going off …
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In late May, I headed to Louisville, Kentucky for the NRA convention after signing up to become an NRA member. I had never—and probably never will again—see that many guns (or old white men) in one place. There was an exhibition space the size of two large airplane hangars filled with every type of gun and gun accessory possible, even special bedside holsters. The NRA is an extremely slick operation with a tightly controlled message. Everywhere I looked, there were television screens showing various gun advocates who spoke about protecting the Second Amendment, and protecting themselves against “terrorists” and the other evils of the world. Inside one of the auditoriums, waiting for then-Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump to speak, a gentleman beside me started showing me photos of all his guns on his phone. He assumed I was black and said it was “nice to see an African-American here for a change.” When I asked why he thought there weren’t many black people in the NRA, he replied: “They’ll tell you that they don’t have the money for it. But they have money for rims. They have money for Air Jordans.” With my first racist experience under my belt, I proceeded to watch Trump get the NRA’s official endorsement. Most NRA members I spoke to said Donald Trump was not their ideal choice but that they would still vote for him, because they truly believed that Hillary Clinton would take away their guns. One woman, who runs a gun school for women, asked me how I would react to being attacked if I wasn’t armed. I responded that where I’m from, it’s not really something that I often have to think about it.
To all of my Canadian readers, I’m sure you’re proud of her, as proud as we are about our MSM. Well there you have it. All of the money quotes in one minute. I’m willing to bet that she has never had a real bomb “go off” in her hands. No, I’m sure of it.
It’s nice to hear that there’s no crime in Canada. At all. Ever. Otherwise she might have to thing about things like self defense.
As for Hillary Clinton taking away my guns, I’ve never worried about that in the slightest. All she could have ever done is declare civil war, and the shooting goes both ways when that happens. I’m certain that she wouldn’t think of us as old white men if that happened.
On December 15, 2016 at 11:58 am, Duke Norfolk said:
It’s like they go to a special school to learn all the stupid tropes of the left. Closed-minded idiots.
On December 15, 2016 at 11:59 am, Duke Norfolk said:
Re: special lefty school, I guess they do. They’re called modern North American universities.
On December 15, 2016 at 4:32 pm, Backwoods Engineer said:
“The Americans I spoke with generally consider having to get a license an affront to their personal liberty, but on a practical level, unless you have a criminal record or something to hide, I don’t see the issue.”
Then stay the heck in your little socialist paradise, and leave me and mine the heck alone.
On December 16, 2016 at 10:34 pm, henrybowman said:
Hey, remember that great big list of “abuses and usurpations” Jefferson enumerated in the Declaration of Independence? Well, the people who founded Canada all thought those were no big thang. She’s just true to form. Pour her a Woolite, and move on.
On December 15, 2016 at 4:52 pm, Ned Weatherby said:
Well hell – I guess they shouldn’t have a problem with importing a bunch of middle easterners into the great white north, with its lack of crime and all. Signed, a ubiquitous American “old white guy.”
On December 15, 2016 at 7:59 pm, Frank_in_Spokane said:
Loved this shot: “Gotta make sure the barrel is clear”:
https://vice-images.vice.com/images/content-images/2016/12/13/what-i-learned-while-trying-to-become-a-canadian-gun-lover-body-image-1481664000.jpg
The Three Stooges join the NRA.
On December 15, 2016 at 8:04 pm, Frank_in_Spokane said:
“With my first racist experience under my belt … ”
Rarely do I get the urge to kick any woman in the groinal region …
On December 15, 2016 at 10:04 pm, UNCLEELMO said:
Dear Manisha,
Those “old white men” you saw at the NRA convention are the descendants of the men that built America and are the guys that pay the taxes that allow the Statists that are currently running the country to ‘redistribute’ their wealth to those who complain about not getting enough of it.
I hope this helps, but I doubt it will.
Sincerely, Uncle Elmo (old white guy)