To the extent that it is split, it’s a weakness for us. It’s a wound we should try to heal, since the infection (AHSA and their ilk) is already setting in. Like I said, some people we’re never going to convince, but I do think we have to try, and making it “us” vs. “them” is just going to open the wound farther.

However, when hunters are supporting, or at least have no problems with, magazine capacities restrictions, and then turn around and dismiss as “goofy” a law in NY state that bears a striking resemblance to another law in CA that was passed… Well, that is just stupid from two different directions (appeasement, and historical precedent), and both are damaging to the overall cause of firearm rights.

I am no Sith (”If you are not with me, you are my enemy.”), but neither am I blind - if a person is assisting hoplophobic anti-rights organizations in further limiting, restricting, and regulating my firearms and associated rights… well, that says something about them.

I’m not convinced it’s not a useful exercise to ponder what might have been. I don’t think you really even have to ponder. We have laboratories of democracy that have taken the gun control way, and the result hasn’t been good for shooters, hunters included. We just witnessed severe hunting restrictions in California, and we’ve seen them in New Jersey too, where a 50 caliber sniper rifle ban very nearly outlawed most muzzle loading firearms, but was defeated by ANJRPC and the NRA.

So what would NRA have done if Harlan Carter’s people not prevailed in 77?

If it wasn’t for those “extremist groups” you decry, the AWB would still be in place w/ even more restrictions, CCW would not be the norm, even more lawsuits against dealers and manufacturers would be the order of the day, and yes, your scoped hunting rifle would be under attack as an “intermediate sniper rifle” using “Armor piercing ammunition”.

So you can make your little ad hominem attacks all you want. I’m not the one willing to sacrifice a large percentage of shooters to protect myself.

You would be surprised how much in sympathy I am with shooters.

Interestingly enough, this thirdpower guy has thrown flames at me from Day One (with the Fudd routine) and is the perfect exemplar of the “if you don’t toe the line 100% we will not just disagree; we will heap abuse upon you and call you an enemy.”

This is no way to convince anybody of the righteousness of your position. If someone were trying to win you over, would YOU react favorably to such an approach?

Unfortunately, because we can not go back to 1977 and play the other fork, we can’t know what would happen if Carter’s folks hadn’t prevailed. But the hue and cry and continued march of bad legal proposals of the last 31 years tells me this strategy has not been wholly successful for gun owners.

But it sure has been good to raise money from the peanut gallery.

I don’t really care if thirdpower or Tom King or you or anybody likes me; I sure don’t feel misunderstood. Thirdpower puts a lot of words into my mouth.

Screeching at each other on blogs is like farting in a hurricane. For every 5 mins they spend on me, they could be writing their Congressman.