Progressivism, firearm ownership and the 'zombie apocalypse'

Peace = Weakness (if you have a fifth-grade education)

I own firearms and shoot them on a regular basis at local ranges. My politics are liberal and/or progressive, whichever you want to call it. Also, I am an atheist. (I tried Christianity but it didn't stick.) One of the reasons I own guns is that the shooting sports should not exclusively be restricted to people that are "EXTREMELY RIGHTWING", as LaRue Tactical and others would have you believe.*

I encourage all types of people to learn how to operate a gun safely. It's an essential skill that could save your life. There are many good reasons to learn how to handle a firearm, even if you don't plan to own or shoot a gun recreationally. The main reason is that you might be forced to handle one at some point and you're shit out of luck if you don't know what you're doing. It's like driving a stick shift car: you don't need to know how until you do, at which point you better know how or else you're stuck. Or you're at the mercy of someone that does know how, which brings me to my second point...

Why is there so much overlap between gun ownership, religion, and conservatism in the United States?  Did you notice that militant, armed Christianity has more in common with militant, armed Islam than it does with peaceful religions such as Hinduism or Buddhism (or even peaceful Christianity)? Is it that conservatives making all the noise that the most attention, and more moderate positions are cast aside? I don't get it.

Is it possible to believe in both responsible gun ownership and also social programs for the poor and disadvantaged? I think yes, so I'm doing what I can to get the word out.

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/this last is shoehorned into this topic because it doesn't warrant a topic of its own/

Lately the biggest growth market for gun stuff is in anything related to the 'zombie apocalypse'. Zombie targets, zombie themed ammo cans, zombie guns, zombie gun accessories, etc. You name it and there is some kind of zombie thing attached to it and it is sold out at your local sporting goods store. A guy told me that they can't keep the stuff on the shelves because it sells out so fast. 

In my opinion the zombie stuff is popular because a lot of the nutjobs think the apocalypse already started and they're just waiting for the green light to start shooting people. I am not kidding. If you spent any time near some of these crazies then you would think so too.

* LaRue ships a copy of the US Constitution and a bumper sticker that says "EXTREMELY RIGHTWING" with every order. I like their products but their blind devotion to politics and the constitution is misguided. It would have been more accurate if they sent me a sticker that said "EXTREMELY LEFTWING". Or stuck to the business of making good products instead of political statements.