I was always mostly libertarian. But like the little “L”. The kind that, from a pure philosophy stand point, might have not been able to justify universal health care but was farrrrrrrrrrr more concerned with things like mass surveillance, marriage equality, trans rights, private prisons, etc. Do I think assholes that don’t want to make a cake ought to be allowed NOT to make a cake? I kind of do. But I don’t loose any sleep over it.
I’m definitely not a democrat, because while republicans champion a lot of the stuff I have issues with, dems aren’t far behind them on a lot of the issues I care about despite the messaging. A decade ago I probably wouldn’t have been the right’s left and left’s right, but the right lost their entire mind so I’m not comfortable being anywhere near what I think is leading us down an incredibly dark path.
Anyway, with firearms, they weren’t in my house growing up but they were around. Shooting with scouts, sometimes with friends etc. Got heavy into trap, skeet, and some hunting as an adult. But what it really comes down to is there’s nothing I like less than the surge of people buying stuff “for home defense” who don’t understand the responsibility. You have no business reaching for a firearm in the night if that’s not something you’ve trained and practiced for, and a good 80-90% of that training is around NOT pulling the trigger because, while it’s your right to defend yourself, the odds of it being some dumb kid or your drunk neighbor are just much higher. The people that want to play “dirty harry” bother me, and NRA/Republican messaging has made it far worse.
So yeah, I’m not totally left, but agree with more things the left does, and I find left/liberal gun owners to have a frame of mind around these tools that I have a much easier time with.
I was always mostly libertarian. But like the little “L”. The kind that, from a pure philosophy stand point, might have not been able to justify universal health care but was farrrrrrrrrrr more concerned with things like mass surveillance, marriage equality, trans rights, private prisons, etc. Do I think assholes that don’t want to make a cake ought to be allowed NOT to make a cake? I kind of do. But I don’t loose any sleep over it.
I’m definitely not a democrat, because while republicans champion a lot of the stuff I have issues with, dems aren’t far behind them on a lot of the issues I care about despite the messaging. A decade ago I probably wouldn’t have been the right’s left and left’s right, but the right lost their entire mind so I’m not comfortable being anywhere near what I think is leading us down an incredibly dark path.
Anyway, with firearms, they weren’t in my house growing up but they were around. Shooting with scouts, sometimes with friends etc. Got heavy into trap, skeet, and some hunting as an adult. But what it really comes down to is there’s nothing I like less than the surge of people buying stuff “for home defense” who don’t understand the responsibility. You have no business reaching for a firearm in the night if that’s not something you’ve trained and practiced for, and a good 80-90% of that training is around NOT pulling the trigger because, while it’s your right to defend yourself, the odds of it being some dumb kid or your drunk neighbor are just much higher. The people that want to play “dirty harry” bother me, and NRA/Republican messaging has made it far worse.
So yeah, I’m not totally left, but agree with more things the left does, and I find left/liberal gun owners to have a frame of mind around these tools that I have a much easier time with.