This is one of those letters to the editor that’s really annoying, but it’s best not to argue with it directly.  It comes from a very angry woman whose child was seemingly murdered and she blames the NRA.  As opposed to the person pulling the trigger.  You and I know it’s a leap of logic, one that she makes by not blaming the criminals and instead encourages prayer for them.  And shockingly, so do most readers.  When a letter like this one is published, it reads like the missive of an angry woman and people know why she’s angry.  They may feel for her, but that doesn’t mean they turn to her for public policy advice.

Who need guns to prove how tough they are – why don’t we put the blame where it truly belongs? They are an open, festering, rotten wound on the soul of this country that will never heal until something is done about them.

If you’re wondering what I’m talking about, they call themselves the National Rifle Association! We’ll continue to have a gun problem as long as we have people who are afraid of their own shadows.

No one in this nation is safe. No one!

You don’t win this one by arguing with her.  She’s clearly going to believe that her dead child trumps your rights, and that rather than asking why the killer(s) acted out in this manner and seeing punishment as a good thing, she considers any killers to be victims as well.  There is no reasoning with her.  But the good news is that most people who can be converted would understand that.

However, the best solution is for some positive PR.  Get a reporter from the lifestyle or community section out to your big shoot.  If you’re going lifestyle, find some trend in shooting that has a trend in “lifestyle” issues – say, Cowboy Action Shooting.  When people see the lawful gun owner stories, they realize that it’s a criminal problem, not an issue with us.

No obviously related posts.