Thread by @Dslyecxi

1) In my life I've served in the Marines, acted as a rifle and pistol instructor, worked for a firearms training company, pursued tactical training, and accumulated a small set of weapons that I'm comfortable with. I grew up in and identified as a Texan, with all the cowboy

2) gunslinger Western bravado atmosphere that entailed. I say this to establish whatever credibility that might give me in preface to the rest of this story. I want to tell that story here, one that's been with me for years, and one which I've watched evolve since.

3) Once upon a time, many years ago, I took two courses from a tactical training group. The material and execution of both courses was solid, and no doubt there were solid people involved.

4) At the more advanced of the courses, one of the people along for it was about as racist as you could ever get in a South Texas setting. N-this, N-that, just a wretched kind of person, talking about what he'd do to those N-words, presumably with his firearms.

5) The head instructor of this course was the head of the training company, and he was nearby and listening to the conversation, participating in parts of it. I'm a quiet person socially by nature, more so when around people I don't know. I didn't speak up.

6) Those around looked like they were of a similar mind (or, like me, were buttoning up), everyone was armed, and one of the mantras of this training company is essentially to not be dumb enough to put yourself in a bad situation voluntarily. Should I have spoken up? Perhaps.

7) What disappointed me, what has stayed with me, was watching the person who had the eyes of everyone, who was the authority, not say anything about it. His silence spoke volumes, as did his laughter.

I remember that above almost everything else in that course.

8) Since then, this trainer has gone on to have a further financial investment in tactical gear, weapons, etc. They run a successful gear store, continue to offer training, and send out newsletters on a regular basis.

9) I've stayed subscribed to those newsletters for two reasons:
(1) To glean any useful tips from them that might arise
(2) To stay aware of the rhetoric this guy is slinging around.

10) This trainer, years ago, admitted that he once almost went to shoot up a police department he'd been fired from. He now talks about how to respond to active shooter incidents. His message is incessantly about how the sky is falling.

11) He'd say: "You need guns to protect your family, you need more guns, you need this sight or this magazine or whatever. Oh, by the way, I sell it, and here's a link. Did I mention that the left wants to take your guns, enact communism, and do all of these horrible things?"

12) His solution? "You could stop that in the future with.... more guns. More guns, more gear, more training. Buy it from me."

He speaks of all his political opposition in the worst possible terms, turning them into one-dimensional sniveling limp-wristed cowards.

13) His latest newsletter once again ends with a thinly-veiled threat: That if "communism" is enacted, people like him will use violence to fight it. He riles up the crowd, instills fear or rekindles their existing fears, and then right after that, guess what follows?

14) What follows is a big orange button that talks about the current sales his gear store is having. "Buy more gear while you can, before the commies take over, so that we can kill them if they do!"

15) I don't believe this is indicative of the firearms industry as a whole. However, it is representative of a disturbing portion of it that has fallen so far into machismo "DON'T TREAD ON ME" territory as to be farcical.

16) Rather, it would be that if not for the fact that these people are armed and have been indoc'd into thinking that their oppo is worthy of death. The logic used by these instigators doesn't stand up to facts, but that's not the point.

It's propaganda.
Sales.
Revenue.

17) When talk about gun owners, rights, the firearms industry itself, etc comes up, I can't help but think of this guy and those he's successfully indoctrinated. The people who see bloody violence as the answer, and oft seem to crave the day they can kill.

18) Those who dehumanize their enemies and throw logic aside if it means they might get a chance to shoot someone someday. Those who want to feel justified in taking lives and finding out what it's like. Those who glorify their brand of righteous violence.

19) My hope is that when you look at gun owners as a whole, or gear companies, or anyone in the firearms and training industry, you find more people somewhere on my side of the line and far fewer on his side. People who are not defined by the weapons they have.

20) People who don't seek violence, but will act to defend themselves or loved ones when that's the only course of action available. People who do not want to kill, but understand that there are those out there that do, and your paths may cross one day.

21) Violence should be the last resort, one which we never crave and never glorify for the sake of it. I would hope that those who partake in this hobby in some fashion can recognize that kind of malignant mentality and help to keep each other grounded in reality. Buddy aid.

22) I would hope that those who cultivate large crowds of YT followers over their gun content would do the same, dispensing with any violent rhetoric. The age we've moved into has unprecedented abilities to influence and shape people. We all play a part in that social web.

23) That power can drive one to pursue great good but also great evil, to self-cultivate echo chambers that amplify the worst of us. We all have a responsibility to do our part to temper those overreactions and those distortions of reality wherever we might find them.

24) We all need to look after each other, to keep things in perspective and work towards a better society, a better world. To try to be a positive influence in whatever way we can, to be part of the solution, to reject hate and violence at least.

I believe there is still hope.