Gun Enthusiast

Gun enthusiast or Gun nut is an American colloquial term that describes firearms "hobbyists" who are very involved with the gun culture. However, firearms and weapons are perceived differently based on political ideals, and therefore the intention of those using the term it will have different connotations.

Positive Conservative Pro Second Amendment Perception[edit]

To conservatives, "gun nuts" and being a firearms enthusiast is a positive quality reflecting self-reliance and the maxim that "a right not used is a right lost." Being a gun enthusiast is an admirable trait to these above types of people, since the unalienable rights of the Second Amendment act as the primary deterrence against big government Nanny state-Police state tyranny.^[1] Thus the "gun nut" slogan of Molon labe laconically represents that deterrence.

When the Japanese forces plotted their attack on Pearl Harbor they first discussed attacks on the mainland of the United States. As Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto^[2] is said to have replied when asked about invading the U.S. mainland, "There would be a rifle behind every blade of grass." On April 13, 1924, at the rank of captain, Yamamoto was part of the Japanese delegation visiting the U.S. Naval War College.^[3] As history shows, they didn't attack the mainland of The United States, but rather attacked Pearl Harbor instead.^[4]

Thus most gun owners embrace the term "gun nut" affectionately. This is evidenced by many popular gun blogs, gun podcasts, forums and outdoors magazines such as Field and Stream using the term positively. Field and Stream has a column called "The Gun Nut".^[5]

In truth, most gun owners are respectable, responsible people, who seem on different than any other people. However, there are a small number of people who do act much as fiction portrays. This continues to fuel the fire against the right to have and bear arms.^[6]

Negative Liberal Gun Control - Anti-Rights / Anti Second Amendment Perspective[edit]

To liberals, homeland security officials, or anti-terrorism strategists, "gun nut" is an insult. They regard the term as a pejorative stereotype hurled at gun owners by gun control activists as a way of suggesting that they exhibit abnormal behavior, are fanatical, or even are a threat to the safety of others.^{[7][8][9][10][11]} While the United States faced a possible armed invasion by a foreign army during World War II (as noted above), today America faces attacks such as San Bernadino, California or Sandy Hook, Connecticut. "Gun nut" refers to people who are resisting efforts to keep guns out of the hands of terrorist or mentally ill people.

In media[edit]

The idea of a "gun nut" has been painted in a variety of different ways for many years in the United States. News reports push this idea whenever possible, and movies, TV shows, and books often promote this idea as well. Not only are characters portrayed this way, but others' responses are staged to cast a negative light on such people. The picture which is fed to the American people is usually that of some foolish, grouchy (often old) man who is obsessed with guns. He will often be shown to threaten others, break the law frequently and carelessly, and be generally reckless. They will often be shown shooting at law enforcement officers or other people for no good reason. They are also shown going on rants of blended truth and extreme exaggeration to discredit both portions of the rant in the viewers' eyes. Most fictional "gun nuts" are shown as southern "rednecks."^[12]

See also[edit]

• Hoplophobia - Hoplophobe: Gun control advocates "irrational aversion to firearms, as opposed to justified apprehension about those who may wield them."^[13]
• Gun control
• Gun control quotes

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Colion Noir from the NRA TV on "How to tell if you are a Gun Nut"