With the restoration of the 2nd Amendment there also needs to be a systematic effort among the people to restore the “gun culture”, that is, knowledge about guns as tools, along with their proper use and maintenance.
There are popular shows on TV about how to properly use tools of all sorts. This is because just about any tool will cause accidents if not properly used.
From personal experience, I have seen a lot of people who shouldn’t touch a loaded weapon, or really, weapons of any sort to include swords, knives, blunt objects, etc., without safety training. They just don’t have an inherent grasp of safety for either themselves or anyone around them. Often they are aware of this themselves and so wisely seek training whenever they use a new tool or weapon.
The NRA provides a LOT of education to ordinary people who need it, but with everything it does, it is dwarfed by the need for gun culture education.
The one thing this doesn’t need, however, is government involving itself in the process.
I see one low cost possibility that would probably do a world of good: for gun manufacturers to include a DVD with the sale of their gun. A video of everything you ever wanted to know about general gun safety, use and maintenance of that particular weapon.
Such a 25 cent DVD could accomplish a world of good for both the gun users and the manufacturers. A wealth of information, with all sorts of mutual benefits. The gun maker would be able to put in advertisements for accessories specific to that gun and unrelated products. A description of applicable federal and State laws, which would be very useful to gun buyers, as these laws are confusing at best.
Every State has some gun restrictions, and of lot of them can be very strange. To know what they are ahead of time can avoid lots of grief.
Few guns out there are really maintained as well as they should be. Other things included in the video might be about online warranty registration, information about target ranges and gun organizations in the area, how to properly secure and safely store weapons and ammunition.
Such consumer knowledge also strongly benefits manufacturers, for when they sell a product, they want it to be used. If it is locked up and forgotten because the user never familiarized himself with it, its value is only as a future antique. If, however, the gun owner uses it, takes care of it, and is comfortable with it, not only is there a strong possibility of brand loyalty, but of the purchase of additional products, and sooner rather than later.
The consumer will also quite possibly interest his family and friends in that particular weapon, knowledgeably “selling” that particular kind to them.
Manufacturers can also build customer loyalty by offering online updates to the information available on the DVD, along with advertisements and useful information about where their guns can be purchased and maintained.
“Gun Culture” won’t mean a hill of beans without teaching our young people what independence means, how to live that way, and when they have to kill those who seek to take it away.