Have you ever felt manipulated by someone? Perhaps an idea has weaseled its way into your head, and it just doesn’t sit right? It would be surprising if you never felt the tug of manipulation - but that’s what gaslighting is all about.
Gaslighting is the “psychological manipulation of a person usually over an extended period of time that causes the victim to question the validity of their thoughts, perception of reality, or memories and typically leads to confusion, loss of confidence and self-esteem, the uncertainty of one’s emotions or mental stability, and a dependency on the perpetrator.” (Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved February 8, 2022.)
Suppose you haven’t had that feeling. I’m somewhat envious because it seems to happen almost daily with what we hear coming out of higher education, mainstream media, healthcare, and especially our government.
Last year our “benevolent” President made fun of law-abiding American firearm owners saying, “If you wanted or if you think you need to have weapons to take on the government, you need F-15s and maybe some nuclear weapons.” Really?
His scheming attitude is a symptom of the calculated strategies American gun owners have been dealing with for decades, and it is exhausting for those of us who realize that what Biden and his swamp dwellers are doing is gaslighting the entire country if not the world.
Two phrases pulled from the definition of gaslighting that make this point are “over an extended period of time” and “dependency on the perpetrator.” It is just like a narcissist to maneuver control away from others. They taste the power, they like the power, and they’ll do just about anything to keep the power.
If holding on to power is the objective, it makes sense that our elected officials aren’t in a hurry to maintain the sanctity of the Second Amendment. As the sun sets on another year of anti-gunners controlling the right to bear arms at the federal level, those of us who disagree with their freedom-limiting beliefs are exasperated. We are tired of the falsehoods and misnomers they spread. The crazy part is that it feels like so many progressive politicians and opinionated media members use language to gaslight the American public. They do it with gun control by urging people to fear the weapon and not the criminal who pulls the trigger. They do it by sensationalizing every tragic shooting in a gun-free zone. They bait people with fear and then set the hook when they use a heartbreaking incident to push their anti-gun messages.
If the pandemic hasn’t awakened you to how effective fear is at immobilizing people, all you must do is look at how many people began working from home in the past few years. Consider how many were content to give up daily activities like going to the gym or seeing family over the holidays. That is fear, folks, and it is insidious.
Through our universities, media outlets, public health policies, governors, and feeble President, we risk becoming even more dependent on their wisdom to make decisions for ourselves. Decisions like, should I stock up on toilet paper? I’m not ashamed to admit I bought some extra TP last year after the rush. But it was because of all the fear rammed in my face ranging from news sources, to social media, to comedians.
Gaslighting guns isn’t new by any means, but there is a solution to the tactic. Stop the lies by telling the truth to anyone who will listen. If we cannot articulate why gun control is wrong, if we don’t reveal how those who push the anti-gun narrative are ignorant about responsible gun ownership in the U.S., and if we are afraid to speak up about our Constitutional rights, we are no better than those folks using fear to make us sheep. Personally, I’d rather be the shepherd and educate those around me about the positive attributes of gun ownership.
Pay close attention to the man behind the curtain as he uses language as a weapon to con us into being afraid, and then agreeing with “common sense” measures. He uses click-baiting tactics to sway the country. But he doesn’t have a clue what he’s talking about when he shows us his “fully semi-automatic assault rifle with a clip that holds hundreds of bullets that are only designed to take human life and useless for any other purpose.” We know different, and we must begin professing our experiences, especially to America's tens of millions of new gun owners. They aren’t yet part of our gun culture, but we sure do want to welcome them with open arms. They’re like people who have quit smoking but who are the most vocal about anyone smoking around them. We have an entirely new demographic in the firearms world, and they’re hungry for knowledge, training, and education. Feed them with the truth! Don’t let them fall victim to the manipulation of gaslighting and straight up lies about the positive aspects of owning guns.
Gaslighting Guns