by John Boch
At an interview last week with a young scholar who is destined to be one of tomorrow’s leaders, he asked me if there’s something I can say to people who are staunchly anti-gun to bring them around to support gun ownership for civilians. I laughed. I told him there’s nothing I can say that will change their mind on the spot. They, in many cases, have a closed mind and refuse to listen to logic or reason.
Two things can happen to bring them around. Either they have a come to Jesus moment where they are victimized or nearly victimized by a member of America’s criminal class, or something I say or a personal experience – like going shooting for the first time and taking some of the scary unknown away from how guns work – influences their thinking and over time they convince themselves that gun ownership is a good idea.
Eagles of Death frontman Jesse Hughes used to be a big promoter of gun control.
Until he had his “Come to Jesus” moment last November when his band played at the Bataclan nightclub in Paris.
Islamic terrorists strolled in and terrorized the occupants for a few hours before police stormed the place.
Ninety people were massacred by the terrorists, in part thanks to France’s strict gun control laws that ensured that the rabid terrorists were the only ones with guns.
Hughes figured that out after his near-death experience. It’s changed him to his soul. Hughes told an interviewer that Paris gun laws failed those people who died – and failed those who lived and saw the terror of that massacre first hand – and that those laws didn’t save any lives. “I think the only thing in me that changed is that until no one has guns, everyone should have one,” he said.
Its so sad that it takes such horrific events to change peoples minds. At least now he can articulate the message from the high ground of experience as opposed to an empty opinion. Hopefully he will share his experiences and be a positive force for armed self defense in the future. There is no stronger message than someone who has seen the light through the glasses of experience.
Its been said that the difference between a liberal and a conservative is a mugging. Sadly in this case it was mass murder
Bigots aren’t bigots because they are open minded.
Glad he finally came around. Better late than never.
Do you have a source for him being a “big promoter of gun control” because everything I’ve read about this story seems to indicate that Jesse Hughes has always been “an outspoken proponent of the rights of gun owners” (quote from the Rolling Stone article). Digging through other links in the articles posted recently about this topic seems to show that, along with the usual “sex, drugs, and rock and roll” lifestyle you’d expect from a rock star, he’s also praises personal freedoms, supports Trump, and is quoted as saying “Sexist is telling women that they shouldn’t own a gun to defend themselves against rape” (the quote is from before the Bataclan shooting and is part of a much longer screed with a bit of colorful language)
In fact, the more I dig here, the more I see that he’s always held fairly deeply conservative beliefs like being pro-life “It’s sexist to me to talk women into killing their babies” (more from that previous quote).
Please note that I’ve never listened to this guy’s music, nor really agree with some of the more conservative stuff he believes in. I simply felt that the record should be clear that this guy has always supported gun rights, especially given that this is part of a major news story.