I cannot express how wrong I was: Country guitarist changes mind on gun control after Vegas

[hexola]

“I’ve been a proponent of the 2nd amendment my entire life. Until the events of last night. I cannot express how wrong I was. We actually have members of our crew with [Concealed Handgun Licenses], and legal firearms on the bus,” Keeter wrote. “They were useless.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2017/10/02/i-cannot-express-how-wrong-i-was-country-guitarist-changes-mind-on-gun-control-after-vegas/

[WhiskeyGrinder]

1. Too bad it takes a direct attack for so many people to feel empathy.

How interesting to see a white male reject and decry the violent outlaw culture he propagated through his entertainment.

[enough]

3. Very strange. It's only a problem if it effects ME directly. All those other

suffering people are nothing.

[Amimnoch]

38. Have the Republicans ever been anything other?

With them it's ALL about "me".

Worse, they normally thumb their noses at things that DO actually and really benefit them if it also benefits those "others" they don't care so much for.

Fuck em.

[ananda]

49. I don't care.

As long as there is a cross-country mindchange,
I don't care how it happens!

[whathehell]

51. Me either...Better late than never. n/t

[TrollBuster9090]

64. Agreed. Give me a couple of days to welcome these new, needed people into the gunsafety fold.

But in the meantime....FUCK YOU, Keeter! It was just an unpreventable tragedy when nutcases were slaughtering kids in an elementary school, or Batman fans at a movie theatre, or gay men at a night club. But when they take a shot at YOU, THEN and ONLY THEN something needs to be done?

[politicaljunkie41910]

80. Agreed. Better late than never and together we can defeat the never-evers when the never-evers

realize that they and their family members are not safe either. The never-evers will eventually have to come to grips with the fact that as the saying goes, "they came for our children and I did nothing because it was not my child, and then they came for me and no one was left to stand up and fight for me, but me."

[paleotn]

69. Republican 101.

[RandySF]

2. The poor guy will get flamed now.

[sarisataka]

11. From both sides...

[whathehell]

50. Which seems dumb to me..Better late than never,

after all.

[Thegonagle]

84. Just look inside this thread.

Multiple people telling him to f--k off.

I say welcome to the sane side of the issue, friend, we need you and always will going forward.

[Beaverhausen]

4. 20 six year olds gunned down didn't do it for him

fuck this piece of shit

[Aristus]

7. Damn right.

Dead children - he doesn't care.

Dead black parishioners - he doesn't care.

Dead gay people - he doesn't care.

Dead country music fans - NOW he cares!

[lunatica]

16. Actually it was his own ass being there that changed his mind

Forget about anyone else, including his fans.

[Dreamer Tatum]

22. So they can't simply come around to agreeing with you

...you need to approve the terms under which they agree with you.

What a winning strategy!

[Lazy Daisy]

46. Yep Pretty much

and don't feel a bit bad about it either.

My first thought when reading his statement was "fuck you and everyone like you"

Maybe tomorrow I'll find my empathy & decency. But today all I have is "fuck you" to all the gun humpers

[lunatica]

47. You can be naive if you like

It's your right.

[paleotn]

70. On non-leathal disagreements? I agree with you....

On something as fucked up as our gun laws? You're kidding, right?.....

[Eliot Rosewater]

26. Exactly, ONLY when something interferes directly with them do they care.

[LoveMyCali]

61. I took it to mean

he now sees the "A good guy with a gun" theory doesn't work. There were several "good guys" there with weapons and they couldn't stop the gunman.

[FakeNoose]

94. Yes that how I think he means it

We can't be telling people to fuck off just because it took them a while to see the light.

The important thing is that they finally DO see it, and they're willing to publicily admit their mistake. This is big!
This guy has followers and fans, they'll get the message and maybe change their minds too.
Everything changes one voter at a time, never give up hope.

[Phentex]

93. Yes, the way cancer changes one's mind about healthcare

they only care when it affects THEM

[smirkymonkey]

44. +1000

It's going to take a lot more pro 2A victims before we ever see anything done in this country.

[adigal]

52. Exactly. Fuck him. Sadly, it took white country music fans dying for him to get this

Day late and a dollar short.

[jmowreader]

54. I see rationalization in his thinking

Dead children? "If all the teachers in that school would have had guns, they could have stopped the gunman."

Dead black parishioners? "If there had only been someone there with a gun, he could have saved the day!"

Dead gay people? "If those (insert favorite homophobic smear) had been packed like good Americans, no one would mess with them."

Dead country music fans? "It's 'a good guy with a gun,' not 'a good guy with an A-10.'"

[LisaM]

60. He saw firsthand that what he'd been told would stop a mass shooting did not stop it.

I'm glad he had the guts to point it out.

[LoveMyCali]

63. Yes

He saw firsthand that more guns was not the solution.

[Squinch]

14. Yep. My thoughts exactly. What an asshole.

[Xolodno]

24. Don't you know? That was a false flag op...

...all the parents were in on the hoax

They will refuse to believe any gun violence until it hits them personally. If a gun nut shot up the school where Alex Jones kids go, then he might...and mean... might rethink his position.

[SammyWinstonJack]

36. EXACTLY!

[sarge43]

71. Thank you n/t

[AwakeAtLast]

81. This! 1000X!

Glad he's on the train, but why make 1,000 ft. leap?

[Achilleaze]

5. the russian & republican troll bots will now ...

go into overdrive to harass and try to silence the voices of sanity and common sense.

[tblue37]

6. Look at what else he said (emphasis added):

We need gun control RIGHT. NOW. My biggest regret is that I stubbornly didn’t realize it until my brothers on the road and myself were threatened by it.

This is the typical failure of imagination and empathy on the right. Only their own suffering counts.

[CanonRay]

8. Bingo, it's got to hit them personally right between the eyes

or they don't give a shit.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

10. Well, thank goodness there is some chance for enlightenment, but

the failure to imagine what suffering others are experiencing, and to be adamantly opposing the very idea of trying to understand and consider their situation, is a particularly common problem in the GOP.

[uponit7771]

15. I would've kept that part to myself

[renate]

18. I understand the frustration, but he's admitting his mistake and admitting he'd been stubborn

If we're all "FU" when people admit their mistakes, they're not going to be open about their change of heart. And if they're not open about their change of heart, other people won't see their change of heart and listen and learn from it.

It's hella annoying that horrible things only bother some people when tragedy strikes them personally, but it's also human nature, and I think we should be extra welcoming when people out and out admit that they had been stubborn in the past. Otherwise we won't make any progress at all.

[femmedem]

35. Thank you.

I get so discouraged sometimes by the unwillingness to accept new allies.

[groundloop]

58. Yes.... if it's not for "new allies" we'll never get this done.

True, he should have realized much earlier what he sees now, but at least he's come around to admitting he was wrong. Maybe, just maybe, he'll bring others with him.

[halobeam]

62. I don't see any other way that works, either.

I'm glad he changed his mind. One more person who now, will try to get others to see it and learn what he "saw" and learned. I'll take it. Better late than never, so true.

[hatrack]

9. "Sorry, You Must Stand On A Pile Of Bodies THIS HIGH To Recognize Reality"

[Dem_4_Life]

12. I hope he stands strong on this and maybe he can make a difference.

If country singers and band members would speak out more and reach more of their fan base then they really could change things. There are a lot of people in red states especially that could be influenced by them. Not to say there aren't any democratic country music fans because there are a lot however a LARGE portion of country music fans are republicans. If they saw some of these type of celebrities speaking out it could make a huge difference. They would follow the it must be popular to have that viewpoint type of thinking.

[Dreamer Tatum]

13. Most of the replies here are exactly why nothing will ever get done

"You didn't agree with me from the Big Bang onward? Well, FUCK YOU."

[renate]

19. I totally agree

People with opposing views are damned if they don't change their minds but they're also damned if they do, which is ridiculous. It's just not a practical way to get people to feel safe about admitting their past mistakes.

[sarisataka]

20. It's our new winning strategy

The FUCK YOU doctrine

When/if we accept support of the children of those who ever disagreed with us on any topic we'll have more victories than we know what to do with

[Beaverhausen]

25. I was just pointing out that this person had absolutely no empathy for the victims...

...of our many other mass shootings but NOW that his people or whatever were shot at, he changes his tune.

If you think this kind of person deserved some accolades, then have at it.

[Dreamer Tatum]

27. And I'm saying who the hell cares?

News flash: people act in their self interest. People demanding absolute demonstrable fealty to a single, accepted point of view is what got us the current resident of the White House.

"Accolades" my ass. I'm concerned with change.

[Beaverhausen]

30. I see your point

but I just cannot for the life of me understand how someone is not moved by the shooting of 20 6-year-olds, or 9 people at prayer or 50 + people at a night club and not realize we have to do something. And I'm glad that I am not that person.

[jmg257]

32. I think its the point that no matter that he/his crew were armed- it didn't make a bit of difference

in this instance.

Not a matter of not being moved before, but of seeing how useless their typical 'I'm carrying' recourse was.

[Bradical79]

39. Good guy with a gun propaganda

It's a pretty strong influencer. "If only the teacher had a gun!", "If only the nightclub patrons had guns!", "If only someone in that theatre had a gun!", and so on.

I'm glad he finally realized the absurdity of the action hero fantasy pushed by the NRA, conservative media, Republican poloticians, and conservative preachers.

[jmg257]

41. Yep - "hey - I've got mine" vs "better if no one had em". n/t

[Dreamer Tatum]

33. it's possible some people don't see things the same way as others do

Demonizing them for not agreeing completely is a losing tactic when large numbers are at stake.

All it will take for the NRA to lose its grip is for the right couple of people to say, 'Enough.'

[Skittles]

75. no

not everyone behaves like fucking assholes until something affects them

[OKNancy]

40. agreed

[Squinch]

55. Right. Those of us who are furious that a bunch of dead 6 year olds didn't change anything

caused this. And we are the cause of the next one, right?

Because we might be hurting the feelings of all those good people who didn't give a rat's ass about those six year olds. Or the folks in the nightclub. Or the worshippers in the church. Or the kids in the high school. Or on and on and on.

But it's our fault for being mad.

[Dreamer Tatum]

66. Here is a little perspective for you

I couldn't give a country fuck on a rickety raft what you're mad about.

I just care that more people are willing to contain gun violence.

[Squinch]

78. Apparently you do care, given that you said above that our anger is a cause of gun violence.

And I hope you are holding your breath till those people's "willingness to contain gun violence" changes anything. Because my bet is that very few of them have discovered the shame of their position, and we'll be right back here with you blaming the absolutely wrong people again within the year.

[Orrex]

56. And...

"You didn't reach your conclusion the way I wanted you to reach it, so fuck you!"


Yes, we're the party of empathy.

[LuvLoogie]

72. Why should these right-wingers be coddled?

Why shouldn't they be made to face the anger and derision wrought of their arrogant selfishness. Have at it being the go-between, but don't dismiss the anger of those who have been fighting the Right's callous and condescending self-righteousness toward we ignorant, unarmed snowflakes.

Fuck their delicate feelings. Five and six year old were gunned down, and their blood sacrificed to the 2nd ammendment--and still these fucks had to protect their unshirted access to their nickel-plated binkies.

Now some guy sees the light because some gun slinger interrupted his guitar solo?! He SHOULD be ashamed! And he SHOULD expect some derision. We're ALL fucking adults here.

[Dreamer Tatum]

73. That's nice and all

But all you really want is the tide to turn on gun control. This guy could be part of it. There is no "coddling." He doesn't know you, doesn't care about you, nor you him.

[LuvLoogie]

76. Dude, I 'm talking about the hell he catches on the road,

at fucking Thanksgiving, church, the next time he says he's gonna buy a gun. My response to you/him applies without me.

[JI7]

77. Replies on DU have nothing to do with why nothing will get done

These are posts on a political forum.

Nobody is saying these people should not support and campaign for gun control.

It's just pointing out the hypocrisy to others on this forum.

[melman]

79. Yes

This thread is insane. And all to predictable.

[LanternWaste]

95. 27% is not 'most.'

27% is not 'most.'

[CanSocDem]

17. The whole point is to change minds...

...on the use of guns. I was an indiscriminate wild life killer for many years. One day I shot a little bird with a .22 and on that day I gave up guns for good.


.

[moda253]

21. Gun control as a branding name for curbing gun violence has been a failure

On am 950 a few weeks back here in MN there was a fellow that was talking about reframing the discussion to gun safety (no not gun safety classes) related issues as we step towards working common sense solutions (if only a start).

This fellow and perhaps other country stars could run with this idea of selling the idea towards responsible common sense legislation that could end a lot of gun violence.

However we do it it needs to include people like this and we need to get them on board right now while their feeling it emotionally.

[7962]

91. it would be tough for a lot of folks to defend the right to own 30 ARs

Maybe a law limiting the number you can buy would be a start. Something that many gun owners, like myself, would support. But if the first instinct is to go for taking handguns, et.al., then it will be a failure and nothing changes.

[Leith]

23. Maybe He Could Give Us a Little Insight into How to Change Minds

We can't wait until every gun luvver has a personal tragedy to come round. What the hell will it take to get through to them? It sure wasn't 20 dead first graders. It wasn't 50 people partying in a night club. It isn't innocents caught in crossfire.

[matt819]

28. What is it with these people

The only time they can appreciate the other side of an issue is when it affects them personally.

Guns, health care, disaster response? Don't care.

Guns hurt my people, don't have money for my own health care, what do you mean there's no money for disaster relief in my home town? OMG, something has to be done.

Are they missing a gene? Are their brain synapses not firing. Did their mothers not breastfeed? Are they stupid?

Sure, it's great that they can change their minds, but is this what it has to take.

Hey, Keeter, why don't we talk about unarmed black people being killed by the police?

[Hoyt]

29. His gun-humping buddies will get to him, he'll be oiling his guns by Thursday.

[LanternWaste]

31. I'm not as evolved as most. Experiences change me.

Being a small minded person as directly implied in-thread, I've failed to change my mind on many occasions until it became personal.

I'm not as evolved as most. Experiences change me.

[ProfessorGAC]

88. Well Said, LW!

Well said, indeed.

[gopiscrap]

34. this needs to be on the front page of every newspaper tomorrow morning

along with the lead story on every broadcast tonight

[world wide wally]

37. Better a tarnished friend than a shiny enemy

[LakeArenal]

43. good point.

Thanks for the enlightened moment.

[LakeArenal]

42. Ole Josh Abbott will probably write a song about it...

Wouldn't it just be Schadenfreude if Dump is the one that comes after their guns..... I'd laugh if it all wasn't so horrible.

[Justice]

45. He admits he was wrong; enough for me. "My biggest regret is that I stubbornly didnt realize

it until my brothers on the road and myself were threatened by it. We are unbelievably fortunate to not be among the number of victims killed or seriously wounded by this maniac."

[smirkymonkey]

48. Wait until the red states have their health care taken away from them and start going after

politicians with their guns. We might finally see some changes then. Only when it affects them will things change.

[former9thward]

53. I read the article.

The only other thing quoted from him was "We need Gun Control Now!". Ok. What does that mean? It means anything anyone wants it to mean. Everyone from someone who wants all guns to be illegal to a NRA member can easily get behind that statement. Not to jump on him but it seems everyone who wants "gun control" just says that without being specific.

[Native]

57. Guns as protection. Ha.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=66&v=7OZIOE6aMBk

[TrollBuster9090]

59. Fuck you, Keeter. So it was just an unpreventable tragedy when nutcases were shooting KIDS...

It was just an unpreventable tragedy when all the nutcases were doing was shooting KIDS in an elementary school, or movie fans at a Batman premier....but as soon as they take a shot at YOU....THEN something has to be done.


All I can say is...FUCK...YOU...!

[AllyCat]

68. Hear, hear!!

[mountain grammy]

65. Yeah, cause a classroom of dead 6 year olds wasn't quite enough.

Welcome to the world.

[AllyCat]

67. Of course they are useless. More guns don't help.

[oxbow]

74. If he changes some other country fans' minds...

...maybe some good can come out of this

[IronLionZion]

82. We need gun control, but the guns used by the white terrorist are already illegal

if they were fully automatic and have the ability for that piece of shit to fire off 600+ rounds so quickly. Think about it. It must be illegal, right? What the hell was he using?

[oberliner]

83. Las Vegas shooter legally purchased weapons and passed all background checks

The Las Vegas shooter legally purchased weapons in the last year and passed all the required background checks, according to two different gun shops in Nevada.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/las-vegas-shooter-stephen-paddock-guns-legally-bought-shops-background-checks-passed-a7979816.html

[IronLionZion]

85. It's so frustrating and disappointing. Sounds like he used bump fire stock

LAS VEGAS SHOOTING: GUNMAN STEPHEN PADDOCK USED LEGAL 'BUMP STOCK' TO LET HIM FIRE SO QUICKLY FOR SO LONG
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/las-vegas-shooting-stephen-paddock-bump-stock-gun-weapon-rifle-how-explained-a7979871.html

It baffles me what is legal and illegal in this country

[Mosby]

87. some info

http://www.newsweek.com/bump-stocks-helped-las-vegas-shooter-kill-quickly-other-devices-make-guns-more-676461

[DinahMoeHum]

86. Welcome back to sanity, Mr. Keeter.

and thanks for the explanation of why the "good-guy-with-a-gun" meme is BULLSHIT.

[Orsino]

89. Those thousands of other deaths just didn't make the grade.

The assholes dying in groups of three or four weren't doing it right. No, to attract this musician's attention, you have to die in big numbers, and right next to him.

Imagine how bad climate change would have to get to move this immovable mind.

[IronLionZion]

90. We should encourage more of this, regardless of their past or reasons

honey instead of vinegar. Build support for change

[klook]

92. I don't care what it took to change his mind. He's on our side now.

The support of a white guitarist in a C&W band would be a huge help for sensible gun control.

Of course, he'll probably get Dixie-Chicked, and, hell, the guitarist can be replaced a lot easier than the lead vocalist if there's enough of a backlash... but still, it's good to see somebody like this speaking out.

Hope the band will stand by him, and I hope the guy will become an activist for sane firearms policy.