Shownotes
State of the Second hosts Kaylee and John sit down with Opie of Opie in the Smokies for a wide-ranging conversation that starts with patches and ends on the fight for the Second Amendment. Opie walks through his path from a Glock 17 and an Uncle Mike's holster to a full-time presence in the firearms world. A patch side hustle, including the Trump Train design and a money patch where one random buyer got a real hundred-dollar bill, grew into reviews, work with Liberty Bell Firearms, Smoky Mountain Guns and Ammo, Sylvan Arms, Forge, and Gun Maid, and eventually into training and his own night vision event, Naughty After Dark.
The middle of the episode is about people. The three trade stories from SHOT Show and other events about how patches, YouTube, and firearms forums turn strangers into friends for life, and how welcoming the community is to anyone who shows up. They talk about building an on-ramp for new shooters and content creators, mentoring people who are just getting started, and Naughty After Dark as a low-cost way to let someone try a machine gun, a suppressor, and night vision for the first time. A long, funny stretch on Smoky Mountain wildlife, a coyote attack that cost Kaylee over 40 ducks on her farm, and tourists asking when the national park releases the bears keeps the tone light before the turn.
The final third gets serious on policy. Kaylee and John make the case that the Second Amendment is not about hunting, but hunters should be about the Second Amendment, and that false environmental claims like the lead ammo ban are used to chip away at the shooting sports. They cover the NFA at 90 years old, the push to get suppressors out of the NFA, AR platforms replacing traditional hunting guns, and why GOA sues carefully to avoid setting bad precedent. Opie and John argue the firearm used to be the nucleus of the family and that mentorship, youth programs, and self-reliance have eroded. The close is a call to action: Kaylee says she timed the form email at 28.7 seconds, and the other side is counting on you sitting out the fight. The episode wraps with plugs for GOALS in Knoxville on August 17-18 and Naughty After Dark on October 25-26.
Questions this episode answers
How did Opie go from his first handgun to a full-time presence in the firearms industry?
Opie started with a Glock 17 and an Uncle Mike's holster, then built a morale patch side hustle, including a Trump Train design and a money patch. That grew into reviews, training, and partnerships with Liberty Bell Firearms, Smoky Mountain Guns and Ammo, Sylvan Arms, Forge, and Gun Maid.
What is the morale patch community like, and why do patches hold value on the secondary market?
The patch community pulls people together across brand and platform debates, turning strangers into lasting friends. Opie's money patch, where one random buyer received a real hundred-dollar bill, is an example of the novelty and collectibility that give patches value.
What is Naughty After Dark, and why does Opie run it as a low-cost way to try night vision, suppressors, and machine guns?
Naughty After Dark is Opie's night vision event built as a low-cost way for someone to try a machine gun, a suppressor, and night vision for the first time. It serves as an on-ramp that lets new shooters experience gear they might never otherwise access.
Why does the show argue the Second Amendment is not about hunting, even though hunters should support it?
Kaylee and John make the case that the Second Amendment is not about hunting, but hunters should be about the 2A. They argue that false environmental claims are used to chip away at the shooting sports, so hunters have a direct stake in defending the right.
How are false environmental claims like the lead ammo ban used against the shooting sports?
The hosts argue that false environmental claims, such as the lead ammo ban, are used as a pretext to chip away at the shooting sports incrementally. Framing ammunition as an environmental hazard becomes a lever to restrict shooting without addressing firearms directly.
What is Gun Owners of America's approach to lawsuits, and why does it not sue on everything?
Gun Owners of America sues carefully to avoid setting bad precedent that could harm the broader fight. Choosing cases selectively keeps a loss from creating a ruling that weakens Second Amendment protections for everyone.
Why does the panel believe the firearm stopped being the nucleus of the family, and how can mentorship bring it back?
Opie and John argue the firearm used to be the nucleus of the family, and that mentorship, youth programs, and self-reliance have eroded over time. They point to mentoring new shooters and youth programs as the way to rebuild that foundation.
How quickly can someone take action through Gun Owners of America, and why does inaction help the other side?
Kaylee says she timed sending a Gun Owners of America form email at 28.7 seconds, showing how little effort action takes. The point is that the other side is counting on gun owners sitting out the fight.
Chapters
- 00:00 — Welcome and meet Opie in the Smokies
- 00:42 — From a Glock 17 to a patch side hustle
- 04:11 — Liberty Bell, Smoky Mountain, Sylvan Arms and Forge
- 05:16 — The patch community and the secondary market
- 15:57 — Getting into the industry and friends for life
- 18:52 — Building an on-ramp for new shooters and creators
- 24:56 — Naughty After Dark and trying night vision
- 32:16 — GOA firing off the first round at the event
- 39:20 — Smoky Mountain wildlife and coyote problems
- 48:05 — Hunting, fudds and the lead ammo ban
- 59:46 — The NFA at 90 and getting suppressors out
- 1:08:43 — Why the firearm stopped being the family nucleus
- 1:18:53 — A call to action: 28 seconds to fight
- 1:28:21 — GOALS, Naughty After Dark and where to find Opie
About the guest
Opie is the firearms content creator behind Opie in the Smokies, based in East Tennessee. He grew up in Evansville/Boonville, Indiana, and moved to Tennessee for an ATM job almost a decade ago, which is where his shooting started. He began with a Glock 17, built a morale patch side hustle (including the Trump Train design), and exhibited at the NRA show in Atlanta in 2018. He works with Liberty Bell Firearms, Smoky Mountain Guns and Ammo (about four years of reviews), Sylvan Arms, Forge, and Gun Maid. He offers pistol, rifle, shotgun, night vision introduction, everyday carry, and women's pistol classes in East Tennessee, and runs the Naughty After Dark night vision event. He is 36 years old and has a wife and a young child, and mentions Wyatt as someone who may carry on Opie in the Smokies one day.
Key quotes
"We may not get along on Glock in 1911, but patches sure bring us together" — Opie
"even though the firearms community is widespread, we are able to pull like minded people together and just build friendships" — John
"you can't build an on ramp for someone if you're not on the path" — Kaylee
"the Second Amendment isn't about hunting. But hunters should be about the Second Amendment." — Kaylee
"It's so easy to fight for this because we're fighting for everybody, even the people we don't agree with" — Opie
"they're counting on you sitting out of the fight" — Kaylee
Transcripts
Welcome to Gun Owners of America State of the second podcast.
Speaker A:I'm Kaylee.
Speaker B:And I'm John.
Speaker B:And today we're joined by Opie and the Smokies.
Speaker B:The man, the myth, the legend himself.
Speaker B:They say he was born from a black bear on top of the Smokies, and here he is.
Speaker C:That's what they say.
Speaker C:Supposedly.
Speaker C:No, but happy to be here, guys.
Speaker C:Thanks for having me out in a beautiful little spot we got here to look out on while we're doing this, this podcast.
Speaker C:And just to see you guys, as.
Speaker B:Always, it's fantastic to see you.
Speaker B:It's always a fun time when we get together.
Speaker C:Absolutely.
Speaker B:Spent the last half hour laughing and having a good time.
Speaker B:So OB let's.
Speaker B:Let's get your backstory, let people know who you are, what you do, all that's fun stuff and.
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker B:And go from there.
Speaker C:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker C:So started I'm from Evansville, Indiana, or Boonville, Indiana, so real small town.
Speaker C:I usually tell people Evansville to avoid that last part, but, you know, we still spelled toilet with an R in it and stuff back there.
Speaker C:But I've worked at an ATM job that brought me down here to Tennessee almost about a decade ago, and that's kind of what started the whole shooting, you know, kind of hobby and what we ended up with now.
Speaker C:So I started with just kind of wanting to protect myself because I was working for a company that wasn't going to provide that for me.
Speaker C:Got a Glock 17, had no idea what I was doing, started shooting, felt like I was a bad mofo because I was doing like, you know, know, two second draws from Uncle Mike's holster and, you know, going through that whole kind of process, what new gun owners do.
Speaker C:Once I came down here, was able to actually convince the company to move me.
Speaker C:I had a backyard range, so I got to shoot a lot more and then ended up leading to me finding other people here.
Speaker C:Once I found other people, I really quickly realized how bad I suck at shooting.
Speaker C:And it was just nice to have people watching over you, taking you under your wing and kind of helping you progress with that, you know, that skill level as well.
Speaker C:In the meantime, I had came up with an idea because I did the.
Speaker C:The patch process as well.
Speaker C:As soon as I got a gun, I started looking at Punisher skulls to put on everything and, you know, follow that whole kind of trend and found these Facebook groups that were selling patches.
Speaker C:Morale patch, classifieds, motivational patch, black market, and was just like, what have I gotten myself into?
Speaker C:So anything you can ever imagine as you know, has been made into patch form or a spoof or a goof patch, you know, in some way or another.
Speaker C:And this was right before Trump got elected.
Speaker C:So in my head, I came up with Trump Train.
Speaker C:That was a Thomas the Train with Trump's face on it.
Speaker C:And so if anybody's ever seen that design, that was mine.
Speaker C:Just had no idea what I was doing, so didn't even know how to copyright a design, any of that that same year or that same time.
Speaker C:We sell this right before the election, and it basically sells out in a Facebook group overnight.
Speaker C:So I'm like, found myself in something pretty cool here.
Speaker C:Shipped them all in regular envelopes, and half of them got lost because regular envelopes go through, like, a thin kind of device, and it ripped the patches out.
Speaker C:And so, like, half the people had patches or empty envelopes show up with the, oops, we're sorry, this is all you get.
Speaker C:And so that kind of like, all right, now I got to get my shipping underway.
Speaker C:I got to get these people either refunds or get more patches replaced.
Speaker C:And learned a lot from that first one.
Speaker C:From there, we kind of started just pursuing a patch side hustle and went to the NRA show in Atlanta.
Speaker C: So that's what, been: Speaker C:Yeah, it's been a while.
Speaker C:So six years ago, me and my wife went down and we started just promoting that we could do patches for people.
Speaker C:And our first big gig was a men, too.
Speaker C:So it was pretty funny.
Speaker C:We just happened to sit down at the lunch table, which you know how hard it is to find a seat, and these guys were sitting there.
Speaker C:We sat down, got our food, and that led to kind of the entire process of what we're at now.
Speaker C:So we're sitting there talking.
Speaker C:They had us, you know, make their patches, which was awesome to have that opportunity.
Speaker C:But they also started saying, like, why are you not reviewing stuff if you're out shooting and making videos in your yard?
Speaker C:Nobody gives a crap what I'm saying.
Speaker C:You know, I'm just trying to make myself better.
Speaker C:But that led to products coming in eventually, kind of just setting everything up for, you know, what we have.
Speaker C:And so Jay, with Liberty Bell Firearms, as you guys have met, awesome dude.
Speaker C:He reached out to me when we were kind of getting along about two years in and said that he wanted to help the channel a lot and was a huge boost in what I was able to start doing.
Speaker C:He provided us with a lot of just different opportunities that we didn't really have, let alone we were able to start, like, really Decking out some of the guns with Sarah coat and like, kind of coming out with some of those outlandish rifles that you guys have seen floating around and stuff.
Speaker C:And.
Speaker C:And then it just kind of skyrocketed.
Speaker C:So after that, we got with Smoky Mountain Guns and Ammo here in town.
Speaker C:We've been with them now for almost four years doing reviews.
Speaker C:We get to play with Sylvan Arms stuff all the time.
Speaker C:So it's been really cool to work with them in Forge and then, you know, stuff just kind of comes in and out.
Speaker C:So between the reviews, we do with Gun Maid now and then little stuff like the crank grip that we're now working on and all that.
Speaker C:It's just been a.
Speaker C:A whirlwind of escalation in the last few years, and I just want to pass it all forward.
Speaker C:So that's kind of what led into, you know, the now, the training and the event and all that.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B: first time I met you, it was: Speaker B:Oh, you walked by the booth and I haggled with him to get some patches.
Speaker B:He ripped his only Opie OG op in the Smokies logo patch off his.
Speaker B:His vet or his bag gave it to me.
Speaker B:I still have one of the cats too, the chest hire cats.
Speaker B:And I can't remember, it was like two years later, a year later, I texted him and I'm like, hey, man, look what I found.
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker B:And he's like, where did you get that?
Speaker B:Remember that show?
Speaker B:He's like, ah, you got one of the OGs.
Speaker C:Oh, yeah.
Speaker B:So the patch thing is a huge thing.
Speaker B:I mean, I have a ginormous patch wall post picture here that is huge.
Speaker B:I've been doing it for a while.
Speaker B:It's a different.
Speaker B:It's a fun community to be part of.
Speaker B:There's a lot of trading, a lot of talking.
Speaker B:There's dedicated Patrick just for shot show and all these events.
Speaker B:And the funny part was I. I posted the last update I did on my patch wall after.
Speaker B:I think it was before shot.
Speaker B:And then after shot, you tagged me in it.
Speaker B:And you're like, I did this one.
Speaker B:And so I'm like, I didn't realize you did that.
Speaker B:Those.
Speaker B:That many patches.
Speaker B:The other one that kind of made you real famous was the money patch with the.
Speaker B:With the.
Speaker B:The chance to win 100 bucks.
Speaker B:And that one, that's got a story behind it.
Speaker C:It does.
Speaker C:So, you know, obviously I'm a big, in the nicest way possible, anti government person, you know, so taxes, especially falls into that category.
Speaker C:I came up with the idea of they take more than you make.
Speaker C:And so it was just a simple design with money bags with hands grabbing them.
Speaker C:But we did it in an embroidered and a PVC patch.
Speaker C:And I had this clever idea that one person would win a hundred dollars.
Speaker C:It would just be a random person would get a hundred dollar bill, but everybody had a fake 100 and a penny in their packs besides that one person.
Speaker C:And so we said you have a chance to get a tax refund of a penny to a hundred dollars.
Speaker C:So once everybody realized not everybody got a hundred dollars because I don't know how they thought that would have been possible by selling a $15 patch to 100 people.
Speaker C:But you know, they, there was some, some controversy on that until the hundred dollar winner actually showed up.
Speaker C:And then, you know, I thought it was pretty funny, but then I was like, you know what, I better not just give people pennies and patch packs anymore when they kind of expect that big win 100.
Speaker C:But it was a cool patch that was one that sold out.
Speaker C:You know, PVC and embroidered, it's still floating around out there.
Speaker C:And every once in a while you'll see it come up for sale in these groups.
Speaker C:And it's, it's always astonishing to me to see something that I sold for $15 that you know, obviously cost us four or five dollars to make and then see that secondary market years later still hold up to like 50 to 75 dollars on some of these.
Speaker C:And some people's patches are worth way more than mine.
Speaker B:It's funny, over the years at shot show, I've given up patches to people and people have come by and we know who, you know, who you are, you, you know who you are who comes up to the booth and just, yeah, all the patches and you know, it brings a good community.
Speaker B:But there's times where I'll sit on the shot show floor and I'll bring up ebay and I'll type in the company I'm working for, it's patch, and it'll be already up there for like 75.
Speaker B:Like, well, that's not my account.
Speaker B:So we're good.
Speaker B:But it's, it's crazy to think how the whole community, which is a subset of the firearms community, got together.
Speaker B:And there are people who have like, like myself who have an 8 by 10 wall filled floor to ceiling with patches.
Speaker B:And there's some people who have like two or three.
Speaker B:And then there's some people who have like a whole bunch more than I do.
Speaker B:And it's crazy to see like, the community.
Speaker B:And the funny part of like, hey, I'm at like a shot show.
Speaker B:I'll be in the patch talking in the patch groups.
Speaker B:And they'll be like, hey, you got something by.
Speaker B:Or hey.
Speaker B:And it's just you don't know the people.
Speaker B:You've only talked to them on the Internet.
Speaker B:I met a gentleman this year who did.
Speaker B:Ralphie.
Speaker B:Yeah, Ralphie from the Simpsons picking his nose.
Speaker B:And I ran up to meet him and he's like, john, how are you?
Speaker B:I'm like, bro, I don't have.
Speaker B:We've never really met, but he's like, we've talked and, and that's the, the thing we've talked about on the last couple episodes is just how being either on YouTube or being in a patch group or being in.
Speaker B:In some of these firearms groups, slash forums, how many friends you make.
Speaker B:And then you don't actually meet them in real life, but when you meet them in real life, it's like you don't even.
Speaker B:You've been friends for 10 years.
Speaker B:It's.
Speaker B:And it's fantastic to see that even though the firearms community is widespread, we are able to pull like minded people together and just build friendships.
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker C: may not get along on Glock in: Speaker C:But I mean, it's very true.
Speaker C:We actually have had three morale patch meetups here in the Smokies out of just the patch groups alone.
Speaker C:And so they rented a big cabin, a bunch of them.
Speaker C:Cadence came and stayed three or four days.
Speaker C:I just drove over since I was so close.
Speaker C:But it was limited patches for just that meetup.
Speaker C:And those patches instantly were worth hundreds of dollars a piece because it was a limited.
Speaker C:This is for you.
Speaker C:This is for me.
Speaker C:You know, these are not for sale.
Speaker C:It's just because you were here.
Speaker A:Yeah, that's.
Speaker A:That's so cool.
Speaker A:I mean it.
Speaker A:When.
Speaker A:Not to.
Speaker A:To go too off too far off subject, but I did not realize the patch game was so, so important.
Speaker B:Until.
Speaker A:We did our yearly patch.
Speaker A: ur first patch of the year in: Speaker A:And it's amazing to me when, like, you go on ebay and you see, because I think we did like 500.
Speaker A:We were like, we'll see if this, you know, we'll see if it works, like, if anyone likes it, you know, like, we did a campaign, I think.
Speaker A:And so if you joined as a GOA member, you got a patch, and when they were gone, they were gone.
Speaker A:And like I still see them on people's bags and stuff, and it's like, okay.
Speaker A:And then now, like, people get very upset if they don't get the patch of the year.
Speaker C:Oh, yeah.
Speaker C:And, yeah, it could bring out the best and the worst, for sure.
Speaker C:We.
Speaker B:We were walking.
Speaker B:Kaylee and I walked around shot show together, meeting with companies and stuff, and all of a sudden, she's.
Speaker B:I'd start handing her patches, and she's like, where did you get that from?
Speaker B:I'm like, don't ask questions.
Speaker B:I just walked around like, I am the patch sniper.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:I will see a patch, and I'll just be like, hey, like, normally what I do.
Speaker B:And this is funny because there's three.
Speaker B:There's three types of patch people.
Speaker B:And I was talking to Rachel from night vision about this, and there's three types of patch people.
Speaker B:There's the eye contact patch, and, like, is it okay?
Speaker B:It's okay.
Speaker B:And then they swipe.
Speaker B:Then there's the.
Speaker B:The guy who comes and swipes the booth bandits.
Speaker B:The guy who grabs it and turns his head and walks away immediately.
Speaker B:Doesn't even talk to you.
Speaker C:Like, it's free, dude.
Speaker B:Then there's the.
Speaker B:The person who, like, look, what I normally do is I walk by and like, hey, you got any patches here?
Speaker B:Here's ours.
Speaker B:Let's trim.
Speaker C:Exactly.
Speaker B:And it grows.
Speaker B:It's funny that the.
Speaker B:There.
Speaker B:There's so many of them that the styles.
Speaker B:And I was laughing with Rachel about it, and she goes, you are so accurate about this.
Speaker B:Like, yeah, because I've watched it happen.
Speaker B:There's always the awkward, like, moment with patches where there's like, oh, yes, sure.
Speaker B:And.
Speaker B:But it builds a community.
Speaker B:Like, that's the funny part about Shot Shot show and just our community in general, when you go to these shows and there's patches, it's.
Speaker B:It becomes like a Pokemon cards and trading card.
Speaker B:Your trading patch.
Speaker B:Like, hey, I got two extras of these.
Speaker B:Can you trade off for this and that?
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker B:And they're all different.
Speaker B:They're all fantastic.
Speaker B:I mean, and if you miss one, you just.
Speaker C:Especially if it's like a series or something.
Speaker C:And you know that that secondary market is brutal.
Speaker C:So if you have to.
Speaker C:Like, I think you guys talked with Adam from Tesauce and SDS imports a little bit.
Speaker C:He's huge patch collector, and his big thing is predator stuff.
Speaker C:And so I know he has had to pay arm and a leg for some of those things that he missed in a drop.
Speaker C:And there was a time in the beginning that I was a very Avid collector.
Speaker C:There were some brands I really wanted to get into, but then I started being like, you know what?
Speaker C:I'm just never going to get everything.
Speaker C:And so once I finally realized that the kind of, I guess the intensity of collecting fell off more in those private groups.
Speaker C:But I still get my fix, I guess, with just everybody we meet at events and all this stuff.
Speaker C:And one thing I always tell people, especially when we're trying to promote for a brand, I keep hitting that thing to by patches is nobody throws those away.
Speaker C:So even if it's your basic logo patch, it ends up in a wall, a bag or a drawer, or given away to somebody.
Speaker C:It's very rarely you ever find those in the trash can.
Speaker B:Well, it's funny you say that because it's like I've looked at my patch wall and I know exactly who gave it to me, where I got it, what company it was.
Speaker B:And you're just like, okay, cool.
Speaker C:So it's an intimate moment.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And you're just like, oh, I remember.
Speaker B:Just like we talked about.
Speaker B:I remember snagging the full story of begging and pleading with you to trade all these badges to get.
Speaker C:And I, I was like, oh, dude, that's my last one.
Speaker C:You were so cute and sweet.
Speaker B:I was innocent.
Speaker B:The funny.
Speaker B:So that show I had, it was so.
Speaker B:I'd worked in the industry on the retail side for, for many years.
Speaker B:That was my first show with Faxon.
Speaker B:It was my third day at work.
Speaker C:That's wild.
Speaker B:And I was like, your guys's booth.
Speaker C:Was busy too, because you had, if I remember correctly, you were releasing.
Speaker C:Is it the Patriot or.
Speaker C:They were releasing the Patriot handgun.
Speaker B:We were releasing the handguns, which was the following weeks was a torture for me because I had to put 12,000.
Speaker B:I sound like I'm complaining, but if you've ever put 12,000 rounds to a pistol in three days, you know, it's, it's not fun.
Speaker C:You get calluses in places.
Speaker C:You did.
Speaker B:But yeah, it was.
Speaker B:There was.
Speaker B:All the guys were there.
Speaker B:It was.
Speaker B:That's where I first met Jerry.
Speaker B:Or no, first met Johnny, first met Toolbox, first met Hank.
Speaker B:Strange.
Speaker B:The.
Speaker B:We like shooting guys.
Speaker B:John Patton like.
Speaker B:And these are guys who are considered friends now.
Speaker B:It's crazy how to think like one show at one time, at one booth.
Speaker B:I was just this new guy.
Speaker B:And then all of a sudden like,.
Speaker C:Hey, you're on first name basis with.
Speaker B:All the YouTubers phone numbers and, and that's what I, I want to encourage people to go like, if you want to get into this industry, it's, it's hard, but it's also fun.
Speaker B:And you're not going to make a lot of money.
Speaker B:I'm gonna tell you right now.
Speaker C:You're not gonna spend everything you make.
Speaker B:Spend everything if you make it.
Speaker B:Oh, especially on patches.
Speaker B:But you make friends for life.
Speaker B:I mean, that's how I met Kaylee.
Speaker B:That's how I met you and how I met Ben, who Stacy, who's here.
Speaker B:And you know, it's just great to meet everybody and you start talking to them and again, we're all like minded individuals, we all want the same thing, but then we just become friends for life.
Speaker B:And you're in Tennessee and I'm in Arizona and it's just like, hey, we hit each other up every time.
Speaker B:We'll talk for a couple.
Speaker B:It's, it's not like it's an everyday thing.
Speaker B:But I'll call him and he's like, hey man, how you been?
Speaker C:Pick up right where we left off.
Speaker B:And that's the thing about this hobby and this industry and the Second Amendment community as a whole is we're a very welcoming community and we're a very tight knit community.
Speaker B:And you make friends for life.
Speaker B:I mean, I've made friends at classes, I've made friends there at events and it's like you never skip a beat.
Speaker B:And there's not a lot of places you can say that you can make friends for life.
Speaker B:Absolutely.
Speaker B:Especially off of one meeting.
Speaker B:Like we talked for like 20 minutes and then we're friends for life.
Speaker B:You know, that's how it goes.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And I think that is the thing that makes the firearms culture unique, is the fact that we all want each other to succeed, whether that's in competitions or in your, in your career or as a shooter.
Speaker A:Like, we genuinely want the best for each other and we also want to see new people come into the industry.
Speaker A:And just because you, you start out in one position somewhere doesn't mean that, you know, you're stuck there for life.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:There's a lot of, of movement in the, in the firearms industry.
Speaker C:She found that out really quick.
Speaker A:And you know, for better or for worse.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:And so, but there's, there's always a place and, and that's, you know, we've, we've talked a lot about the, on ramp to the Second Amendment.
Speaker A:If you are sitting here and you're listening to this podcast and you really want to be, you know, a content creator or you really want to be a sales rep for a company or, or whatever it is, that is your desire.
Speaker A:Like find, find someone to mentor.
Speaker A:You show up at events and eventually someone is going to know somebody somewhere and.
Speaker A:And everyone wants you to succeed.
Speaker B:I can't remember her name.
Speaker B:She showed up to naughty and I feel so bad that I can't remember her name.
Speaker B:She was just getting in the space.
Speaker B:She's a female trainer.
Speaker B:You know who I'm talking?
Speaker C:She's from Chattanooga.
Speaker C:She's from Chattanooga Women's.
Speaker C:She was friends with Carrie.
Speaker B:Yeah, she.
Speaker B:Well, she made friends with Carrie at the event.
Speaker C:Oh, okay.
Speaker C:I thought they were friends already.
Speaker B:See, that's what I'm talking about.
Speaker B:Like they made.
Speaker C:Yeah, they, they hit it.
Speaker C:I thought they were lifelong friends when I saw them walking around together.
Speaker C:They probably just met.
Speaker C:So.
Speaker B:Yeah, Carrie actually brought her to Shacho because of that.
Speaker C:That's amazing.
Speaker B:So she.
Speaker B:I can't remember.
Speaker C:I did see posts of her at shot show.
Speaker C:That's awesome.
Speaker B:I can't remember her name.
Speaker B:But she.
Speaker B:Again, just like you said, if you want to be a content creator and things like that.
Speaker B:She just was getting off.
Speaker B:She came, she drove from Chattanooga.
Speaker B:Natalie.
Speaker B:Yeah, Natalie, exactly.
Speaker C:Blonde headed girl, loved.
Speaker C:Had all the pictures with the nods on and stuff.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:And she, she had reached out to me and was like, hey, you know I'm very new.
Speaker C:Just getting my.
Speaker C:I was like this is perfect for you to come to.
Speaker C:And I think she camped.
Speaker C:She had like a really sweet overland like set up in her vehicle and like she went balls to the wall with her experience and it definitely paid off I think, you know, so it's going to be cool to see her progress in the industry as well.
Speaker B:But it's crazy to think like she, she didn't know anybody.
Speaker B:She reached out to you and that just shows how well like yeah, come on down, let's go.
Speaker B:And she made friends with Carrie.
Speaker B:She, she was fantastic to talk to.
Speaker B:Great personality, great person.
Speaker B:Got to hang out, shoot, not shot.
Speaker B:Steve's 50.
Speaker B:Like she went all in on this event.
Speaker B:It paid off.
Speaker B:And I think that's the big thing.
Speaker B:Takeaway is like if you, if you're nervous about this or, or if you are a new shooter or if you are just want to start getting into content, like turn on the camera, go, go to these events, talk to people like you.
Speaker B:Kaylee said like we're very welcoming community that want to see each other succeed.
Speaker B:I mean Steve has helped me out tremendously over the years.
Speaker B:Mike Mills has helped me out.
Speaker B:Jonathan who is almost at a million subs.
Speaker B:You, you think somebody with a million subs don't want to talk to you, but he is like a good friend.
Speaker B:Just helping.
Speaker B:Patton's been great.
Speaker B:I mean, we've built this community even in.
Speaker B:We were talking to Josh about this from Black Diamond Guns gear, even in Tennessee.
Speaker B:I know, like when we were.
Speaker B:When I was in there, when Steve was in Arizona, which you guys stole him and I'm still angry about.
Speaker C:I thought I'd get to see him all the time.
Speaker C:I barely get to see him too.
Speaker B:But, you know, Steve, my toolbox and tactical considerations and I would all go out and shoot content together and go hang out and do stuff.
Speaker B:And I think that's.
Speaker B:That's really cool with them.
Speaker B:But also, like, there's a huge Tennessee crew that hangs out and does stuff together.
Speaker B:And I want.
Speaker B:That's the thing that a lot of people don't see is everybody thinks that all these content creators are fighting against each other, but we're all friends.
Speaker B:We all want to see each other.
Speaker B:You know, like, you loan guns to each other, you loan you film for each other, and it turns into this weird, awesome community of people trying to succeed.
Speaker B:And that's all we want.
Speaker B:I see.
Speaker B:We just want people to succeed in the Second Amendment space.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Well, you can't build an on ramp for someone if you're not on the path.
Speaker C:Very fair.
Speaker A:And whether that is gun advocacy or shooting or content creation or whatever, whatever that is, you have to have someone doing it to build an on ramp for you.
Speaker A:And I love, I love to see our community grow.
Speaker A:Nothing makes me happier than when we go to a lobby day and there are all sorts of people from all sorts of walks of life at that lobby day.
Speaker A:And the reason they're there isn't because someone sent an email.
Speaker A:The reason that they're there is because they.
Speaker A:They care enough to show up.
Speaker A:And next year they bring somebody.
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker A:And.
Speaker A:And the next year they're sharing the post and.
Speaker A:And the next year, you know, they are.
Speaker A:Are more intentional with the questions that they ask and think about that, about what that means to the community at large.
Speaker A:Like, if we want to see a restoration or our rights, we have to first advocate for them.
Speaker A:You have to have action in anything in life.
Speaker A:You have to have action.
Speaker A:But building that on ramp is one of the best forms of action we can have because there is no one more fired up than someone who was previously disarmed.
Speaker A:When you make that commitment to be a gun owner for the first time and you start getting training and it opens up a whole new world.
Speaker A:And what do you do, you go to your friends that also have never been a part of the firearms community and you're like, hey, you gotta try this.
Speaker A:And I really like what you are doing with Naughty After Dark and Night Vision because for a lot of people it's an expensive investment.
Speaker A:They're not out of reach.
Speaker A:They might not have that, but you have built something so that people can go in and experience it.
Speaker A:And you're building an on ramp to grow a niche in the firearms community and make it bigger, therefore making it more accessible.
Speaker A:Because it comes down to supply and demand.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:And so by doing things like that, you're able to introduce people to something that they might have never even considered doing before.
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker C:Yeah, you hit it on the head.
Speaker C:So one of the coolest things I think we can say about Naughty After Dark is if you've never shot a machine gun, if you've never shot suppress, or if you've never shot night vision, we'll let you do all three at once.
Speaker C:So, you know, that's most people.
Speaker C:And to me it's.
Speaker C:So I guess I need to remind myself how lucky we have it because you do get kind of in a comfortability of being a content creator.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:We've been around this stuff all the time.
Speaker C:I always feel blessed.
Speaker C:But it is non stop work, you know, to do this stuff.
Speaker C:So you kind of forget sometimes that, hey, not everybody has all these things all the time access to.
Speaker C:So, you know, it's, it's something everybody should have anyway.
Speaker C:But to provide that outlet for, you know, pennies of what other people are charging to come out and have that experience, it's.
Speaker C:It's basically my calling, you know, give you that opportunity.
Speaker C:Because once you try it, you end up trying to figure out a way to buy it.
Speaker C:You know, I have people all the time, they're like, how did you do it?
Speaker C:And I'm like, dude, look, you know, it's ramen noodles for like the first three months when you get a PBS 14.
Speaker C:But you know, life gets better.
Speaker C:Hopefully your career gets better, your money, financial situation gets better and you can kind of make those decisions.
Speaker C:And one thing I always say, please don't go take a loan out and buy Night vision.
Speaker C:You know, you need to work toward that.
Speaker C:I'm sure there's stuff in your house that you can sell that you're not using anymore.
Speaker C:That's.
Speaker C:I'm a hoarder when it comes to guns.
Speaker C:I never like to get rid of any guns.
Speaker C:But man, if my wife isn't right, if I Would just sell a couple.
Speaker C:You know, I could do a lot of other stuff, but they feel like pretty good investments sitting in that safe right now.
Speaker B:You're not wrong.
Speaker B:I wouldn't.
Speaker B:So we got to attend Naughty last year.
Speaker B:That was my first endeavor into night vision.
Speaker B:And I can't remember the company.
Speaker B:It was maybe night owl or some owl, whoever was on the end over there.
Speaker C:Steel.
Speaker B:Steel, Yep.
Speaker C:Steel Industries.
Speaker B:Steel industries.
Speaker B:So they gave me a pair of PBS 14s.
Speaker B:I put it on, I'm like, oh, this is fantastic.
Speaker B:Look at all the stars.
Speaker B:And then they're like, okay, so that's the entry level.
Speaker B:This is how much that cost.
Speaker B:I'm like, okay, cool, cool, cool, cool.
Speaker B:And then they're like, here's some quads.
Speaker B:I'm like, okay, cool.
Speaker B:So I tried on the quads.
Speaker B:I'm like, oh, my goodness, this is insane.
Speaker B:Look at all them stars.
Speaker B:And Steve's laughing at me, and I'm sitting there like, oh, how much does this cost?
Speaker B:Then he tells me, I'm like, oh, no, my wife's gonna kill me.
Speaker C:Yeah, it's a little gut wrenching for those.
Speaker C:So, you know, you gotta find where your lane is.
Speaker C:That's very much I.
Speaker C:My lane will never be quads.
Speaker C:So I like to think, you know, quads or four sets of duels that I can rent out to other people and give four more people experiences.
Speaker C:The duels was absolutely amazing, don't get me wrong.
Speaker C:But it wasn't $40,000 worth sitting on my head.
Speaker C:So, you know, anytime I could get that free opportunity to try quads, I'm gonna do it.
Speaker C:But as far as going out and buying one of those, man, that's just fu.
Speaker C:Money.
Speaker B:It was even more expensive when he's like, okay, now here's an eotech on a.
Speaker B:On.
Speaker B:On the gun.
Speaker B:Go ahead and look through it.
Speaker B:I'm like, why is that thing floating?
Speaker B:What's going on here?
Speaker C:Well, that freaking.
Speaker C:Did you see there's.
Speaker C:There's long range setup.
Speaker B:Oh, yeah.
Speaker C:So it had that whole new radex freaking calculator, you know, basically shoots the gun, does everything but pull the.
Speaker C:And they're.
Speaker C:They're like one of the first ones that show up.
Speaker C:They get it all set up and then set it against the table.
Speaker C:That thing goes right down onto the gravel and just picks it up like it's nothing.
Speaker C:And I'm like, my whole body is like just like cring up right now because of what just happened.
Speaker C:And he just brushes it off and, well, that's what Warranties are for, you know.
Speaker B:Well, the, the most fun.
Speaker B:Nods are great.
Speaker B:Don't get me wrong.
Speaker C:They really are.
Speaker B:They are fantastic.
Speaker B:The most fun I had at your event was not just hanging out with the people and everything, but I got to shoot the gel guns with.
Speaker B:It was me and Steve timed up in the little shoot house and we had the gel guns with the thermal on them.
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker C:And AGM Global brought that out.
Speaker C:Yeah, that was an awesome experience.
Speaker B:RMG turned the corner and I hear, ah, who hit me?
Speaker B:Screaming.
Speaker B:It was more.
Speaker B:Oh, so much fun.
Speaker C:It was.
Speaker B:I. I really hope that you consider doing a full on battle course next year.
Speaker C:Well, we would love to double the tent size and bring them.
Speaker C:Have some more.
Speaker B:I just want to run across the field with it.
Speaker C:Well, the field would be fun too.
Speaker C:Yeah, it was funny, man, because I quickly realized how little self control I had in a situation like that because once it was on, it was just like everybody's getting it.
Speaker C:So I remember like coming around.
Speaker C:It was me and my wife versus Mike and his wife.
Speaker C:And so they're coming in and I see.
Speaker C:I think his name was Josh.
Speaker C:It was the guy with agm.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:And so I come around the corner and I clearly recognize Josh with his thermal camel camera recording.
Speaker C:And I still just pull a shot off on him because he was the first person I saw.
Speaker C:And I was just so excited to shoot somebody with this gun.
Speaker C:And of course it's like a crotch shot, so it like drops him like instantly you hear ow from the other side.
Speaker C:And then we could finally get into it.
Speaker C:But I remember they were like, no full auto.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:And so at the very end, I think me and Mike just.
Speaker B:Oh, yeah.
Speaker B:I remember we're sitting there and we're like, what is happening in there?
Speaker B:What is going.
Speaker B:It sounds like World War 3.
Speaker C:I remember like taking the gun and reaching over the top of the box and underneath and yeah, it was breaking all the rules, but it was.
Speaker C:It was awesome.
Speaker B:Dad, if you.
Speaker B:If anybody's listening to this that hasn't experienced night vision or hasn't experienced night shooting in general, that's the event to do it at.
Speaker B:It's a great event.
Speaker B:It's a.
Speaker B:It's a small event, but it's a great event, which being small is not a bad thing.
Speaker B:It's a tight knit group of people.
Speaker B:You got to know everybody.
Speaker B:We got to hang out.
Speaker B:SDS Imports brought out Glow in the Dark Clays.
Speaker B:That was so much.
Speaker C:That was such a, like an awesome little addition out there.
Speaker B:It's just.
Speaker C:And Then infinity targets being out there, like black light painting all their targets and stuff.
Speaker C:So we just hadn't looked like a frickin, you know, rave on the range basically going on.
Speaker B:We.
Speaker B:Great.
Speaker C:It was awesome.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I mean, Kaylee, you need to experience that this year.
Speaker B:I know you've got some things.
Speaker A:Here's the thing.
Speaker A:It happens to be on the week of my children's birthday.
Speaker A:So, you know, there are a few things that I'm like, this is dedicated family mom time.
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker B:So what says Happy birthday more than a pair of nods?
Speaker C:We're trying to make a couple of future little gun owners here.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker A:Well, you're not wrong.
Speaker A:I mean, well, listen, there'll be two this year.
Speaker A:We can.
Speaker A:We can start discussing range opportunities.
Speaker B:Well, it's the best.
Speaker B:The most fun I had at your event.
Speaker B:And I walked up to you, I was like, opie, Steve said he's going to fire off the 50 as the first round.
Speaker B:And you were like.
Speaker B:I was like, hey, so what if GOA fired off the first round?
Speaker B:And the speech you gave was fantastic.
Speaker B:Thanks, man.
Speaker B:He gave us a nice speech.
Speaker B:Talking about goa, how we're no compromise, how we were the only gun rights organization to show up, which we are happy to show up to the event.
Speaker B:And I get to the line, I give my little speech, and I go to pull the trigger.
Speaker B:I barely even touch the trigger, and somebody starts going.
Speaker B:I'm like, come on, bro.
Speaker C:You could see whatever you say.
Speaker C:And it like, was like, all right.
Speaker C:And then you go to pull the trigger, and somebody took all right as the go.
Speaker C:And literally right before you pull the trigger, somebody two steps down pulls theirs off, and then the entire thing goes off all at once.
Speaker A:But what an honor to.
Speaker A:To lead off a.
Speaker A:A mad minute.
Speaker A:I mean, like, those are the.
Speaker A:The great, like, moments of an event.
Speaker B:Oh, I will never forget that.
Speaker B:That's awesome, man.
Speaker B:It was great.
Speaker C:Even though it was slightly.
Speaker B:There's always that one guy, literally.
Speaker B:But I'm sitting there and they're like, getting ready to film.
Speaker B:I'm like, all right, guys, 50 is a little heavy.
Speaker B:I'm like, trying to balance this thing.
Speaker B:And they're like, okay.
Speaker B:I'm like, all right, I'm gonna fire off this shot.
Speaker B:I'm aiming it.
Speaker B:I hope it hits the dirt somewhere.
Speaker B:That's the last thing I need the same for that.
Speaker A:Well, it's better just.
Speaker A:Just be happy that it.
Speaker A:It.
Speaker A:It was you and not me.
Speaker A:Because, like, that gun would have been taller than me, so they would have.
Speaker C:Been ended up as like, A pogo stick when you're done with it.
Speaker A:Not gone on that.
Speaker A:That's.
Speaker B:Well, the whole funny, the funny part about it is like, Steve was super excited to lit it off and I said, hey, what if Goa did it?
Speaker B:And he jumped right on it.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:He was like, yeah.
Speaker B:And I walked over.
Speaker B:I remember walking over to you and I'm like a little sad voice.
Speaker B:Hey, buddy, what if we did the start and you were on it?
Speaker B:You were like, oh, yeah, let's go.
Speaker C:Just like seemed like a perfect fit.
Speaker B:Well, to give up the mad minute at your own event to let us do it.
Speaker B:I am just so thankful for you letting us do that and speaks volumes.
Speaker A:To your commitment to the cause.
Speaker A:I mean, there is no arrogance when it with you at all.
Speaker A:Like, you are so mission focused and, and I think that really shows in how much you love your state.
Speaker A:Like, you represent Tennessee well.
Speaker C:Thank you.
Speaker A:And, and I, I, I love your family.
Speaker A:Your family's awesome.
Speaker A:And you're just your game for whatever is needed to accomplish what we need to accomplish.
Speaker A:And, and that's, I don't want to say that's a rarity, but you are, you're the embodiment of.
Speaker A:Just look at how much we can do if.
Speaker A:No, if.
Speaker A:I'm not worried about the credit.
Speaker A:And, and so I, I want to take this moment to really give you the credit that you deserve.
Speaker C:I really appreciate that.
Speaker A:You know, you're, you're not only representing Tennessee well, but you're also representing the whole community just incredibly well.
Speaker A:So thank you for that.
Speaker C:No problem.
Speaker C:It's.
Speaker C:It's an honor to be in this position to do this.
Speaker C:One thing that is always in the back of my mind is, you know, with people like us, the second amendment is always going to outlive us.
Speaker C:And so, you know, long, long down the line when open the Smokies as far go.
Speaker C:I don't know, maybe Wyatt will take it over.
Speaker C:We'll see.
Speaker C:You know, but, you know, when that's far gone, the second amendment will still be here.
Speaker C:And any little thing that we can do now is going to keep it around for our grandkids.
Speaker C:Grandkids.
Speaker C:And that's what's important.
Speaker A:And that increase in technology, I mean, like, I mean, I don't want to spend too much time on night vision just because it is very pricey.
Speaker B:Hold on.
Speaker B:Insert applause noise here.
Speaker B:Now go.
Speaker C:And cash registers.
Speaker A:But, you know, night vision is expensive.
Speaker A:Yes, but you are really focusing on bringing people and, you know, making sure that we're open and honest.
Speaker A:About what it is, what it's for, why we like it.
Speaker A:Because anytime new technology is introduced, there's always a fear factor of, you know, well, you know, should this accessory be there?
Speaker A:Like, you know, what are the real applications of it?
Speaker A:Should we.
Speaker A:And it's like, this is just fun.
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker A:Like, honestly, because I live on a farm and I have a massive coyote problem, I should get some just for, like, the protection of livestock.
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker A:Because it would.
Speaker A:I. I could justify the cost probably really fast, just because of how many animals we lose.
Speaker A:Two coyotes, thermal.
Speaker C:And, you know, night vision is a wide encompassing kind of subject.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:So you.
Speaker C:You have thermals along with night vision, where we can go rifle mounted, we can go helmet mounted, you can do a hybrid version of both.
Speaker C:But, you know, when it comes to protecting your farm, that could add up really, really quick.
Speaker C:You know, it's not just the animal itself, but all that that you put into getting that animal to that point.
Speaker A:Oh, yeah.
Speaker C:You know, and then if you do eat your livestock, that is food coming right off of your table.
Speaker A:Oh, yeah.
Speaker A:We just.
Speaker C:Actually, I was waiting for you, but now we don't eat our chickens.
Speaker A:Oh, we.
Speaker A:We definitely.
Speaker A:We definitely eat our chickens.
Speaker C:I'm still working on my, like, my wife.
Speaker C:We can't name them.
Speaker C:We.
Speaker A:We definitely eat the food on our farm, but we actually just had a massive coyote attack.
Speaker A:We lost over 40 ducks.
Speaker B:Oh, my God.
Speaker C:And that's all in once.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Holy cow.
Speaker A:Like, you're.
Speaker A:You're talking about some cost associated.
Speaker A:Like, y. I know if y' all check the price of duck recently, but, like, that was.
Speaker C:That almost seems like it was a hit.
Speaker C:That's like, they knew that what they were doing.
Speaker A:Oh, it was like a whole pack just.
Speaker C:And it's kind of scary.
Speaker C:Like, coyotes are very skittish to us, but what they're capable of doing to small animals is pretty wild.
Speaker C:Like, I mean, they're very known for luring and, you know, decoying out smaller animals so that they can surround and, you know, take over.
Speaker C:And ducks would probably be pretty easy to distract.
Speaker C:Yeah, they take over with the pack of coyotes.
Speaker A:I mean, it was just wild.
Speaker A:I've never seen, like, the fence was intact.
Speaker A:Like, every.
Speaker A:It was just.
Speaker A:We.
Speaker A:We've, like, had to have a real assessment in the past few days, like, while we're filming the podcast, doing booth picks and stuff.
Speaker A:Like, my husband and I are texting and going, you know, what are we gonna do?
Speaker A:Because, like, thankfully, they.
Speaker A:They hunt at night.
Speaker A:But, like, we have a two year old, like,.
Speaker C:And it's really like.
Speaker C:It's just a pain in the ass, to be honest.
Speaker C:Like to have to keep up with that to.
Speaker C:In the time that you're sleeping, have to worry about protecting the.
Speaker C:You know, the things that are kind of like helping you live your livelihood and stuff like that.
Speaker C:But just something you got to do out there, unfortunately, you know, you gotta almost put it on shifts, like, all right, you get tonight, I get tomorrow.
Speaker C:But, you know, it's.
Speaker C:It's really cool that you could set that particular.
Speaker C:I don't know how your setup is at home, but, you know, get it to where you have something that, okay, we can at least view from our house.
Speaker C:And then we have something that's easily able to be taken outside.
Speaker C:So I don't know how long you guys are here, but I could lend you a thermal for your rifle for a little bit to go try out.
Speaker C:So at least see if you like that or if you're like, you know, this is a.
Speaker C:This is cool, but I would rather have some helmet nods out here while I'm slaying coyotes.
Speaker A:That's gonna be my side hustle is going to be Kaylee the coyote slayer.
Speaker C:Machine guns and dodges.
Speaker C:That'd be awesome.
Speaker C:There's a patch right there.
Speaker B:Patch idea.
Speaker B:I was say new patch idea.
Speaker B:Can't leave this.
Speaker B:The coyote, awesome.
Speaker B:She's like, I have the power.
Speaker A:Listen, like, it's all.
Speaker A:You know, the ducks were a hit, but like, it just.
Speaker A:I don't.
Speaker A:You get nervous when you have little kids.
Speaker A:Little kids are not smart, no offense.
Speaker A:They're very cute, very cuddly, and you.
Speaker C:Can tell them a hundred times they're still going to touch that hot burger.
Speaker B:Can I pet that dog?
Speaker B:No.
Speaker B:But if people think like, people look at coyotes and they're like, oh, they're so cute and they're so.
Speaker B:You've never been around a pack of coyotes at night if you think they're cute and adorable.
Speaker B:I've.
Speaker B:I've had run ins with packs of coyotes with a sharp stick.
Speaker B:It's not a great experience to have because they are pack animals.
Speaker B:They will try to encircle you and try to get you to.
Speaker B:Oh, yeah, do so.
Speaker B:Yeah, Coyotes.
Speaker C:You look mighty juicy, man.
Speaker C:I am super juicy.
Speaker B:They're like, that's a meal for like three days.
Speaker B:We could eat good.
Speaker C:We've hit it big, boys.
Speaker B:There's.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I mean, we've.
Speaker B:We've been out here for a week now, and we've seen 10 bear.
Speaker B:Every time one walks by, we all like, okay, we gotta be careful.
Speaker B:We gotta be careful.
Speaker B:Oh, my God, it's a bear.
Speaker B:We gotta go see it.
Speaker C:Yeah, let's get.
Speaker A:Please know the non tourists not amused.
Speaker B:We did not pet the bear.
Speaker B:We did not go close to the bear.
Speaker C:I came up.
Speaker C:It was actually one of the patch meetups.
Speaker C:I come up here, and it's actually a fellow Tennessean that's here as well.
Speaker C:And they had baited a bear to one of these cabins with bacon, and the bear decided to stay around, you know, so it was like, yeah, of course I'm gonna hang.
Speaker C:You guys got bacon.
Speaker C:I'm here.
Speaker C:Like, so now what?
Speaker C:Well, this was before I got there.
Speaker C:Supposedly the guy discharged his pistol in the ground to scare the bear off, which worked.
Speaker C:But I'm like, you were the same dude that baited this barrier.
Speaker C:Like, I just wanted to punch the guy.
Speaker A:I love the guy, so I just.
Speaker C:Wanted to punch him.
Speaker C:Because you being somewhat local, you see the videos non stop of people out the pass between the mountains getting out of their car, getting as close as they can to the elk, the bear, the cubs, you know, and it all that does is put those animals at a potential to be put down.
Speaker C:And.
Speaker A:Yeah, well, let me tell you something.
Speaker A:I grew up in Sevier county, that this is.
Speaker A:This is home turf to me.
Speaker A:As you can.
Speaker C:You are home.
Speaker A:Literally from where we're sitting in this cabin, I could be at my childhood home in like 25ish minutes.
Speaker C:That's awesome.
Speaker A:And I was working a so totally ADHD moment, guys.
Speaker A:But I was working at this western store downtown on the parkway.
Speaker A:That was my high school job.
Speaker A:And this lady from definitely not this area asked me what time they released the bears in the national park because she.
Speaker A:Her kids wanted to go see them.
Speaker A:And I was like, what?
Speaker A:And she was like, when do they release the bears?
Speaker A:Like, we want to be there so we can get good photos.
Speaker A:And I'm like, it's.
Speaker A:It's the national park.
Speaker A:She's like, I know where I'm at.
Speaker A:And I'm like, they live here.
Speaker A:She's like, I know.
Speaker A:When did they get released?
Speaker A:And I'm like, they live in the park.
Speaker A:Like, totally.
Speaker A:There's no release.
Speaker C:They've been released.
Speaker A:They're wild animals.
Speaker A:And I'm like, you know, like, if you.
Speaker A:I was like, now?
Speaker A:I'm like, oh, great.
Speaker A:I'm like, if you encounter one, like, stay in your car.
Speaker A:Like, don't.
Speaker C:Don't go up and say, hey, Mr. Bear.
Speaker A:Like, I'm not.
Speaker A:This is not a Petting zoo.
Speaker A:Like I'm concerned at this moment.
Speaker C:They're already kind of like dehumanized around here because like I.
Speaker B:They're so used to everybody.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:I watched videos of them going up to Anakeesta pulling trash out right in front of people.
Speaker B:It's.
Speaker B:We went up the first time we were here.
Speaker B:Came down with my sister in law, my brother in law, my wife and our niece.
Speaker B:We're in the car and we're coming up the mountain and there's a bear.
Speaker B:And we're like, I'm driving slow but because I don't want this thing.
Speaker B:First off, I don't want to hit a bear.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:Second, that's a big dick.
Speaker B:The bear is getting closer and closer to the car.
Speaker B:I don't want.
Speaker B:I'm just gonna figure out what this bear is going to do.
Speaker B:And my niece in the back seat just starts yelling kitty, kitty, kitty.
Speaker B:I'm like no, not a kitty.
Speaker A:Back to the children need to be supervised.
Speaker B:Can I pet that dog?
Speaker B:But you're absolutely right.
Speaker B:The, the big thing and I am big on national parks and things like that.
Speaker B:I really love them.
Speaker B:I went to school to be.
Speaker B:Do that at one point.
Speaker B:But people don't understand like if the bear bites somebody because you got too close, the bear's done.
Speaker C:You still get to go on living your life.
Speaker B:Done.
Speaker B:It's with all these, I mean watching the videos of Yellowstone and the people trying to ride the freaking buffalo.
Speaker B:Oh my God.
Speaker B:Come on, that's a sub.
Speaker C:Are we like so just uneducated.
Speaker C:Even though we have the smartest device known to man in our hands like in our fingertips.
Speaker C:Times that like you can't look at a big animal like that and have some sort of fear.
Speaker B:I think just to piggyback off her story.
Speaker B:I think people are just so desensitized and think that the wildlife is like this.
Speaker C:Like the national parks are released and caged.
Speaker B:Yeah, they can.
Speaker B:Every night, you know they go gather them up.
Speaker A:Oh you know, they just, they, they, they know, you know they, they go, they sleep.
Speaker A:They're Yogi Bear.
Speaker A:They sleep in cabins in the morning basket.
Speaker B:That's my.
Speaker B:That's the thing if I'm glad it was you and not me.
Speaker B:Cuz I would have been.
Speaker B:Oh yeah.
Speaker B:About 11 o' clock if you drive all the way up to Clingman's Dome, climb all the way to the top, that's where they really jump off.
Speaker B:You know the funny part is I had the same situation when we were going through Kate's Cove we were at one of the, the, the halfway point in Case Cove for people who haven't driven Kate's Cove, which is I highly recommend if you're out here.
Speaker B:It's a beautiful nature, great hikes.
Speaker B:If you go up to Abrams Falls.
Speaker B:Sorry, I'm pitching, I'm pitching Tennessee hard because of goals.
Speaker B:But we were at the little, you know how halfway through there's that little ranger station with the city in there and stuff like that.
Speaker B:And we're sitting there and this lady's like, when do they release the bear?
Speaker B:And the park ranger, I, I bless her heart, she was getting ready to smack.
Speaker A:I wonder how many times they're asked that.
Speaker A:Because like I was asked at a western store, which doesn't seem like the appropriate place to ask that question.
Speaker A:I can't imagine being a park ranger.
Speaker B:If I was a of part park ranger, there would have been a, there been a fake clock on the wall with fake times like, yeah, they released the bear.
Speaker B: Next bear visit,: Speaker C:Each time somebody asks, you get a better idea how to like add to the joke.
Speaker B: ,: Speaker B:Stand right there.
Speaker C:Even go as far as like making fake flyers.
Speaker C:And.
Speaker A:We're off topic.
Speaker C:This is how hikers go missing.
Speaker A:So, you know, like, it's all fun and games to talk about, you know, the, the wildlife and, and what you're supposed to do with it.
Speaker A:But there's a huge part of the Second Amendment community that also is actively working on the conservation movement and, you know, hunters, you know, how many times have we heard, you know, oh, they're all fuds.
Speaker A:I personally don't agree with that statement because I am not a fudge.
Speaker A:And I also like to hunt.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker A:And so I don't, I don't believe that, that all hunters are fuds.
Speaker A:Can some of them fit that description?
Speaker A:Of course, but I don't think they're a monolith.
Speaker A:But one of the things that really bothers me is when people want to make false environmental claims to negatively impact the shooting sports.
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker A:You know, we've seen that with the lead ammo band and you know, applause to Goa members.
Speaker A:90% Of the comments came from GOA members to hopefully stop that lead ammo.
Speaker A:Van but these sort of things are really important because we can all enjoy nature, we can enjoy hunting, we can, we can enjoy and want to protect these animals so that we have the pleasure of hunting them.
Speaker A:But the Second Amendment isn't about hunting.
Speaker A:But hunters should be about the Second Amendment.
Speaker A:And anytime that there is an attack Whether it's lead ammo, even if it doesn't affect you, it's affecting something in the Second Amendment community.
Speaker A:And we need to be cognizant of that.
Speaker A:We need to react to that.
Speaker A:And we need to take those stripes against us and, and move in a positive direction because it is a death by.
Speaker A:We're way past 10,000 cuts.
Speaker A:You know, death by a thousand cuts.
Speaker A:They.
Speaker A:They moved us to 10,000 cuts.
Speaker A:It's like millions of cuts at this point, but we're still standing and we're still fighting and we're working on the protection and the restoration of the Second Amendment.
Speaker A:And, you know, we.
Speaker A:We live in a beautiful, beautiful part of the country.
Speaker A:Not you, John.
Speaker A:I'm just kidding.
Speaker B:Hey, mine's beautiful.
Speaker B:It's just desert.
Speaker C:Beautifully dry.
Speaker A:Yeah, beautifully dry.
Speaker A:You're not hunting black bear in Arizona.
Speaker B:You know what?
Speaker B:I could.
Speaker B:Yeah, north of.
Speaker A:Oh, that's right.
Speaker A:Because you got Flagstaff.
Speaker A:I forget about that because every time I have to go to Arizona, it's like Phoenix.
Speaker A:And I'm just like.
Speaker A:I'm fake from the inside out.
Speaker B:Well, they're actually opening up, so this.
Speaker A:Is what medium rare feels like.
Speaker B:Listen, I can bake cookies in my car.
Speaker B:I don't know about what you guys do, but I can bake cookies in my car during the day and have fresh warm cookies when I get in my car.
Speaker C:That's one way to look at it.
Speaker A:That's a brag.
Speaker C:That's always seeing the positive.
Speaker B:They're actually the thing that with so a lot of people, when they think Arizona, they think just Phoenix because, I mean, it's the biggest city.
Speaker B:But Flagstaff is beautiful.
Speaker B:We've got bear and elk.
Speaker B:The elk are actually coming down the mountain.
Speaker B:So far they're coming towards Phoenix.
Speaker B:And they're actually offering off the shelf tags for elk now because they're getting so close.
Speaker B:But they're also like.
Speaker A:We are be booking a plane, plane ticket to Phoenix.
Speaker B:But we also have like, we have javelina.
Speaker B:The coyotes are.
Speaker B:There's a lot of coyotes.
Speaker B:We have rattlesnakes and I don't hunt rattlesnakes, but they're.
Speaker B:They're there.
Speaker B:I mean, they're a thing.
Speaker B:It's pretty scary, to be honest.
Speaker A:Well, we haven't too.
Speaker C:Timber rattlers here.
Speaker A:Yeah, timber rattlers are here.
Speaker A:We have a lot of.
Speaker A:Of of snakes that I'm not a huge fan of.
Speaker A:I'm gonna be honest with you.
Speaker C:Well, the wild.
Speaker C:When I first moved here, the house in Herriman we lived in, it was about, you know, 45 minutes west of Knoxville, going and moving stuff in.
Speaker C:I'm cleaning the basement.
Speaker C:The basement wasn't the nicest, you know, so, like, the tile to the cinder block had gaps between, but I find a scorpion.
Speaker C:And supposedly we have our own species of scorpion here.
Speaker A:And so what's our designation?
Speaker A:We're like a tropical rainforest.
Speaker A:We have a lot of stuff.
Speaker C:It's really weird.
Speaker A:A lot of stuff tries to kill us too.
Speaker A:We're resilient people.
Speaker B:Australia, it's like Phoenix.
Speaker B:Everything's trying to kill you in the.
Speaker B:In Phoenix.
Speaker B:It's not the sun, it's the snakes, it's the scorpions, it's the big spiders.
Speaker B:It's one of.
Speaker A:So honestly, though.
Speaker C:Yeah, I mean, I mean, same, same.
Speaker B:Well, now.
Speaker B:Now I have a new fear.
Speaker B:They spotted a jaguar down south.
Speaker B:I'm like, oh, there's a jaguar.
Speaker B:What?
Speaker C:I don't mess with jaguars.
Speaker A:New fear unlocks.
Speaker B:Luckily, it was.
Speaker B:It was down in Bisbee, so that's four ways away from me.
Speaker B:But, like, we've had spots of bobcats and we had a warning the one day that there was a mountain lion in the area.
Speaker B:I was like, why is there a mountain lion all the way down here?
Speaker B:And then I remember the sand tans are right behind me.
Speaker B:So I'm like, okay, cool, there's a mountain lion.
Speaker B:Cool.
Speaker B:So now at night, we're gonna take the dog out.
Speaker B:I gotta turn on the lights, make sure there's no mountain lion.
Speaker B:We had the funniest thing the other day.
Speaker B:It happened in my neighborhood, which was funnier.
Speaker B:Somebody delivered a case of girl Scout cookies and left them outside.
Speaker B:And a pack of javelinas had their way with it.
Speaker B:There was like 20 of them.
Speaker A:Oh, no.
Speaker A:Because girl Scout cookies aren't expensive.
Speaker B:They ate all the girls.
Speaker B:Those.
Speaker B:Those little.
Speaker B:So javelinas are like wild boar, but they're like tiny, and they're very angry little things just squealing the whole time.
Speaker B:Yeah, they're just eating everything.
Speaker B:And the funny part is they.
Speaker B:They look like they're like £100, but they're like miniature wild boar.
Speaker B:So they're like tiny 100 pound things.
Speaker B:You're just like.
Speaker B:That is the cutest and funniest thing I've ever seen.
Speaker B:That thing will also kill me.
Speaker B:It's the cutest, funniest thing.
Speaker B:Some guy from Britain ran into a pack of javelinas.
Speaker B:I saw it the other day in Phoenix.
Speaker B:And he's like, look at these things.
Speaker B:They look so cute.
Speaker B:And started like, ramming him with their Tusk.
Speaker B:He's like, I don't know why they're hurting me.
Speaker B:I'm like, get away from the angry pigs.
Speaker C:Like it just wants a hug.
Speaker B:There's a.
Speaker B:Not to get to.
Speaker B:There's funny.
Speaker B:So the Sonoran Desert wildlife thing, they, they pulled up a bunch of videos from like the 50s that they're posting.
Speaker B:And it's this guy holding a bobcat and a javelina.
Speaker B:And you can see his arm is bandaged all the way up because he got attacked by these things, thinking it was a good idea to hold.
Speaker B:He's holding them in front of a crowd of people like, this is the bobcat.
Speaker B:Look at its teeth and look how nice it is.
Speaker B:This is part of the Sonoran desert life.
Speaker B:Oh, the cat's like pawing at him.
Speaker B:He's all in arm wrap like Darwin award of the year.
Speaker A:Gosh.
Speaker A:Well, I mean, there are so many amazing hunting opportunities across the country.
Speaker B:You talking about hunters and the gateway in the Second Amendment community.
Speaker B:The funniest stat I saw about hunters is opening day of hunting season in Wisconsin is the third largest standing armed army in the world.
Speaker B:What does that say about our, our Second Amendment community and our hunting community that we.
Speaker B:The.
Speaker B:What's the old saying?
Speaker B:There's a gun behind every blade of grass in the U.S. it just tells you a lot that there's a lot of people who grew up on the traditions of hunting, grew up on the traditions of the Second Amendment.
Speaker B:And I feel like it's.
Speaker B:Unfortunately, it's a, a big part of our community that is slowly dying and we need to get back into it.
Speaker A:I don't think it's slowly dying.
Speaker A:I think it's dying more rapidly than we would ever want.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:I think if we're being honest about it, we are.
Speaker A:Are seeing the average age of a hunter get staggeringly high.
Speaker A:We see the Biden administration wanting to pull hunter educations from school.
Speaker A:Well, why would he do that?
Speaker A:Because the government doesn't want you to think about the fact that you have the ability to use a firearm, whether it's from.
Speaker A:For hunting purposes or not.
Speaker A:That first education is a key, critical piece to the puzzle.
Speaker A:And I think that it's a dangerous thing for us to lose.
Speaker A:And it's not because I think that you have a right to hunt.
Speaker A:I think it's that what are we doing when we are hunting?
Speaker A:You know, we are using firearms, we are sighting it in.
Speaker A:We're going through the practice of pulling the trigger, understanding the cost of pulling that trigger.
Speaker A:And it's a It's a very important thing to kind of mentally go through the paces.
Speaker A:And you know, we're seeing a time in which the hunting rifles of today are not necessarily the hunting rifles of 10 years from now.
Speaker A:I think you're, you see a ton of, of hunters using ars.
Speaker A:You know, we, we hear the joke and I know I mentioned it earlier that you know, every hunter is a fud.
Speaker A:I don't, I don't believe that that's the way it is anymore.
Speaker A:I, I really don't.
Speaker A:I think the AR platform is such a, a popular platform.
Speaker A:It's, it's definitely an in common use platform that a lot of people use that and I, I think it's so valuable for us as a community to see the parts of the community that are hurting, that aren't getting the investment that they should be and increasing those numbers because you never know, someone who might be totally anti can still carry that.
Speaker A:The best on ramp for them might be, hey, do you, have you seen the cost of ground, ground meat recently this hunting season?
Speaker A:Would you like to come and, and get a deer for your freezer?
Speaker A:I mean, you don't know what kind of opportunity that you can do for somebody just by opening up your eyes and going, well, what is going to be the best way to reach you?
Speaker B:Well, it's crazy.
Speaker B:You brought up the AR thing.
Speaker B:When Ohio switched over to straight walls, I, I built a 350 legend AR so I could have a good hunting gun.
Speaker B:The game changer of being able to carry an AR over a heavy shotgun.
Speaker B:And not saying shotguns are heavy but you know, wood shotgun that's been passed down for years, but having my own ar, I mean that really added some weight savings.
Speaker B:Walking the almost 5, 600 yards into the woods that we had to walk every time we went in, it just, it's a different.
Speaker B:And that's the thing, a lot of people think that, you know, that the AR is all, There's a lot of what we call FUDs who say the AR, oh, I don't want that black plastic thing floating around.
Speaker B:But it is a night and day difference of being able to carry something lighter, being able to carry a couple extra magazines instead of having to keep a pouch full of shotgun shells.
Speaker A:You know, in addition to that, you.
Speaker A:We're seeing more and more states allowing suppressed hunting.
Speaker B:Oh yeah.
Speaker A:If we want to see suppressors come out of the nfa, we need a whole coalition of support.
Speaker A:You know, this has been a gross attack on the second amendment for decades and it takes a United Front and an active and loud front voice in order to get those things accomplished.
Speaker A:And as more and more states are allowing suppressed hunting, we have the opportunity to bring in another group of people into the fight.
Speaker A:And I don't know about you all, but I want a full refill of the NFA and anything that we can do, anything that we can make our coalition stronger in to get that goal accomplished.
Speaker A:I mean, I think it's, it's a, it's valuable for us to invest in those things.
Speaker B:Well, you talk about how technology has changed.
Speaker B:The NFA went into effect 90 years ago this year.
Speaker B:90 Years we've had the NFA and.
Speaker C:You still will hear people say, well, that 200 isn't too bad compared to what it should be.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker C:It should never be a penny.
Speaker B:No.
Speaker C:You know, especially for something that is gentlemanish in the way you're shooting, you know, there, there is nothing that makes a suppressed firearm a more deadly firearm, you know, and the Hollywood rumors or the Hollywood myths of how quiet suppressors really are too is really ruined.
Speaker C:And I think carried a lot of that being kicked while we're down in the NFA stuff for a long time.
Speaker C:But I have noticed in the last year or two with you guys and fcp, like actually getting some stuff back and that is the first time I've ever noticed that in my lifetime.
Speaker C:And suppressors is absolutely a gateway.
Speaker C:I don't know anybody that could argue that this gun doesn't need to be quieter, you know.
Speaker A:Well, I mean, you know, we've said this time and time again, but OSHA is even like, hey, this is, you know, we, we endorse this, this is something that's going to keep people's hearing safe.
Speaker A:And it just blows my mind that the politicians have gotten away with for so long neglecting the realities that the NFA is not constitutional.
Speaker A:And just because something has been around for a long time doesn't mean that it is good.
Speaker A:And you know, the Second Amendment people say, well, it's been around a long time.
Speaker A:But, but you're saying it's good.
Speaker A:Yes, because that is a constitutionally protected right.
Speaker A:It is a natural right.
Speaker A:It's not given to us by the government, the Gun Control act and the NFA and every law that since its inception that has gone against the Second Amendment.
Speaker A:Those are the things that have negatively impacted every single person.
Speaker A:Whether or not you participate in the Second Amendment community or not, because you are losing a portion of your right.
Speaker A:Whether you view it that way or not, that's the reality.
Speaker A:And until we understand that as a community, until we understand that as a nation, we're at risk of further corrosion.
Speaker C:And it's one thing I say many times.
Speaker C:I think I even said it at my speech.
Speaker C:It's so easy to fight for this because we're fighting for everybody, even the people we don't agree with.
Speaker C:We are all fighting for this one right.
Speaker C:We were all given as Americans to have.
Speaker C:And I have no problem standing up to somebody who, like, just adamantly hates me.
Speaker C:Fighting for their right, you know, and explaining to them, hey, look, just because you don't want to use or exercise your right doesn't mean you get to control everybody else.
Speaker B:Well, a lot of people think like, gun control is.
Speaker B:Is this old thing.
Speaker B: I mean, we saw it in the: Speaker B:With cities putting in ordinance, not allowed to carry in city limits.
Speaker B:But gun control is barely still young, if you think about it.
Speaker B:I mean, yes, The NFA is 90 years old, but that compared to the history of our country, it's fairly young.
Speaker B:And within just the last.
Speaker B:Well, we'll say the last century in the.
Speaker B: In from: Speaker B:We had the NFA, the 68 Gun Control act and the Hughes Amendment and all.
Speaker B:Well, we'll add a fourth, even though it's been repealed.
Speaker B:The awb.
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker B:So how can we be.
Speaker B:As technology has advanced, I mean, everybody has a quote unquote suppressor on their vehicle, which is a muffler.
Speaker C:You know, isn't that even required?
Speaker C:Yeah, it's in most states, I think.
Speaker A:In every state now.
Speaker B:Yeah, but how do we combat, you know, technology has advanced yet.
Speaker B:Firearms technology, as we.
Speaker B:We talked about with ammo, man, it really hasn't progressed in the last hundred years.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker A:It's progressed.
Speaker A:It just hasn't.
Speaker A:The fundamentals haven't changed.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker C:It's still a go bang.
Speaker C:And.
Speaker A:Yeah, like the, the thing is, it's like, you know, we look when we sue and, and we sue a lot.
Speaker A:Like just, just as.
Speaker A:As a. I'll make two points on this.
Speaker A:We sue a lot.
Speaker A:Okay?
Speaker A:A lot.
Speaker A:A lot.
Speaker A:And people get mad because they're like, well, why haven't you sued on this?
Speaker A:And it's like, well, because precedent is a thing and we need to make sure that we're suing in the right places on the right things.
Speaker A:Because the last thing we want to do is sue on the wrong thing in the wrong area and set a precedent that puts us 50 years behind.
Speaker A:Yes, there's a there's an important.
Speaker A:When you're making those kind of calls and you're doing a risk assessment in anything in your life, you have to look more than five seconds.
Speaker A:In the future, we could sue a lot more and we could probably raise a lot of money suing a lot more.
Speaker A:But we sue when it is.
Speaker A:There is no such thing as a sure thing, but it is when we know that this is the best shot that we have.
Speaker C:Absolutely.
Speaker A:And so that's the first point.
Speaker A:The second point is this.
Speaker A:When you look at the text, history and tradition of the Second Amendment, there is very few things that are new technology, technologies when it comes to the Second Amendment.
Speaker A:That's true.
Speaker A:There are advancements, but there are very few fundamental changes.
Speaker A:And nothing proves that point better than the pistol braces.
Speaker A:So Gun Owners foundation, our sister organization, they're the kind of the, the legal powerhouse, did a video.
Speaker A:Guys can go to the gun Owners Foundation, YouTube and click it.
Speaker A:I think it's the number one video.
Speaker A:I think it's probably still pinned.
Speaker A:But we go through the entire history of braces and there are braces that predate the country.
Speaker C:Well,.
Speaker A:So to act like this was just a new thing that have only happened for a couple of years is ludicrous.
Speaker A:Like it's, it's just insane.
Speaker A:But if the, if the opposition is the one crafting the narrative and if no one goes and actually fact checks and puts out the information to educate the population, it's easier for them to win.
Speaker A:And so we spend so much of our time really like delving into these issues so that we sue and sue often because the, the reality is, is the anti gunners will do whatever they can to, to do the maximum amount of damage to the Second Amendment.
Speaker A:If a governor can say under a health crisis that the entire city is not going to have any carry just because they got up on the wrong side of the bed, those sort of things have to be addressed and addressed swiftly and think, goodness, we have a win there.
Speaker B:What do you think?
Speaker B:And I just want to pick both your brains real quick.
Speaker B:What do you think happened between the catalogs that we used to get with guns and people carrying guns on front of them, which was in the 70s to the 90s where we had some action things to now what has fundamentally changed that?
Speaker B:People have gone so strictly the anti gunners have been pushing harder than before and our side is trying to push back as fast as we can.
Speaker B:What do you think changed with that narrative where it was like the firearm was this centerpiece of the family Nucleus where being gun owners was this nucleus part of the family, where it was a family thing.
Speaker B:I mean, everybody has seen the Sears catalog.
Speaker B:Adam, what do you think has changed and how do we fix that?
Speaker A:Do you have something you want to say first?
Speaker C:So I would say, number one, morals of people have absolutely led to the degradation of just about everything, heightened with the social media and all that, which is, in my eyes, made youth absolutely mental these days.
Speaker C:Number one, you don't have parents.
Speaker C:Being parents, you've got a lot of friends and giving them everything they needed.
Speaker C:I'll tell you right now that my ass was whooped as a kid, and it made me a better person.
Speaker C:It wasn't abuse.
Speaker C:It was, hey, you have crossed a line, and you continue to cross the line.
Speaker C:And until you learn to not cross that line, this seems like the best option.
Speaker C:I don't think people are disciplined.
Speaker C:I think people are just basically running free the last freaking 25 years with basically whatever they have in their mind is, you know, okay.
Speaker C:Now that as well as I think us on the.
Speaker C:Let's just say the.
Speaker C:The pro gun side and the right in general have never been proactive in fighting.
Speaker C:We have always been reacting and never acting.
Speaker C:That's why I made the comment earlier.
Speaker C:It's nice to see companies like you guys actually out there fighting, because I couldn't tell you a time the NRA did that stuff for us.
Speaker C:I don't remember from the last.
Speaker C:You know, I'm 36 years old.
Speaker C:30 Years seeing a whole lot of pro gun news.
Speaker C:It was always this was being taken away from here.
Speaker C:They're threatening to take this away and all that.
Speaker C:And like you said, the left will waste no energy and no angle on destroying you, even if it takes 25 to 50 years for us to get in a position to overturn that because it was wrong.
Speaker C:They still will absolutely put all that on the line in the beginning.
Speaker C:And we are still very much, say, conservative in our actions of being, you know, fighters.
Speaker C:We kind of realize everything that we have to lose.
Speaker C:So a lot of people don't want to put that on the line.
Speaker C:And I think, unfortunately, that's led to where we're at now is now we have nothing but down here that we have to fight, you know, all the way back up here to get some sort of, like, even level playing field again.
Speaker C:I do think, though, now people are way more pissed off on our side.
Speaker C:So I think that's why it is helping a lot of our wins that we were seeing.
Speaker C:I think you had described it Perfectly.
Speaker C:I think the firearm used to be a nucleus of the family because it was never looked at as a political, medical thing.
Speaker C:It was, this is for me and my family.
Speaker C:And something I was going to tell you earlier, you had mentioned the what are we doing when we're out in the woods?
Speaker C:You know, anything you do with that firearm is creating more self reliance for you and away from the government or just relying on anybody.
Speaker C:And I think people just don't remember that.
Speaker C:It's the great equalizer and you know, you could be the baddest mofo in this country and be an evil person and all it takes is one good shot and amen, you know, we're still good.
Speaker C:So it's a very emotional thing to witness, like how bad we have lost over the decades.
Speaker C:You know, I really wish that I could go back in a time machine and slap my grandfathers and be like, get your shit.
Speaker C:You know, we're, we're going to have a hell of a fight because of what you guys are refusing to do.
Speaker C:That's kind of where I think a lot of it led to.
Speaker A:I mean, I agree with that.
Speaker A:I think one of the worst things that has happened to our country is the transition in our view of the political class.
Speaker A:If you go and you read newspapers and books, it was always referred to as your representative, your representative.
Speaker A:Well, think about where the power in that statement is.
Speaker A:It's on you, it's on, on the people that are electing.
Speaker A:And I don't exactly remember what year this was, it's been a while since I was in college.
Speaker A:But we actually like discussed this.
Speaker A:And when the language started changing from representative to leader, the power dynamic shifted.
Speaker A:And anytime the power dynamic switches and you have a elitist group in charge, they are going to want more control.
Speaker A:Well, what are they wanting to control first?
Speaker A:And we've seen this with, with governments all across the world around every known time period, right?
Speaker A:They want control, they want to disarm, they want you to rely on them for protection and rely on them for as many aspects of your life as humanly possible.
Speaker A:That's a sad reality.
Speaker A:When you purchase a firearm, when you train with that firearm, when you hunt with that firearm, you are providing for your family's protection, you're providing for your families dinner.
Speaker A:You are, you are more self reliant in that mode than I think almost any other lane that you have.
Speaker A:And so I don't think that there's a short answer to that question.
Speaker A:I think, I think that, you know, that question has been something that has, has stumped scholars and everyday men for at least this generation, I dare say many, many more and many other times.
Speaker A:But I do think that our language matters.
Speaker A:I think the words that we use when you're talking about elected officials, your representatives, the terms that you use to show respect but also show where you stand in the hierarchy of things, is important.
Speaker A:You can be respectful.
Speaker A:I do not think that saying to a person that represents you, you know, thank you, thank you Representative, or writing an email, you know, dear Representative, or you know, I don't think that that's offensive.
Speaker A:I don't think, you know, referring to their office is a, is, is a bad thing, you know, dear Senator, so and so.
Speaker A:But I, I do think that there's something, you know, you, you praise them when they do good, you condemn them when you do bad.
Speaker A:There is not a single politician that is going to be perfect.
Speaker A:If you are looking for the, the leader of your home to be a political leader, I think you will always find disappointment.
Speaker A:That's not their job description.
Speaker A:And you know, I think one of the biggest shame, and I think that the history books will later reflect on this, is when Congress abdicates their rights to a bureaucracy that we did not elect because they wanted to ensure their perceived power.
Speaker A:Because I think that they have walked over the American people in a way that we will never truly understand the depths of until a massive amount of transparency happens.
Speaker A:And I'm not ever really sure that we will.
Speaker A:But the fight's not over.
Speaker A:And you know, there, there, you know, are radicals that'll say, you know, it's time to pick up arms.
Speaker A:I don't think we're there.
Speaker A:I really don't, I don't think we're anywhere close to that.
Speaker A:I think there's so much that can be done in the courts.
Speaker A:I think there is so much that can be done by individuals advocating and I don't think enough people do that.
Speaker A:I think there's a lot of keyboard warriors that never send that first email to actually get something done.
Speaker C:You guys make it easy.
Speaker C:You literally like have like 28 seconds.
Speaker B:Seconds.
Speaker A:I did, I timed it.
Speaker A:28.7 Seconds is what it takes it me typing at my speed to send that form.
Speaker C:And if you're rights, your God given rights are not worth 30 seconds, you know, then what is.
Speaker C:But now, yeah, you've hit it on the head.
Speaker C:And language is super important.
Speaker C:You see how good the left has gotten at exaggerating their side of the language and how they have just demonized every aspect of the gun culture, you know, from magazines to barrel length, which none of this stuff matters.
Speaker C:If somebody is evil, they're still going to find a way.
Speaker C:And it just is astonishing to me that it has taken kind of, you know, gun owners this long to finally, at least in some way get sort of fed up with it.
Speaker B:Yeah, I think, you know, this is a long fight.
Speaker B:This is a fight that we're going to continue to do.
Speaker B:I don't think that there's, we haven't thrown in the white flag yet.
Speaker B:We hear we're gonna fight and continue to fight.
Speaker B:And Keely did, you know, brought up a point.
Speaker B:You know, there are some people who say it's time to.
Speaker B:I don't think we're there yet either.
Speaker B:I think it's.
Speaker B:If there's, if it does come down to that, I think there's a group of Americans who are ready.
Speaker B:But at the same time, that is a scary thought to have because it is.
Speaker B:There's just something that is crazy.
Speaker C:So a lot of people don't realize it's not going to just be a civil war.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:I mean, I think we all at this point are, you know, grown up enough to understand that it's going to be pretty much every group for themselves.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:If it comes down for that.
Speaker C:So what really do you have like in reliance on other people at that point when everybody thinks everybody's out to get them?
Speaker A:Well, I mean, listen, we're getting deep.
Speaker A:This is a very, this is the part 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 12 kind of.
Speaker A:I agree.
Speaker A:I mean, with the premise of there's so much meat left on the bone that we haven't done, we haven't seen.
Speaker A:You know, I get it.
Speaker A:It's hard to take off work.
Speaker A:I totally understand.
Speaker A:I've been there before.
Speaker A:My biggest thing, and this is kind of like my, my personal, like planting my flag.
Speaker A:I never ask someone to do something I'm not willing to do.
Speaker A:I send emails, I call my representatives, I show up to lobby day.
Speaker A:I get it.
Speaker A:I understand that in the day to day of your life it is very difficult to make time to research bills.
Speaker A:I also understand that in this economy there are plenty of people who have 2, 3, 4, 5 side hustles to, to make things happen for their family.
Speaker A:You might be like, I'm just trying to survive.
Speaker A:I don't have the, the time.
Speaker A:That's why we try to make it as easy as possible.
Speaker A:Because they're counting on you sitting out of the fight.
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker A:They want nothing more than for you to stay Apathetic or inactive because you be being activated.
Speaker A:You going and voting, you cam campaigning for somebody, you knocking on a door, you sitting out a text to your friend, emailing a legislature, when once that happens, they are now responsible to you.
Speaker A:And, and that's a, that's something that I don't think very many people are willing to, to.
Speaker A:To have happen.
Speaker A:I mean honestly.
Speaker B:Well, I will say this and then we'll wrap it up because I feel like I should probably chime in on my own question at some point because I, I posed it, I should probably say something about it.
Speaker B:You know, I feel like the, the big thing, the change that we've seen in the firearm was that the nucleus of the family for a long time.
Speaker B:I mean there was people who were self reliant and hunting.
Speaker B:We, we saw it during the Great Depression, we saw it throughout the time and we've talked about hunters and how the average age of hunters go up.
Speaker B:I believe you mentioned Tennessee.
Speaker B:We're looking at average age of 54.
Speaker B:I think somebody brought up or something like that.
Speaker B:It's a.
Speaker B:Which is out.
Speaker A:I don't know if any state that's below 30 as the average age.
Speaker B: s baby in the early: Speaker B:I mean there was a lot of things that we could do as a family that was surrounding a firearm not being, maybe not a firearm in the literal sense, but there was a lot of things put out by air gun companies and that's say who.
Speaker B:And, and going to local VFWs and shooting in their little BB gun ranges and things like that.
Speaker B:And we took advantage of that as kids.
Speaker B:I feel like we, the, the mentors that were there pushing that, we've lost some of them and a lot of that.
Speaker B:There's a generation of, I would say we would call it the silent generation, that the guys who fought in World War II, who are no longer with us, who are very few are left who weren't there to mentor us, to show us what could happen and how we, we need to fight for our freedoms and things like that, how this is.
Speaker B:And I feel like that's been lost.
Speaker B:I feel like that mentorship has been lost.
Speaker B:And I think as a community we need to pick up that mentorship and start doing more.
Speaker B:I know we do a lot of range days, but more outreach, more training programs, more youth programs.
Speaker B:I know that there's a big attack from the left on youth programs.
Speaker B:I think that we as a community just need to get together and find a way to bring youth back into this.
Speaker B:Bring the firearm as a staple of the family as it's something that you can do as a family.
Speaker B:I mean, I didn't have this as a kid, but I know there's a lot of people who had.
Speaker B:There was a cabin or something with a firearm hanging up the wall or there was some.
Speaker B:It was a staple piece of the family, you know, as a.
Speaker B:Above the mantle as we would say.
Speaker B:I just think that that's something we've seen and you know, I've worked with youth riflery programs.
Speaker B:We're seeing that as a dying thing and I just think as a community to come together and bring those programs back and it's going to take effort, it's going to take money, it's going to take things, it's going to take funding.
Speaker B:But we're going to.
Speaker B:We need to bring those things back.
Speaker B:I mean, again, the other thing that I think happened is we saw a lot of major retailers get out of it.
Speaker B:I mean, I don't.
Speaker B:Opie and I are the same age.
Speaker B:Ish.
Speaker B:So here we go.
Speaker B:I remember going to the Kmart, the sporting goods section.
Speaker B:You know, that makes me feel old,.
Speaker A:But I remember Kmart.
Speaker A:I hadn't thought about Kmart's left.
Speaker B:I think the final.
Speaker A:I think they're.
Speaker B:They're done.
Speaker B:They're fine.
Speaker C:If you go down to Halls Close where I'm at, you can see the remnants of one, but it's a U Haul parking lot.
Speaker A:Same in Maryville.
Speaker A:It's the one in Maryville that I used to go to.
Speaker B:That's the thing we.
Speaker B:We've seen Kmart pull stuff out and I.
Speaker B:There's a company that has a green logo that we won't mention by name because a lot of it have pull firearms from their stores and a lot of companies are pulling themselves in and.
Speaker C:Like Walmart, you know, it's wild that, that they went as far to pick and choose.
Speaker C:Like it's, you know, like one side of the line or the other.
Speaker C:But they went and picked the, in my opinion the weakest rounds they had and said that they were the most dangerous and banned them.
Speaker C:When Walmart had the cheapest on shelf ammo for years.
Speaker C:That was my go to and I think that's.
Speaker B:That's the other thing.
Speaker B:Like you're pulling out, you know, again you.
Speaker B:And I'm dating myself.
Speaker B:I'm feeling old today.
Speaker A:Folks, you're gonna have to wrap this because I Have to pee so bad.
Speaker B:Back in my day, kids, we had, we had.
Speaker C:We had to hold it uphill.
Speaker B:No, but we had like squirt guns that looked like real guns.
Speaker B:We had, we had toy guns.
Speaker B:We had, you know, Walmart had guns and, And Kmart had guns.
Speaker B:And you'd go to the gun section.
Speaker B:You know, the store that reminds me the most of the good old days, as I say, is Rule King.
Speaker B:Rule King's offense, bro.
Speaker C:I love.
Speaker C:There's one right by my house a couple times.
Speaker B:Free plugs for companies of a sim.
Speaker B:But that's my.
Speaker C:Yeah, we need to get them as a sponsor.
Speaker B:Sponsor us.
Speaker C:Free chickens for everybody.
Speaker B:Chickens for life.
Speaker B:Like that idea.
Speaker B:But that's.
Speaker B:Now that I've dated myself and feel.
Speaker B:I think that's really what has happened.
Speaker B:A lot of companies have done this woke thing and, and gotten rid of.
Speaker C:Stuff and they don't even really know what woke means.
Speaker B:Yeah, I feel like the, the, the mom and pop stores need to bring back the.
Speaker B:There's always that mom and pop gun store that has a community mentality.
Speaker B:And it used to be like, we'll go down now go down to the mom and pop store.
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker B:Go hang out.
Speaker B:Go talk.
Speaker B:Now that I'm sad and Kaylee is rushing me, let's just kidding on that.
Speaker B:Let's go ahead and wrap this up.
Speaker B:Goals is coming to Knoxville August 17th 18th.
Speaker B:And so Opie, go ahead and plug away.
Speaker B:I know you're going to be there.
Speaker B:So go ahead and give your socials.
Speaker B:Anything you want to share with the folks before we go.
Speaker C:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker C:Once again, guys, thanks for having me.
Speaker C:This is real fun.
Speaker C:A lot of crying and tears from happiness and laughing in here.
Speaker C:But yeah, no great time, guys.
Speaker C:You can find me.
Speaker C:Since we've recently been banned, Instagram is going to be the Red Beard Society, all spelled out.
Speaker C:Facebook, we have an Opie and the Smokies back up.
Speaker C:And then on Instagram, it's going to be naughty After Dark 2 with underscores.
Speaker C:And then we do have a Naughty After Dark page on Facebook as well.
Speaker C:YouTube is Opie in the Smokies.
Speaker C:We offer training here in East Tennessee, so if you guys want to come train with us, we offer pistol and rifle and shotgun fundamental classes, night vision introduction, and even some everyday craft carry and women's pistol classes as well.
Speaker C:Our whole goal is just to get you on the range.
Speaker C:So our offer is you pay that class fee the first time.
Speaker C:Everything after is half off.
Speaker C:So once I know that, you can basically not be babysitted the entire time and you're not going to shoot my target stands the whole time.
Speaker C:You could come by with basically what a range day and an indoor range would be.
Speaker C:That's my biggest downside.
Speaker C:With indoor ranges, you can't do a whole lot.
Speaker C:We've got some really good ones here in Knoxville, but they just don't.
Speaker C:They don't let you.
Speaker C:They don't let you fly.
Speaker C:I'm a peacock, you know, let me spread my wings.
Speaker C:But naughty after dark, guys.
Speaker C:October 25th, 26th.
Speaker C:This year, Goa will be there as well.
Speaker C:It's going to be a great time.
Speaker C:Can't wait for goals.
Speaker C:It's going to be an awesome time.
Speaker C:I guess I'm on stage now.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Guess what?
Speaker B:You're on stage now.
Speaker A:Thanks for watching this week.
Speaker A:Be sure to, like, share.
Speaker A:Subscribe Hit that bell notification and leave a five star review on podcasting platforms.
Speaker A:If you have not registered for the Gun Owners Advocacy and Leadership Summit, Goa's inaugural convention in Knoxville, please visit goals.gun owners.org and we'll see you next week.
Speaker A:Thanks, guys.
Speaker B:Bye, guys.
