4. Talk Radio

``THE TANK, THE B-52, THE FIGHTER-BOMBER, THE STATE CONTROLLED POLICE
ARE THE WEAPONS OF DICTATORSHIP. THE RIFLE IS THE WEAPON OF
DEMOCRACY...IF GUNS ARE OUTLAWED, ONLY THE GOVERNMENT WILL HAVE GUNS.
ONLY THE POLICE, THE SECRET POLICE, THE MILITARY, THE HIRED SERVANTS
OF OUR RULERS. ONLY THE GOVERNMENT AND A FEW OUTLAWS. I INTEND TO BE
AMONG THE OUTLAWS.'' Edward Abbey.

	The suggestions below are written for callers, but are equally
applicable to guests.

	Listen to the show for a while, so you can get a sense of the
show's style and direction.

	Many of the points made about letters to newspapers (chapter
3) or letters to Congress (chapter 15) apply here too. Don't get mad,
don't scream, don't use obscenities. Negative behavior simply turns
off the listening audience, and convinces people that gun owners
really are mentally dangerous.

	You'll be nervous the first few times you call, but with
practice, you'll get more confident and relaxed.

	Convincing the host is not the objective; he's already made
his mind up. Your goal is to get a little bit of air time to present
some facts to the radio audience.

	Make specific factual points, not just vague generalizations.
Alan's Gun Rights Fact Book (see page 4) includes a section of
suggested talking points for radio call-ins.

	Try to make your points in about 30 seconds or less. Don't
read long quotations (like the one at the start of this chapter).

	Remember that the host (or the studio guest) will always have
the last word. Don't let this discourage you. Even if the host or
guest argues with some of the points you've made, you will still have
helped bring some people in the radio audience over to our side.

	Similarly, the host may interrupt you. Don't get insulted.
It's his show, and he has to keep things moving with the timing he
feels best.

	The host may try to agitate you, to provoke you into an angry
response. Fireworks build the host's rating, but they don't do our
cause any good. So no matter what, stay cool under pressure.

	Listen to the callers who come ahead of you. Maybe you'll have
something to say to support a comment by a pro-gun caller, or to
refute a comment from an anti.

	Never engage in name-calling with the host or another caller,
even if they start it. Instead of calling someone a ``liar,'' explain
how they're mistaken.

	Some shows are limited to a specific subject, usually related
to the show's guest. On a specific subject show, you of course have to
confine your comments to that day's subject matter.

	In contrast, other shows are ``open forum.'' The host solicits
call-ins to discuss anything they want. You can often get a lively
discussion going about gun control.

	If you bring up the gun issue and the host of an open forum
show doesn't want to talk about it, don't take it personally. The gun
debate gets a lot of exposure on talk radio, and some hosts may think
that they need to force a broader variety of topics.

	And most importantly: Be nice. A large fraction of the
listeners will be paying more attention to your overall tone than to
your specific points.

	If you don't know the answer to a question, say so, and move
on to another topic.

	One tactic used by our opponents is for one of them to call a
radio station and pretend to be an irate NRA member who favors gun
control. To weed out the callers who claim to be NRA members but
aren't, bring a copy of the most recent American Rifleman or American
Hunter to the studio with you, and have a question ready about it.
(E.g. ``If you're really an NRA member, can you name just one feature
article in the latest issue of the magazine?''). If the host is
pro-rights, you might want to inform him in advance about the fake NRA
caller problem.

Citizens Band Radio

	Who says that broadcast radio is the only way to get the
message out? CB-er Charles Howell broadcasts short pro-gun messages on
his radio, informing them about the latest in gun control news.

	The CB audience is especially important, he notes, because it
includes so many truckers. Lots of truckers own guns, but because
they're on the road for weeks at a time, they may be cut off from
regular news sources.

	Truckers enjoy the unenviable status of being one of the many
groups of American even more harassed by excessive government than are
gun-owners. So truckers understand the importance of limited
government.