"But you know nothing about firearms, so why should I listen to you?"

I'm a reporter who covers guns. I'm not the only one. And I'm not the only person who ignores the standard response.<br><br>I've spent the last year embedded with the firearms community. I've met a lot of great people. And I've met a lot of folks who are both fairly typical and quite understandable in their responses to me.<br><br>Most of you have been burned by reporters before. I know that. You may have been interviewed, or you may have simply read articles that misidentified guns, quoted made-up statistics, or called you names.<br><br>That's bullshit. And I'm sorry.<br><br>If I were in your shoes, I'd be defensive too. I'd want to know both why I should trust someone and why I shouldn't just politely decline an interview.<br><br>I've shot guns since I was 4 years old. I'm not a novice shooter, but I also realize that there's always room for me to learn. That's why I go to ranges, the NRA, and other places to meet people and really listen to what they have to say.<br><br>So, I think we can both agree that the best place to start is for me to better understand both your perspective and where you're coming from. And what better way than over a couple of beers?<br><br>This is a sincere invitation. If you live in the Portland area and are willing to talk, I'd love to chat. And if you're not in the area but willing to do a call, I'm game for that too!<br><br>Looking forward to hearing from you.<br><br>*and if you have any suggestions on chambers or other places to put this, I'd appreciate that!*