There is a growing and uncomfortable question being asked in America: when does passionate advocacy turn into hate? We’ve all seen how rhetoric can divide people into “good” and “bad,” “us” and “them.” For years, gun owners have been the target of contempt, derision, and outright hostility from some groups that claim to be working for “gun safety.” But as their tone hardens and their tactics become more personal, it’s fair to ask whether some of these organizations now meet the very definition of a hate group.
According to the FBI, a hate group is an organization whose beliefs or practices attack or malign an entire class of people—especially when that identity is deeply rooted in personal values or a lawful way of life. Traditionally, we’ve thought of hate groups as extremists motivated by race or religion. But hatred can take many forms, and it often hides behind moral language and political slogans.
When advocacy turns into contempt for ordinary people, that’s when lines are crossed. Anti-gun groups don’t just argue for policy—they increasingly paint lawful gun owners as dangerous, unstable, or morally deficient. They speak about millions of citizens as if they’re part of a public health threat rather than participants in a constitutionally protected and deeply personal tradition of responsibility and self-reliance. They mock rural Americans, mischaracterize veterans and women who carry for protection, and depict the entire gun-owning community as something to be feared rather than understood.
Here is just one example of their rhetoric, from an Everytown video published by Vanity Fair: “…brainwashing your kids…terrorists and airport killers, road-rage killers…killers who scheme to destroy our country…”
Everytown’s “Not Our Words” ad uses provocative quotes attributed to Second Amendment leaders, juxtaposed against violence or safety concerns.
That isn’t advocacy—it’s dehumanization. It’s the same moral pattern that underlies every form of prejudice: defining a group not by who they are, but by the fear or discomfort they provoke in others. The irony is that gun owners are among the most law-abiding citizens in the nation. Studies have shown that concealed carry permit holders commit crimes at rates far lower than even police officers—a striking reminder that the overwhelming majority of gun owners act with care, discipline, and respect for the law.
Modern society should reject the urge to demonize any group of people for exercising a lawful right. Disagreeing about gun policy is one thing; denying another person’s moral worth because they believe in the right to self-defense is quite another. If hate means promoting hostility and contempt toward an entire class of people, then perhaps it’s time to look in the mirror and ask—who’s really spreading hate in America?