The term Neo Fudd is a new one to me. It was introduced to me by friend and fellow writer Bucky Lawson. He was doing a large piece on the entirety of fudds, and I had never heard of the term Neo Fudd. The original fudd was applied to that old guy who wears orange, shoots wood-stocked shotguns and rifles, and, most importantly, campaigns against gun rights with the phrase “I believe in the 2nd amendment, but…” Tim Walz is the perfect example of a fudd.
The Neo Fudd takes a similar route but seems to have expanded into not just guns but gear. These guys don’t think you should own an AR-15, and they also think you shouldn’t own body armor, nightvision, laser aiming devices, and beyond. We live in a new world, and the antis needed a new fudd. Thus, the rise of the Neo Fudd commenced.
The Neo Fudd in Detail
The Neo Fudd can take on a few different forms. Most will be anti gun, but not all. Some Neo Fudds are just anti-gear. They can be die-hard gun guys, 2nd Amendment absolutists, but they get hit with the Neo Fudd term for their criticism of civilians owning tactical gear. One of the most important factors in being a Neo Fudd is a false form of authority.
Neo-Fudds typically come out of the military and LEO world. The average person views military and police officers as authority figures when it comes to firearms and tactical gear even if that soldier or cop rode a desk their entire career.
Neo-Fudds include politicians like Jason Kander. Jason Kander is an anti-gun advocate and former captain in the Army Reserve. Was he a Green beret? A Ranger? Maybe even an infantryman? Nope, he was an intel officer. Still, he wore his badge as a veteran to advocate removing individual rights. Rights affirmed by the Constitution and the Supreme Court.
He even put out a cute little ad of him putting together an AR while blind folded. He literally just drops the bolt and charging handle, connects the receivers and tries to portray himself as an expert.
Dakota Meyer, a guy who isn’t anti-gun by any means, famously posted a video saying people shouldn’t wear gear if they aren’t veterans. He came out against what the gun community self-deprecatingly calls LARPing. Dakota Meyer and Jason Kander represent the two sides of Neo Fudd.
The Truth About Military Experience and Firearms
A couple of years ago, I wrote an article about how the police and military experience shouldn’t be blindly followed in regard to firearms. The majority of police and military members are far from experts in the use of firearms. It might sound crazy, but the average grunt isn’t a firearms expert. They can use their issued weapon to an effective capacity, but that’s about it.
Your average B-class USPSA shooter is a better shooter than your average infantryman or police officer. While Neo Fudds like to hide behind this authority, it’s important you realize that they don’t always have a whole lot of expertise, especially when it comes to Constitutional rights and firearm laws.
With this in mind, if you’re not into wearing gear and shooting ARs, you’re not a Neo Fudd or even a standard fudd. I don’t like wearing anything beyond a holster, but I don’t care if you wear gear. I think you should be able to do whatever you want without hurting another person. That’s the difference between a Neo Fudd and me.
Beware of the Neo Fudd
The Neo Fudd is a dangerous new tool in the arsenal of anti-gun advocates. They are relying on a civilian’s knowledge of firearms and gear to make a point. That authority and perception of expertise can be dangerous and sadly influential. At the end of the day, it comes down to one simple fact. The opinions of police officers and soldiers on the Constitution do not matter when those opinions are in opposition to individual rights.
