Gun Control & RKBA
In reply to the discussion: Krispos, I think we may be treading on a fine line. (Group business.) [View all]spin
(17,493 posts)I have always tried my best to be polite in this group and base my arguments on facts and not emotion. While I agree with many of the restrictions the federal government and states have placed on firearm ownership I strongly disagree with draconian gun laws often called "reasonable" by those who support stronger gun control.
I live in Florida and feel the firearms laws in my state are reasonable but could be improved slightly. I strongly disagree with many of the firearm laws in states like California and Illinois and cities like Chicago, Washington DC and New York City.
I realize that firearms are very dangerous items and involve great responsibility and not everyone should own one. That's why I support many firearm laws.
Both sides of the gun control debate have excellent points to make. Since I started posting on DU I have had to do lot of research to support my pro-RKBA view. Overtime I have had to adjust my opinion but I still strongly support gun rights.
Sadly in this group what starts out to be an interesting and productive discussion of the issues frequently degenerates into trading insults. Of course, because of my views, I have often been a target of such attacks. I have been called a "redneck", a racist, a gun nut and sometimes worse. The size of certain parts of my anatomy has been questioned and I have been called excessive paranoid and afraid to leave my house without a firearm as I have a concealed weapons permit and carry on a regular basis.
I merely laugh at such tactics as I realize that such insults are often used those when whose opinions I disagree with have not been able to refute my arguments with facts and logic. I merely chose to continue to be polite as I feel this is far more effective than trading insult for insult. When someone insults me in a truly original manner I always compliment them for their creativity.
I personally hate to see anyone banned from this group no matter what side of the issue they support. I feel that in some cases it is necessary but fortunately I don't have to make the call.
I will suggest to Democrats who support gun rights in this group that DU is not a conservative forum. Posting here in favor of gun rights is like when the Pittsburgh Steelers play the Browns in Cleveland. Here you are not playing on your home field for the gun control issue as you would when posting on a pro-gun forum. The "Dawg Pound" which is composed of VERY "liberal" posters will harass you. Once again it is like the Steelers playing a away game. It is amazing just how many "Terrible Towels" are in the stadiums they visit
I would suggest to those who discover the DU gungeon but have mainly supported Republican politicians in the past to avoid being a troll. You might be surprised that many Democrats support your view. Many of us own firearms for hunting, target shooting and even self defense. You might also discover if you journey beyond the gungeon that you agree with many positions that the majority of Democrats support. You may even eventually decide to support those Democrats running for office who strongly support gun rights. In my opinion this would positively contribute to our nation's future.
I have never alerted on a poster and have no plans to ever do so unless there is a very serious reason to do so. I also have never placed another poster on ignore. I post here because DU is entertaining, educational and informative and it allows me to challenge my conceptions and change them if they are faulty. I value and respect all views.
Still, I can see a lot of value in promoting polite discussion here. Thankfully that is not my responsibility and I am happy to leave it to others. I have found DU to be a friendlily and fair place to post.