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spin

(17,493 posts)
16. I personally feel the host has been doing an excellent job and has been extremely fair ...
Sun Feb 3, 2013, 05:10 AM
Feb 2013

to both sides of the gun control debate. The Gungeon is one of the most contentious groups on DU and I would have no interest in ever becoming the host as it would be a lot like herding cats.

I also believe that any host should have a right to post his own views on the forum he hosts. It is true that supporting gun rights on DU has always been unpopular with many of the more "liberal and progressive" members but usually debate on gun control has largely been limited to this group.

A significant percentage of Democrats own and use firearms for hunting, target shooting and self defense. Some also merely collect them. Many prominent Democrats such as Bill Richardson, Howard Dean and the current Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid have high ratings from the NRA. Our party is indeed a big tent. Should a Democrat who supports gun rights be discriminated against on DU?

I will admit that at times I feel the host of this group has been too fair to those who support extremely strong gun control in this group and you feel that he has favored those who favor gun rights far too much. That is actually the response that a fair host should receive.

I feel that the Gungeon should be a place to discuss the issue of gun control in a polite manner. I always read and consider the legitimacy of the arguments from those who support stronger gun control and over time I have changed a number of my views in favor of stronger gun control. Posting in this group has caused me to do a lot of research on the subject and I always try to be open minded about any issue.

Both sides of the gun control issue have valid points to make. Perhaps I have an inflated view of myself but I seriously believe that I could make a far better argument for draconian gun laws than most who post here in support of that position. Perhaps I will eventually change my views and support extremely strong gun control including the ban and possibly confiscation of some firearms. I doubt it, but let me assure you that I have personal experience with both the good and the bad that allowing civilians to own firearms can cause. I know of incidents in my own family where firearms may have saved lives or serious injury and incidents where the misuse of such weapons caused a tragic death.

I would personally support a pro gun control host in the future on this group if he/she was as fair as our current host. In this group both sides should be allowed to express their views even if factually wrong and it should be the job of the other side to politely contest them. I often read posts that are definitely false NRA talking points but I also read posts that are Brady Campaign propaganda.

I have found the Gungeon to be one of the best places to discuss gun control on the internet. Of course over the years I have frequently been insulted but I have a thick skin and internet insults do not anger me in the least. In fact I welcome truly original insults and will complement any poster who directs one at me. I refuse to insult other posters but then I try my best to always be polite and considerate of the opinions and emotions of others.

I fear a truly pro gun control host as you would prefer might unfairly favor the gun control side of the debate in the Gungeon and it might turn into a group where only pro gun control posters could debate and consequently die.

Any poster on DU can chose to post in the Gungeon or avoid the experience entirely. I had no problem when posts involving gun control were limited to this group and see no issue when that is once again the policy of DU. I feel that the Gungeon is an excellent place to have a strong fight over the issue as long as certain rules are followed. I never get mad when some poster makes me look like a fool by proving my argument totally false using reliable facts and statistics. I just alter my views which is why I come here.

Far in the past I used to post on more pro gun rights groups but I found little challenge as nobody dared disagreed with me. That was reassuring but basically useless as I learned nothing. I also found that reading other posts on different subjects on those more conservative forums were distasteful as I am a liberal Democrat with a family history of Democrats who worked in the iron and steel mills of Pennsylvania and stood in union strike lines to get better benefits for the workers and future workers in their companies.

I remember visiting my uncle once in Pittsburgh when he was on strike. He had been out for several months and finances were running short but he said he had saved enough money to survive and hoped that the workers who followed him would get better pay and benefits. At that time in our nation we had a strong middle class largely because of the actions of the unions. Today, sadly, we live in a nation with an endangered middle class largely due to the efforts of Republicans and Big Corporations.

I come from a line of good Democrats who all owned firearms and used them for target shooting and self defense. Should I now be required to throw away my heritage and support extreme gun control just to be considered by the most liberal Democrats to be a true member of the party? Should I have to undergo the scrutiny of a host in the Gungeon on DU who only supports the gun control side of the debate?

I fear that if some in our party get their way we will end up being no better than the Republicans as we will be totally unwilling to listen to other views and after consideration, debate to disprove them.

I see no real problem with the post that the host made. It may or may not be accurate. If you disagree with the information and the graph in the post simply support your view with some data and statistics to disprove it. I am as interested in your reply as I am in the host's post but unnecessary insults on his history as a host of this group does not impress me in the least that you are right and his post is wrong and inaccurate.

The post he made should stand or fall on facts and statistics and not on your opinion of how he has functioned as host. That issue should be up to the management of DU as DU is their football and consequently we all play by their rules and decisions if we wish to post here. If you have a problem with the host of this group take it up with the management of DU. Demeaning him for his actions as host serves little purpose in disproving any value his post has.





Ahh, good ol' Knife Crime Island. Glaug-Eldare Feb 2013 #1
so, how come it isn't working in Jamacia? gejohnston Feb 2013 #2
Because Jamaica isn't the UK jpak Feb 2013 #4
murder rate is still the same or worse gejohnston Feb 2013 #5
a rose by any other name~ discntnt_irny_srcsm Feb 2013 #17
"This despite the adage, 'When guns are illegal, only criminals will possess them.'" ZombieHorde Feb 2013 #3
Hmmmmm... krispos42 Feb 2013 #6
Hmmmm... sensible gun control reduces gun murder jpak Feb 2013 #7
The British homicide rate went up after the 1986 ban, and the 1997 ban. krispos42 Feb 2013 #8
Not good at reading graphs are you? intaglio Feb 2013 #10
I made the graph. krispos42 Feb 2013 #11
Up 30%!!!111!!! intaglio Feb 2013 #12
Ummmm.... there's an OP today posted about how criminals in the UK are using flare guns krispos42 Feb 2013 #13
An OP where gun apologists are attempting to show "gun control doesn't work" intaglio Feb 2013 #15
I love seeing somebody from the opposite side fall into discoherence. krispos42 Feb 2013 #20
It's embarrassing that DU has this person as a host: you should see the immature "Ibid" thread apocalypsehow Feb 2013 #14
I personally feel the host has been doing an excellent job and has been extremely fair ... spin Feb 2013 #16
Perhaps they should make you Host - I'd trust that arrangement. I have always found your posts apocalypsehow Feb 2013 #22
Thanks for your support ... spin Feb 2013 #26
And the person that was responding, of course, wasn't being childish or immature. krispos42 Feb 2013 #19
SSDD + TL;DR. n/t. apocalypsehow Feb 2013 #21
I know krispos42 Feb 2013 #29
That's nice. n/t. apocalypsehow Feb 2013 #33
"this poster engaged in, like a childish little baby, all so he could get the precious "last word"" krispos42 Feb 2013 #35
That's nice. n/t. apocalypsehow Feb 2013 #36
I noticed that your #84 & #87 responses to Krispos' rebuttal are -- what was it? -- "ibids?" nt Eleanors38 Feb 2013 #41
With 41 replies (now 42) in this entire OP, that's quite a hat trick I pulled. Math: apocalypsehow Feb 2013 #42
The host is doing an excellent job in the face of the hateful language of controllers... Eleanors38 Feb 2013 #40
That's nice: apocalypsehow Feb 2013 #43
Perhaps you should use "ditto." Can't understand why you don't. Eleanors38 Feb 2013 #44
That's nice. n/t. apocalypsehow Feb 2013 #45
Per capita. Straw Man Feb 2013 #24
At least 160 shool shootings in the USA since 1950 intaglio Feb 2013 #28
Moving goalposts? Straw Man Feb 2013 #31
Guess what? The Finnish attack was a school shooting intaglio Feb 2013 #32
One of three. Straw Man Feb 2013 #34
The FBI collects figures that are reported to it intaglio Feb 2013 #37
that isn't true either gejohnston Feb 2013 #38
Not one to let facts ... Straw Man Feb 2013 #39
They obviously lack clarity of vision. SayWut Feb 2013 #9
Looks good. discntnt_irny_srcsm Feb 2013 #18
That's one of the funniest movies I've ever seen, and reminds me of something my Ex-BIL did... cherokeeprogressive Feb 2013 #23
4 to 1? in england jimmy the one Feb 2013 #25
The number of guns doubled? krispos42 Feb 2013 #30
Interesting what a flaregun can do dizbukhapeter Feb 2013 #27
Latest Discussions»Issue Forums»Gun Control & RKBA»British gangs use flare g...»Reply #16