<p>I have read through this entire thread. Some people don’t like what bl4ke360 has to say, so they are reading his posts as rude and condescending. I cannot find anything like that in his posts. In fact, if anything they are being rude and condescending to him with comments like someone saying “Honey- get some friends and go to the beach! Why are you wasting your summer?” followed immediately by another saying “Yeah, no kidding. Or take some summer school classes in logic or forensics (either kind).”</p>
<p>I do find some of bl4ke’s logic a bit strained, or at least overly abstract. Cars are not the same as guns. But I cannot find where his presentation is ever rude, condescending or out of line, even after provocation from others, unless you want to point out that many of the posts that disagree with him were presented in much the same manner and call them rude, arrogant, and condescending. He is energetically defending his position, which is not the same as being rude. Point out errors in logic, disagree with him on facts and/or conclusions. But don’t overreact to his posts because he disagrees with you.</p>
<p>For the record, I have never owned a gun, never shot a gun, and couldn’t have told you the difference between a clip and a magazine at all before reading all this. Now let’s try to address people’s arguments and not demean them personally.</p>
<p>IMO, @bl4ke360, while I understand your position that if someone doesn’t know the lingo they aren’t worth listening to, that really is a bit over the top. Just because I can’t tell you all the parts of an engine or how anti-lock brakes work doesn’t mean I cannot have an opinion on any aspect of cars, except of course if we are discussing the engineering of anti-lock brakes. But the point here wasn’t that specific. Especially one as trivial (to me) as knowing the difference between a clip and a magazine when the topic is well beyond that. I think you know full well that what people mean is anything that allows someone to shoot a lot of bullets very fast without reloading. Not knowing the exactly correct word doesn’t obviate their point, and making that your focus just allows the opposition to lob grenades at you. I think you would be better served to make your point once as to what the difference between those two things are and then address your more pertinent arguments.</p>
<p>I have no problem with pro gun opinions which are stated in a respectful manner. I am personally not anti gun. I wish we didn’t have people packing heat in public places, but I am not an advocate of doing away with the second amendment.</p>
<p>fallenchemist, I think dismissing others’ points as “BS arguments” and saying things like “if you’ve ever read the constitution” is where it started with this poster, who (if you notice the dates) seems to have revived this thread with the express purpose of stirring things up. I do find his tone disrespectful, especially considering that he is speaking to adults in the Parent Cafe. </p>
<p>@Nrdsb4 - I cannot tell you how to react to what someone else posts, of course. But he didn’t directly address a particular poster when he made that comment about logic, while a very similar comment was pointed directly at him. I think it is a bit unfair to complain about one and not the other.</p>
<p>@sally305 - I believe he is an adult, by law, and has every right to speak here. BS arguments and reading the constitution remarks are his opinion, clearly. I agree there is a fine line between provocative and disrespectful, but I think those fell on the provocative side. Much the same was said to him. As far as the dates, saintfan revived it 21 days after the previous post, his post was within a shorter time frame than that. And that is pretty irrelevant anyway. He has the right to express his opinion, and despite feelings about reviving old threads there is no way that comes into play here. You feel he is “stirring things up” because you disagree with him, it seems to me.</p>
<p>Hence my suggestion to tone it down a bit. I am posting as a moderator here, not as a commenter. The only reason I even found this thread was that someone flagged it. I could have issued warnings, but i didn’t want to do that. There is no reason to take this further off topic, I simply want members to respect each other and their right to an opinion, as long as it is respectfully given. Both sides went up to the line and probably crossed it a little. Hence my comment to please pull it back some, should you choose to continue on the topic.</p>
<p>Perhaps it shouldn’t be made into a political discussion.
It does seem to be emotional for some.
I think when it is blatantly obvious that the commenter can’t get away from hammering one note ovet and over again, it is perhaps time for them to step back and get perspective.
Sometimes a break, can help them do that.</p>
<p>“Going after the criminals” would not have prevented, oh, say, Newtown. That dude had no previous criminal history. But if he hadn’t had high-capacity magazines/clips, many lives would have been saved. </p>
<p>Actually fallenchemist, bl4ke360’s post #257 was not a general comment. It was in direct response to me. In it, he used the terms “ridiculous” and “devoid of logic” and “supposedly educated.” Those comments are rude – IMO – and aimed at a specific poster. Just sayin.</p>
<p>I agree with the POV expressed in the editorial article that I posted (and that was quickly buried by a barrage of ■■■■■ posts) - gun deaths are a public health issue and must be addressed by a set of measures, with restriction on what is sold and to whom it is sold being parts of that solution in addition to many, many other parts. Also, I’m a firm believer that taxpayer money invested in addressing mental health issues is taxpayer money saved in the long run. </p>
<p>My main quibble is this false hard line between “criminals” and “law abiding citizens”. Yes, I get it that there are criminals and gang banging youth running around with stolen guns (hmmm . . . where did they come from?). Every other gun owner does not automatically fall into this sainted and patriotic “law-abiding” group though, even if they were law abiding enough to purchase their weapon. The HS shooter in Oregon was an upstanding youth and “Deacon” in is Mormon church. He had no criminal history and only became a criminal when he took his big brother’s unsecured guns. The list goes on and on of people who are law abiding until that moment when they aren’t any more. It is a false differentiation. </p>
<p>fallenchemist, let’s see if bl4ke360 is able to temper his tone of voice when he comes back on. What you see as “provocative” in his comments I see as entirely disrespectful. Of course, since you are the moderator, your opinion wins. But for what it’s worth, my personal standard on internet propriety is based on comparison to real life with real names. I would NEVER call someone’s opinion “BS” or say that it is not worth my time to even consider it because of some minor disagreement over semantics. With the young people who post on this site, I cut them slack based on their age but I also ask myself, “would my own kids speak this way to someone on the internet or in real life?” I am glad to say that no, neither of my kids would EVER use the tone of voice bl4 has used to the parents on this thread. But we all have different standards, I guess.</p>
<p>I have a terribly sad connection in two ways to the Newtown incident. One of the elementary school teachers in my town was the mother of one of the victims. She took the rest of the year off, and I don’t know if she went back in September. Also, the teacher assistant who is famously described as shielding a child’s body with her own was someone whom I knew as a young girl when I was dating her older brother. There were about six siblings,a strong church-going Irish-American family. Though we had had no contact for twenty years, I knew how to reach her brother and I sent him a letter about how I remember his young, long-haired younger sister bouncing along on her way to her piano lesson. The Archbishop of NYC region, Cardinal Dolan,came to their small town in Westchester to conduct the funeral. </p>
<p>I learned about the incident that day when I walked into the computer repair shop and the wife of the owner was at the desk,tears streaming down her face.</p>
<p>actingmt, read through the thread. None of us responded with sarcasm to the poster in question until it became obvious he wasn’t capable of polite discourse.</p>
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