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Pryderi

(6,772 posts)
Tue Sep 16, 2014, 08:50 AM Sep 2014

“Wretched, disgusting commie leftists”: My nightmare fighting gun nuts in a red state

http://www.salon.com/2014/09/16/wretched_disgusting_commie_leftists_my_nightmare_fighting_gun_nuts_in_a_red_state/


I volunteer for Nebraskans Against Gun Violence, a grass-roots organization seeking to reduce gun casualties by calling for an increase in the “responsible” part of “responsible gun ownership.” In May, NAGV called the head of public relations at Texas Roadhouse, a popular steakhouse, to inform him that a Nebraska “open carry” group was planning a meet-up at one of their locations. The open carry group had chosen a location just outside of Omaha in order to avoid Omaha’s supposedly oppressive permitting requirement that people carrying loaded guns in public undergo eight whole hours of training (elsewhere in the state, no training is required for open carry).


<snip>

Baker invited NAGV on his show. On behalf of the organization I declined by email, explaining that given his track record I didn’t think we’d get a fair chance to present our views. Baker mocked me on air, deeming me a “moon bat.” Case closed, I thought.

But the next day he started up again, and I mentioned it on my personal Facebook page, garnering the interest of Lt. Col. Robert Bateman, who writes on gun policy for Esquire. Bateman called in, and Baker deemed him a “fake” and a “liar” who was not even in the military but who was also “disgracing the United States armed services” (difficult to do when one is not even in the military, it would seem). He said Bateman was “belligerent” and had “bullied” him, and he encouraged listeners to weigh in on Bateman’s credentials. He called my organization “wretched, disgusting commie leftists.” This went on for an hour … about an Army combat vet. Finally, he concluded that Nebraskans Against Gun Violence — a group of professionals and parents, some of whom are gun owners — smoked pot and conspired to get someone to call in pretending to be an Army officer to hijack his show.

Baker has mastered the art of the conspiracy theory, the agile evasion of cognitive dissonance that has become the modus operandi of right-wing media at both national and local levels. For people like me, volunteers hoping to put a dent in one of our country’s most difficult problems, the biggest obstacle we face is not any particular policy point, but the refusal of a portion of our population to enter a debate in good faith. When a fact doesn’t fit, they simply deny it, or better yet, conclude it is part of a sinister plot by communists, Muslims or the UN. National media figures such as Glenn Beck and Alex Jones are famous for these maneuvers, but they’ve trickled down to local media and to conversation-level micro-denials as well, and they have poisoned the public sphere.




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“Wretched, disgusting commie leftists”: My nightmare fighting gun nuts in a red state (Original Post) Pryderi Sep 2014 OP
Trying to teach a pig to sing only wastes your time and annoys the pig. hobbit709 Sep 2014 #1
If we need boots on the ground to fight ISIS, draft these gun nuts. muntrv Sep 2014 #2
I've felt this frustration for years. flamin lib Sep 2014 #3
Frustrated because there IS debate? There are 2 gun groups. Eleanors38 Sep 2014 #5
No, frustration that there is no debate there. Only justifications for not having one. nt flamin lib Sep 2014 #6
There is considerable debate. It just doesn't go well for you. Eleanors38 Sep 2014 #8
You may be a gun but if flamin lib Sep 2014 #10
If all goes well, the gun-control issue will diminish... Eleanors38 Sep 2014 #11
Local radio is OWNED by the far right. It is Not there for debate... Eleanors38 Sep 2014 #4
I guess calling them gun nuts and having their meetings canceled by the venue is friendly enough. aikoaiko Sep 2014 #7
Their policy: "Fighting gun nuts." wow. Eleanors38 Sep 2014 #9
f***ing with paranoid cowards can be dangerous Skittles Sep 2014 #12
So you are calling DU members who own legal firearms "paranoid cowards". oneshooter Sep 2014 #13
oh look Skittles Sep 2014 #14
Then enlighten me as to what the difference is. n/t oneshooter Sep 2014 #15
If you got to ask, you will never understand. hobbit709 Sep 2014 #16
So you are saying that it is a super secret thing that only a very few are allowed to know? oneshooter Sep 2014 #17
no, it's not super secret Skittles Sep 2014 #20
asking that question pretty much nails you into one category Skittles Sep 2014 #19
Oh look, another broad bush attack by Skittles Lurks Often Sep 2014 #18
not broad at all Skittles Sep 2014 #21
Not buying it, I've seen too many of your posts about guns to believe you. Lurks Often Sep 2014 #22
Wow... chervilant Sep 2014 #23
 

Eleanors38

(18,318 posts)
8. There is considerable debate. It just doesn't go well for you.
Tue Sep 16, 2014, 11:09 AM
Sep 2014

Of course, you are free to post in the Gungeon AND Bansalot. I can't even post in the latter.

BTW, the "organizer" in the OP probably would fare better by not referencing her opponents as "gun nuts:" 80,000,000+ gun-owners can't all be nuts.

flamin lib

(14,559 posts)
10. You may be a gun but if
Tue Sep 16, 2014, 01:49 PM
Sep 2014

you think what goes on in the gungeon is discussion as opposed to avoidance.

We can't talk about that! Blomberg had something to do with it! Even though the research and stats come from reputable sources.

Oh! Gun deaths are down from 50 years ago so its all good! Even though there are 6x more gun homicides in the US than the next closest industrialized nation (per 100,000).

You can't count 19 year olds as children for gun deaths even though federal law counts them as children for buying handguns.

I can do this for page after page. Once some lame ass excuse for not discussing the issue all the gun nuts just ignore it as if there is no issue.

I'm done with this thread. So post some more crap and declare victory.

 

Eleanors38

(18,318 posts)
11. If all goes well, the gun-control issue will diminish...
Tue Sep 16, 2014, 10:08 PM
Sep 2014

to the point where all sides can agree to far more meaningful and constructive actions which might work, and vitally, I.D. what does work. I think improved law enforcement has worked, and economic ownership Will work. Now, we are unable to focus on the latter. It may take a revolution for that.

 

Eleanors38

(18,318 posts)
4. Local radio is OWNED by the far right. It is Not there for debate...
Tue Sep 16, 2014, 10:27 AM
Sep 2014

As MSM collapses, taking radio with it, the mass media model which in the past consolidated public opinion and legitimized issues for national action, dissolves as well. The concern of the far right shout-show crowd is competition from other right-wingers who horn in on their shrinking territory & threaten their money-making ability. The result: Double down to the point of making hate speech a sport. Half the impact, such as it is, is getting their shrinking audience to laugh at the hyperbole.

By now, most people with countering views know to stay away from these shit-filled tiger traps. Had this person gone on air, it would have boosted their ratings!

In DU, one can openly debate 2A in GC & RKBA group, and post gun-control material without debate in the "activist" group.

Incidentally, I support 2A and have a safe full of the dreaded substance, but I don't smoke 'em!

aikoaiko

(34,127 posts)
7. I guess calling them gun nuts and having their meetings canceled by the venue is friendly enough.
Tue Sep 16, 2014, 10:44 AM
Sep 2014


I can't find anything policy-wise on the NAGV. Appears they are a facebook page.

oneshooter

(8,614 posts)
13. So you are calling DU members who own legal firearms "paranoid cowards".
Tue Sep 16, 2014, 11:18 PM
Sep 2014

Just to set the record straight.

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