The National Rifle Association

[Booyakasha]

^I thought we were having a good, civil discussion after you clarified your position in post three. Not gettin heated or personal, discussing a subject we both care about---I like that kind of thing. Sorry if I came across negatively.

MM, you don't know me that well, but seriously---reach harder. I dare you.

[Metal Man]

MM, you don't know me that well, but seriously---reach harder. I dare you.

Now imagine if I said that to you, then imagine your reaction.

Dare I say more useful conversation would be accomplished by actually responding to what I said[strike], rather than making pseudo-vague threats against me for having an opinion?[/strike]

[Crazyswordsman]

^^Sorry if I came across as overly defensive. The things I oppose are very specific and I'm sure you - and most NRA members - oppose them as well. -CSM

[Booyakasha]

^^You imply I have some shadowy sinister ulterior motive in talking up the NRA. That isn't contributing sensibly to the discussion---that's getting personal.

It's also a hell of a reach, son. But I suppose you can make yourself believe anything if you're willing to really torture and convolute the old logic. Keep it up---maybe if you distill enough pure liquid evil from my posts in this thread and wish really hard upon a star, you'll turn into a real boy some day.

[EDIT: ^You're a good man, CSM.]

[I REALLY HATE POKEMON!]

Look, I know what you think you're getting at. A few points, though:

Racial profiling doesn't work. While you, and people like you, are busy watching out for "those Easterners", people like Jihad Jane will (even while displaying warning signs) be ignored in favour of others who are harmless and innocent but were a certain race.

You don't have to "look the part" to be involved in something. Take the murder/assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, where the suspects all looked like average people, mostly white, supposedly linked with, or agents of the Mossad. Other organisations, including terrorists, can use tactics just like that: blend in. Find people who look like normal US citizens. You can't rely on appearances alone, that would be dangerously foolish, and it's why the security isn't supposed to.

Terrorism isn't confined to the Middle East. I don't know how accurate this is, but have a quick glance at the "Global Terrorist Incidents" for 2000. It might be perceived that the greatest threat to the US currently comes from the Middle East, but it would frankly be an endangerment of lives to focus on any single nationality or race as potential terrorists. "Don't put all your eggs in one basket".

Approximately 29,000 commercial flights occur daily in the US. Do you have any reasonable way to fathom the amount of people that are going through airports? There needs to be wide-ranging, accurate security in place to protect those thousands of flights. This isn't something as simple as "THAT GUY IS THE RACE WE'RE WATCHING OUT FOR" because that leaves so many cracks for other "bad guys" to fall through, it would be totally irresponsible.

Finally, racial profiling is literally racism. Literally. You are setting someone apart solely and specifically for their race. Racial profiling is what people do when they think all Mexican and Latinos are illegal immigrants, stealing jobs from the "real" Americans, or that blacks are less intelligent and shouldn't be hired. Racial profiling is what people are doing every time they distrust someone of Eastern appearance, because there are some known terrorists, so they perceive the whole region as a threat. It's blind.

ps. Oklahoma City Bombing.






Now. As for the NRA, in principle, they are a necessary kind of organisation to educate people about the guns they are allowed to have in the US. I don't see why they are part of much anything political, since they are primarily meant to be a gun association. The only fight I can reasonably imagine them having is to retain their lawful ownership of weapons, if and when it comes up. Anything else seems like alterior motives from people within the association, and they might be using the size of the association to back their ploys. *shrug*

I agree with everything you've said, aside from racial profiling being "racism." Racial profiling obviously should not be employed as an end all strategy but it can be used in conjuction with other techniques in order to process mass ammounts of people and their danger level effectively when in a setting such as an airport.

[Metal Man]

^^You imply I have some shadowy sinister ulterior motive in talking up the NRA. That isn't contributing sensibly to the discussion---that's getting personal.

It's also a hell of a reach, son. But I suppose you can make yourself believe anything if you're willing to really torture and convolute the old logic. Keep it up---maybe if you distill enough pure liquid evil from my posts in this thread and wish really hard upon a star, you'll turn into a real boy some day.

[EDIT: ^You're a good man, CSM.]

No, you just keep claiming I'm reaching[strike] without saying why.[/strike]

[strike]Do you actually have anything to say, or is all you have to say "REACH HARDER, REACH HARDER, NYAH NYAH NYAH NYAH"?

It's really childish. Do you think it will become true if you say it enough times?

What is it? Do you just want to invent some rage so you can feel angry? Are you bored and want to make the most substance-less posts possible solely to aggravate me? Do you have a chip on your shoulder?

I want to know what you think, but every time I ask, you begin screaming about reaching at things. I have no choice but to wonder if you actually have any reasons for your beliefs, because whenever I question them in this thread, you degenerate into a yelling festival. So I'm going to ask one last time: What do you think? What's your rebuttal?

And if you say "REACH FOR THE STARS, METAL MAN" I guess I'll have to give up as rather than potentially pointing out flaws in my argument or explaining what it is I'm missing, you will have ceded your choice in favor of screaming incoherently. How unfortunate it would be if that were to happen, as I thought you were just saying how civilized you were.

But I guess some people just can't take other people having different opinions... sad.[/strike]

Maybe IRHP can interpret for me. IRHP, what is Boo saying? Is there some secret logic I'm missing here? I know you to be more rational in this situation. I want to hear what your viewpoint is on what I said, and whether I'm missing something about the NRA.

[Galefore]

Dude, calling Boo childish is kind of... Reaching.

OH WHAT SON. I JUST WENT THERE. AND I AM NOT COMING BACK.

[Apiary Tazy]

.....<_<

Do you actually have anything to say, or are you just going to keep going "REACH HARDER, REACH HARDER, NYAH NYAH NYAH NYAH"?

It's also a hell of a reach, son.

MM, you don't know me that well, but seriously---reach harder. I dare you.

ewwwwwwwwwwwww.

[Galefore]

^dammit tazy you owned my joke

i come into this topic to make one joke and you come along and top it

goddamn joke topper, i tell you what

[Metal Man]

DON'T MAKE ME REACH INTO YOU WITH MY REACHING POWERS, GALEFORE

I'M GONNA REAAAACH IN AND STEAL YOUR SOULLLLLL

AND DON'T TRY THAT SWIPER TRICK, BECAUSE MY NAME ISN'T REACHER

...YET

[Booyakasha]

MM---If I were just trying to annoy you, I'd have called it a day by now.

I like how, in response to me suggesting you're reaching a little bit, you blow things even further out of proportion. I don't see any correlation between this epic battle against the evil little Boo-golem strawman you've apparently hallucinated for yourself and any actual occurrence in the history of VGF---fact is, up until your tear-soaked little rant just now, this thread didn't have much in the way of incoherent screaming and raging at all.

You actually want to know what I think about the situation? You might have considered asking me instead of insulting me, kid. Against all odds, I don't react well to timorous bleating about how I was supposedly using my NRA affiliation as a cudgel to beat people with. It's insulting, and it suggests you didn't actually read the thread before jumping to conclusions.

Hhhh. Bored absolutely sh*tless by all of this. Good luck, folks.

[PK FIRE!]

... I was going to make a joke about Reach toothbrushes but the time for that has past.

So I'll just say that the title and OP for this topic annoyed me some but after reading through it all its nice to know that CSM was just venting some steam about some issues he had with the higher ups in the NRA rather then trying to troll the pro gun users here.

Also on the profiling issue, while I'll admit I know very little about that subject I'll just say that its not exactly fool proof and shouldn't be treated as such.

I'll just return to lurking in the background before I make an epic fool out of myself.

- You stupid dog.

[Metal Man]

MM---If I were just trying to annoy you, I'd have called it a day by now.

I like how, in response to me suggesting you're reaching a little bit, you blow things even further out of proportion. I don't see any correlation between this epic battle against the evil little Boo-golem strawman you've apparently hallucinated for yourself and any actual occurrence in the history of VGF---fact is, up until your tear-soaked little rant just now, this thread didn't have much in the way of incoherent screaming and raging at all.

You actually want to know what I think about the situation? You might have considered asking me instead of insulting me, kid. Against all odds, I don't react well to timorous bleating about how I was supposedly using my NRA affiliation as a cudgel to beat people with. It's insulting, and it suggests you didn't actually read the thread before jumping to conclusions.

Hhhh. Bored absolutely sh*tless by all of this. Good luck, folks.

[strike]I guess we may never know who poisoned Boo's cereal to make him take a question and try (and fail) to turn it into an EPIC INTERNET ARGUMENT (TM).[/strike]

I could explain how I was asking, but it seems Boo is acting like I'm trying my best to destroy him or attack him, which is bizarre, as for once I if anything would like to hear the other side, so that I could debate it[strike], rather than a bunch of vague 'I dare you' 'REACH HARDER' and now, 'YOU'RE A TEAR-STAINED SNIVELING GRINCH', which... what... what the f$%k? :lol:

What is this, All our Children? I just was asking a question, but I guess that was too much for him to handle. Sorry, then, I apologize for daring to ask what your opinion was Boo, and whatever else offended you. Had I known you were so sensitive, I'd have left you alone, and will in the future. [/strike]And I also apologize for the snarkier things I said, because I expected you to play along and snark back at me, rather than becoming all dramatic about it. Sorry, dude. Guess they really did hurt your feelings or something, or tick you off, and that wasn't intentional. Or wanted, since that ruined all chances to discuss this rationally...

Now, with that matter behind us... I restate my belief and would ask someone[strike] who won't explode into fire and brimstone over[/strike] a question to discuss: Those of you who are pro-NRA, what is your reaction to my opinion? What parts of it do you think are just warped by my limited sources? And what parts do you disagree with otherwise?

Since I'm curious, you know, I know the world isn't just a one-sided thing, there's two sides to this (Well, perhaps even more sides, even), and I want to see what the other side thinks.

[Booyakasha]

God but you're a pretentious cock.

[Metal Man]

I fear what would happen if I had actually said anything intended to harm you, Boo, because currently you seem to be taking even my apology as an attack on you.

Could someone explain to him that besides some snark, I have no intent on insulting him? It seems like anything I say just gets considered to be some nasty attack on his person, when I really don't mean it.

In fact, I am quite confused, as I haven't caused someone to go that up the wall at times even when I intended to attack them. This is just weird and stupid.

In case you're reading this in some pseudo sarcastic voice, let me repeat myself: I am sincerely confused, as I merely wish to end the arguing/drama and continue the topic where we left off.

[LOOT]

Since I'm curious, you know, I know the world isn't just a one-sided thing, there's two sides to this (Well, perhaps even more sides, even), and I want to see what the other side thinks.

The other side thinks you're an absolute dick.

[Metal Man]

I guess I'm a dick for wanting to stay on topic.

Damned if I don't, damned if I do.

[Deku Tree]

It's more that you're being a snide ******* about Boo taking exception to your poor reading comprehension and the resulting accusation that he implied the NRA is beyond reproach because he is in it. Boo brought up his NRA membership because he thought CSM was being ignorant about NRA members, not to scare people from speaking their mind because it might piss him off.

[Metal Man]

Well, thanks, Deku. I wanted to know what it was...

Then I made a bad assumption there, and thus, retract what I said there, although I acknowledge that it has caused bad will between me and others, and am fine with you hating me over it. Sometimes I can be a real nasty person with my words, but my intent was to prevent what I misunderstood to be happening rather than attacking people intentionally. (If you can't tell them apart, generally I spend my time ripping ideas apart rather than being snide.)

So, in case the first apology didn't cut the mustard, there's this second one, in which I say sorry for misunderstanding Boo's intention. That was what I wanted to apologize for, but, heck, I couldn't seem to figure it out without help, so, there you got my clumsy attempts to figure it out instead.

Then I guess I can leave the topic be, since Boo's intent was to clear something up, not some sort of nebulous unknown statement I mistakenly thought existed. Good going there, bucket-head. *Smacks forehead into the wall*

[Deku Tree]

You're welcome. :)