Random Politics Thread

[ceecee]

I don't look at gun ownership as a sign of conservative or liberal. That might just be because my own stance on the issue makes me a heterodox liberal.

I think it's something a lot of single issue voters opposed to gun control might vote on, so they are thought of as right wingers by default. Kind of like a pro-lifer who might support universal healthcare and public programs, but votes republican because they think the abortion issue trumps all others.

Though to be fair, even my deceased arch conservative grandfather, a lifelong hunter and gun enthusiast, thought that owning assault rifles was overkill and that they shouldn't be available to the general public, at least not without someone having extensive training first. He thought the open carry guys were a bunch of man children playing at looking like tough militia men.

I think that'a true to a degree but it depends a lot on where one lives. There is nothing to me that's inherently conservative about gun ownership. The people that appear to be using it as a badge are the people that have a financial stake in gun manufacturing/gun sales/gun legislation and vote accordingly.

Leftist gun owners aren't conservative, no matter how much conservatives want to imagine they are. Most leftists don't have any issue with guns themselves, they do have issues with the people that claim to be responsible gun owners and get led around by the GOP and their gun manufacturer lobbyists. They don't speak for the working class so conservatives that choose to stand with them, don't speak for the working class either - stop pretending to do so.

 

[anticlimatic]

I don't look at gun ownership as a sign of conservative or liberal. That might just be because my own stance on the issue makes me a heterodox liberal. I think it's something a lot of single issue voters opposed to gun control might vote on, so they are thought of as right wingers by default. Kind of like a pro-lifer who might support universal healthcare and public programs, but votes republican because they think the abortion issue trumps all others. Though to be fair, even my deceased arch conservative grandfather, a lifelong hunter and gun enthusiast, thought that owning assault rifles was overkill and that they shouldn't be available to the general public, at least not without someone having extensive training first. He thought the open carry guys were a bunch of man children playing at looking like tough militia men.

I know a few left wing gun / personal protection enthusiasts, but a rich friend of mine who owns a shooting range, hosts gun licensing/use classes, and also sells weapons- in one of the more left wing counties in my area- says that well over 90 percent of his customers are righties.

Not that we will need guns for coronavirus, unless of course it mutates and has a much higher mortality rate.

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

I know a few left wing gun / personal protection enthusiasts, but a rich friend of mine who owns a shooting range, hosts gun licensing/use classes, and also sells weapons- in one of the more left wing counties in my area- says that well over 90 percent of his customers are righties.

Not that we will need guns for coronavirus, unless of course it mutates and has a much higher mortality rate.

Perhaps the lefty gun owners are more likely to be working class and therefore less likely to be able to afford memberships to gun clubs. Lot of lefties in my family with guns, none of them are members of clubs though. They practice in their backyards or in the woods, like our colonial ancestors would have done. And then there's republican types I've met who don't even like guns, let alone own them or go to gun clubs. The profile of average gun owner is probably nothing like the media conjured image we think of. Pretty diverse range of folks, diverse range of ideologies too. Most of the "right wing" gun types I do meet in my state are more on the libertarian angle--socially liberal but overall against major gov't involvement in their lives and communities.

 

[anticlimatic]

Perhaps the lefty gun owners are more likely to be working class and therefore less likely to be able to afford memberships to gun clubs. Lot of lefties in my family with guns, none of them are members of clubs though. They practice in their backyards or in the woods, like our colonial ancestors would have done. And then there's republican types I've met who don't even like guns, let alone own them or go to gun clubs. The profile of average gun owner is probably nothing like the media conjured image we think of. Pretty diverse range of folks, diverse range of ideologies too. Most of the "right wing" gun types I do meet in my state are more on the libertarian angle--socially liberal but overall against major gov't involvement in their lives and communities.

Righties probably have gun club culture on lock down with enough of a majority to incline left wing types to not be around it I bet.

Im not into guns at all, other than antiques (I have civil war era musket with bayonet my ancestors have handed down), but I probably would be if I lived somewhere else. My neighbor just moved out here from the metro part of the state after a gun altercation. He was sitting on his front steps and some dude that was mad at him came running up his block shooting at him. Chased him into his house and up to his bedroom (where he had a pistol locked up), had enough time to get it out though and they had a point blank range shootout. Neighbor had his leg shattered, guy coming after him didn't make it.

 

[ceecee]

Perhaps the lefty gun owners are more likely to be working class and therefore less likely to be able to afford memberships to gun clubs. Lot of lefties in my family with guns, none of them are members of clubs though. They practice in their backyards or in the woods, like our colonial ancestors would have done. And then there's republican types I've met who don't even like guns, let alone own them or go to gun clubs. The profile of average gun owner is probably nothing like the media conjured image we think of. Pretty diverse range of folks, diverse range of ideologies too. Most of the "right wing" gun types I do meet in my state are more on the libertarian angle--socially liberal but overall against major gov't involvement in their lives and communities.

Gun ranges/gun clubs - yeah I would agree with that. Ammo is also expensive although the open air, extremely janky, unmonitored DNR gun range close to me is always busy - gunfire from dawn to dusk on the weekends. These are just gun owners of any persuasion that are real pigs - lots of garbage and casing left behind. It's just a big field, I'm always surprised more people aren't shot there.

The leftist gun groups that I know use indoor facilities and one owner is most definitely a comrade so they do exist. The closer you are to a bigger metro area, the more likely this is. I also laugh about that media conjured image, especially when more than a few of the socialist rifle association men and women are queer.

 

[cascadeco]

Perhaps the lefty gun owners are more likely to be working class and therefore less likely to be able to afford memberships to gun clubs. Lot of lefties in my family with guns, none of them are members of clubs though. They practice in their backyards or in the woods, like our colonial ancestors would have done. And then there's republican types I've met who don't even like guns, let alone own them or go to gun clubs. The profile of average gun owner is probably nothing like the media conjured image we think of. Pretty diverse range of folks, diverse range of ideologies too. Most of the "right wing" gun types I do meet in my state are more on the libertarian angle--socially liberal but overall against major gov't involvement in their lives and communities.

One of my best friends' husbands, whom I respect a ton, is a hunter and conservationist/ 'leftie'. He has done rifle hunting, but I know in recent years he's much more into bow hunting and for several years has gotten his elk that way, and they then have an entire spare-freezer full of meat to last almost a year for the entire family (and I think it's just half the carcass for that -- he always hunts with another buddy who gets the other half, no matter who made the shot). I really respect this sort of hunting and truly responsible and rational gun ownership (as opposed to those who insist on the 'necessity' of having a variety of weapons way beyond hunting or simple defense, if one prioritizes that, readily available).

He's not a gun club sort, though. I do know though that he tries to be a voice/ advocate within the hunting community for standing up for what he believes is responsible and respectful in terms of conservation, honoring and believing in hunting regulations and wildlife management, and the bigger picture as well.

 

[The Cat]

One of my best friends' husbands, whom I respect a ton, is a hunter and conservationist/ 'leftie'. He has done rifle hunting, but I know in recent years he's much more into bow hunting and for several years has gotten his elk that way, and they then have an entire spare-freezer full of meat to last almost a year for the entire family (and I think it's just half the carcass for that -- he always hunts with another buddy who gets the other half, no matter who made the shot). I really respect this sort of hunting and truly responsible and rational gun ownership (as opposed to those who insist on the 'necessity' of having a variety of weapons way beyond hunting or simple defense, if one prioritizes that, readily available).

He's not a gun club sort, though. I do know though that he tries to be a voice/ advocate within the hunting community for standing up for what he believes is responsible and respectful in terms of conservation, honoring and believing in hunting regulations and wildlife management, and the bigger picture as well.

This is how I roll too

 

[Jaguar]

But in a White House briefing later, Trump said that “our decision will be based on hard facts and data.”

Since when?

 

[ceecee]

Most have less than $1,000 saved
More than 30 million are uninsured
71% of workers in debt (most for life)
At least 49% live paycheck to paycheck
609 billionaires; 40 million live in poverty
5.3 million in Third World absolute poverty

Oh and now 3.3 million newly unemployed. That booming economy was always a myth for the vast majority.

 

[Jaguar]

Why No One Wants to Talk About the Booming Economy - The Atlantic

Was . . .

 

[Virtual ghost]

Most have less than $1,000 saved
More than 30 million are uninsured
71% of workers in debt (most for life)
At least 49% live paycheck to paycheck
609 billionaires; 40 million live in poverty
5.3 million in Third World absolute poverty

Oh and now 3.3 million newly unemployed. That booming economy was always a myth for the vast majority.

What is strange is that Healthcare industry didn't press Trump more over the response to pandemic, since their business model will be cracking as the mess spreads.

 

[The Cat]

Watching some people defend the current administration is like watching people in abusive relationships hiding their bruises and trying to convince us (themselves) that they're not in an abusive relationship.

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

 

[ceecee]

lmao, so many people need this meme.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

Great, judging by the attitudes of some of my relatives, I'm probably supposed to spend the next 7 months in a state of continual apology for supporting Sanders. Because if Biden loses it'll totally be my fault., and there's no way Biden or the Democratic party bear any responsibility for that. Like people who are incompetent (or maybe even reluctant) at doing anything besides stopping actual progressivism have nothing to do with that particular outcome, lol.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

we need smartocacy.

this country needs to elect smart qualified people who make bad decisions pleez

 

[The Cat]

Watching some people defend the current administration is like watching people in abusive relationships hiding their bruises and trying to convince us (themselves) that they're not in an abusive relationship.

 

[Virtual ghost]

It is kinda funny how the news became single topic focused. Therefore my local news did a segment on all first class topics from a few weeks ago, about which no one really cares about at this point.


Btw.

 

[Jaguar]

He claimed powers never envisioned by the Constitution and insisted his "authority is total" to order states and cities to get moving again to break out of the frozen economy. His warning came as two blocs of Eastern and Western hot-spot states banded together in an implied challenge to his vow to get people back to work soon, setting off a brewing confrontation over the power of the federal government.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

We already had our 1938. It was almost two decades ago, lol. Oh well, at least everyone was "following the norms" and "coming together as a nation "out of a respect for "unity" and "bipartisanship" then.