What if they're right?

[Ex-MA Hole]

Last night, while using the latrine at approximately 2AM, I had a thought.  Sorry for the visual.

What if they are right?

I mean, we are all (or a good majority) complaining about the newest group over at THR.  Their thoughts, beliefs, actions, reactions, etc.  The threads have gotten to be insane.  I, for the most part, have stopped reading.  It's nuts over there.

We have had numerous threads over here about how to fix it.  O-Man even had his own post on the issue (how to fix it or something to that effect).

What if they are right?

What if we are lunatics?

Ok, the APS bunch is not, but the vast majority on THR seem to be.

Are anti's right?  Are we all loosing our grasp of reality?

[cosine]

I mean, we are all (or a good majority) complaining about the newest group over at THR.

I seem to be part of the newest group at THR. *sniff, sniff* I guess I'm not wanted. *walks away slowly, dejectedly*



At least I'm not a lunatic. (Or am I? :/)

[Art Eatman]

Like ol' Waylon said, being crazy keeps you from going insane.

, Art

[Perd Hapley]

I'm not familiar with this "new group."  What gives?

[Werewolf]

So what if the antis are RIGHT!??

The nice thing about the USA is that we still have the freedom to be wrong. And if the antis are right then I'm quite happy being wrong.

[K Frame]

I reject your reality and substitute the one of my choosing.

[Azrael256]

No, it really has gotten crazy over there, and no, they aren't right.

fistful, we've gotten a bunch of new members lately who fit into all sorts of groups we don't want to have around.  My personal favorite was the fellow who said that we shouldn't be trying to do anything to help people in Africa or the inner city US because they're all black.  No kidding.  An outright racist hanging around with us.  Naturally, he was shown the door in short order.

IMO, it's the "IQ digresses toward the mean" rule.  I just try to stay out of it and have been confining what little discussion I engage in to the actual gun forums rather than general or L&P.

[Shalako]

I'm in ignorant bliss about THR. My proxy server at work blocked it about three months ago and up until that time I have loved THR. So in my reality, it is still top-notch.

I am now covering my ears so I don't hear any more of this blasphemy about it going downhill.

My proxy server blocked anything with "weapons". so now no more THR, Go Go Varmint Go, RFC, Savageshooters...nothing. I consider myself lucky to still be able to hang out with you all here at APS....

[SpookyPistolero]

I think saying that THR is going downhill is overstating things a bit. As I've said before, don't neglect the fact that the kiddies are out of school and looking for something to fill their time with, including trolling around every gun site they can find. There are a some bad eggs around, to be sure, but the only solution to keep THR as clean as we like it, is to make ourselves the predominant presence. Reason, patience, calm level-headedness.

An example of why I know THR isn't truly over the edge is a recent thread I saw discussing whether or not we had crossed a point where armed rebellion against the state was in order. To say the least, this is a touchy subject. I was waiting for the name calling to begin, but the thread had at least 4 pgs, last I saw, without degenerating into a childish mess.

[Nightfall]

What if we are lunatics?

Ok, the APS bunch is not, but the vast majority on THR seem to be.

I resent that. I like to think I'm fairly consistent in my lunacy, both here and on THR. Seriously though, this is rather vague. What makes the majority of High Roaders crazy?

Are anti's right?  Are we all loosing our grasp of reality?

Vague again. What makes you think we're loosing our grasp of reality?

[Sindawe]

I was waiting for the name calling to begin, but the thread had at least 4 pgs, last I saw, without degenerating into a childish mess.

Hmmm...I musta missed that one.  Guess I'd better get over there and commence with the poo flinging : neener :

In the time I've been on THR (and online in general) the ratio of signal to noise fluctuates, and as SpookyPistolero has noted it does seem to be a function of time.  It should fall off as the summer progresses and kids find other things to amuse themselves with.  Some of 'em might even find a girl/boy friend and vanish totally.

[cosine]

Some of 'em might even find a girl/boy friend and vanish totally.

That one was aimed right for me, wasn't it?

[Sindawe]

That one was aimed right for me, wasn't it?

The guilty flee where none pursueth.

[jefnvk]

Before I quit visiting, it wasn't the argument, but how it was argued.

[Antibubba]

Werewolf said:
So what if the antis are RIGHT!??

See, that's the great thing about our position.  If our backs end up to the wall we can still go on a shooting spree.

If we're right, the worst they can do is light some candles and have a "Die-In".  Of course, they can have Joan Baez sing peace songs at us, but as I said earlier, we have the guns.  :p

[Guest]

Both sides attract crazies. Our side usually has access to firearms and therefore a slightly elevated ability to do harm to others. We are also willing to harm other human beings, some of us for good reasons (self-defense) and some for good and bad reasons. The whackos on our side can kill more directly, the whackos on their side can kill more indirectly - by either supporting non-violence or disarmament in completely inappropriate situations or inadvertantly aiding those who prey on the weak.

Go to Democratic Underground and tell me they don't have nucking futjobs. Just how the world works - crazies gotta pick a side, too.

[Guest]

join the fun, I'm now a "bloodthirsty sociopath" over there for not having any qualms about asking a know terrorist pointedly, what he knows....

[Art Eatman]

When you first log on to either TFL or THR, check how many members have registered, and how many are regular contributors.  Lemme tell ya, it's a buinch!  Not all of them are compos mentis.

It only takes two or three active idiots to appear to affect the tone of a forum.  Their posts get responded to, whether or not they deserve response.  Basically, too many folks get irate and feed trolls.  

We also have the young and ignorant who've seen too many movies.  Rather than show scorn, IMO it's far better to try to calm them down, to try to explain reality to them.  I just look at it as another form of house-breaking puppies.  Stop the piddling on the carpet...

Always remember that it's generally not a political view that gets somebody banned.  It's how it's expressed.  The old courtesy and politeness thing.

Anyhow, I don't worry about all this "change".  IMO it's really just part of our success.

Art

[James Odom]

There's always going to be another "gunkid" among the numbers, but there's going to be another Preacherman or Art Eatman, too.  Or some kid who will filter out the garbage and advance to that stage eventually.  I still hang out at THR a lot, and I mostly get tired of the repetitive threads, but that comes with the territory.  With over 30K members there are going to be dissenting opinions, and yes crazies, but that's also part of what makes it good (and keeps it interesting.)  And it's still one of the best resources available.  If I have a shotgun question sm knows the answer, if I have a 1911 question, 1911tuner knows and has BTDT many times.  Same with Swampy and Garands, and a lot of other extremely wise and knowledgeable individuals.  Honestly who would teach a woman to shoot without referencing Pax's stuff?

BTW, in a complete thread drift (please excuse), there's a new forum starting, rangereports.com.  It's brand new, so nothing's really posted yet, but it might turn out to be a neat place.  FYI in case you want to check it out.
RT

[Ex-MA Hole]

Thanks for all the replies.

I hadn't really thought it through past the initial thought, nor did I give it too much thought...sort of a light subject...

[RevDisk]

I mostly avoid THR these days.   I agree that a handful of loons have disperportionally influenced the tone of the forums.   There's only so much racist agriculturally enriching bovine excrement one can tolerate.   The multitudes of calls for genocide hit my nerves too.   I'm guessing none of the folks calling for genocide have seen a single mass grave, let alone dozens of 'em.   Maybe a couple hours locked in a concentration camp in Poland would make 'em realize the evil of their words.  I doubt it.


No, Werewolf.  The loonies ain't right, yet.   However...  There is that mild thing called "self-fulfilling prophecy", tho.   If enough loonies get together and are given an ounce of power, they always seek to bring their nightmare to reality.  Right wing loonies gave us Hitler.   Left wing loonies gave us Stalin and Mao.


Reality is indeed subjective.   If you believe in something strong enough, it becomes true.   At least, in your own mind.

[Mannlicher]

I don't see any more craziness on THR or TFL than has been apparent for some years now.  There does seem to be an increase in just plain goofy stuff, but as was mentioned, that might be do to the influx of kids out of school.

Hey, if you want to visit a site that will just make you grind your teeth and hollar, stop by http://www.perspectives.com/forums/  and take a whiff.
I pop in there from time to time to stir the pot, and to take potshots at some of the worst liberals.

Like Ronnie Reagan said:,"its not that our liberal frinds are stupid, its just that they know so much that isn't true"

[Guest]

People have been complaining about the same thing for years. Reminds me of old people trying to convince teenagers they were perfect children back then.

[Antibubba]

There's always going to be another "gunkid" among the numbers, but there's going to be another Preacherman or Art Eatman, too.  Or some kid who will filter out the garbage and advance to that stage eventually.  I still hang out at THR a lot, and I mostly get tired of the repetitive threads, but that comes with the territory.  With over 30K members there are going to be dissenting opinions, and yes crazies, but that's also part of what makes it good (and keeps it interesting.)  And it's still one of the best resources available.  If I have a shotgun question sm knows the answer, if I have a 1911 question, 1911tuner knows and has BTDT many times.  Same with Swampy and Garands, and a lot of other extremely wise and knowledgeable individuals.  Honestly who would teach a woman to shoot without referencing Pax's stuff?

And if you need a smart*ss sarcastic answer....

[Guest]

"It's nuts over there."

No it isn't.

Or maybe I've just been on too many boards for too many years and simply see what you call nuts as an opportunity to educate. Of course, sometimes it's necessary to first prod 'em into expounding on their unsupportable statements.

John