Tim Kaine blames Ohio State attack on gun violence - despite the attacker not using a gun. - Polidicks

[QUOTE=AlbertWesker;51463903]Then when the attacker turned out to be Muslim, a different poster said something like "we shouldn't generalize the entire population of Muslims based on the mistakes of a few extremists" (which is true), even though plenty of people have been doing just that against firearms enthusiasts whenever another actual shooting occurs.[/QUOTE] I don't often see people generalize all gun owners as mass shooters waiting to happen. I think most anti-gun people recognize that most gun owners are responsible, law-abiding, rational people, but argue that the small remainder are capable of causing damage that drastically exceeds the social utility of owning firearms. That's not generalizing the people, which is what the comments about Muslims being terrorists are about. The way the gun debate in the US is framed isn't anywhere close to identity politics.

[QUOTE=catbarf;51464084]I don't often see people generalize all gun owners as mass shooters waiting to happen. I think most anti-gun people recognize that most gun owners are responsible, law-abiding, rational people, but argue that the small remainder are capable of causing damage that drastically exceeds the social utility of owning firearms. That's not generalizing the people, which is what the comments about Muslims being terrorists are about. The way the gun debate in the US is framed isn't anywhere close to identity politics.[/QUOTE] This is practically my view but the gun debate in the States isn't something I like talking about. All I know is that I'm very lucky to live in a place where gun violence is exceptionally rare and I am very happy about our gun laws and how in general our police are unarmed.

Let the damn dust settle before you step up on the soap box, that is unless you want to look like an idiot when the whole story comes through.

[QUOTE=catbarf;51464084]I don't often see people generalize all gun owners as mass shooters waiting to happen. I think most anti-gun people recognize that most gun owners are responsible, law-abiding, rational people, but argue that the small remainder are capable of causing damage that drastically exceeds the social utility of owning firearms. That's not generalizing the people, which is what the comments about Muslims being terrorists are about. The way the gun debate in the US is framed isn't anywhere close to identity politics.[/QUOTE] That's not specifically what I was referring to. Pretty sure no one really claims that gun owners are all time bombs waiting to go off (except for a few exceptionally stupid politicians). I was talking about the irrational type of people who think the majority of gun owners fit some form of offensive stereotype. If you don't see the need for firearms or think they may be more harmful in general, that is ok. When I'm talking about the people who generalize gun owners with offensive labels I mean people who make baseless fearmongering assumptions like these examples: -That one guy who always responds to self defense articles or debates who always implies that people who defend themselves with firearms are trying to be Rambo. -The media portraying gun owners as uneducated or incompetent, bonus points if they are also a redneck. -Baseless claims implying that people who own firearms are going to be more violent or actively seek confrontation (which is fucking stupid) simply because they own one. Basically stuff like profiling and personal attacks on character based on the things people are allowed to own.