Often the majority of voters don't even show up and things pass.
Then it should be quite a bit easier for a committed minority to swing the outcome of elections. Right?
I don't view that guy who did those things as one of me. If you read my posts on this topic. I don't think much of the guy.
Too bad. The media is doing its best to join you and them at the hip. HE/THEY are today's poster child of gun nuts in Texas and Washington State. It is not right nor fair. But it is...until we fix it.
The real culprit is the state who infringes.
Nice platitude. You can either engage in effective action to correct that, or live with the infringements while complaining about "the state."
The state does not represent me or even the majority of people who reside there.
Then it should be reasonably within reach to mobilize enough voters to change some legislative seats.
I have no responsibility to speak out about the bad actions of others.
Yes you do. Every bit as much as you have to speak out against the tyranny of "the state". Those who will not counter bad actions or evil with at least words are tacitly condoning the bad actions. Whether committed by a few well meaning but misguided individuals, those with overtly evil intents, or "the state" claiming to act on behalf of others, matters not at all.
Muslims/Christians and others have no responsibility to speak out against bad members who don't represent the majority.
Most Christians disagree with you. I'm not sure what most Muslims believe because so few seem to speak out.
There is no responsibility to assuage the tyranny of bigots.
If one doesn't define himself, he cannot complain if others do not understand him. No one should lie about me or any groups to which I belong. But some will lie. I can correct and define myself, or I can live with letting others define me wrongly. Whatever should be, this is what is.
So do you judge people who are not the same ethnic background as yourself as all bad if a few of them do something wrong?
No need to inject race. If all I see from some group of which I am not a member is bad conduct, then it is tough not to let that become my image of the group. Whether that group is democrats, journalists, athletes at any level from high school on up, Hollywood types, atheists, inner city residents, environmentalists, etc.
If the image of these groups is not accurate, then members of those groups need to speak up and correct the image.
I have stated for years our own worst enemy is other gun owners. Especially those who are so willing to compromise away liberty in the fear of loosing them all, often after stupid acts of an individual.
Gun owners are often our worst enemies. But as bad as the letter to the editors that start "I own guns, but..." can be, the public conduct of a few morons swinging rifles around and loading them is many orders of magnitude worse.
And in 20 years, I've never given up any liberties on RKBA save possibly one concession that churches don't have to post a signs on their buildings in order to legally ban guns. In those same 20 years I've help craft many a "compromise" where I accepted less than everything I wanted, but got more than I had and gave up nothing.
If you want to compare actual legislative records, I'm game. Very few outside Utah can claim better success than I or my group can over the last 15 years.
If we are just throwing platitudes around, just say so. No need to waste my time.
Education is key, but education needs to even stronger upon those are quick to act out on their prejudices.
I can't force education on others except by taking seats away from politicians. It is a same that so many who claim to be one of us, refuse all efforts at education on how to be most successful politically. Image matters. Politicians don't wear suits because they love them. They don't refrain from yelling "F you" because they are inherently better people than others. They carry breath mints for a reason. Image matters when dealing with people which is all politics is.
I can't do much for the truly bigoted. I can help the honest and true avoid developing bigotries by accepting the responsibility to define my self rather than letting a hostile media use the worst example of gun owners they can find to define me.
I've said my peace. And I'm not trying to prove anything to anyone, just trying to offer some hard earned lessons up to those who might benefit. Last words are yours if you want them. If I can be of help, PM me.
Charles
