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We’ve always taken a largely hands-off approach to comments posted here at The Truth About Guns. Our readers and their participation with the site are some of its best features and the reason so many people frequent the site on a regular basis.

We only have a couple of no-go policies around here, namely no racist comments or threats of violence against anyone. All-out flame wars are boring and clog up the page, so we’ll douse those, too when they get too long.

We rarely find it necessary to delete posts (fewer than about ten a month) and haven’t actually banned a commenter in almost a year (and only then, after numerous warnings via email).

All of that said, I’ve noticed an increase in wildly off-topic comments under some posts lately. These were obvious attempts to hijack the discussion toward a subject totally un-related to that post or firearms-related topics of any kind.

Reminder: this is a gun blog. We accept, welcome and encourage comments and discussion of anything firearm-related. Aside from the aforementioned racist or violent content, it’s all fair game here.

At the same time, completely off-topic comments for or against childhood vaccinations, the danger of water fluoridation, whether the moon landing was a hoax or not or similar non-gun related content will be zapped. There are plenty of other forums on Al Gore’s greatest invention where that content will be welcome.

I’ve heard in the last couple of days that some commenters apparently believe that we “shadow ban” some readers. We don’t have that capability and wouldn’t use it if it we did. WordPress has an active filter that pends some comments for review if they contain some obvious (and some not so obvious) words or phrases. We get fewer than half a dozen of those a day and clear them as soon as we can.

Given the size of this blog and the comment volume (we’re getting close to 2 million total comments in the system) we can’t monitor all of the comments all the time. If you see something you think is worth our attention, please email us at [email protected]. We appreciate the help in ID’ing comments that are over the line.

These simple polices are in place to keep TTAG the open forum for discussion that it’s always been. And none of this has been altered since we changed ownership last year. Responsibility for all of those decisions lies completely with me.

If you have something to say about the site and how it’s being run, please don’t enter it in the comments. You can send them to me at [email protected]. We’re pretty busy here, but try to respond to all of those emails within 24 hours (usually much faster).

Again, TTAG’s engaged, knowledgeable readers are what distinguishes us from a lot of other sites. Thank you for reading and, if you so choose, for participating in the comments. We appreciate it more than you know.

 

P.S. The comment section for this post is now open to any and all discussion of this or any other aspect of TTAG. Have at it. 

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278 COMMENTS

    • Surprised to see no comments from Knute(ken) anywhere below. I figured he’d be the first one in line to say something about this.

        • Stick around, bro. Looks like a few of us here found your earlier point to have some validity to it, and I myself am keeping an eye out when the usual suspects post their comments now. Something’s fishy, to be sure. We just can’t do anything about it, so we soldier on as we voluntarily choose to be on this forum.

          Don’t disappear.

        • I will stick around to see how the drama comes out, but I have privately given Dan Z. my word that I willl never again repost or refer to the “post-that-wasn’t”, and I will keep that promise.
          So I’m glad to see others that also have questions, but I will not question them any more. In my mind, I already have my answer anyway, even though it isn’t pretty.

        • Yes, I saw your final comment earlier tonight on that original article/page that started it all. The article’s author chimed in with a short snark, then somebody else followed up, and you put your final two cents’ worth at the end.

          Keep an eye on those two usernames in question. Even Vlad (who referred to himself as the “real” one) mentioned today that someone has been hijacking his name recently as well. I think this Pg2 dude is just throwing wrenches into the works however he/she can at this point, probably for the simple personal pleasure of watching the angst.

          We’ll follow dem TTAG rules and just talk about guns from here on out, but if nothing else comes of this whole debacle, it looks like you at least made a few friends who don’t think you’re crazy. If it was just a troll being extra troll-y, then we got punked, and punked good. But if it’s more, then whoever’s behind it will eventually trip up again.

        • That is my thinking, as well. That if it WAS just a troll to start with, then it was a trollish master stroke, because it not only stirred the pot, it made it boil over, big time. And if something sinister is brewing at the heart of TTAG, it will come out eventually.
          In any case, I’ve always known there was little I could say, if any of this HAS been aided and abetted by the TTAG staff. All I wanted was for it not to simply vanish as if it never was, and it seems that that has been accomplished. I’m content now to just observe whatever follows.

      • There’s no point in having any contests. 6.5 Creedmore wins all contests. It is the lightest, most compact, lowest recoil, hardest hitting, best CQB, and longest range round ever elected dictator of the universe amen. All hail 6.5 Creedmoor!!!….. what?!?! It’s gun related!!

  2. “You can send them to me at [email protected] ”

    Might want to check that filter…

    • Might want to check the misogamy filter as well. PWRSERGE can single handedly offend 50% of the global population. If we want gun use and ownership to be inclusive, then TTAG should lay off the dog whistling and censor the dogs.

      • Yeah… how dare I call out the most privileged humans in world history when they whine about things they are not qualified to speak on. Feminazis are objectively the worst type of Nazis.

        • I’ve been thinking about a threesome with Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton…
          …sorry, I figured I’d go off topic with the most revolting statement ever.

        • Horseshit.

          Every time somebody slaps the word “nazi” onto people today they display their ignorance of how massively evil actual NAZI’s were.

        • “Every time somebody slaps the word “nazi” onto people today they display their ignorance of how massively evil actual NAZI’s were.”

          Add ‘racist’ to that list. The *constant* harping on by Leftists about accusations of being a racist diminishes how vile actual racists are…

      • I had no idea PWRSERGE hated marriage. There’s a lot more misogamy in the world than I thought!

        • In all fairness, I do occasionally go off on economically and politically illiterate libertardians. But those occasions are few and far between. It is adorable that Little Miss Bullpup thinks that the above list accounts for “50% of the world’s population”… If I’m offending Marxists, I’m doing exactly what I’m supposed to be doing.

      • You ain’t been around very long if you think PWRSERGE only offends 50% of all people… personally I find it refreshing.

    • I agree. Sometimes I wonder if inappropriate remarks are being made by controllers for the purpose of making PotG look bad. We all ought to try to keep our boots polished and our neckties properly knotted if we hope to make a positive impression on voters.

      • “neckties properly knotted”

        Full Windsor, or nothing. Half Windors always look unfinished an lopsided. Anything else is too frilly and feminine.

        • “Half Windors always look unfinished an lopsided.”

          Always liked the “military wrap”.

        • Too right!

          Those asymmetrical knots just look to me like people never learned to tie a tie.

        • I beg to differ. You’re misconstruing a Half Windsor with a Four in Hand. Half Windsors are a symmetrical knot without using as much tie material as a Full Windsor.

          I’m 6’3″ with a 17″ neck, and I like symmetrical knots. To get the end of the tie to reach the belt line with a F/W I wouldn’t have enough material, and I buy extra length ties to start with. A H/W also produces a smaller knot, so you don’t look like you fell out of the 1970’s.

          https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Full+windsor+vs+half+windsor+vs+four+in+hand&t=ffsb&ia=web

      • I’d add proof-read. Sometimes words are left out….and worse. (No, I wasn’t an English major.)

      • Or something more sinister…. The deleted post that started this was very specific. But, like in New Zealand, you aren’t allowed to see it. Its not here. This is its party, but it isn’t invited. I wonder why?

        • A noose with which to hang oneself. Why give the enemy a free handhold? Clip-ons are better!

      • “Just words.”

        Sticks and stones (and guns) may break my bones, but (gun) words are like really confusing.

          • “Especially when [gun] words are dished out by [lawyers and] politicians.”

            Indeed, fellow gunner.

  5. Sounds reasonable to me. By the way, I stopped reading “Bearing Arms” as they only allow comments with a Facebook log in. Why would a gun blog force one to have a FB account to comment? I don’t have and never will have a FB account due to FB’s far left policies including banning gun related topics. Just a comment on how another gun blog blew it with me.

    • Same here, I dumped my Fakebook account years ago when the “adjenda” became clear.
      Whenever I receive an email directing me to an article relating to firearms, and the comments section requires Fakebook, I unsubscribe.

      • James you said, “I dumped my Fakebook account”.
        It has been my experience that you cannot totally get rid of a fakebook account. I had one for a week and tried to delete it but all it did was place me as “inactive” and would not allow a total delete. If a total delete can be done, I wish someone would tell me how.

        • You can delete them. They place it on inactive for a certain period like a month after you remove it, then it’s gone.

          • Thanks B.D. I just tried to sign in and was told my account could not be found. Thank you very much.

        • No problem. But who knows how long they actually retain things from your previous account. All the information and information from ANYTHING you do online eventually gets shared. All of it. Stay safe out there. Look into TOR, and get a VPN.

    • Same here. Facebook keeps you and your comments forever. Now they can “own” your face (pictures) forever, when you sign that “terms and conditions” box.

      • Ditto . No Facebook. My grandmother is on every day while I don’t even know what it Looks Like.

  6. That’s nice and all.
    But I still don’t get notifications when a comment of mine is responded to.
    I have, several times, emailed directly about this, and I get “We’re working on it” as a standard response. I point out that other blogs don’t have this problem, so it really can’t be that hard to figure out why this happens.
    But so far, after a couple of years, no fix.
    Why is that? What steps were taken? If I am the only one this is happening to (which I seriously doubt, since a few others have commented that this happens to them too), what is so special about me that trips up the response part of the software?
    I’ve had a comment or two somehow fail to show up, and when I re-word the comment a little, it then shows up. Once, I even got a notice that my comment was being held up for review. I don’t know what I wrote that was a red flag, but I’m able to use different words to say the same thing, so no big deal to me. (My ox is fine, thank you.)
    But this problem of not getting the notification of a reply to my comment is really getting old.

    • We are working on it. WordPress’s comment system is bad…except compared to all the other systems out there.

      Each one has trade-offs. Some require a social media account. We’ve transitioned to other systems in the past and readers revolted.

      When we find one that actually works better, we’ll switch.

      • Maybe I don’t understand “notification” of comment response. I get responses to almost everything; looks like any other comment on the blog, but lands in my email account. Is there supposed to be some sort of direct notice that someone responded, then I go look for it?

      • Instapundit and PJMedia have been using Disqus for awhile now. Dispite an initial poor reaction, it seems to be working fairly well. I’ve also noticed Ammoland and Luckygunner are using it as-well.

        Main draw back is that, especially as threads get long, comments can be slow to load.

        • Ammoland switched to a new system a few days back. You have to register now, but only give a username and an email address, the same as TTAG. But you must resister to lock your chosen username to your email, so that this ‘anybody can be vlad… or Pg2…, or whomever they want to pretend to be’, problem won’t exist.
          And now comments on ammoland show up in real time, instead of days late, if they ever showed up at all.

      • Anything that requires account creation would be a no-go for me. I have too many online accounts as it is and I only make new ones under extreme duress.

        As a direct result I only visit TFB and the other Disqus sites a few times a week, but I lurk on TTAG basically all the time.

        For whatever it may matter to the TTAG decision makers. 🙂

        • Same here. I don’t comment as often as I used to, but I’m ALWAYS on TTAG, and a big part of that is the fact that the comment section is always open to me at any time.

        • Same here as well.
          Rarely comment but I am here every day.
          I am not on any social media sites with the exception of Instagram and that’s only because my Grandkids are out of state and its how my kids and grandkids share pics.
          I will never use Discus as anything you post will follow you where ever you go.
          I’m in WA state and wouldn’t be surprised to see the state start checking social media before renewing my Concealed Pistol Permit.
          No sense in making it easy for them

      • Respectfully, the particular setup this site uses is the worst I’ve seen. I use WordPress at work and it does not have this interface, which is awful. I understand that you guys are probably heavily invested in this arrangement, but it’s really the worst I’ve ever used. Disqus is better.

      • I didn’t know media was sociable or could be social. Is that some kind of STD or what? Guns are fun!!

      • I started getting email responses to responses to other people’s comments to uncertain other people’s comments. It got so annoying I had to unsubscribe and block most of TTAG’s email responses.

    • @Big Bill,

      I never get notifications either. But as Dan says above, “they’re working on it”. 🙂

      • don’t you have to check the box to get notifications? I never get email notifications, but I also never check the box to receive them.

        • Checking the box hasn’t done anything in the many years I’ve been commenting on this board.

        • Started out checking the box, but still never got any notifications, though I could see upon refresh of the comments page that people were replying.

          I just eventually figured the feature didn’t work. I’ll check the box now for this comment.

        • Or you could just not give your real email.

          It’s not against the rules or anything. TTAG understands the value in online anonymity. As long as you don’t change your name and troll spam people, you should not have to give your actual email if you don’t want to. Clearly, that seems to be a problem due to recent trolling, but its a trade off and the only thing that keeps me coming back here. If an email activation was required for each comment, or account, a lot of people would avoid these places.

        • You don’t have to. I just type in some bullshit each time. I stick to the same name for awhile until I get tired of it.

    • You don’t need to be notified of responses if every thing you have to say is the final word on any subject.

      • Makes sense to me! If you’re correct then there is little if any room for argument.
        As for me and TTAG, I look forward to TTAG every day and I appreciate the people doing the work necessary to bring it online daily. As for cussing, I am no prude, but I have never understood what cussing adds to any comment/argument. There are many ways to express: disagreement, frustration, disgust to name a few without the added expletives. Cussing really serves no needed purpose. Racist/racism is becoming a tired old word that is used by many when all else has failed. Often I find those accusing others of being racist have serious problems in that arena and attempt to cast it onto others. Stick to discussing/arguing issues without the extra foolishness.

      • “You don’t need to be notified of responses if every thing you have to say is the final word on any subject.”

        Unfair ! That doesn’t work for me.

  7. “We only have a couple of no-go policies around here, namely no racist comments or threats of violence against anyone.”

    So we can’t make disparaging statements about race, but bigoted slurs about gender, faith, height, handicap, culture, etc. are OK? Got it.

    • No, we delete those, too. Didn’t think it was necessary to list all of the protected groups and categories.

    • We’re all adults and *should* be treating each other with respect, but once the door is opened to deleting comments due to subjective reasons, which are decisions based solely upon the opinion of an editor/censor, we slide toward a Facebook/YouTube style policy. I fully understand and appreciate that TTAG is a privately owned site and may do as it pleases, but the Internet was an open forum of free expression once-upon-a-time. More and more sites are engaging in the practice of inviting visitors to participate, then policing their words.

      So by whose opinion at TTAG is something considered “racist”? What about terms that nobody cared about ten years ago, but today are politically taboo? Or a term that means nothing today but will be verboten next year? A certain term spoken aloud in a room with 100 people may not bother 99, but if the last person says he/she doesn’t like it, will the entire group be banned from saying it ever again and having their free expression stifled over that one person?

      Slippery slope. The world we live in nowadays.

      • My experience is that those who ask these questions are not interested in the answer or are only interested in pushing the envelope or muddying the waters. Post what you want. If its removed, so what. Move on.

        If your comments are disappearing, call it out. Maybe others are having the same experience.

        Ive been here long enough to notice that the comment system is highly unmoderrated. Ill continue to come here if it stays that way.

        • We are Jethro Bodine Vlad Tepes. Censoring speech by disappearing comments is a weak tactic. We will censor speech by banning comments from anyone we disagree with and we will send the military to your house to take your keyboard. We want everyone to be equal, equally miserable, except for us. We will be more equal because we will wear our big girl panties. Now do you understand why we have to take all the guns? #WeAreMoreEqualThanYou #StylingVladInHisBGPs #MommyHate

        • Um, Jon, if I wasn’t interested in the answer, I wouldn’t have taken the time to write the question. If I don’t get an answer, then so be it and we all move on. But it’s a question nonetheless.

          I was a regular reader and participant of another related site for eight years before its own editors suddenly increased their scrutiny and censoring a few months ago (probably hired a new moderator). I found some of my comments literally re-written between my submission and their eventual posting. The moderator had been editing small portions to change what I had written…a word deleted here, an entire sentence re-written there. I’ve never even used any vulgar or threatening language in any post in my lifetime. It was shocking enough that I contacted the admin for an explanation, and was given the standard response of “it’s our site and we can moderate content if we feel we should”. And there’s the punchline…if they “feel” they should. No explanation of what the new acceptable parameters were. Eight years of loyalty and readership down the drain, and I haven’t participated at that site ever since.

      • We should, indeed, all be respectful towards each other opinions. But the removed post that started this whole storm was off-topic, but contained some very specific charges against someone at TTAG with admin level access. I’ve yet to see those charges even mentioned, let alone addressed.
        My inquiring mind wants to know “WHY?”

        • Probably just to stir the pot up. Maybe the person at the heart of it all was simply bored and decided to screw with us. Mission accomplished.

          Yet we still have Pg2 and Vlad. The former is posting only rarely now, and the latter is flip-flopping between long coherent arguments and short infantile rants. Either two separate people using the same name, or a single person being stupid and screwing around. If it’s a troll, the get out the troll spray. If it’s TTAG staff, then there’s nothing we can do other than remain vigilant.

  8. When the Jethro’s here acknowledge that equality is the basis of our society and our culture, we will not need such commentary to remind us.

    • “When the Jethro’s here acknowledge that equality is the basis of our society and our culture, we will not need such commentary to remind us.”

      Not to worry. I am an equal opportunity insulter, and treat everyone as if they are a Texas Aggie.

      • We are dumb-as-a-rock Vlad Tepes. Your puny insults do not affect us, we can not tell the difference between an insult and a compliment. No one who disagrees with us needs free speech and we have the socks and the bike locks to prove it! Do you understand how inconvenient it is for us, when you are armed? Now we have to put our big girl panties on our head and go fishing in the cement pond with Jethro Bodine Vlad Tepes. #DumbAsARock #Don’tTellMommyIDroppedMyBGPsInTheCementPond #WeHateScaryMommy

      • Query:
        How can you tell when an Aggie has been using the computer…by the Wite-Out on the screen.

        (courtesy of my niece who graduated from Texas A&M several decades ago).

        • “How can you tell when an Aggie has been using the computer…”

          If any gun is wondering where all the Blonde and Polish jokes went, they became Aggie jokes.

        • To Sam I Am.

          That’s because Aggies are not a protected class…they may be impugned with no negative consequences for the impugner….sic balatro.

          • “That’s because Aggies are not a protected class…they may be impugned with no negative consequences for the impugner….”

            Precisely. Pounding on Aggies keeps the universe in balance.

        • I once told a particularly cruel aggie joke at a party and one of the people, who was, in fact an aggie, became so offended that he pulled a razor on me … lucky for me, there was nowhere to plug it in.

          • …he pulled a razor on me … lucky for me, there was nowhere to plug it in.”

            Oh, that’s great. Have not heard that one before.

            Thanx

        • “…he pulled a razor on me … lucky for me, there was nowhere to plug it in“ .
          ROFL lmao.
          Now where are my nitroglycerin tabs, oh sh!t! I took a Viagra last night.

        • “My worst fear is that someday I’ll get what I deserve.”

          Roger that. My daddy always told me that if I didn’t think I was being paid what I was worth, be grateful.

          Guns

      • Under the law for most anyway. I doubt it is possible and suspect that it is not even a good idea to try to level the opportunity field. Clearly all are born with a multitude different advantages and disadvantages. Simply preventing the government from rigging the game for some would be good enough.

        • “Clearly all are born with a multitude different advantages and disadvantages.”

          This is why we can’t have nice things; people who think like this, and are interested in guns.

        • Sam, do you think is is wrong to assume that some people are more capable than others and have a much better chance at succeeding at most things than others? For instance do you think someone born with severe microcephaly to a poor drug addicted single mother has the same opportunities as a healthy, physically attractive Kennedy?

          • I think there is no uniformity in life, and it is not government’s place to try to make it so. Fair is how you treat others, and should be accepted as a one-way street.

            I am left-handed, and am more skilled with my left hand than those born left-handed. There is no cosmic mandate that we be forcibly trained to be equally adept with either hand.

            The rich are very different from you and me; they have more money. Where is the cosmic justice requiring all people be equally rich, or equally poor?

            If we are all the same, and mandated to have the same life outcomes, a bunch of you are redundant and wasteful of scarce earth resources.

            Life for humans is about choices, wherever people are situated. No one is without choice, maybe only “bad” choices, but choices nonetheless. Help those willing to be helped so they can access better choices, leave the rest to their choice to be unwilling.

            And my prior comment about advantages and disadvantages was just for fun.

      • “What is your defiinition of “Jethro”?”

        Anyone who isn’t a goose-stepping Marxist-Communist-Socialist “Democratic Socialist”…

    • Equality of opportunity may be a basis for our culture, but equality of outcome is pure communism and needs to be eradicated.

  9. I find myself wading through flame wars that grow increasingly tedious. So much so that I’m disinclined to read comments that would be worthwhile because I have to skim through so much BS that’s not worthwhile.

    I wonder if there might be a filter that I, as a reader, could apply. E.g., suppose I don’t care to read any more of TomX, DickY or MaryZ’s comments. If I could list their handles then these would be filtered-out. Not at the editor’s discretion; at MY personal discretion.

    I hasten to add that my imagined feature might seem purely selfish. Nevertheless, there is community value in such a feature. A poster should be able to see how many readers have elected to filter-him-out. If TomX finally gets the message that he isn’t being read anymore then that might inspire him to go away and not bother everyone else.

    Probably not easy to implement such a feature as I envision it. Yet, another approach might be to simply allow me (and everyone else) to designate TomX, DickY and MaryZ as not being worth reading. Then, adjacent to every poster’s handle, print the number of other readers who have registered their disinterest in his comments. (Could do the opposite as well. If a poster’s comments have found favor with lots of readers then attention could be drawn to such a poster’s comments.)

    Let’s face it. In a popular and controversial forum such as TTAG, the space will be filled with vastly more junk than quality comments. Weeds, not fruit. If the owners of the site don’t do something to manage this problem then it’s apt to lose readership.

    I don’t think a gun blog ought to censor; that’s a tactic of controllers. Even so, we should try to find some means of elevating the worthwhile content and enabling thoughtful readers to skip the junk.

    • “I wonder if there might be a filter that I, as a reader, could apply.”

      After awhile, it kinda becomes obvious which screen names (like mine) should just be deleted without further ado.

    • “I don’t think a gun blog ought to censor; that’s a tactic of controllers.”

      Agreed. I like your suggestion of a user controls instead of back end editor controls. I believe it may require an updated platform, however, that involves registration/login of your username.

    • “I wonder if there might be a filter that I, as a reader, could apply. E.g., suppose I don’t care to read any more of TomX, DickY or MaryZ’s comments.”

      Usenet readers like ‘rn’ had what they called a ‘twit filter’ that could be tweaked so that you never saw posts by whatever name was in that filter. But if memory serves, it only worked on raw text. ‘Blogs’ in HTML is a different critter…

    • Mark,

      Years ago a site I used to frequent was using DISCUS and they allowed “Upvotes” and “Downvotes”. The claim was that “Downvotes” were eliminated because they were “hurtful”.

      The site sold and was, subsequently, administered by a handful of different Moderators (consistently left of political center) who were quick to impose their “interpretation” on comments (the Moderation followed pretty distinct political lines – Lefty’s got a free ride and Righty’s received warnings and banning on a frequent basis. I received a 30-day ban for saying that Hillary should have been prosecuted under 18 USC, Section 798. The opposing viewpoints were using vulgarity, body-part descriptive language and overt threats in their rants towards President Trump…no bans or condemnation).

      It’s my understanding that DISCUS only provides the commenting service. The individual sites set up their permissive limits, rules of use / conduct, etc.

      TTAG is nowhere near perfect…that said, it is way better than many comment-enabled sites.

  10. I am greatly disturbed by the terrible lies and blatant distortions of historical fact presented here today.

    The Moon Landing was not Fluoridated, that’s a lie.

    However, tiny amounts of fluoride are used in gun bluing. Not intentionally, it’s a chemical by-product. However, as these days everything is Cerakoted or anodized or Nitrided, the use of Fluoridation in gun making is now merely an historical footnote.

    Vaccinations have been keeping children’s firearms instructors healthy for generations. Otherwise, who’d a taught them kids to shoot if the grown-ups was sick all the time? Sweating from fever and hands shaking too much to maintain a decent sight picture?

    Al Gore on the other hand, did not invent the internet and never said he did. He was a principal sponsor of the funding bills for the people who did invent the internet, which is all he ever claimed. He was boring (is boring still) as a rotted stump, but the “invented the internet” claim is from his political opponents, not Al Gore.

    On the other hand, Al Gore is responsible for forcing NASA to take Fluoride out of rocket fuel. Not on purpose really, he wanted that money for the guys who would invent the internet. Just an unintended consequence, not a great and evil plan.

    Which had a happy ending after all as, denied funding for Fluoride based rockets, NASA put their efforts into kerosene and liquid oxygen instead. Which was much cheaper and which worked way better than trying to burn toothpaste and gunpowder ever did.

    And that is how Al Gore helped America beat the Toothpaste & Smokeless Powder Lobby to the Moon.

    We’d still be on the Moon too, were it not for Chickenpox from an un-vaccinated astronaut infecting the Dark Side of the Moon Monkeys which drove them to violence and naturally the Apollo 18 crew had no guns along to fight them off with and they all perished but NASA covered that one up so you didn’t hear it here . . . . .

    • “…happy ending…”
      Now that is a sentiment I can agree with, the rest not so much, but I’ll fight for your right to say it.
      Long Live the Republic!

    • “Vaccinations have been keeping children’s firearms instructors healthy for generations…”

      *snicker* 😉

    • Hysterical !

      Thanx for the chuckles.

      Oh yeah…when it comes to folly, I can hear the future asking, “You mixed oxygen and hydrogen and set it afire? What were you thinking?”

      • “You mixed oxygen and hydrogen and set it afire? What were you thinking?”

        They were (rightly) thinking it was a good way to get into Earth’s orbit.

        Chemical reaction-wise, for a rocket propellant, one part hydrogen and two parts oxygen makes a dandy highly efficient rocket fuel.

        The one pesky detail that keeps all rockets from using that as a fuel is the size of the tanks needed to store that fuel are so huge and massive it kills the advantage of using an efficient fuel like hydro-lox.

        (The real question is, were the rocket engineers that designed that rocket fully protected against terrible communicable diseases that could prevent them from safely designing, building, and flying those rockets? 😉 )

        • Many people are unawares I know but the rubber thingies (latex to be precise) used to protect gun barrels from dirt and weather fouling also serve a secondary application as a barrier to anti-social communicable diseases between human persons of either opposite or alike genders.

          But that has nothing to do with guns, so I hesitate to venture into greater detail.

          • “But that has nothing to do with guns,….”

            “This is my rifle, this is my gun.”

    • “On the other hand, Al Gore is responsible for forcing NASA to take Fluoride out of rocket fuel.”

      Now that was genuinely funny, but at one time, Florine was seriously being considered as one-half of a rocket bi-propellant.

      ‘F’ is so brutally reactive it makes a dandy rocket fuel, but it proved to be so reactive it was too unstable for use in man-rated rockets. Oh, and it’s brutally toxic.

      Florine wasn’t the only ‘nasty’ being considered.

      Mercury, the dense, silvery liquid was being considered as well. Its extreme density as a liquid meant it would take vastly smaller tanks on the rocket, meaning more mass into orbit. Engineers sport wood over more mass into orbit.

      Finally, someone realized tons of clouds of mercury sprayed all over Florida just might be a pollution hazard the public might make a stink over.

      Hunt up a book called ‘Ignition!’ with Google, several copies are floating around on the ‘net. Its subject is the early development of rocket fuels. It’s a hilarious and sarcastic read about developing the fuels of early rockets…

    • For the record, the internet was principally invented by Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn. The WWW was created by Tim Berners Lee. Most people think they’re the same thing. They’re not.

      Sorry to go full pedantic.

      • In the first web browser I used one would type a number to follow the associated link.

    • German beer with all stringent quality controls and using all natural ingredients has just enough fluoride to naturally prevent tooth decay. It is well established in the medical community that fighter pilot candidates were screened for tooth decay and instances of it would get a pilot grounded. It is known that only the best active pilots were considered for the moon missions. Thus, it is established that fighter pilots who did not consume a requisite quantity of beer were disallowed from flying to the moon.

      • More people died as a result of Prohibition than from Tommy Guns, SBRs, Silencers and all other NFAs combined.

      • a super horny gal begged me to supplement with that. damn thing got stuck in my throat.
        i had a stiff neck for a week.

    • “Anything white people say that draws uncomfortable attention to particular racially-oriented truths”

      • “Anything white people say that draws uncomfortable attention to particular racially-oriented truths”

        “Anything white people say that draws uncomfortable attention to particular racially-oriented truths” (there, fixed it for ya’)

        • It depends if you’re to the right or left of Bernie and Elizabeth. If you got the
          “progressive vaccine” you can say darn near anything. You’re immune, the media can’t/won’t harm you.

          • If a white person says something in a forest, and there is no one around to hear it, is she/he/it still wrong?

        • “If a white person says something in a forest, and there is no one around to hear it, is she/he/it still wrong?”
          Not necessarily, just “racist”.

        • “If a white person says something in a forest, and there is no one around to hear it, is she/he/it still wrong?”
          That depends on how many Bears are around! He/she/it might be right or gone…………

    • The term “racist” is wildly abused and frequently wrongly applied. Because of this it can be difficult to come up with a definition that everyone will accept. More likely, impossible.

      Sticking to science there are only three or four Human Races, as defined by minor anatomical differences. Possibly as many as 30 sub-divisions within those. None of these differences address opinions or perceptions of worthiness, intellect, or a long list of cultural factors. When that sort of thing is assigned to a particular race in either a positive or negative way, it is a racist statement.

      Such as “all people of the xyz race are stupid”, that would be racist, wrong, ill mannered, low down and high smell’n.

      Insulting someone over religious, ethnic, political or cultural differences is not racist. It can be rude, ignorant, bullying and other bad things to do so, but by itself it is not racist.

      Not unless those insults, bullying or other bad things are only being made against people of one particular race.

      None of which has anything to do with firearms, so please do not ask.

      • Never understood the concept of the division of people by the term “race”. We all have differing levels of melanin in our skin, but so what?…underneath we all bleed red. And the employment of a gun for self defense benefits anyone.

        • People are inherently tribal. Not entirely, but generally.
          Personally I do not choose to live in a “white neighborhood” as much as I refuse to live in the minority areas.

          Does that make me a racist? Many would say so and I would respond with a heart-felt and sincere “I don’t care.”

      • “The term “racist” is wildly abused and frequently wrongly applied.”
        Actually the term RACIST is always wrongly applied.. There is only one RACE. The human race is the embodiment of all homo sapiens and from there has evolved into a number of ETHNIC groups mostly dependent on geographical location and climate.. Asian, African, Hispanic, Caucasian are ETHNICITIES not RACES, but I guess It was just easier for the lazy asshole that came up with the term racist than to try to make ethnicist into a real word that sounds as bad as racist..

    • “Define “racist” for me please”

      Sure!

      A ‘racist’ is anyone that isn’t fully on-board with your particular brand of Leftist-Marxist political beliefs… 🙂

      • BUZZZZZZZTTTT!!!!!!

        Sorry but that’s a wrong answer!

        Racism knows no political affiliation. Every and any faction is fully capable of behaving like a bunch of asswipes. There are racists who adore Trump and Bernie and Hannity and Maddow and Dead Kennedys and live Cruz’s and all sorts on all sides.

        Also, barring minor numbers at the edges of society, Lefties in the USA are not Marxists, they are Liberals. If they were Marxists, they would favor not only the private ownership of firearms but also of artillery.

        Which is just about the only thing worth agreeing with a Marxist about.

        • Until they wrested control of the people away from the existing government.

          Then they would kill all the people who had borne arms against the government.

          Cant have people deciding for themselves on which govermemnt is best.

          Pretty sure that’s in the Marxist handbook. Socialism is a also a pre-Marxist government.

      • “A ‘racist’ is anyone that isn’t fully on-board with your particular brand of Leftist-Marxist political beliefs…”
        Unless they happen to not belong to your ethnic, socioeconomic or other minority’s group, in which case they are racist by definition regardless of beliefs or anything else.

        • Wow! Never got the Captcha before. Did you know Google developed it to help program the self driving car. So that it could identify different vehicles and road hazards?

  13. What about that guy that rants about “goggle” (google) anytime someone mentions it? We get it, you dont like google

    • I got away with verbing it the other day, saying Googlin’. They must use bing to scrape for comments to pounce on.

  14. Farago ghosted me because I mocked him for being a New England dandy who didn’t touch a gun until the tender age of 45.

  15. “….off-topic comments for or against childhood vaccinations…..will be zapped”

    Thank Christ!

    • Yeah, I have to admit I’m tickled pink with this new TTAG policy… 😉

        • Don’t worry…Both Pg2 and Vlad are still flip-flopping back and forth between two writing styles throughout their comments. I’m sure there are plenty of people now commenting under those two names.

    • The important thing is, were the workers in the Chinese sweat-shop where those Macs were assembled fully up-to-date on their necessary childhood v.a.c.c.i.n.a.t.i.o.n.s? 🙂

      • How many pancakes does it take to shingle a dog house? None because there are no bones in ice cream. That one is older than most of the commenters on this site.

    • I haz an answer. Upon occasion Uncle Brayden will get to feeling frisky and GUN the engine of his cream-colored Camaro, making all all right in the TTAG world.

    • The health benefits of jell-o shots?

      It’s kinda fun to serve them when flaming…

      • Actually….weren’t we about to discuss the Big Bang Set, the Cabot .45s made out of a meteorite that hurtled to earth in Gibeon, Namibia during earth’s pre-historic times?
        Just think what could be on the moon and make guns out of!

      • “You mean shooting at moon rocks don’t you?”

        Nasa did that a few years back trying to find water on the moon.

        “Now that’d be a gun topic.”

        Is slamming a spacecraft into the moon’s surface considered ‘shooting’ the moon?

        • Well, if they used a 6,500mm Creedmore firing a 143,000 grain Hornady out of a 16,000 inch barrel then hell yes, that’d be shooting the Moon.

          I mean, as a gun topic, as opposed to a rocketry topic.

  20. I comment here because it is open…..no discus, Facebook, or other BS.

    If we start having to “sign in with…”, I will be gone.

    I just wish there was more stuff actually about “guns”, not just “related to guns”.

    • Yeah, I have to admit I’m here for the same reason, too. Never had any social media, and never will. If TTAG goes that way and starts to require sign-on with any secondary sources, I’ll be gone as well.

      Having to deal with the likes of Vlad, Pg2, possum, William (spammer), etc. – plus the spotty moderation and censoring – is just the price to pay for something that’s “free”. It’d be nice to not have to deal with them, but then again, nobody’s forcing any of us to participate in the comments. We have the freedom to simply read the articles and move on without scrolling down to the comments.

      • Love Possum. If you get past his (intentional) spellings, he’s a pretty smart marsupial.

        • Possum is alright in my book.

          But I’m just saying that so he won’t use his neutron bomb on me he’s building in his burrow…

      • Yeah. But I enjoy possum’s interjections.

        Vlad Tapeworm is easy enough to ignore.

        Of course, every once in while, it seems “I’m that guy” that pisses people.

        Most seem to get over it, or I assume they do.

    • The commenters seem to be a diverse crowd (beliefs, backgrounds, geo location, etc) and if you’ve been following for awhile, you kinda know which comments to take the time to read and which to just ignore.

      • Even people I disagree with a lot on here, I will read their comments. Some people are more knowledgeable on things than I am. I am willing to accept that. Regardless if I think they are retarded for carrying condition 3 😉

  24. Good. I’m glad this was answered. Only because the leftist threat against the 1A is real and just as present as the threat against the 2A.

    Now I do still have some questions about professional trolling, however. Not on the part of the TTAG admin, but from outside groups. I assume that the TTAG admin has access to a certain amount of data from its commenters, so I’m wondering just how much of the clear trolls here are either foreign or professional domestic ones. There likely isn’t much that could be done to stop them without radically changing the system, but I think TTAG should share some of the information about the clear professional trolls. I’m not saying they should put out peoples locations and names, not at all. I am saying they should share the number amount of accounts that come from Moscow, or Beijing, or certain hubs in the US.

    Alright, so let’s say we have a certain article that generates a ton of shitposting and political trolls. TTAG could look at the data and say, “in that particular article, we had XX new commenters from Russia all the sudden”. I think in this day and age that’s important stuff for all of us to know. Because information warfare is being practiced on us all by foreign powers and domestic political opponents. And knowing is half the battle…

    • “Now I do still have some questions about professional trolling, however.”

      They need to stay.

      Consider engaging them as good practice to hone your debating skills when conversing with folks in your daily life ambivalent about supporting gun rights…

      • I’d have to agree with that. Especially with the exponentially stupid political beliefs out there now.

        • “Especially with the exponentially stupid political beliefs out there now.”

          Uuuuhhhh, that would be anyone but me.

        • “Yeah?… …well you’re a big poopy head gun owner! (fify)
          How’s them debatin’ skills?”

          C’mon guys. We already been told to keep the conversation centered on guns. We’re gonna ruin a good thing.

    • “Now I do still have some questions about professional trolling”
      Wait, you mean some people actually get paid for this sh!t?

  25. Ehhh…there’s relative freedom on TTAG. HOWEVER I as a longtime commenter am a bit dismayed by the pro-happy,colored folks(my honey is one!) and leftwing as gun owner’s. Especially when I know they’re going to vote “D”. I don’t care if they get a gat. Period. Fight your own leftard battles. Whatever…

  26. I REALLY love “free speech” websites. It’s a shame there are very few around.

    TTAG is not too bad, though, considering…..although most people seem to forget that the 1st Amendment was designed specifically to allow so-called “hate” speech. If everyone one did only sweet, loving speech that always agreed with everyone, we wouldn’t need the 1st Amendment, would we?

  27. The first men on the moon got there in a bullet fired out of cannon. They even documented it on film back in 1902. That gun related isn’t it?

    • @ HoundDogDave: I saw that movie too. They got a whole bevy of chorus girls in short shorts to help load the gun. Hmm…

  28. Doggone it. Now I’m gonna have to buy a new irony meter. This spam just overloaded my old one.

    • ” Best. Comment. Section.”

      EVER!!!”This one will keep me entertained for hours.”

      Guess that doesn’t say much about us, does it?

      • I think better here than somewhere on facebook (If you have social media). But this comment section on this article is similar to a youtube comment section on a Bill Burr stand up video. Classic. Just sat down to eat, so here I go… gonna take it all in.

  30. I’ve always found comment policies to be tricky, odd and amusing.

    For example, “racist comments”. Ignore the technical details of determining what is and is not a racist comment for a moment and assume we have a comment that everyone can agree is overtly and intentionally racist.

    Why delete it? Maybe it’s just me, but I see no point in deleting it because then no one sees it. I’d prefer that people DO see it because it is then obvious that the poster is a racist moron (handle hijacks notwithstanding).

    How do we know someone is someone that we don’t want to deal with? They tell us. So other than posts that are actually illegal let those dumb comments in and let the rest of the crowd roast the post.

    The filter should be between your ears. If you don’t like what that dumbass strych9 guy says then ignore his comments, or tell him that you disagree and why.

    The answer to speech you don’t like is more speech, not a banhammer.

    As for off topic… eh, I get it but again that’s subjective. Conversations wander enormously, which is what is so cool about them if the people speaking are halfway intelligent. Yeah, some things are WILDLY off topic.

    However, and it’s rare I mention another poster here when they are no present… and I’ll probably get flamed for saying this, someone like pg2 does have a point.

    Personally I don’t agree with his/her position on vaccines and that’s a whole post in and of itself. However, I do see the point he/she was making in terms of the boundaries we put up around freedom. In some regards the way we define “freedom” is like the way we define “life”. It’s hard! Really hard! There are loads of exceptions and while we all kind of know life when we see it coming up with a clinical definition that always applies is actually pretty damn difficult. To the point that no one really has. Finding that “bright line” between not alive and alive is challenging.

    In that way pg2 does us a service. He forces us to examine where we put that “bright line” around freedom in terms of what is and what is not acceptable behavior when we’re trying to balance people’s rights within a society. Yes, he/she picks an odd topic to do so and IMHO, argues on that topic in an obnoxious way, but he/she does ask us to think.

    Personally I’ll take a bunch of pg2 types over a bunch of echo chamber assholes who just want to scream “shall not be infringed!” as if that’s some workable argument in the public arena or a method for honing argument skills to use against the antis. At least the former asks forces you to ask and answer questions. The latter just virtue signal.

    Getting up thumbs and likes in some sort of “we all agree” circle jerk is easy. Having an actual discussion that advances the cause of freedom, or at least holds the line, is much harder. Thinking must be done and feelz might get hurt.

    • “…assholes who just want to scream “shall not be infringed!” ”

      (gun) As I noted before (gun) words are confusing, and hard to work with. “Shall not be infringed” is funner, and more direct; shows I have contempt for anyone who disagrees.

      (gun)

      Oh yeah, and “From my cold dead hand”, and “Not one inch more”.

      The world would be a better place if there were more echo chambers.

      (gun)

    • “… and I’ll probably get flamed for saying this, someone like pg2 does have a point.”

      The problem wasn’t the validity of the point, the problem became one when that was the *only* thing he was commenting on. To the exclusion of topics about guns, or much of anything else.

      A one-trick pony.

      When was the last time anyone remembers him engaging in conversation about guns?

      Hello? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

      • A fair point. That’s why I generally don’t engage with pg2, because they are generally not willing to move beyond vaccines and on to the broader point. Occasionally but not often and when they do it’s with little depth.

        That doesn’t mean that they don’t make a valid point for others to work off of or that they should have their posts removed.

        Some of the most interesting discussions I have ever been a party to have started with a “dumb”, offhand or “offensive” remark. That doesn’t happen if the comment is unseen or unheard or the immediate and overwhelming response is essentially “Fuck you…” or “You’re a moron” etc.

        Honestly, I discount the people who respond that way more than the OP. The respondents either aren’t bright enough to have that conversation or are the virtue signaling assholes I mentioned earlier. Either way, they don’t advance anything other than their own ego.

    • “Personally I’ll take a bunch of pg2 types over a bunch of echo chamber assholes who just want to scream “shall not be infringed!” as if that’s some workable argument in the public arena or a method for honing argument skills to use against the antis. At least the former asks forces you to ask and answer questions. The latter just virtue signal. ”

      If enough people stood on the moral and ethical virtues of “shall not be infringed”, the gun control problem would fold and fail in record time. Perhaps it’s those who want to “have a conversation” with tyrants who are the real obstruction. Giving in to the absurd arguments of anti-gunners, giving the arguments any unearned credence, is a big part of the problem.

      Besides this one paragraph, I agree with your overall statement.

      Oh, and… Shall not be infringed.

      • “If enough people stood on the moral and ethical virtues of “shall not be infringed”, the gun control problem would fold and fail in record time.”

        Enough of which people? Any references to situations where “shall not be infringed” prevented a single millimeter of encroachment? Point of the comment was that simply typing that phrase into a blog accomplishes nothing (nor has any court or legislature been stopped by that phrase”.

        “Shall not be infringed” illuminates nothing about guns, or politics of gun ownership. But, hey, 1st amendment and all that. Have at it.

        • ‘“Shall not be infringed” illuminates nothing about guns, or politics of gun ownership.’

          Did you actually type that with a straight face? If so, then well done.

          • “Did you actually type that with a straight face?”

            Indeed I did. As an absolutist, it is hard to accept that raw principle doesn’t carry the day in courts or legislatures. However, I am also Mayor of Realsville, and reality is a harsh mistress. It is the realm in which we must live out our days. Therefore, shouting at the wind marks us as silly bumpkins, deserving of disrespect.

            • …and all these years I thought that The Moon is a Harsh Mistress…TANSTAAFL.

              • “and all these years I thought that The Moon is a Harsh Mistress…”

                Rats. You caught me.

        • “doesn’t carry the day in courts or legislatures.”

          That’s because you are still appealing to the courts and legislatures. I am no longer interested in wasting my time.

          • “That’s because you are still appealing to the courts and legislatures. I am no longer interested in wasting my time.”

            Thus the reason for recognizing that being an absolutist isn’t working/doesn’t work, and moving away from what are now empty slogans.

        • “Therefore, shouting at the wind marks us as silly bumpkins, deserving of disrespect.”

          I’ve spread the gospel of liberty and led many to the promised land of being armed; all with “shall not be infringed.” I haven’t spent a lifetime shouting at the wind. I have refused to go to the back of the bus and have seen many raised up from little ones to adults who also refuse to go to the back of the bus. They understand “shall not be infringed” in part because I espoused nothing less to them, their parents, and grandparents.

        • “Thus the reason for recognizing that being an absolutist isn’t working/doesn’t work, and moving away from what are now empty slogans.”

          I attacked the problem from the other direction; tried in earnest to work within the system for decades. I ended up older, wiser, and lighter in the wallet. Of the time and resources spent, I only count that used on the legislature and courts as a true waste.

          Get enough absolutists at one time and place, the issue will be solved in short order.

          • “Of the time and resources spent, I only count that used on the legislature and courts as a true waste.”

            Understand the frustration, but, in reality, they are the only games in town. They affect not only POTG, but potential converts as well.

        • “Understand the frustration, but, in reality, they are the only games in town. They affect not only POTG, but potential converts as well.”

          Don’t get me wrong; I respect that you have chosen that avenue. I used to do it too.

          Carry on.

          • “Don’t get me wrong; I respect that you have chosen that avenue. I used to do it as well.”

            Is complete disengagement from the process a useful tactic?

            I can understand not wanting to be on a list somewhere.

        • “Is complete disengagement from the process a useful tactic?”

          When one realizes that they were just yelling into a hole in the ground, they wise up and change tactics. IMHO, my tactics now have more impact and less drain on my wallet. You assume complete disengagement is the tactic. It is not. Of course, if I knew then what I have learned by now, it would probably been a completely different result. I wasted much time and resources.

          “I can understand not wanting to be on a list somewhere.”

          I’ve been on lists and don’t really give a damn. That doesn’t worry me.

      • Perhaps I didn’t make this point clear enough.

        The exceedingly distilled point of a number of my previous, rather long, posts:

        Making virtue signalling arguments only works with one group of people, those who already agree with you. Other than that it’s fucking worthless pandering and preaching to the choir.

        It doesn’t work with the antis, but their position is basically set in stone so they don’t matter. As I have tried, repeatedly, to get across here: What matters is that an argument with the antis is, essentially, a public debate style of forum where the crowd opinion is what matters. That means you need a “presentation” and when you say “It’s my God given right!” or “shall not be infringed” and end the argument there the audience thinks you’re either an asshole or not smart enough to spit out anything that’s too long/nuanced to fit on a bumper sticker.

        Over time, if you do that enough, the voting public will side with the other guys and they’ll get enough power to remove the 2A from the Constitution. Then the only real question is if you’ll comply or not because all your moral preening and virtue signalling isn’t going to keep you warm in a prison cell or prevent bubba from forcibly expanding your rear end.

        Who won the 1960 Presidential debate? Depends on if you saw how un-presentable Nixon was. When people were polled the people who listened on the radio thought Nixon destroyed Kennedy with the power of his arguments. Yet overall Nixon lost because people who saw the presentation on TV discounted what Nixon said because his appearance was that of a hungover alcoholic. There’s a YUGE lesson right there.

        Further, steel sharpens steel. If you can’t actually debate someone with a simple argument like pg2 has you will get fucking shredded by an anti in a public debate. So, look at what pg2 brings up. Think about it. Hone your arguments and then use them to win against people who want to infringe on your rights.

        Doing>talking. Doing takes some practice which is what this forum gives us. Typing out “shall not be infringed” 10,000 times on the internet is just talking so that the people who already agree with you will stroke your ego for you. It’s begging for a mental handjob and nothing else. If you really need a handy that bad get one in real life at a shady massage parlor.

        • Also, John, don’t get the idea that I don’t appreciate the vim and vigor of many of the people who say “shall not be infringed”. I do.

          The problem is that to your average person who doesn’t know much about guns or fears for their child’s safety in a public school when people just say “SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED!!!” they look like Trigglypuff to the soccer moms.

          This is not a good look:

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7RIWh-Vo0Y

        • “the audience thinks you’re either an asshole or not smart enough to spit out anything that’s too long/nuanced to fit on a bumper sticker. ”

          The assumption is that we care what they think. I assure you; I do not. I’ve been around too long and seen too much to care.

        • The nation is too far gone for votes and court opinions. Only stiff resistance and perhaps one hell of a fight is all that will restore liberty now.

        • ‘Also, John, don’t get the idea that I don’t appreciate the vim and vigor of many of the people who say “shall not be infringed”. I do.’

          I appreciate that. I respect your desire to slog it out with the masses.

        • “If you really need a handy that bad get one in real life at a shady massage parlor.”

          Remember, you are the one bringing this discussion to this low level. Is this how you win those hearts and minds?

        • Some wisdom for those who desire it:

          “And if they were in the habit of conferring honours among themselves on those who were quickest to observe the passing shadows and to remark which of them went before, and which followed after, and which were together; and who were therefore best able to draw conclusions as to the future, do you think that he would care for such honours and glories, or envy the possessors of them?”

        • “The nation is too far gone for votes and court opinions. Only stiff resistance and perhaps one hell of a fight is all that will restore liberty now.”

          A movie quote about a bar bouncer, who tells the bouncer trainees “I want you to be nice, until it’s time to not be nice…”

        • Your health fails, you get too old and too tired to pussy foot around. Time is more precious and results have greater personal meaning.

          Tyranny favors the long game. Each generation has a choice to assert its liberty or accept tyranny. When a generation chooses the latter, subsequent generations find it that much more difficult to identify the problem and know what to do about it.

    • Personally I think racism is like pornography, it’s hard to define but you know it when you see it.

      • “Personally I think racism is like pornography, it’s hard to define but you know it when you see it.”

        I think anyone who hates this nation as founded should leave immediately, and without compensation. That statement includes people of all colors and “races”. So, is that a racist comment simply because different ethnic groups are included in “anyone”.

    • I have also disagreed with pg2 numerous times. But there are some very valid points made when it comes to the definition of freedom, that he (or she) does not hold back on commenting about. It’s what separates the trolls from decent people. No matter what you think about that person’s beliefs on certain things, don’t hold a grudge and take whatever else they say with a grain of salt. I learned to get along with people I would have never associated with while I was in the Army. It’s forced. You have to have their backs, and they have to have yours. Otherwise, the whole squad, platoon etc etc is at risk. I disagree with a lot of people in these comment sections, but there have been more times when I agree with something whether its something serious, or just a simple passing comment.

      If the moderators and authors have done anything by publishing this article, it’s given TTAG a sense of unity. Gun owners need that.

  31. Is it racist if it is actually factual?
    What about racism against whites?
    Who gets to define if it is racist?

    • “Is it racist if it is actually factual?”

      No fact may be presented if it might result in offending anyone on the planet.

      Any fact that attributes anything negative about persons of a minority group is inherently racist.

      Facts are dangerous, and must be tightly controlled by elected and appointed authorities.

    • #equality

      btw, your comment offends me, and you are a racist.

      In all seriousness, racism exists all across the globe. The U.S. was so focused on black vs white for so long that it still has the bullet effect. It keeps moving, but it’s dropping. At the very least, what I take away from people I interact with, is that all 3 of them agree that racism is dying.

      A country that has slaves engraved in it’s history and structure (as all did) and limited rights to women (as all did) has evolved to a point where a Black (ish?) man was president and a woman (ish?) ran for president. The opportunities are there. The only ones stuck in the past, are the lazy ones. That’s why they are angry.

  35. I remember when TTAG would put up ridiculous articles and get called on it and delete half the comments section and replace it with “email with editorial suggestions” which was really, really, stupid. Just glad that isn’t still happening.

    • Yeah. But I do occasionally miss the “FLAME DELETED” insertion that was used for a while.

  36. That all sounded reasonable. But a few additions to TTAG would improve the site. The ability to up vote, down vote, and flag comments would be a nice addition to the comment section. Another nice addition would be if there was a place to bring up random gun topics or specifically questions. Yes there are a lot of gun forums for that stuff but for those of us who call TTAG home, it would be nice to have a section to ask for help building an AR, or whatever. Also new users may want to ask a simple “is a G19 a good starter handgun, or where can I get my hunting license” type of question.

    • I hate it when somewhere includes an upvote option, and no downvote. Or worse, you are punished for a downvote. But there lies the flaws…. someone doesnt like a certain someone, so everything gets downvoted and flagged. I’d rather leave it the way it is here. It’s not perfect, but it’s limited freedoms are far superior to 99% of all other platforms.

    • Up or Down-voting is bad news.

      Either consciously or unconsciously, people will start commenting just to rack up a score, and TTAG turns into a performance competition. Others will use downvoting as a revenge tool.

      No fucking thank you. As is, your comments stand or fall on TTAG (mostly) on the validity of your arguments.

      Let’s keep that way and leave it as it is, please…

  37. “We only have a couple of no-go policies around here, namely no . . . threats of violence against anyone.”

    Okay, so from now on we cannot mention shooting bad guys center mass. Instead, we have to advocate speaking to them in nurturing tones and offer to pay their way through Harvard.

    • Every command I give is in a nurturing tone. So go fuck yourself, but in a pleasurable way.

      😉

      • Unless one wants to elaborate that the only reason we got the Zombie Apocalypse in the first place is because of the anti-vaccinators.

  39. I had an accidental discharge today, really wasn’t my fault, I bent over to pick up my gunm, an ,” poooot” in my pants. Never trust a Fart,

  40. All I saw there were references to a Gen. Jack D Ripper’s speech something about water again.

  41. Honestly, the only thing I find annoying is when things degenerate into a long thread of really stupid jokes and comments that have nothing to do with the article. I don’t see anything like it on any of the other sites I frequent and it’s really just an aggravating distraction from the otherwise intelligent comments, whether I agree with them or not. Okay, cue the haters.

  42. I’ve got a few words about TTAGs comment policy… If YOU can’t get a grip on ALL of this rediculous, REDUNDANT fucking bullshit that has been filling my email for the past couple of days I’m going to need to not only unsubscribe from this site and block you from my email but I will probably have to create a NEW fucking email… This is rediculous, I can get “moderated” for using a couple of stupid fucking words describing alternative perverted lifestyles, yet these assholes are permitted to dump their spam bullshit across EVERY goddamn article that has ever been posted on this site… You will say “ignore them” I say it’s hard to ignore an EXTRA 60 to 70 emails that you must delete two or three times daily… Do something to stop this shit or I will, at least as far my personal participation/aggravation is concerned…

  43. Really simple solution MMax.

    Don’t click the email update notification box before you post a comment.

    I was inundated a while back, stopped clicking that box, almost zero emails now. 👍

    • Don’t click the email update notification box before you post a comment.

      That is REALLY “GREAT” advice IF this shit wasn’t coming from the HUNDREDS of articles that I’ve already posted to over the past ten years or so… My simple solution to this problem is to no longer participate with NEW articles until these fuktards are either dealt with OR they get tired and move on…

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