Allow me to explain

[reefnjunkie]

In recent conversations with fellow members and friends it became apparent (again) that in the world of the internet forums and the likes you don’t have the benefit of hearing voice fluctuations, seeing facial expressions, and just getting the "vibe" of what a person is truly meaning, saying, or feeling.

 

I type this specifically regarding the "Pedestrians versus Drivers" thread that recently got a few peoples blood pressure elevated as a result of what passions they have regarding certain issues.

 

http://www.pnwmas.org/forums/showthread.php?t=23511

 

I knew this was going to be a heated thread and opted not to reply and posted that I was refraining from posting. Somewhere around page 4 I was asked by a member to change my avatar back to one I used to have long ago, its of a hand gun I own (which I will come back to soon).

I was not able to find that picture and every picture I found was to big to use, I tried for about 10 minutes and just could not find one of size that would fit based on this sites requirements, so I posted a pic of another gun I own in the thread.

 

The posting of said gun was not meant to intimidate, threaten or do anything other than appease the request of a fellow member who, like I, enjoys shooting (I'll come back to this also) and knows guns are not something to fear.

 

In hindsight, I should not have posted it because it was not relevant to the thread. Unfortunately many times threads here get cluttered with posts that have zero to do with the thread itself like the picture I posted.

 

This was not to be read into anything more than 1 person posting a picture to another person, but in the context of the thread, which was not gun related certain individuals saw that as an intent to intimidate, or threaten, or I don’t know what, but not for what it was meant, which is what I explained earlier.

 

That brings me back to the "internet forums". We don’t get to hear, see, and sense anything other than what emotions, feelings, or "intentions" we inject from what our own mind tells us to. Similar to listening to a radio personality, we hear this person over and over again and we form a mental image. We read people's post on this site and we form a mental image of them, or we think we "know them" or what they are really saying etc.....

 

Guess what we don’t, you don’t, I don’t.

 

People that intimidate, condescend to others, threaten or any synonym that fits, (if I can put it simply), have no place here or for that matter, in my opinion society, or this planet for that matter.

 

I don’t mean to come across as that type so if I do, I will say, you don’t know me, have never met me, and know nothing of me.

 

Those that have met me know I would do anything I could to help, and try to help whenever I can. I am sincere and do what I say, and say what I do. I would always have your back, and am a genuine good person-I just was raised to say what you mean and mean what you say and in this melting pot of a forum there are all walks of life and we all see things differently

 

I have been raised around guns since I was 8. I have taken gun safety courses, hand gun training courses, concealed carry training courses, marksmanship courses and so on.

 

I am a long time member of a localgun club and have many shooting friends that are both military, police, and retired military/police. I hunt waterfowl, upland bird, game and big game. guns are a hobby of mine as reefing is-I don’t have guns to threaten, intimidate or anything other than hunt, protect me, my family, and anyone around me (heaven forbid) in the event I am placed in a situation that requires the use of deadly force-which is why I have taken and continue to take training classes. Ignorant people should not own firearms-ignorant people should not drive cars, raise children etc-you get my point?

 

Anyway I'll step down off my pulpit now but I felt it important to post especially since people can take something I post and read into it and let their imagination run wild since they "don’t know me"

 

Anyway, off to hang Christmas lights

 

Happy Reefing and ……….

 

Koom Bi Ya and Peace out

[fpd4308]

Glad to have another responsible, educated gun owner around. You never know when you might need one. I might also add that myself and I am sure some others here served so you would have the rights afforded under the constitution so don't apologize for taking advantage of them.

[grassi]

For the people that knows you better than from your posts on the forum this explanation wan not necessary: we know that you are a nice person and we know your sense of humor.

But I agree, sometime this online communication can lead to misunderstanding.

 

The gun picture, for the way it was posted, was not offensive at all, or menacing or what not.

I'm saying that as a person that refused to serve his country with arms. In 1992, after having a couple of friends killed (I grew up in a dangerous part of my hometown) I decided to refuse to use firearms. When I was called for the military service (which was mandatory at that time in my country) I refused to serve with arms. So I was sent for a year in a school as a teacher, avoiding to go to jail, and that was even more dangerous to go to Serbia lol

But I understand that hunting and shooting is a fun hobby (I play darts!) and that self defense is an important matter.

 

The out of bounds section is a slippery slope. From a moderation point of view, it was better to not have it. But I think that that section is a very important part of our forum.

As was pointed out, we are not a nationwide forum, but a local online community and, even if sometimes we are seeing a little bit of flaming, I think that those out of bounds threads are useful to build a stronger community. A community made of different people and opinions.

[Lowman]

I'm what they call a "Gun Toting Liberal". I own guns. I Was raised around them. I killed my first squirrel when I was 4. Hell, we even took guns to school where I was raised. In this PC world, Brad you are a refreshing bit of honesty, sarcasm, and color. I respect a guy who is not afraid to say what he thinks. Don't worry about the uptight folks, keep up the good fight. We have your back brother.

[kendaroo]

I'm impressed with your post, Brad. You're a stand-up guy for posting it.

 

It wasn't intimidating to me so much as just seeming strange. I was hoping to have some pseudo-academic discussion of road tax, but alas, this was not the right venue, and I clearly wasn't making my point very convincingly anyway. I'm not trying to tell anyone how to live their life. I just want people to live longer... it's my job... but it's NOT my job to MAKE people live longer.

 

If you look at the attributable risk of mortality, swimming pools are more dangerous than guns (and no, I'm not saying to outlaw either of those).

 

Where I grew up, they weren't used for shooting tin cans from 1k yards, they were used for killing people and threatening people. So when random pictures of guns come into what I was hoping to be a "debate" seems either a disappointment due to the irrelevance or an act of macho "don't **** with me & my opinion cause I got guns." Either way, it just made my eyes roll...

 

Turns out it was just irrelevant. I guess I should have expected as much from an out-of-bounds thread!!! So no harm no foul... oh, the ducks finally scored.

 

On that note, Duck Hunt was my favorite game on Nintendo as a kid. So I don't think you're a big scary man for having guns. I would just rather have a big group hug and the guns be left at home for when Canada invades.

[Lowman]

I'm impressed with your post, Brad. You're a stand-up guy for posting it.

 

It wasn't intimidating to me so much as just seeming strange. I was hoping to have some pseudo-academic discussion of road tax, but alas, this was not the right venue, and I clearly wasn't making my point very convincingly anyway. I'm not trying to tell anyone how to live their life. I just want people to live longer... it's my job... but it's NOT my job to MAKE people live longer.

 

If you look at the attributable risk of mortality, swimming pools are more dangerous than guns (and no, I'm not saying to outlaw either of those).

 

Where I grew up, they weren't used for shooting tin cans from 1k yards, they were used for killing people and threatening people. So when random pictures of guns come into what I was hoping to be a "debate" seems either a disappointment due to the irrelevance or an act of macho "don't **** with me & my opinion cause I got guns." Either way, it just made my eyes roll...

 

Turns out it was just irrelevant. I guess I should have expected as much from an out-of-bounds thread!!! So no harm no foul... oh, the ducks finally scored.

 

On that note, Duck Hunt was my favorite game on Nintendo as a kid. So I don't think you're a big scary man for having guns. I would just rather have a big group hug and the guns be left at home for when Canada invades.

 

LMFAO>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Great post Kendra!!!!

[Emerald525]

Nice post Brad.(clap) I grew up in Texas and around guns and do think they are very cool. I don't own one because I know very little about them and their safety and agree ignorant people should not be allowed to own them. Besides I have the 100 pound German Shepherd. I agree Brad you are stand up guy and someone I can count on and when you say you're going to be somewhere you are. You have been there for me and I appreciate you risking your life with sweet Bart (AKA Cujo) to watch the tanks. Not only did Brad go out once to the house he went twice and spent time trying to fix our calcium reactor. We differ on a few political views (just a few;)) which I think is awesome because how do you learn and grow if you spend all your time with people who think like you or simply tell you what they think you want to hear? Ultimately, however as the saying goes we have the same "core values". I like that you speak your mind and I can respect your opinion.

 

I do think people get the wrong idea about you sometimes because of that frontal lobe lack of filter (aka Reefnjunkie;)) way you post and that you get judged unfairly or things you can say can be taken the wrong way as you know in many a pm I have sent you!(laugh)

 

Again nice post! I still don't know why you would need a sniper rifle to go hunting with (laugh) although Mr. S told me that he saw people using them to hunt some type of rat type pest that farmers paid hunters in some small town in Oregon to shoot and it sounded kinda fun.

 

Just leave the unicorns alone. They have suffered enough...:p

[BrianB]

I didn't see anything wrong with your post brad, but then again I have also been around guns since I was little, have taken gun safety classes and have had my card in my wallet since I turned 21.

[reefnjunkie]

Allow me to explain Part II

 

(laugh)

 

Ok the "sniper rifle"....(scary)

 

The reason I owned the gun I "did" was because those that know me know I am a little anal retentive or a bit of a perfectionist, or just suffer from a slight case of OCD-(whistle).

 

I initially bought an AK-47 because it sounded cool, but when I went to the rifle range and the best grouping I could get was 4" circle at 100 yards I sold it and bought the Sig Sauer 556 which was the picture in question in Kim's thread.

 

I suppose groupings of 4" at 100 yards for the AK was fine being that the rifle was designed for combat and the center mass of a person chest is less than 4"-:eek: so I suppose the gun achieved what it was designed for

 

But 4" is not good enough when your are punching holes in paper at 10 yards-(nutty) so I got the Sig which IMO is the one of if not the best .223 rifles made and I have an ACOG Trijicon for it that makes it pretty much "cant get any better"

 

That been said, the best I could get was maybe a 2" in grouping at that same hundred so I sought out a "precision marksmanship" weapon hence that Savage F10, which because of its precision it is one of the rifles that some Police force sniper units use.

 

It is capable of shooting 1/8" groups at 100 yards-I use to be able to group 5 consecutive shots in a 1.5" circle at 100 yards-So my journey ended being I finally found what I was looking for, a rifle that I could use to punch holes in paper in a group that was less than 1" (Sub MOA for us enthusiasts).

 

Boys and their toys-(rock2)

 

Then I got" back into" reefing so my compulsion has turned to this hobby, just as OCD as ever and looking to have a tank as nice as possible.

 

300 gallon inwall coming soon(drooler)

 

:p

 

 

[Emerald525]

I get it now!

 

Ah ha! I get it now! It's just like any other hobby where you have a different language ( I had to reread half the stuff you were saying to get a clue what you were talking about..(laugh)) and you are always trying to collect the latest and greatest!(clap)

 

I was wondering how you could tell that someone was necessarily targeting your house and family to attack from 100 yards away(laugh) I had this image of wow that poor UPS dude didn't know what hit him DOH!and all he wanted to do was deliver your next BRS shipment!(laugh)

 

I'm just kidding with you Brad but seriously you cleared it up for me now because I truly figured probably one gun would be enough for home protection and didn't figure you would need to get all Angelina Jolie (tombraider) or Jason Bourne and have to shoot more than one gun at one time!(laugh)

 

It's about boys wanting to have all the best and newest toys!(clap)

[wegotjs]

I bet Bob is still Walking the beat looking for that next "dinner" in his local parks

 

[jackaninny]

If you look at the attributable risk of mortality' date=' swimming pools are more dangerous than guns (and no, I'm not saying to outlaw either of those).[/quote']

 

Not to get sidetracked but the Levitt study of pools v. guns does NOT take into account exposure which is pretty much key when calculating a probability. One might say that more kids died from eating strawberry jam than from nuclear bombs last year therefore we need to put tighter safe guards on the jam industry. I'd rather my kids play in a pool for 100 hours than with a loaded gun for 1 minute. I imagine we're hearing this particular comparison because Levitt's book Freakanomics which is pretty good.

 

Back on topic - Brad you are absolutely correct that many times it is hard to correctly interpret peoples motives, humor, message etc. There are actually quite a few studies that show this, and to be brief, much has to do with our evolution (body language, contextual clues, facial expressions and on and on). Add in the brevity and our declining written English skills and it's pretty easy to be offensive both intentionally and unintentionally.

 

I've only met you person once but you seemed very nice and straight forward. I hope my unicorns did not offend you.

[kendaroo]

Shhhhhh I'm trying not to piss the gun people off. But yes, good point, I had thought exposure was measured by exposure to households having a gun or pool (not the best measure anyway), but he probably used some much more crude statistics. Glad to see that someone cares.

 

Hey, who here likes pretty coral?

[reef165]

I like pretty corals, yes I do

[reef165]

Who likes ice cream?

[Emerald525]

So is it more dangerous to go swimming with your Ak-47 By the way either one of you have a copy of the Freakonomics book I have wanted to read that. I promise I won't talk about why peanut allergy is such a problem.

 

And on the fish topic It seems the Seahare I just got likes to eat cyanobacteria too?(clap)

[reef165]

So is it more dangerous to go swimming with your Ak-47

 

Rambo goes swimming with his AK all the time and he's ok.

[kendaroo]

I <3 ice cream.

[jackaninny]

Sitting on a unicorn while hold an AK-47 that shoots ice cream - what could be more magical?