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The people choosing to make these ridiculous displays here are the ones who choose the photos, Msolga and also this type of person is probably the type motivated to have themselves photographed in this pathetic manner.

It is clear that quite normal, intelligent people also voted for Bush. We are just not seeing photos of them.

I think too, that the type of strident, hyper-patriotism (or rather nationalism) espoused by the people in the photos is also part of the mentality that lends itself to such display.

We therefore have a sort of vicious cycle of mentality/photograph/choosing of photograph and posting it that seems to be getting more and more extreme. Of course, they view the "sorry" photos with as much dismay, it seems, as we view their aggressive stuff - and view themselves as responding in kind, I think. It seems the "sorry" photos are viewed as aggression? I do not see this aggression in the "sorry" photos I have seen - perhaps it is in the eye of the beholder?

Once again - mathematics tells us that quite normal, non gun-porn, people also voted for Bush.

I would just stop looking, if I were you - it seems to excite them.

Even normally quite sensible righties have been posting this sort of stuff - hopefully it will all calm down soon?

Also - the sorry.com stuff made lots of them very aggressive - and the response has been, as I said, to post more of this stuff - though they were doing it before - but that stuff tended to be nasty in a different way.

Very ugly side of folk, no? Some of the extremists' avatars are similar in tone, I have long noticed - it is clearly part of their persona and perhaps culture?????

Or - do they just do it to get a rise?

Strange... a cultural thing, I think it must be, Deb. I honestly can't see anti-left folk in Oz (the culture I know most intimately) using images of folk with guns to denigrate the other side of politics. There would be so much disapproval in response, from ALL sides.

Lol - that , in the eyes of the nuttier right-wing or gun folks, means we are "subjects" or "girlie-people".

You are right, though, this type of gun-porn and such would be seen as disgusting by even conservatives here.

Do you think there was such an explosion of gloating hatefulness amongst any conservatives in Oz? Did I miss it?

It is making me sick to look at - especially, as I have said elsewhere, when normally reasonable folk are slavering over it.

What on earth is causing the extremities of hate and demonisation of each other that is being evinced by the polarities here?

I am guessing if I sllimed my ears with some talk-back radio in Oz I might hear similar??? Are we just not seeing this crap at home because we don't know where to look?

There ARE some gun nut people in Oz - they are hilarious, cos they get all their stuff from US NRA-type sites - and they are so ignorant that they spout the stuff straight from there - so that they are claiming stuff like our constitution contains the right to bear arms!! I have seven seen some of them spouting huge chunks of American history as though it were ours.

There are sensible folkhere who talk about our gun laws, too - but their sites are reasonable and cogent - and they are more defending themselves against animal rights people than complaining. They, of course, being members of associations, have the right to have their hunting guns etc - and they see themselves - not without reason - as conservationists.

Well, I have had my ears & eyes glued to the media, Deb. (My problem .. I'm working on extricating myself, in the cause of greater happiness! ) But no ... There's been quite a bit of: "See, you too-smart-by-half creatures of the left, we can think for ourselves! ... And now we're standing up & saying that we, the silent majority, endorse all that Howard & co stand for! So there! Now shut up, stop whinging & wear it! But that's about the extent of it. This gun exhibitionism would be totally frowned upon, by every side of politics. It would be seen as totally anti-social.

HAVE we been whining????????

I thought we copped it sweet???


There has certainly been none of "the election was rigged" stuff.

Most of the pro-gun people that I've observed & listened to have been farmers.

Nah, we're just depressed & gob smacked!

Aargh - but, dammit - there is no way to wade into these threads - at least, seemingly, for me - without sliming myself.

Here, I have really unleashed my disgust - and there will be a spate of fuming counters when the right come back online, and on it all goes. And on and on.

And I promised myself I had had my last say early to day!! Or was it yesterday? Any comment - especially angry ones - just takes one down to the level one is appalled by. I am truly out of the mud pit from now on!!!!!!!

AND we're too busy trying to figure our where to now?

I wasn't gob-smacked. I expected a Howard win.

And, here at least, we got 49% of the vote (after preferences). Only distribution of seats made it that we only got 2 out of 11 seats - and we gained a third senate seat - first time ever.

But - them having the senate is really scary.

Lol - I guess that means I have to rejoin the ALP?

I am always a foul-weather friend!!!

In normal life too! I can be a difficult bugger, until the crap starts flying - then I turn into a saint!!!!! It is hilarious.

YeP! But now I feel guilty digressing too far from the subject of this thread! Having just thanked someone at another thread for stemming the wild digression there! :wink:

Lol - ok - exit, stage LEFT!!!!

(mind you, a digression here strikes me as good...)

I thought the discussion about guns, politics & oz WAS good!

Next time you're in D.C., you might want to check out the C&E Gunshow which is being held at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly Va. about five miles outside of the Dulles Airport. The line to get into the thing in the mornings can be a half mile long and I'd guess that fewer than 1% of those people are farmers.

http://www.cegunshows.com/

You might also want to check out America's online gunstore, i.e. gunbroker.com:

http://www.gunbroker.com

The enormity of the selection of firearms will probably astonish many outside the US. One interesting thing which you won't see outside the US for instance, would be 44/45 caliber hunting rifles. The American 45/70 in particular is one of a small handful of cartridges which survived the changeover from the black powder cartridge age. The Marlin rifles which use that ammo are inexpensive, accurate within 200 yards, and will drop one of your European boars where it stands regardless of size:


http://www.gunbroker.com/auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=25455622




Notice the size of the ejection port...

I've always thought there were tremendous similarities between the US and Australia, and your comment concerning the conservative response to liberal OZ reinforces that thinking.

Don't make too much of the gun stuff. Most of it is intended in much the same way as "Nuke The Whales" bumper stickers. There are gun nuts and then there are people who believe the 2nd Amendment of the US Constitution protects their rights to own guns. There are far more in the latter camp than the former.