Seems fair to me!

[forumdude]

I also worry when we stray into polarized topics like gun control. Whatever anyone's opinion, I just hope that everyone keeps it civil. What may seem like a self-evident truth to one person may seem like the ravings of a goddamn moron to the next.

Most political discussions seem to me attempts to predict the future - will gay marriage destroy the nuclear family? will gun control usher in greater control by the state? will reducing guns reduce murders? will not allowing state funds to pay for nativity scenes result in the decay of morals? will legalizing pot make people content to sit on the couch and not struggle to get rich? will dudeism ever be as popular as the flying spaghetti monster?

None of us know any of these things for certain. The best we can do is calmly investigate the data and make some educated guesses. The only shitty thing is when people stick to their fundamental principles without even entertaining the arguments of others. In that case there is no fruitful discussion. 99 percent of the comments on news articles seem to be just that - fistfights, not philosophy. I'm happy that most of the stuff here is civil and that generally people don't get too hot headed.

I hope this all doesn't sound pedantic or condescending. I'm sure most of you agree. This is a pretty quiet little beach community.

[DigitalBuddha]

On a personal level; I'm pretty amazed at all of the blathering we have done here and it is still a quiet civil beach community. There are chat boards that would cut their dicks off to have such peace among members who are dealing with subjects that tend to heat up to fucking outright flame wars. You know, the "fuck you asshole, take that shit and shove it, you moron idiot, drop dead!" kind of stuff.

About the only flame war in this family restaurant is who will light up a J the fastest! The worst you see around here is "well, yeah, that's just like your opinion, man."

The only real moderation that needs to be done in this private residence, man, is kicking some goldbricker out for spamming and peeing on the rug (that ties the room together) with some lame shit about discount Puma running shoes we can buy off some lame ass Russian discount shoes website. The fuckin' pendehoes!

Have to say that I am proud of the dudes on the Dudeism Forum; I have also been amazed at a lot of great and honest comments. Very dude-like!

That's just like my opinion, man. 

[BikerDude]

What do they do in Israel?

Who wants to live in Israel?

[Masked Dude]

I'm glad so far that the discussions here have been civil. Some of the comments have sort of reminded me of how other places started, that's all. Stever is right, though. Other forums jump straight into jackassery.

For me it was just that I'm not used to having people like dudeists talking online. Of course I won't agree with everyone on everything but I'm glad I don't feel unwelcome. I'm going to grab my self-made rug and stick around this place. Even the ones I don't agree with are still very cool and would love to see more of their posts.

I am happy that no one backed off or apologized (no need anyway). So I'll tell that part of me to go eat a bag of shit and shut up.

Thanks, guys!

[BikerDude]

absolutely in agreement, every dude is 100% entitled his own opinion but I can't even get my head around why you would need a gun, never mind to discuss teaching kids how to use them, that's all I'm meaning.
I appreciate it's a constitutional issue as well.

So far I haven't NEEDED a gun (other than hunting) but I damn sure enjoy them.
It's a blast (no pun intended) to go out on an afternoon from time to time and set up some water jugs and blast em from several hundred yards.
Plus we have the right to own them. And I like that.
It's an attitude thing. As long as we remember that WE ARE THE GOVERNMENT then the idea of the government taking away our guns or other freedoms remains in perspective.
As it used to say in my sig line "freedom is something that dies unless it's used" -Hunter S Thompson

[BikerDude]

On a personal level; I'm pretty amazed at all of the blathering we have done here and it is still a quiet civil beach community. There are chat boards that would cut their dicks off to have such peace among members who are dealing with subjects that tend to heat up to fucking outright flame wars. You know, the "fuck you asshole, take that shit and shove it, you moron idiot, drop dead!" kind of stuff.

About the only flame war in this family restaurant is who will light up a J the fastest! The worst you see around here is "well, yeah, that's just like your opinion, man."

The only real moderation that needs to be done in this private residence, man, is kicking some goldbricker out for spamming and peeing on the rug (that ties the room together) with some lame shit about discount Puma running shoes we can buy off some lame ass Russian discount shoes website. The fuckin' pendehoes!

Have to say that I am proud of the dudes on the Dudeism Forum; I have also been amazed at a lot of great and honest comments. Very dude-like!

That's just like my opinion, man. 

It's cause we own guns.

[Stever]

I think we can all sit on the rug here,and not resort to randomly calling each other fuck-heads-this is the most civil,intelligent forum I have ever had the pleasure to be a small part of,and I am proud of all of us!

But,dude...you keep posting that pic of the chick in Israel..she is awesome,aint she?

[Hominid]

I'm not sure owning guns *makes* us a relatively peaceful beach community; linking cause and effect in that way might be a bit of a stretch, but you may be right there BD... Americans by nature are slightly aggressive so perhaps their behaviour *needs* to be tempered by the fact that the other guy  may have a Glock tucked in his belt...  As opposed to your neighbours up north (us Canajuns) - known for our politeness - we don't need such potentially threatening things to keep us civil. I may just be blathering here, but that's what we do here, right?   

I've been in various on-line communities for literally decades, so I can echo other's comments here about how cool everyone is. It *is* unusual... it has to do with the kind of person Dudeism attracts. It's similar to the kind of professional-minded people photography forums attracts (which I used to attend with regularity). Here, I like the debates; I like the personalities; I like the comradery...  and I do prefer it over the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster - I have no inkling to dress like a pirate!

[BikerDude]

I'm not sure owning guns *makes* us a relatively peaceful beach community; linking cause and effect in that way might be a bit of a stretch, but you may be right there BD... Americans by nature are slightly aggressive so perhaps their behaviour *needs* to be tempered by the fact that the other guy  may have a Glock tucked in his belt...  As opposed to your neighbours up north (us Canajuns) - known for our politeness - we don't need such potentially threatening things to keep us civil. I may just be blathering here, but that's what we do here, right?   

I've been in various on-line communities for literally decades, so I can echo other's comments here about how cool everyone is. It *is* unusual... it has to do with the kind of person Dudeism attracts. It's similar to the kind of professional-minded people photography forums attracts (which I used to attend with regularity). Here, I like the debates; I like the personalities; I like the comradery...  and I do prefer it over the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster - I have no inkling to dress like a pirate!

I've lived in both the US and Canada.
Overall I didn't find people substantially different but I did find certain differences in attitudes.
Canadians found my concept of no line between the Government and the people to be cool but generally they said that they never thought of it like that. That is to say "What gives the government any right to say that a law abiding citizen can't have a gun?" The law abiding citizen IS the government just as much as the President.

I enjoyed the Canadian attitudes about a lot of things but I did find a LOT of unquestioned conformity.
The development I lived in had very strict rules about a lot of stuff. You could only paint your house with "approved" colors. It was sort of creepy and "stepford wifeish".
I rented but if I owned the place it would have been Tiger Stripe Camo the next week.

Of course I was only joking about the guns.

[Hominid]

That wasn't Kanata was it?  It had (has?) very tight bylaws on paint colour, fence heights, roof materials... It's not typical "Canadiana"...

[RighteousDude]

So I'll tell that part of me to go eat a bag of shit and shut up.

Don't be doing that, man. The world will put well more than enough shit on your plate all by itself. It doesn't need your help.

[DigitalBuddha]

Sometimes I think Thomas Jefferson should be A Great Dude in History...

"The beauty of the 2nd Amendment is that it won't ever be an issue unless a tyrannical government takes it away from the People."

- Thomas Jefferson

Case in point........

In 1929, the Soviet Union established gun control and from 1929 to 1953,
about 20 million dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded
up and exterminated.
------------------------------
In 1911, Turkey established gun control and from 1915 to 1917, 1.5 million
Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
------------------------------
Germany established gun control in 1938 and from 1939 to 1945, a total of
13 million Jews and others who were unable to defend themselves were
rounded up and exterminated.
------------------------------
China established gun control in 1935 and from 1948 to 1952, 20 million political
dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
------------------------------
Guatemala established gun control in 1964 and from 1964 to 1981, 100,000
Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
------------------------------
Uganda established gun control in 1970 and from 1971 to 1979, 300,000
Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
------------------------------
Cambodia established gun control in 1956 and from 1975 to 1977, one million
educated' people, unable to defend themselves, w ere rounded up and
exterminated.
------------------------------
Defenseless people rounded up and exterminated in the 20th Century
because of gun control: 56 million.


"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."

- Thomas Jefferson

[Leopoldrose]

.

[Stever]

Armed,and abiding here,dude!

[Hominid]

Sometimes I think Thomas Jefferson should be A Great Dude in History...

"The beauty of the 2nd Amendment is that it won't ever be an issue unless a tyrannical government takes it away from the People."

- Thomas Jefferson

Case in point........

In 1929, the Soviet Union established gun control and from 1929 to 1953,
about 20 million dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded
up and exterminated.
------------------------------
In 1911, Turkey established gun control and from 1915 to 1917, 1.5 million
Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
------------------------------
Germany established gun control in 1938 and from 1939 to 1945, a total of
13 million Jews and others who were unable to defend themselves were
rounded up and exterminated.
------------------------------
China established gun control in 1935 and from 1948 to 1952, 20 million political
dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
------------------------------
Guatemala established gun control in 1964 and from 1964 to 1981, 100,000
Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
------------------------------
Uganda established gun control in 1970 and from 1971 to 1979, 300,000
Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
------------------------------
Cambodia established gun control in 1956 and from 1975 to 1977, one million
educated' people, unable to defend themselves, w ere rounded up and
exterminated.
------------------------------
Defenseless people rounded up and exterminated in the 20th Century
because of gun control: 56 million.


"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."

- Thomas Jefferson

So, any examples of unsuccessful exterminations because people owned guns?  For some reason I can't see an individual holed up in a house being able to fend off an entire government with a shotgun. I'm thinking it would take a revolution. Then I look and Siria and think... nah, that ain't working out too peacefully. But maybe I'm uninformed and uneducated (...not a history buff).