# Brady Campaign gives Obama an 'F' for gun control **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 20, 2010, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brady-campaign-gives-obama-an-f-for-gun-control/525731 "2010-01-20T19:18:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brady-campaign-gives-obama-an-f-for-gun-control/525731/181 "2010-01-24T19:12:41Z")
> [@Todderbob](#): > > I call them extremists. > > You know, the actual, technical term for someone who has extreme views. Well, certainly they are that! But would you be offended to hear them referred to as “gun nuts”? And, if so, is that becaue there is no such thing, or because these people are too sane to qualify? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brady-campaign-gives-obama-an-f-for-gun-control/525731/182 "2010-01-24T19:46:24Z")
> [@Todderbob](#): > > I call them extremists. > > You know, the actual, technical term for someone who has extreme views. Is it offensive to refer to extremists as “nuts?” ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brady-campaign-gives-obama-an-f-for-gun-control/525731/183 "2010-01-24T19:48:22Z")
> [@OccamsTaser](#): > > Jethro is a disparaging term used to describe an unsophisticated, uneducated white from poor rural areas. If you think it’s OK to refer to people with this term, by the same logic, you must think it’s OK to refer to poor, uneducated, and unsophisticated blacks as “Sambo”. No, because “Sambo” is a racial slur which refers to all black people, not a subset. This persistence at making comparisons to racist language is incredibly stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brady-campaign-gives-obama-an-f-for-gun-control/525731/184 "2010-01-24T19:48:53Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Well, certainly they are that! But would you be offended to hear them referred to as “gun nuts”? In a general sense, I’m offended any time anyone uses a derogatory term, whether the term is “gun nut” or “nigger,” because it stifles intelligent discourse. Let me rephrase… If you were to ask a person of African descent if they’d be offended by you calling 50 Cent a nigger, they’d likely say yes. Despite the fact you don’t mean the word to describe _all_ black people, only blacks who act in a certain way, it carries certain negative connotations that typically denote everyone who falls into that category, not just a select group – even if that’s how _you_ mean it. > [@elucidator](#): > > And, if so, is that becaue there is no such thing, or because these people are too sane to qualify? “Gun nut,” in itself, isn’t derogatory. In fact, I’ve started a thread called “Ask a Gun nut/Enthusiast,” in the past, however the way it’s used is obviously derogatory. I’d prefer you not use derogatory names at all, or common names in a derogatory fashion, because they don’t help in the conversation at all and do nothing except offend. These people aren’t “Gun nuts,” specifically, firearms just happen to be part of their manifest. In fact, I’d make the claim that the more important thing is that they want to end mandatory vaccines, which is far more dangerous than firearms. (Anyone with a decent education in firearms can and will tell you that a fully automatic firearm is, if anything, less dangerous than a semiautomatic or revolver, because they can’t be aimed effectively without a lot of training.) ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brady-campaign-gives-obama-an-f-for-gun-control/525731/185 "2010-01-24T19:50:30Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > No, because “Sambo” is a racial slur which refers to all black people, not a subset. This persistence at making comparisons to racist language is incredibly stupid. So, because it’s a slur that refers to a subset rather than all of them, it’s okay? Wap is okay, because it doesn’t refer to all white people/europeans, only to Italians? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brady-campaign-gives-obama-an-f-for-gun-control/525731/186 "2010-01-24T19:53:53Z")
The N-word DOES refer to all black people, and the continued attempts to draw a parallel between calling a black person a nigger and calling an extremist a “nut” bespeak eitehr a profound ignorance or a risible disingenuity. Under your own standards, right wing talk radio is a cesspool of hate speech. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brady-campaign-gives-obama-an-f-for-gun-control/525731/187 "2010-01-24T19:56:20Z")
> [@Todderbob](#): > > So, because it’s a slur that refers to a subset rather than all of them, it’s okay? I don’t know what you mean by “okay.” All language is okay, but if a deprecation does not refer to a person’s ethnicity, them it’s not a racial slur. > [@](#): > > Wap is okay, because it doesn’t refer to all white people/europeans, only to Italians? It’s Wop, and it’s an ethnic slur because it refers to an ethnicity. “Gun nut” does not. Neither does “Jethro.” ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brady-campaign-gives-obama-an-f-for-gun-control/525731/188 "2010-01-24T20:00:49Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Under your own standards, right wing talk radio is a cesspool of hate speech. Yes, it is. That’s one of the many reasons I don’t listen to it. What’s your point? ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brady-campaign-gives-obama-an-f-for-gun-control/525731/189 "2010-01-24T20:07:25Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > The N-word DOES refer to all black people, and the continued attempts to draw a parallel between calling a black person a nigger and calling an extremist a “nut” bespeak eitehr a profound ignorance or a risible disingenuity. > > Under your own standards, right wing talk radio is a cesspool of hate speech. Well then, let’s hear your exact definition of “gun nut”, because IMO based on your postings it’s anyone who owns a gun. This way we can avoid the “No True Gun Nut” fallacy. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brady-campaign-gives-obama-an-f-for-gun-control/525731/190 "2010-01-24T20:48:54Z")
I’ve already given it at least twice in this thread. My definition of a “gun nut” is someone who is overly preoccupied with the subject, prioritizes it above all other issues and won’t shut up about it. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brady-campaign-gives-obama-an-f-for-gun-control/525731/191 "2010-01-24T20:57:26Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > I’ve already given it at least twice in this thread. My definition of a “gun nut” is someone who is overly preoccupied with the subject, prioritizes it above all other issues and won’t shut up about it. Sorta like a sports nut? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brady-campaign-gives-obama-an-f-for-gun-control/525731/192 "2010-01-24T21:03:09Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > Sorta like a sports nut? Exactly. I also drew an analogy to the burners who won’t shut up about legalizing pot. I totally agree with them, but Jesus, there are still more important things in the world. ---
**Author:** ![OccamsTaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3ec8ea/32.png) [@OccamsTaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OccamsTaser)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brady-campaign-gives-obama-an-f-for-gun-control/525731/193 "2010-01-24T22:00:16Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > I’ve already given it at least twice in this thread. My definition of a “gun nut” is someone who is overly preoccupied with the subject, prioritizes it above all other issues and won’t shut up about it. Can we also have your definition of “Jethro”? And, what would you call someone who isn’t overly preoccupied with the subject, doesn’t prioritize it above all other issues, and doesn’t prattle on incessantly about it, but does consider it to be a non-negotiable issue? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brady-campaign-gives-obama-an-f-for-gun-control/525731/194 "2010-01-24T22:06:49Z")
My cousin. In 1976, the State of Texas bought a chunk of his land that he didn’t do squat with. Gave him a buttload of money. Lived in a broken down house with three broken down trucks up on blocks, kids wore hand me downs from everybody in the family, hadn’t bought his wife a dress since they were married. And we’re talking huge money here, big hulking gobs of the stuff. Bought a new pickup truck and a shotgun. And that’s it. Jethro. ---
**Author:** ![OccamsTaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3ec8ea/32.png) [@OccamsTaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OccamsTaser)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brady-campaign-gives-obama-an-f-for-gun-control/525731/195 "2010-01-24T22:16:28Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > And that’s it. Jethro. This is what’s known as an _example_, not a _definition_. Still waiting… ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brady-campaign-gives-obama-an-f-for-gun-control/525731/196 "2010-01-24T23:06:51Z")
> [@OccamsTaser](#): > > Can we also have your definition of “Jethro”? A redneck. > [@](#): > > And, what would you call someone who isn’t overly preoccupied with the subject, doesn’t prioritize it above all other issues, and doesn’t prattle on incessantly about it, but does consider it to be a non-negotiable issue? Nothing. ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brady-campaign-gives-obama-an-f-for-gun-control/525731/197 "2010-01-24T23:33:42Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > I’ve already given it at least twice in this thread. My definition of a “gun nut” is someone who is overly preoccupied with the subject, prioritizes it above all other issues and won’t shut up about it. So pretty much anyone who posts in a gun thread then? How do define “overly preoccupied”? Is Jethrina, who is overly preoccupied with guns (according to you), doesn’t shut up about them, and prioritizes only her pro-life stance above gun rights a nut? Or do you just know one when you see one? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brady-campaign-gives-obama-an-f-for-gun-control/525731/198 "2010-01-24T23:38:44Z")
For that matter, what’s a “gun grabber”? If every term has a rock-solid definition, what’s that one? ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brady-campaign-gives-obama-an-f-for-gun-control/525731/199 "2010-01-24T23:44:52Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > For that matter, what’s a “gun grabber”? If every term has a rock-solid definition, what’s that one? People who are for legislation which would actively remove guns from the hands of law abiding citizens. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brady-campaign-gives-obama-an-f-for-gun-control/525731/200 "2010-01-24T23:50:08Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > We’re not taking about a civil war, we’re talking about a bunch of cammied out rednecks with deer rifles and beer bellies trying to overthrow the United States Government. It would make for a few seconds of amusement on the cable news networks. That’s about it. No we aren’t. I’m sorry that you are not cognitively capable of seeing things in anything other than these base stereotypes. But what we are talking about is a bunch of people who are refusing to engage in what they see as un-Constitutional orders. I think it’s funny all the derision that people hold the members of the military and the police who signed an oath refusing to put Americans into Concentration camps. Cammied Rednecks indeed. They should do what they’re told! If the government says to put Americans into concentration camps, then by Og that’s their duty! Personally, I am thankful for these people. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brady-campaign-gives-obama-an-f-for-gun-control/525731.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brady-campaign-gives-obama-an-f-for-gun-control/525731.md?page=11)