The minty green and Ex Tank appreciation thread

NOTE to Mods: I’m putting this in the Pit because my appreciation of these two is going to contrast them favorably against other posters, which could very well prompt some acrimony. If this turns into a love fest, please deal appropriately. :slight_smile:
In this thread, I’ve been reminded of the reason I rarely participate in gun control topics anymore, but I’ve also been reminded of just how good these discussions can be when the opposing viewpoints are represented by honest and informed debaters.

I am in awe at minty green’s continued willingness to slog through the vitriol and ignorance thrown at him whenever he tries to represent the pro-public safety but not unreasoningly frightened of guns faction of us gun control liberals. Whether he’s discussing a particular point of constitutional law with an informed NRA member or arguing against paranoid Evil Gummint absolutists, minty always makes his case without irrelevancies, major factual errors or logical inconsistencies, and the few occasions on which he’s been incorrect on minor articles of fact, he’s acknowledged it and adjusted his stance accordingly.

The sheer volume of ignorance minty has been able and willing to counter gives him my unabashed admiration and gratitude – because I know I no longer have the patience to join these disputes.

I’m equally awestruck by ExTank. In the cited thread, 'Tank does his usual yeoman’s job of presenting the pro-gun rights but not fanatically attached to boom-stick ideology majority of NRA members and the general public. I’ve never seen ET respond to a reasonable gun control argument with anything but respect for the other poster and a comprehensive marshalling of facts and reason to support his own argument. Even when a thread has degenerated into partisan idiocy on one side or the other (as the cited thread appeared to be heading), Ex Tank has the talent for bringing it right back on point.
Though they’ve both been known to drop a smack-down on idiots of either stripe when provoked, these two guys exemplify how Great Debates should be conducted. I applaud their commitment to fighting ignorance, and wish more of us (including myself) could follow their lead.

So there.

Oh shit, now you’ve just gone and invited the magic thunderstick crowd to show up and roast me. I’m sending you the bill for the Excedrin, xeno. :slight_smile:

On the other hand, I completely agree with you about ExTank, who is far and away my favorite pro-gun poster at the SDMB. It is always a pleasure to engage in gun debates with him, for he is well-informed, eminently logical, and always strives to understand his opponents’ position and their underlying assumptions. If he’s still in Dallas, I swear I’m going to buy that guy a beer one of these days.

I hate to be a prick here, but just what do you mean by this phrase: “. . . not fanatically attached to boom-stick ideology majority of NRA members and the general public.”

I may be mistaken about your intentions, but I get the distinct impression you believe the majority of NRA members are what one would call “irrational gun nuts.” Is this really the belief you hold? And just what does “general public” mean when attached to this statement?

And answer quickly, dammit, or he’ll break out the .44 :wink:

Why’d the piano stop playin’…why’s everyone moving to the walls…

Willing to counter it with things like calling me a ‘goat felcher’ because I support the rights of gun owners?

Sorry, but you’ll get no love for minty out of me. I realize that thread took place in the Pit, but it was a relatively civilized discussion until he tried to make a point by alledging that I commit sex activities with farm animals.

Yeah, he’s just the poster boy of polite and rational debate.

Unclebeer, you’ve misunderstood him, probably because of poor grammar. Mathematically:

presenting the X ideology [of the] majority of NRA members and the general public.

This means that the majority of NRA members believe in ideology X.

Now:

X = (pro-gun rights but not fanatically attached to boom-stick).

X is a positive thing; therefore, most NRA members believe in a positive thing.

Alessan is absolutely correct about my poor grammar, and Uncle Beer’s misapprehension is understandable. My apologies.

I meant to convey that Ex Tank, like the majority of NRA members and the general [American] public, is NOT fanatically devoted to some sort of “boom stick” idolatry.

My intention was to say that, although most gun control debates tend to devolve into straight out attacks on the most extreme opposing pov’s, Ex Tank and minty green not only eschew such tactics but tend to represent the more reasonable and more numerous moderate viewpoints.

<I can’t see… someone tell me if Unc’s thumbed that hammer back down…>

“Drinks on the House !!”

Were’d the honky tonk man go…

<scene one ends>

I’m not smart enough to wander into GD but thanks for the heads up. It’s nice to know who the good guys are and I’ll certainly watch for these two elsewhere. Thank you xenophon41.

Yup. Thanks for the clarification. I’ll leave y’all to your little lovefest now. Me, I’m gonna go shoot sumthin’. .22" holes in paper most likely. Or maybe frozen water ballons with some nasty gut-rippin’ .357 magnum hollowpoints. Gotta kill them ballons afore they git me.

I also admire the intelligence and spark that both Minty Green and Ex Tank bring to debates. I don’t post in the gun debates, but I do lurk in them. (And on a side note: I’ve met Ex Tank, and not only is he an excellent debater, he is something of a hunk, too. Why are the really handsome ones always straight?)

Uncle Beer, although I am a supporter of gun ownership, that doesn’t mean one must admire the NRA. After the childishly homophobic remarks made by LaPierre and Heston at the Reno conference in April, I won’t be signing up for their newsletter any time soon.

Catsix, stop being a crybaby. If you can’t take the heat, stay out of the Pit!

Point of clarification, the term ‘goat felcher’ does not necessarily involve a demeaning relationship with farm animals. The goat in question may in fact be a domestic (Partner) pet.

carrion.

I didn’t say that, gobear. I was just looking for assurance that xenophon41 didn’t believe the majority of NRA members to be irrational gun nuts. And to take this thread further down the road from the OP, what did Heston LaPierre say? This is unknown to me.

And balloo, dammit. Balloons.

Felching goats is a tradition in the Pit, Catsix. Try not to take it so hard.

I give up. The balloo’s and their allies, the ballons have won this round.

You got something against Kipling characters?

The problem is that he resorted to a lot of hostility and name calling in that debate, which doesn’t merit the kind of praise he’s supposedly being given in this thread.

It’s not obligatory to be a jerk in a mostly-civil thread just because of its location.

Now, please continue with your touchy feely moments.

You ain’t meanin’ ‘Walloons’ is yer, Unc ? Walloons wuz already part of them thar Allies in Dubya Dubya One and Two. Being partly Bel-gin folk, an’ all.

Well, I’ll have to retract my comment on Heston and LaPierre because I can’t find the link I’m looking for, but here is a link to comments made by others at the NRA conference.