# What is "Positive Gun News"? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [September 4, 2019, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-positive-gun-news/839675 "2019-09-04T12:32:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2019, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-positive-gun-news/839675/81 "2019-09-04T20:27:58Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I think this sort of argument (in the context of “Positive Gun News”) is in bad faith, like pro-lifers arguing about how hospital-ambulatory requirement laws for abortion clinics are “positive” for abortion because they’re going to make things safer for abortion patients. It’s more like pro-choicers being in favor of abortions being provided by an actual medical doctor. That’s a reasonable rule, reasonable people like reasonable rules. Is the idea that felons can’t buy guns a reasonable rule, or a bullshit rule? ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2019, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-positive-gun-news/839675/82 "2019-09-04T20:33:11Z")
To follow my previous post: It would be like someone starting a Positive Abortion News thread and then the thread only allowed to be about pro-life views. When anyone wants to challenge the opinion that this is “positive news”, they get warned for threadshitting even tho the title of the thread itself is trolling. ETA: Keep the thread but change the title to “Pro-Gun News” or something more accurately descriptive, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Unreconstructed\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/76d3ee/32.png) [@Unreconstructed\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unreconstructed_Man)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2019, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-positive-gun-news/839675/83 "2019-09-04T21:08:59Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > How should I know what could have received a warning? That’s why I posted here! Apparently I am not allowed to judge for myself what constitutes Positive Gun News. About fifty people have already said this, but you’re being deliberately obtuse. Stop feigning innocence and just cut that shit out. You’re not even remotely close to fooling anyone. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2019, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-positive-gun-news/839675/84 "2019-09-04T21:15:25Z")
> [@Unreconstructed\_Man](#): > > About fifty people have already said this, but you’re being deliberately obtuse. Stop feigning innocence and just cut that shit out. You’re not even remotely close to fooling anyone. You are threadshitting in my thread. Knock it off. ---
**Author:** ![Unreconstructed\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/76d3ee/32.png) [@Unreconstructed\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unreconstructed_Man)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2019, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-positive-gun-news/839675/85 "2019-09-04T21:27:27Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > You are threadshitting in my thread. Knock it off. No I’m not, and no I won’t. As Shodan pointed out, if you _really_ can’t figure out what’s meant by ‘Positive Gun News’ in the context of the never ending gun debates on this board, that’s your problem. No-one else seems to have had any trouble figuring it out, so if it’s truly got you stumped then you should just stay out of it. Of course, I’m giving you a little more credit than that, which is why I think you’re being deliberately obtuse. It’s annoying, and, as I said, you’re fooling absolutely no-one. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2019, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-positive-gun-news/839675/86 "2019-09-04T21:31:16Z")
I’m just chiming in one last time to say that I have no issue with the moderation of the Positive Gun News thread. In the same vein, I have no problem with the newly minted Positive Gun Control thread. I will probably read both. I am also mature enough to figure out what type comment would be a thread shit in either and will refrain from posting such. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2019, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-positive-gun-news/839675/87 "2019-09-04T22:02:25Z")
There has been a longstanding tongue-in-cheek joke about how gun control means “use both hands.” If someone were to post that in a Positive Gun Control thread, they would rightfully be accused of sidetracking it. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2019, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-positive-gun-news/839675/88 "2019-09-05T01:04:30Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > The biggest problem with the thread, IMO, is the title and the way that it implies that “positive” is an absolute, not a personal judgement call. As it _is_ a personal judgement call and not something objective, people who don’t agree with that judgement call are not allowed to express their opinion about this thing that is clearly an opinion; IMO that is the major reason why the thread is so frustrating to so many: the thread considers the matter closed and not open to interpretation or discussion. Moderator actions seem to reinforce this. It’s not only that. I posted a news item that seemed positive to me all around. It wasn’t a “gun control” post, but a celebration of guns being used in a positive manner. And I STILL got a warning. There’s no rhyme or reason to that thread, except to run your posts by **Bone** or another moderator before you can post them in that thread. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2019, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-positive-gun-news/839675/89 "2019-09-05T01:14:30Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > You are threadshitting in my thread. Knock it off. There’s a certain amount of irony inherent in this post. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2019, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-positive-gun-news/839675/90 "2019-09-05T01:25:03Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > I agree with you. I don’t think controversial topics should be moderated against discussion of both sides of the issue. > [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > I support open discussion of both sides of controversial issues, not couching them in semantic armor to shield them from contrary opinions. You’re free to discuss the pros and cons of gun control as much as you want. There are numerous existing threads on this topic but you can start a new one if you feel there is some aspect of the debate that isn’t being covered. But you can’t go to a thread about “Anyone have a good recipe for salmon?” and start posting about gun control. It’s not the topic of the thread. And, as many people have pointed out to you, it’s also not the topic of a thread about positive gun news. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2019, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-positive-gun-news/839675/91 "2019-09-05T01:35:26Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > It’s not only that. I posted a news item that seemed positive to me all around. It wasn’t a “gun control” post, but a celebration of guns being used in a positive manner. And I STILL got a warning. There’s no rhyme or reason to that thread, except to run your posts by **Bone** or another moderator before you can post them in that thread. For the curious, [this](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=21359315&postcount=1512) was the post in question that earned **manson** that warning: > [@Positive Gun News of the Day](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/positive-gun-news-of-the-day/735490/1512): > > This is like a double positive gun news story: > > [Cops shoot homeowner](https://kdvr.com/2018/12/03/da-no-charges-against-aurora-officer-who-fatally-shot-armed-homeowner/) > > First, the homeowner shot an intruder that was naked and inexplicably trying to drown a kid in the bathtub. THEN, the cops shot the homeowner because he didn’t put his gun down. > > It’s win/win! Intruder killed, and a gun owner who doesn’t listen to police commands is killed. Awesome! The warning, obviously, was for trolling. In [the ATMB thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=866665) you started about it, **manson** , you got some good and still highly relevant advice from **Colibri** : > [@Warning in Positive Gun News](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warning-in-positive-gun-news/825585/8): > > Y’know, when you’re told something is trolling, it would be better not to start a thread in ATMB to troll some more. This is extremely poor judgement on your part. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2019, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-positive-gun-news/839675/92 "2019-09-05T02:26:35Z")
This thread reminds me of my college days when I used to Dungeon Master for a group of RPG enthusiasts. I had a coterie of neckbeards to deal with who would tediously ruleslawyer an entire evening away trying to get their way on something they had already been told not to do. All that is missing is the smell of BO and Doritos. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2019, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-positive-gun-news/839675/93 "2019-09-05T04:01:35Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > For the curious, [this](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=21359315&postcount=1512) was the post in question that earned **manson** that warning: > > The warning, obviously, was for trolling. In [the ATMB thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=866665) you started about it, **manson** , you got some good and still highly relevant advice from **Colibri** : If something is obvious, then it is easy to explain. I suggest doing so. A threat may silence someone, but it will not convince them. **manson** has every right to disagree with any moderation on this board. He should be able to do so without any moderator threatening him, as what he is doing is not against the rules. On the SDMB, posters are allowed to disagree with the mods. Threats are not called for when they do so. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2019, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-positive-gun-news/839675/94 "2019-09-05T04:20:46Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > But you can’t go to a thread about “Anyone have a good recipe for salmon?” and start posting about gun control. It’s not the topic of the thread. > > And, as many people have pointed out to you, it’s also not the topic of a thread about positive gun news. And as many other people have pointed out, this is not inherently true. If the post is about news that is related to guns and is positive, then it would go in a thread called “positive gun news.” What is unusual here is not that the mods are keeping the thread on topic. It is that the mods have decided that one side of a contentious issue gets to define what the topic means. Positive gun news inherently means what it means to gun control opponents, not what it means to gun control advocates. The mods have decided that “positive gun news” has one and only one possible meaning, and will attack people as trolling or at least “disingenuous” if they disagree. I argue that both “Bad guy killed by a gun” and “gun user stopped by someone not using a gun” both count as positive gun news. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2019, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-positive-gun-news/839675/95 "2019-09-05T04:38:00Z")
So what do you think the policy should be? Every poster should be allowed to define the topic of a thread as they wish? That seems likely to be abused by people who are obsessed by a particular topic and try to swing the conversation in every thread around to a discussion of the pet issue. I think it’s better to have a small group of people who are designated by the administration of this message board to monitor threads and make decisions about issues like what’s on topic in a thread. Which is the system we have. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2019, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-positive-gun-news/839675/96 "2019-09-05T07:36:32Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > The biggest problem with the thread, IMO, is the title and the way that it implies that “positive” is an absolute, not a personal judgement call. As it _is_ a personal judgement call and not something objective, people who don’t agree with that judgement call are not allowed to express their opinion about this thing that is clearly an opinion; IMO that is the major reason why the thread is so frustrating to so many: the thread considers the matter closed and not open to interpretation or discussion. Moderator actions seem to reinforce this. It should just be renamed “The Pro-Gun Cheerleading Thread” and left at that. ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2019, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-positive-gun-news/839675/97 "2019-09-05T08:19:49Z")
OP should receive a warning for arguing in bad faith, let me be the umpteenth person to use the word “disingenuous” in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2019, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-positive-gun-news/839675/98 "2019-09-05T09:21:53Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > That thread is not for discussion in any way shape or form; it’s for _agreement_. > > ETA: And it’s an embarrassment to the SDMB. I don’t know if I’d call it an embarrassment, but I will say this. I _wish_ I could have the level of “safe space” protection for [my recent thread about concentration camps](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=877382). Instead, we had [a level of trolling](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=21716813&postcount=288) that leaves **Fear Itself** ’s statements about gun control in the dust (and yes, I _did_ in fact report it, and I’m pretty sure I DM’d some mods about it too, nobody cared), and [it continued until page 14](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=21731197&postcount=660) (with no warning issued). This despite the fact that I set out the parameters of the discussion in _far_ greater detail than **Bone** did in his “positive gun news” thread: > [@What Effect Will Trump's Concentration Camps have on his reelection campaign?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-effect-will-trumps-concentration-camps-have-on-his-reelection-campaign/835738/44): > > Also, quick meta note. > > I’d rather we not discuss whether or not we’re actually running concentration camps at the borders. At least if you don’t have at least some form of expertise (say, a historian, or a holocaust expert) to weigh in with. This thread is not about the “whether”, it’s about the “electoral impacts of”, and while “this isn’t a thing that will have an impact because it’s not a thing” is a take one can have, I sincerely doubt that anyone involved is going to step the rhetoric down, especially as conditions in the camps continue to worsen and people keep on dying. Whether “concentration camp” is 100% accurate or not, now it’s out in the mainstream, and it’s very unlikely that that genie gets put back in the bottle. > > (Besides, I tried to have that conversation before and it didn’t go well. I do welcome anyone interested to make their own thread, and I’ll gladly participate in it, but let’s try to keep this thread on topics germane to elections, i.e. “what will this do to the polls”.) This went almost completely ignored. Which, at the time, I was disappointed about, but hey - it happens. Threads here _aren’t_ safe spaces, and telling people “please don’t disagree in this thread about issue X” isn’t something we generally do here. Except now I see that we _absolutely_ do that here. With certain subjects. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2019, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-positive-gun-news/839675/99 "2019-09-05T09:56:48Z")
> [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](#): > > I don’t know if I’d call it an embarrassment, but I will say this. I _wish_ I could have the level of “safe space” protection for [my recent thread about concentration camps](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=877382). > […] > This went almost completely ignored. Which, at the time, I was disappointed about, but hey - it happens. Threads here _aren’t_ safe spaces, and telling people “please don’t disagree in this thread about issue X” isn’t something we generally do here. > > Except now I see that we _absolutely_ do that here. With certain subjects. :rolleyes: Is it significant that the thread in question was started by a Mod? “Some animals are more equal than others”, kind of thing. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2019, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-positive-gun-news/839675/100 "2019-09-05T11:47:11Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > There’s a certain amount of irony inherent in this post. Nothing gets by you. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-positive-gun-news/839675.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-positive-gun-news/839675.md?page=6)