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downwardspiral

30 Days: Gun Nation

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I have to give Pia a lot of respect for what she did. It takes a lot of courage and strength of character to attempt to walk in a culture totally foreign to your "normal."

Although my beliefs personally side with the family that she stayed with, I still respect why she felt the way that she did. I kind of would have liked seeing the reverse, and thinking about how I would have dealt with living in her neighborhood.

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Can't claim I didn't fast forward a bit, but I agree with your comments about her ... just want to add one thing. I think she did something a lot of people would be hard pressed to do (based on comments observed in SC, especially a lot of the regulars here ... LOL!!!) ... she obviously went in with a reasonably open mind, especially considering her past with guns/death. I wish more people could take that approach with more things in our lives!
As long as you are happy with yourself ... who cares what the rest of the world thinks?

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I'm only 30min into it, but I haven't seen her with an open mind yet. I don't disagree that she has a lot ouf courage and character. But from her first comments in OH, before she even met the folks she was staying with, she was very set in her ideas.

Maybe something will happen in the last 12min.

edit to add:

ok... she opened up in the last 12min. much respect.
--
Rob

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Perhaps the end will change your mind on that, but to me the fact that she did it at all, was willing to learn to shoot in spite of the revulsion she had to even the sound of guns (note the tears when she initially fired a shotgun), carry a personal firearm, and be immersed in the gun culture to that extent shows a willingness to have her opinions changed that I don't believe a lot of people capable of showing.
As long as you are happy with yourself ... who cares what the rest of the world thinks?

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Saw it years ago.

I hate how they picked about as redneck a family as you can get, living in an unfinished trailer in the middle of nowhere.

I do give her tons of respect, she faced something she didn't like and actually tried it and allowed herself to learn a bit.

This is not something most people are able to do.

I will admit that every anti gun person that has ever gone to the range with me has had that same change of opinion once they actually learn something about firearms.
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

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I hate how they picked about as redneck a family as you can get, living in an unfinished trailer in the middle of nowhere.



I don't share your opinion at all. I was very impressed by the man in the way he handled the entire situation. He is intelligent, patient, and above all, knew when to stfu. An excellent representative of pro-2nd Amendment folks everywhere.
www.FourWheelerHB.com

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I don't share your opinion at all. I was very impressed by the man in the way he handled the entire situation. He is intelligent, patient, and above all, knew when to stfu. An excellent representative of pro-2nd Amendment folks everywhere.



You didn't even notice that his living conditions were run down? That they painted him as more about his guns than his home?

I am not saying *he* didn't DO a fine job, I said I hate how the *producers* picked a person "living in an unfinished trailer in the middle of nowhere."

THEY tried to paint any pro second guy as some redneck. I know it is their job to make the two seem as different as possible, but the show made it look like anti gun folks are hip, socially consensus individuals and that pro 2nd folks live in trailers.
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

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I don't share your opinion at all. I was very impressed by the man in the way he handled the entire situation. He is intelligent, patient, and above all, knew when to stfu. An excellent representative of pro-2nd Amendment folks everywhere.



You didn't even notice that his living conditions were run down? That they painted him as more about his guns than his home?

I am not saying *he* didn't DO a fine job, I said I hate how the *producers* picked a person "living in an unfinished trailer in the middle of nowhere."

THEY tried to paint any pro second guy as some redneck. I know it is their job to make the two seem as different as possible, but the show made it look like anti gun folks are hip, socially consensus individuals and that pro 2nd folks live in trailers.



Actually my thoughts were...for a single dad who is a cargo handler at the airport, he's doing a fine job for him and his son.

Perhaps there is something to what you are saying but I didn't personally get that out of the show. If anything it showed anti-gun folks as emotional and neurotic whereas the pro-gun folks were laid back and worry-free.
www.FourWheelerHB.com

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I didn't watch all of this. From what I could see this was not an unbiased presentation. Not everyone who owns a gun is a lower class radical. I think that was the intention of this video.....In other words, to shine a light brightly on just how crazy gun ownership is.

I think they could have done a better documentary on this subject by finding average gun owners and interviewing them. But who would be interested in that.....I realize that it would not be as sensational as just focusing in on radicals who own guns.

There are plenty of good reasons to own a gun. Personal defense is one, but it is not the only reason.....

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I am not saying *he* didn't DO a fine job, I said I hate how the *producers* picked a person "living in an unfinished trailer in the middle of nowhere."



I suspect that, of the possible hosts with suitable accommodations to take on a house guest for 30 days in a reasonably comfortable manner, he was chosen because of the characteristics [downwardspiral] already mentioned.

Was it even a trailer? I've never seen a trailer with a basement. (Maybe I just haven't seen enough trailers.)
Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

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You didn't even notice that his living conditions were run down? That they painted him as more about his guns than his home?



Yeah. The whole "we've got to get this poor kid away from those guns so he can go to college" was pretty over the top. There was definitely some perpetuation of the "uneducated people own guns" stereotype.

After her initial stereotyping of them as having a confederate flag out in front of their trailer, it would have been funny if the "gun people" had been someone like Dr. Bordson.
-- Tom Aiello

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SnakeRiverBASE.com

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I suspect that, of the possible hosts with suitable accommodations to take on a house guest for 30 days in a reasonably comfortable manner, he was chosen because of the characteristics [downwardspiral] already mentioned



I suspect that, of the possible hosts with suitable accommodations to take on a house guest for 30 days in a reasonably comfortable manner, he was chosen as a far extreme so that the difference would be greater.

They did it for ratings. They picked both people for their extreme views.

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Was it even a trailer?



Manufactured home. I have seen them with basements before. The point is that there were several shots of him sitting in his living room with a wall behind him that was missing sheetrock. They make those kinds of shots to show how "redneck" they guy was. And then all the shots of his kid practically drooling over the firearms.
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

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They picked both people for their extreme views.



That was the premise of the show, to have someone from one end of the spectrum spend thirty days with someone from the other end of the spectrum. It wouldn't have worked using someone from the middle, such as myself, a gun owner who does not see every gun law as an attempt to take away everyone's guns.

Neither person was portrayed as being typical. Both were pretty accurately portrayed as holding extreme positions.
Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

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That was the premise of the show, to have someone from one end of the spectrum spend thirty days with someone from the other end of the spectrum.



But then you must assume that the pro gun end is a lower income redneck then?

I know plenty of pro gun folks that do not live in a trailer.

THAT is my point exactly. They painted a picture that the extreme end of "Pro-Gun" is like Jedd Clampett. You believe that, so you see no issue.
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

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...They painted a picture that the extreme end...




To be fair, their anti-gunner was pretty low rent, too. When she wanted the kid to go to college, I kept wondering if she had ever had any higher education. I mean, come one, she's got a stunning career as a "hip hop aerobics instructor."

Facing facts, it would have been very hard for them to find people with more going on who had time to drop everything and live on camera for a month. Well, I guess they could have asked Kallend to do it during summer break, but do you really think that your average upper middle class college educated gun owner is going to have time to let the cameras into their house for a month?
-- Tom Aiello

[email protected]
SnakeRiverBASE.com

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But then you must assume that the pro gun end is a lower income redneck then?



Income level was not an aspect focused on in the show.

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I know plenty of pro gun folks that do not live in a trailer.



As do I. I also know quite a few that do (or have). The show, however, did not select a pro gun family that lived in a trailer.

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THAT is my point exactly. They painted a picture that the extreme end of "Pro-Gun" is like Jedd Clampett. You believe that, so you see no issue.



I know two families with substantial gun collections (i.e. well over 50 firearms). One lived in a trailer when I met them. The other is a multi-millionaire with hundreds of guns in his personal collection. He also owns several expensive cars and his own company. Of the two families, I consider the former to be more typical, not only of gun owners, but of Americans in general. I know I'd rather spend time with them than the other guy.

It seems that you're the only one who is viewing the pro gun family in the show in a negative light due to their income. I didn't see it as relevant. There was no indication given by the anti-gun person that she felt like she was stuck living with the poor for 30 days.
Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

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It seems that you're the only one who is viewing the pro gun family in the show in a negative light due to their income. I didn't see it as relevant. There was no indication given by the anti-gun person that she felt like she was stuck living with the poor for 30 days.




That's what I love about this site. Everyone has a different perspective.
www.FourWheelerHB.com

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Facing facts, it would have been very hard for them to find people with more going on who had time to drop everything and live on camera for a month.



That's probably a BIG issue right there.

A lot of people that own firearms don't necessarily want to decrease their level of security by bringing in a random AND a camera crew AND to have your location and your collection on TV?! Not so very secure.


Part of it is what they WANT to get for viewing audiences, part of it is what they CAN get from the selection pool.

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I have to give Pia a lot of respect for what she did. It takes a lot of courage and strength of character to attempt to walk in a culture totally foreign to your "normal."



I think that's a very cool way to look at it. Thanks for putting that out there.

/Marg

Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters.
Tibetan Buddhist saying

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