Do special interest forums beget extremism?

[Titan6]

Good call Werewolf. I have never understood why the social researchers feel like they have to troll. Just ask the question honestly and you get an honest answer.

Do you think that joining this forum (or others like it) lead you to become more extreme in your views? If so, why?

No. I don't even seek validation in my view points although I often ask others what they think to understand where they are coming from. Since I blast away at people who disagree with me I do not build a consensus opinion. If this is extremist I was already well and fully gone before I came here.

Competitive social comparison?--You found out that others were more into guns than you, and so you became more extreme.

There are many people on this board who I could not dream of competing with at most levels so I do not. Better shooters, more and better guns, better knowledge of weapons and equipment, tactics etc. This is a good place to learn and teach. Since I do not post pictures of my weapons, competition scores, or much about personal events etc. I am not really trying to out do anyone. Is it competitive for me to buy a gun and not tell anyone on the board? Unfair some might say... not sharing you know. Do I feel I have to buy the best flashlights and carry a spare set of batteries? No, that POV has not changed. I decided many years ago what I wanted to buy and went out and bought it.

Persuasive arguments?--You heard a lot of great ideas that favored a more extreme position. (or you found out just how bad things really are)

This is a great place to learn and teach. I hear great ideas everyday about how to carry a weapon or what type of rounds to use on which type of target. Is it more extreme to use buckshot over birdshot? Yes indeed it is when shooting at large land animals, but is it really more extreme? Instead maybe being more correct?

Social identity concerns?--You came to strongly identify with the pro-gun crowd and despise the gun-grabbers. You do not want to be mistaken for a gun-grabber, so you make yourself as pro-gun as you can.

Gosh. You do need to look around a little more. Some people may do that but they do not survive long. There are those here who would arm the insane, felons, retarded; people I consider unfit to carry 99% of the time. Some consider this extremist, I call it foolish.

 

[JohnBT]

"THR has actually made me more mellow."

That's what I was going to say. Maybe it's just middle age and experience. If some of the old gun boards were still up I could go back and compare my posts.

John

 

[yokel]

As far as i'm concerned, wholeheartedly understanding and accepting the genuineness of the Second Amendment originates in or is derived from the mind or the constitution of the intellect rather than from Internet forum exposure.

 

[JWarren]

John,

I'm still *fairly* young, so I do attribute a lot of it to THR. We have a lot of intelligent and rational people here who consider issues from a number of angles. It forces everyone to take a moment to consider their positions.

-- John

 

[Riktoven]

Given the loaded question and the heavily loaded answers and the join date, it's hard not calling troll on the OP.

Nothing about my stance on anything is extreme to me. To someone pushing disarmament and socialist governmental politics, my stance on the Constitution could be considered very extreme.

Being on this site hasn't swayed my values one way or another. It has provided visibility to a few extra links in the chain of abuses perpatrated upon the citizens of this country by our leaders.

 

[nezumi]

As a new comer, the forum seems anything but extreme. Now and again I see people who make a poster or a political statement, forgetting they're surrounded by like minded people, and as such, the poster gives off the completely wrong message (you think a poster saying 'they're coming for your gun next!' does anything for all the people who don't own guns? If anything, it encourages them.)

When I signed up here, I actively went to look for an anti-gun forum to get the other side of the debate. Strangely, I couldn't find any. They not up to discussion? Not sure... Either way, they lost a chance to share their views with me.

 

[ubermensch]

I posted in total earnestness. Since I got into guns a few months back, I have sort of been swept-up in the culture. Spending way too much time reading this and other boards, keeping up on local legislation and activism, becoming more and more irate with the efforts of those in power who oppose freedom, etc.

All of this has made me more extreme than I was a few months ago. This is a good thing. As the direction this board sent me was the moral one.

I merely wanted to see if this was a common experience.

 

[Riktoven]

Sorry for the 'troll' comment.

The question looked like an anti fishing expedition to paint gunowners as Rambo's and social dissidents.

 

[Autolycus]

Ubermensch: Do you post as Johnny Dangerously over on Glocktalk?

I ask because THIS sounds a lot like what you wrote.

 

[ubermensch]

Riktoven, I am a gun owner, a social dissident, and I wish I were Rambo (John Rambo from First Blood, not the Rambo from the bad sequels).

At all the forums I visit, I post as ubermensch, or some phonetic variant thereof. And I don't think I sound anything like that guy, he rambles, I am terse.

 

[alucard0822]

I do belive that a forum such as THR can in fact help you to evaluate your personal beliefs and knowledge of the subject of topic, and while incorporating the thousands of years worth of experience that folks here have leads to a higher state of interest. Anyone can form an opinion of anything, wether they are knowledgeable or not, specialty forums allow an arena where ideas that may be popular, but misguided can be freely debated, there are volumes of knowledge to draw upon to support an argument, and I belive that there is nothing healthier than questioning one's own beliefs in an objective light.
People here also can find a common base, support and information that may not be around in the world outside. I have lived in extremely anti-gun areas, where you would be considered a redneck at best and a nutcase killer in the making at worst, just having the ability to communicate with people spread throughout the world can help you to see the forrest from the trees. My grandfather was a D.C. detective, retired navy aviator, German born immigrant, FFL dealer and a patriot. He knew full well what government control gone wild can do to people (1/2 jewish, came to US in 1938), and knew how important the constitution and in particular the bill of rights were to maintain freedom in a country with a history as unique in the world as ours.
He passed his love of learning, guns, and freedom on to my father, who passed it to me.
So basically my "extreme" ideas have held their ground through three generations and the better part of a century, THR just gives me the opportunity to put my beliefs to the test, keep an open mind, and to take away or pass on ideas, thoughts and opinions with the most logical and strongest beliefs remaining.

 

[scurtis_34471]

I know my ideas have become more focussed since I joined this forum, but this forum is not soley responsible for that. I've been going through a lot of political, philosophical and religious soul searching over the years that has lead to a dawning clarity. I used to think I was a socially liberal fiscal conservative. I know know I'm a libertarian. I've always been pro-gun, but I never realized how under threat our gun rights were until I became a gun owner and got involved. I still think some of the positions I see presented here are extreme, but they challenge me to think and that is never a bad thing.

 

[gulogulo1970]

I think some may be swayed by the more extreme elements of any forum. But most mature minds already think they have it figured out and use forums to bolster what they believe and gain new knowledge.

 

[obxned]

It's not the forums, but the nonsense I hear on the news every day that makes me 'more extreme'!

 

[anygunanywhere]

I suppose I would be labeled a right wing extremist, a member of the conspiracy. I sincerely do not believe I am as far right of center those who wish to deny my freedoms are left of center.

This site and others I frequent have not made me more extreme. I am certainly wiser, and a more experienced shooter.

I can better defend myslef and those that I love.

Come to think of it, I have blue eyes and am smarter than those with brown eyes too.

Anygunanywhere

 

[Jim March]

This is a VERY interesting question.

The Internet is changing politics. I believe it's because, in part, people all over the US can compare notes on a given subject and see how similar gov't mistakes are made across multiple jurisdictions...and then trade "recipes" on fixing it.

This isn't just a gun thing. Trust me. I see the same pattern in electronic voting reform, ferret legalization and I know it's going on in other fields.

Pre-Internet, the amount and degree of information exchange was a lot less. So local activists tended to fight small battles alone.

In this new era, a government agency screwing people in a local sense collects outrage nationally.

In the case of gun rights issues, those on the OTHER side have been networking for years. In California we'd see cities across the state adopt the same sort of gun control at once, even when blocked by preemption, and then they'd use all that as pressure to get whatever-it-is passed at the state level. "Junk guns", 50cal, concealables, high-caps, it all went down that way with only rare losses on the part of cities. Understand: these towns were coordinating via bureaucrat junkets and other expenditures of public monies.

The 'net has let us keep up with all that and combat it in a much more organized fashion.

But "radicalized"?

I don't think so. In fact, I think it LIMITS "extremity" that takes the form of outright illegal and/or violent action. Violent political action often takes place when a small group talks only amongst themselves and build up to a really wild level...the Symbionese Liberation Army is absolutely classic. At least on THESE forums, good ideas tend to overwhelm bad ideas, and that's even before the moderators step in .

The 'net is an amazing democratic force.

 

[ctdonath]

I think what you're trying to get at is "education". It's a pretty wild concept to the ignorant.

 

[GoSlash27]

It's been my experience that discussing politics on forums such as this one has a more moderating effect on all of us. Or at least those of us who haven't already made up our minds 10 years ago
The only thing we have in common 100% is that we like guns enough to get together and talk about 'em.

 

[articdog]

ZeSpectre said:

The general conclusion (for myself) is that the freedom of forums like this tend to allow people to explore positions they might not otherwise think about, but by the same token there are PLENTY of folks here who are willing to call a "reality check".

I've played "devil's advocate" plenty of times and even found myself somewhat caught up in the heat of a debate before, but there has also been a regular dose of having my some of my opinions get (justly) curtailed by excellent critical thinking that others have voiced.

I've had a sharpening and refinement of critical thinking on a subject, well moderated here on THR. Its helps me to read other views as they often contain points I had not been aware of or realized their importance. Does this create "extremism"? I don't think so, as long as emotions are kept in check, but this is a judgement by others whose values may not be mine.