So, The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Ownership starts a blog. They get inundated with pro-gun comments. Two anti-gun commentators tilt at windmills. They stop allowing comments and cut off trackbacks citing a series called ‘reasoned discourse’ and noting some rather nasty comments they’ve received (none of which actually appeared on the blog). We mean ol’ gun blogs discover that one of those commentators is a Brady board member. So much for reasoned discourse.
Another anti-gun blog starts up called Under Fire. Same situation where pro-gun folks quickly descend what with their facts and all. Activity is limited and comments are temporarily shut off.
Gonzo is a joke with no readers.
Bryan Miller of Ceasefire NJ starts an anti-gun blog. PSH and moonbattery start on the first day, immediately followed by insults and calls for the waaahmbulance. And they are already heavily moderating comments.
In short, the anti-gun blogs are learning a lesson: they’re not effective when people can address their obfuscation, misrepresentations, and can counter their talking points. Propaganda typically fails when challenged. In other words, we’re winning.
Despite that, the NYT (via Jeff) thinks what we need is another anti-gun blog to go tits up:
Ms. Robinson said she is frustrated that Democrats see gun-control as a losing issue and have dropped it as a topic. So she has helped organize a campaign called Where Did the Gun Come From? , which is trying to re-frame the issue, not in terms of “control” or “rights” but in terms of gun trafficking. “We want the media to ask where the gun used in a crime came from, to follow it back to the people who sell arms to criminals for profit,” she said.
But, she said, liberal bloggers have expressed little interest in the subject.
Mr. Rasiej suggested she start blogging herself.
They keep lining them up. And we’ll keep knocking them down. Because it’s too easy. Gun control talking points fear the light. It doesn’t do well when there is actual ‘reasoned discourse.’ I find it amusing that the press will take dictation from the anti-gun groups and print it without question. And that’s still not enough. I welcome this idea because it will be another platform that they will lose. Anyway, as to where the guns come from, most crime guns are stolen or obtained on the black market. 93% of crime guns are obtained illegally.
Also, there’s this:
“Put up a blog and ask the blogging community how to make it part of the conversation,” he said. “There’s an opportunity for you to engage with bloggers by saying, ‘I like what you’re saying about health care but you aren’t talking about the gun issue.’ Create a presence for yourself in this community. Write on Kos or MyDD.”
He offered another idea: Tie the blog to a national data base, an online memorial, of every person killed by a handgun and ask readers to add to it each time they learn of such a death.
Good idea! Here’s a start. Oh, wait.
Regardless, I welcome the challenge.
Update: The good news: But, she said, liberal bloggers have expressed little interest in the subject.
