And fails miserably in the attempt.
I want you to go there and read his whole column. I want anyone who is pro-gun and reads my to go there, and see that he follows precisely the same format as any anti-gun blogger who has been called out in the public sphere.
First, he starts off by trying to play the martyr, and reprints a particularly foul piece of hate mail that he received in response to his original column. Of course, he neatly neglects everyone who sent him calm, reasoned replies – because that wouldn’t do anything to further his point so he might as well ignore them. That doesn’t sound like something Laura Washington or Robyn Ringler would do, does it?
Then, he uses a derisive nick-name to address all his critics, he calls them Gamer Nerds; not at all like how anti-gun factions call us “gun nuts” or whatever. It is an interesting side note that both the term “gamer nerds” and “gun nuts” have been happily adopted by the people they were intended to insult. Apparently we have a sense of humor about such things.
Then, in classic format, he just repeats his previous mis-information, but the killer part is that he uses the same clips that refute his statements to prove his statements. It would be laughable if it wasn’t so sad.
Finally, he has the temerity to say that he wasn’t promoting censorship…when he did in fact say that he wanted legislation to ban these games and cause financial ruin to their developers.
You know, most days I wouldn’t care about something like this – I’d just dismiss it as more ignorant ramblings. But Townhall.com is a conservative site; the same people that read Townhall are the same people who are fiscal conservatives and opposed to gun control. But when you put something like this on your site, it makes those same that usually vote Republican think that it’s okay to restrict things in the name of public safety, that it’s okay to misrepresent facts to make your point. Those conservatives who read Kevin McCullough’s blog are the same conservatives that I need on my side when I’m arguing for more personal liberty, and less government intrusion in our lives. If they start thinking that it’s okay to marginalize, insult, and degrade groups of people simply because those people enjoy a perfectly legal, perfectly safe hobby, then Republicans really are no different from Democrats.
Kevin McCullough doesn’t get it, and I doubt that he ever will. I really do hope that the 400 or so people who read my blog do get it, and do understand why it’s important to not allow ourselves to emulate the tactics of anti-gun groups, or anti-video game groups – or really any group which seeks to impose government regulation in place of good parenting and education.
Might as well call it “how to dehumanize your targets and argue irrationally”.