To the question of whether the vitriol pushes quality people away from this site, it's obvious to anyone who socializes with vintage double enthusiasts that it does. In my small group of friends and fellow collectors, I can count over 10 who won't get involved here or have left, specifically because of "that guy". I'm asked regularly "what's the deal? Why is he still allowed on there?"
These are quality people. Who could contribute in significant ways. The site is poorer for them not being here.
It long ago stopped being about politics or gun rights. I'm as every bit anti gun regulation as Keith is. But I'm on his shit list because I largely disagree with his tactic of personal attacks.
I hang out with some Democrat voting American hunters and gun owners. Until they met me, they hung around with NO ONE who wasn't a progressive liberal. Sure there is hypocrisy in their views and voting patterns but most of us aren't perfect. The idea of completely cutting out 50% of the population because of their political views is just stupid. It doesn't matter which side is doing it. The polarization actually is a problem. So is most progressive ideology. But the solution sure isn't shunning.
James,
You know, Earnest Hemingway warned someone in his sphere that he better figure out how to get along with leftists, because they were going to take over the world.
I believe Hemingway did his best to do exactly that. He made his home in Cuba, and didn’t appear to have any public animosity toward Fidel Castro. But, in the end, Castro seized his home, and all of its contents, and it was pretty clear that Ol Papa wasn’t going to have a place in Castro’s “vision” of Cuba. We had some guys right here detailing how they had “curated” the contents of Hemingways home, which, the commies had pretty much neglected and allowed the joint and the contents to fall into ruin.
First, shame on any idiot that shows up at a crime scene, decades after the event, to lend credibility to the criminals who perpetrated the crime. They are the bigger criminals, in my opinion, than the thieves.
But, make no mistakes, the thieves are right near them.
I having a tough time watching the actions of those who gave us corrupted elections, and how they have gone from “most secure election on record” to “well there was some fraud, but, not enough to sway the results” to “ well, there was more fraud than we thought” to “ well, what is done is done, deal with it, loser”.
Yea, I’m not hanging out with many on the other side of the fence these days.
Best,
Ted
