Graphics for pro-gun social media posts.

[pangloss]

Over the years I've un-followed a lot of people on social media for excessive political posts, but I continue to follow a few people with whom I mostly disagree but still count as friends. One of these people has gone over the top with anti-gun posts in the last week, and it's gotten to the point that it's really annoying me. I have trouble knowing how to respond. On one extreme, I could just say nothing. On the other, I could have a public rant and "unfriend" him. Neither seems like the right option. This friend and I are both scientists, so we're comfortable arguing about data.

With that in mind, I dug out a graphic I prepared a few years ago, and put together a new one this afternoon. I think that both of these figures are relatively straightforward and easy to interpret. I am going to judiciously use them in my social media postings and welcome others to do the same. If anyone else has thoughtful graphics that could benefit our cause, please share them here. I prefer that people not share highly partisan or condescending graphics as those do nothing to expand our base. As per Glenn's comments in several other threads, we need to work more on outreach and not simply bolster those who already feel as strongly as we do.

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I should revise the second figure so that it needs less explanation, but I can't find the file where I saved the numbers. The data came from two separate Wikipedia pages, and getting the data into Excel was awfully tedius. In short, each dot is a country.

[Thy.Will.Be.Done]

I practice distance from disorder, so I'd probably just unfollow... but then again I can't really afford any extra aggravation at this point.

[TicTacticalTimmy]

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[TicTacticalTimmy]

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I wouldn't post this on social media, but whenever someone claims the US has a high homicide rate or that our gun laws are why we have so many homicides....

Edit: didn't mean to post that second image but not sure how to delete it

[pangloss]

I practice distance from disorder, so I'd probably just unfollow... but then again I can't really afford any extra aggravation at this point.

I have mixed emotions. One the one hand, I feel like I've wasted my entire afternoon in an extended Facebook dialogue. On the other hand, I feel like I should not be in the online closet, so to speak, regarding my support for the 2A.

[Wendell]

I have mixed emotions. One the one hand, I feel like I've wasted my entire afternoon in an extended Facebook dialogue. On the other hand, I feel like I should not be in the online closet, so to speak, regarding my support for the 2A.

"...To sign your name where everyone can see it."


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrgrkVE7GcY

[BCG]

https://sites.google.com/a/bcgun.com/sale/_/rsrc/1519605177148/home/images/Corporations%20Prefer%20Unarmed%20Workers%20600x34 2.jpg

[BCG]

https://sites.google.com/a/bcgun.com/sale/_/rsrc/1519605811218/home/images/homicide_prison-1024.jpg

This comparison of murders in some tightly controlled "gun free zones" is from "Brady Grades vs Crime Rates. 2010 -2011" (February 2013). You can read the whole thing, with data and sources, here (https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7hHmCLbC5yfUllXZklac3VVY0U/edit).

[BCG]

https://sites.google.com/a/bcgun.com/sale/_/rsrc/1519605173544/home/images/codems-prochoice.jpg

This one was made in response to one of our state senators telling a rape victim that she was too stupid to weigh the risks vs benefits of carrying a gun to protect herself, and should therefore be denied the right to make that choice.

[TheNewbie]

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I wouldn't post this on social media, but whenever someone claims the US has a high homicide rate or that our gun laws are why we have so many homicides....

Edit: didn't mean to post that second image but not sure how to delete it

We must be careful about how we discuss race. I'm the least PC person I know but things should be put in to perspective. The point your graph makes is that culture matters and that some cultures are better than others. The wonderful thing is people can change their culture/values, and that's what America is all about.

[BCG]

https://sites.google.com/a/bcgun.com/sale/_/rsrc/1519605166878/home/images/BI-apocalypse-2017-01-23.jpg

Even though the intent of the Second Amendment was for the citizenry to protect themselves from oppressive government, I believe that argument fails as persuasion in the modern era. But since items like "long term survival food" have moved from the back pages of Soldier of Fortune to the mainstream shelves of places like Costco, perhaps the idea of protection during civil disruption -- whether short term or long term -- might be more receptive? Also, Americans have a habit of wanting to emulate the behaviors of the rich and/or famous. If necessary, tell them that the Mad Max style post-apocalypse world order will be the result of global warming, or something like that.



Silicon Valley Billionaires Are Preparing For The Apocalypse With Motorcycles, Guns, And Private Hideaways

by Melia Robinson
Business Insider
January 23, 2017, 3:20 PM

The Silicon Valley elite may be among the most active — and potentially successful — doomsday preppers, according to a riveting new essay in The New Yorker.

Leaders of industry from Silicon Valley to Wall Street are joining the survivalism movement, The New Yorker's Evan Osnos writes. That list includes Steve Huffman, cofounder and CEO of Reddit; Marvin Liao, a former Yahoo executive and a partner at 500 Startups; and Robert A. Johnson, a managing director of hedge fund Soros Fund Management.

Reid Hoffman, the cofounder of LinkedIn and a notable venture capitalist, told the New Yorker he estimates more than 50% of Silicon Valley billionaires have bought some level of "apocalypse insurance," like an underground bunker.


You can read the entire article here (www.businessinsider.com/silicon-valley-billionaires-apocalypse-preppers-2017-1). At the end of that page are links to two related stories:


SEE ALSO: This luxury condo development featuring 'DEFCON 1 preparedness' is built for the apocalypse (http://www.businessinsider.com/trident-lakes-texas-doomsday-shelter-2017-1)

NOW WATCH: These doomsday shelters for the 1% make up the largest private bunker community on earth (http://www.businessinsider.com/doomsday-shelters-rich-vivos-x-point-2017-1)

[ubervic]

Most people treat “graphics” on social media as either fact (if they reflect the viewer’s belief) or pure propaganda (if they oppose the viewer’s belief). Thus, one typically finds himself merely preaching to the choir or shouting at the deaf.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

About the billionaire hideaways - I saw one describing his fortress. Asked about protection, he said that they had hired the best security folks. I thought - Well, after the apocalypse - the security folks will kill your fat butt and have their way with your trophy wife and daughter. Then, they will eat your caviar and drink your fine wine.

The trophy wives and daughters are probably having affairs with the buffed, tattooed macho guards anyway.

[Peally]

Don't get into political arguments with twats on the internet, problem solved.

Life is too short to be wading through crappy memes on Facebook. Unfollow, easy.

[BCG]

[ deleted ]

[Darth_Uno]

Most people treat “graphics” on social media as either fact (if they reflect the viewer’s belief) or pure propaganda (if they oppose the viewer’s belief). Thus, one typically finds himself merely preaching to the choir or shouting at the deaf.

Exactly. Works the other way too.

Numbers don't mean jack squat anyway. There's so many variables you can tweak them however you want. Let's look at the AWB. Yes, crime went down afterwards. It also went down during. It was also inordinately high before that and bound to normalize. Part of that was the influx of drugs and the associated gangs in the 70's and 80's, and while the drugs didn't go away the situation had largely stabilized by the mid-90's.

[JRB]

Once a year or so, I'll pick one or two longtime friends that start spouting anti gun stuff. I'll pick them based on their intellect and how reasonable they tend to be.
I'll debate with them, and them alone. I'll run it to the ground.
Yes, it's exhausting. But that interaction will usually be seen by many of my other friends that wouldn't otherwise comment for or against - and that brings out the folks with curiosity, opinions, or drivel as they throw in their two cents.
Again. It's exhausting, but if I'm not advocating for our rights then I'm sitting by silently as they're taken. I'm not interested in letting silence on our front get mistaken for consent.

[pangloss]

Most people treat “graphics” on social media as either fact (if they reflect the viewer’s belief) or pure propaganda (if they oppose the viewer’s belief). Thus, one typically finds himself merely preaching to the choir or shouting at the deaf.


Don't get into political arguments with twats on the internet, problem solved.

Life is too short to be wading through crappy memes on Facebook. Unfollow, easy.


Exactly. Works the other way too.

Numbers don't mean jack squat anyway. There's so many variables you can tweak them however you want. Let's look at the AWB. Yes, crime went down afterwards. It also went down during. It was also inordinately high before that and bound to normalize. Part of that was the influx of drugs and the associated gangs in the 70's and 80's, and while the drugs didn't go away the situation had largely stabilized by the mid-90's.

Sorry to for the delay in responding. Some people in the middle part of the political spectrum aren't completely polarized. I think graphs with actual data and not simply insults could sway a few people. As for numbers being subject to manipulation, I'll happy graph the data in whatever way I think tells the best story. In this instance, I'm also comfortable telling just the parts of the story that I want to make known. Using the word "propaganda" to characterize what I have in mind is probably appropriate, but I want my propaganda to have some actual content and not simply be a collection of insults to people who disagree with me. I will make more graphs this weekend!

[BCG]

From 2013, a rare moment of honesty...

https://sites.google.com/a/bcgun.com/sale/_/rsrc/1520005767797/home/images/RKBA%20Clair%20Levy%202013b.png

The source video is here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHautaGGocI).

[BCG]

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source: https://twitter.com/davidhogg111/status/974763267984850944

"If you're going to pander to the 'MeToo' movement, you should probably start by not perpetuating the use of misogynistic language." - Colion Noir. March 19, 2018

source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxSDfK2mYdk

[BCG]

It's time for our politicians to stop being the bitch of the ACLU and NAACP.

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Sure, "Stop and Frisk" had problems with high false-positive rates and low arrest rates -- just like background checks. And there were concerns about civil rights. But I think all sensible people can agree that it's time to move on and put such trivialities behind us, because gun-violence is too important an issue. Any comprehensive gun-owner control legislation should include a provision to allow police officers to "Stop and Frisk" anyone suspected of carrying a gun ... for the children's sake. It's good enough for the Europeans, so it must be good enough for Americans.


Disclaimer: I have no idea if any of the above is true. But since the gun-owner control lobby has demonstrated that facts don't matter, why should I worry about them?

[Glenn E. Meyer]

It's good enough for the Europeans, so it must be good enough for Americans.

Are you serious with that statement? The Europeans, for the most part, aren't in favor of legal carry.

Wait, you are being sarcastic!

[Qaz98]

I didn't see this website posted: https://crimeresearch.org

It breaks down the flaws in a lot of these studies that promote gun control, or say that more guns = more homicides.

The devil is in the details, with these studies. They have a lot of articles, and very well written and organized. For example, they break down the Small Arms Survey, which is often cited as proof that no other country matches our homicide rate - but, 1) they exclude Israel and Switzerland, because technically the government owns the guns (despite being in a personal home), 2) firearms per 100,000 is not the same ,as % of gun ownership, as obviously, many people have multiple guns.

[BCG]

Here's another once about Democrats not being serious about "getting guns off the streets and out of the hands of criminals".

I'm not happy with the wording in this one, so I'm open to suggestions for improvement.

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[Chance]

Here's a thread I started (https://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?10401-Resources-for-the-Preparation-of-Arguing-with-Anti-Gun-People) a few years ago with links to various pro-gun opinions and such. Not many graphics in there, but the links include data sets periodically.