Gerald Martin
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2009
- Messages
- 8,686
@JLS, I agree with this.^^^^^It’s also entirely possible for a persons views to change drastically over the course of a career. I’ve certainly experienced this.
To say someone can’t be trusted because of the field they work in is simply disingenuous. Some of us have walked a tightrope for years of advocating change within our scope of employment.
A thoughtful person often sees patterns of harmful behavior, practices, or attitudes among personnel within their field of profession or vocational calling.
Attempts to call attention to those areas are often not appreciated by those who engage in the behavior. Attempts to ignore criticism, marginalize the one criticizing, ostracism, character slander and untrue accusations often follow.
In the rare cases that introspection and growth are welcomed as part of the culture of an organization, criticism can produce positive change and a well intentioned person who criticizes is appreciated.
Far too often the criticism touches on areas of insecurity or behavior so deeply entrenched within the community that it’s easier to destroy the one pointing out the problems than it is to work towards solving the problems.
The problems don’t go away even if the person pointing them out is destroyed and silenced.
When contention reaches critical mass the ones who chose to ignore criticism and refuse change are usually on the receiving end of having “solutions” dictated to them by their adversaries. The solutions might not actually solve the problem, but because the ones who ignored criticism refused to participate in bringing solutions or be seen as willing to work to solve contention, they are refused a seat at the table.
Like it or not, gun violence is a a major factor that will affect everyone’s 2nd Amendment rights to keep and bear arms.
@Sytes referenced a traumatic event as being probable in influencing @RyanBusse to move in the direction he did. If so, that doesn’t negate the validity of his criticism.
My wife and I have made life altering changes and associations for the sake of our kids because of traumatic events in our former community. In our own lives,I know a bit of the resolve and determination and the length of sacrifice a parent will undergo to never willingly expose their children to avoidable trauma.
I watched the horror and anguish of a co-worker as he took the call that his son was dead as a result of a series of poor choices in association and actions and tragic consequences. I saw the hell that they have endured in the past several years since those events.
Seeing that woke me up to some of the challenges my family faced and gave me courage and determination to make changes I knew were necessary and overdue.
I can only imagine how parents of children killed in school shootings or street violence feel about the weapons and people who make them available and use them. I can guarantee you some of those parents are at least if not more invested in doing whatever they can to bring change in the way they think will help solve gun violence, as 2nd Amendment advocates are about protecting their rights.
It doesn’t matter whether you think their solutions will work or not. They, and organizations they form are going to bring change to the laws that regulate gun ownership in America.
If criticism about the attitudes, actions, and business practices of gun manufacturers and owners from a gun owning former “industry insider” is uncomfortable and inconvenient, then by all means ignore that criticism and the one who brings it. That won’t change problems in our society that are way bigger than @RyanBusse and will continue to fester long after he’s faded from the public eye.
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