This weekly roundup thread is intended for all culture war posts. 'Culture war' is vaguely defined, but it basically means controversial issues that fall along set tribal lines. Arguments over culture war issues generate a lot of heat and little light, and few deeply entrenched people ever change their minds. This thread is for voicing opinions and analyzing the state of the discussion while trying to optimize for light over heat.
Optimistically, we think that engaging with people you disagree with is worth your time, and so is being nice! Pessimistically, there are many dynamics that can lead discussions on Culture War topics to become unproductive. There's a human tendency to divide along tribal lines, praising your ingroup and vilifying your outgroup - and if you think you find it easy to criticize your ingroup, then it may be that your outgroup is not who you think it is. Extremists with opposing positions can feed off each other, highlighting each other's worst points to justify their own angry rhetoric, which becomes in turn a new example of bad behavior for the other side to highlight.
We would like to avoid these negative dynamics. Accordingly, we ask that you do not use this thread for waging the Culture War. Examples of waging the Culture War:
-
Shaming.
-
Attempting to 'build consensus' or enforce ideological conformity.
-
Making sweeping generalizations to vilify a group you dislike.
-
Recruiting for a cause.
-
Posting links that could be summarized as 'Boo outgroup!' Basically, if your content is 'Can you believe what Those People did this week?' then you should either refrain from posting, or do some very patient work to contextualize and/or steel-man the relevant viewpoint.
In general, you should argue to understand, not to win. This thread is not territory to be claimed by one group or another; indeed, the aim is to have many different viewpoints represented here. Thus, we also ask that you follow some guidelines:
-
Speak plainly. Avoid sarcasm and mockery. When disagreeing with someone, state your objections explicitly.
-
Be as precise and charitable as you can. Don't paraphrase unflatteringly.
-
Don't imply that someone said something they did not say, even if you think it follows from what they said.
-
Write like everyone is reading and you want them to be included in the discussion.
On an ad hoc basis, the mods will try to compile a list of the best posts/comments from the previous week, posted in Quality Contribution threads and archived at /r/TheThread. You may nominate a comment for this list by clicking on 'report' at the bottom of the post and typing 'Actually a quality contribution' as the report reason.
Jump in the discussion.
No email address required.
Notes -
I think you are making a mistake saying that the important thing is “we have a constitution and law” and that’s why you have some gun rights that only get violated at the “margins”.
The reason we have gun rights in the US is because gun rights are popular. Quickly AI checking and there is slight favorability to stricter gun laws, but about 50-50 (stricter vs as is/looser), 32% personally own a gun, and abstract favorability to guns is popular. Things that become unpopular tend to lose in court. Race-based discrimination despite being illegal on things like affirmative action were popular for a very long time and usually won in court.
If issue X,Y,Z was very explicitly given in the Bill of Rights but popular opinion only supported that right at 10% then I would trust the polling for how the court would decide. Best example is the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
So I don’t believe we are a nation of laws. If anything we are nation of public opinion polls.
As a not important aside I can’t think of any good reason I would even want to own a gun if I was Japanese and lived in Japan. They are not a violent people. There is limited threat of invasion. No Indians from back in the day to defend your family with a gun. No Central American migrants breaking in. That is outside of hunting and maybe as part of an actual formal militia if China invaded Taiwan and I then started to think they might invade Japan (but not a real risks right now).
More options
Context Copy link