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<blockquote data-quote="mugsy" data-source="post: 2053175" data-attributes="member: 18914">I didn&#039;t say his views weren&#039;t influential - they certainly might be.&nbsp; Right now you can&#039;t tell me that anyone except Mayor Bloomberg has been influenced by him.The potential is there for sure.&nbsp; However, his views are still no more inherently important than yours or mine.&nbsp; I didn&#039;t mean to dismiss the possible influence he might have IF he becomes some kind of an gun control spokesman vice one opinion expressed in one interview.&nbsp; I was trying to remind folks that his status as a combatant commander does not mean his opinion, on this matter, is really more informed than yours or mine and we shouldn&#039;t be cowed by it.&nbsp; You might also want to consider that addressing Americans whom you perceive as disagreeing with your position should still be addressed respectfully and their arguments countered with charity, vice using &quot;enemy combatant&quot; type language.&nbsp; Yes, there is such a thing as information operations - I have two talented IO officers who work for me but in domestic affairs we call that politics and we don&#039;t demonize fellow Americans who hold what we believe to be an errant opinion.&nbsp; At least we shouldn&#039;t - leave that stuff to the lefties who like to get apoplectic about everything.&nbsp; Support the lobbying groups (NRA-ILA, GOA, SAF etc.) , write to your Congressmen and use every appropriate public forum to intelligently and non-belligerently push your message.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="mugsy, post: 2053175, member: 18914"] I didn't say his views weren't influential - they certainly might be. Right now you can't tell me that anyone except Mayor Bloomberg has been influenced by him. The potential is there for sure. However, his views are still no more inherently important than yours or mine. I didn't mean to dismiss the possible influence he might have IF he becomes some kind of an gun control spokesman vice one opinion expressed in one interview. I was trying to remind folks that his status as a combatant commander does not mean his opinion, on this matter, is really more informed than yours or mine and we shouldn't be cowed by it. You might also want to consider that addressing Americans whom you perceive as disagreeing with your position should still be addressed respectfully and their arguments countered with charity, vice using "enemy combatant" type language. Yes, there is such a thing as information operations - I have two talented IO officers who work for me but in domestic affairs we call that politics and we don't demonize fellow Americans who hold what we believe to be an errant opinion. At least we shouldn't - leave that stuff to the lefties who like to get apoplectic about everything. Support the lobbying groups (NRA-ILA, GOA, SAF etc.) , write to your Congressmen and use every appropriate public forum to intelligently and non-belligerently push your message. [/QUOTE]

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